Building a Professional Learning Community

 To give an overview of the professional learning model and campus project at Mt Roskill  To unpack our E Learning professional learning groups  To share the E learning professional learning in the science department  To share a personal case study of a teacher engaged in self review Aims of the session

Overview of session Introduction and overview E learning PLCs – Sophie Wright Department case study – Ashween Kumar Sharing a ‘self review’ case study Fiona Burns Self review model – Michael Loretz Reflection and small group discussion

Purpose: to build the learning power of teachers in order to raise student engagement and achievement. MERGE Maximising the Engagement of the Roskill Group’s Education Gather, analyse and share data. Use it to inform teaching and learning and to target and track students. Building a Consistent approach to teaching and learning across the campus in order to create a seamless curriculum for students Further develop Professional Learning Circles across the campus to engage teachers in teacher inquiry. How will we achieve this?

Professional Learning Circles PLCs are an impetus for change that is focused on the improvement of teacher quality and student learning, growth and achievement When staff work together within PLCs continuous improvement becomes an embedded value. ( Morrisey, 2000)

PLCs: Key Characteristics  shared values and vision  collective responsibility for students’ learning  collaboration focused on learning  individual and collective professional learning  reflective professional inquiry  openness, networks and partnerships  inclusive membership  mutual trust, respect and support (Creating and Sustaining Professional Learning Communities - Universities of Bristol, Bath, and London Institute of Education 2007)

PLCs: set up  Time  Everyone  External and Internal Facilitators  Focus on strategies that impact on student learning  Use of teacher inquiry cycle  Link to other campus schools through MERGE  Ongoing evaluation

Facilitator Baseline survey (March 09)

PlusMinusInteresting Always useful to hear what appears to work in other classes. Picked up some good ideas on how to progress with low level students. Getting good ideas from others. Encouragement The agreement about the requirement for repetition in the teaching of vocab. Everyone is just getting on with it. Everything really – sharing ideas. Feeling more confident about the strategies I am trialling. Realising the failures are not just my own. Ideas gained. Focus for development Short – limited time so work efficiently. Confirmation of ideas Discussion of new ideas. Phil’s test sheet There’s so much to learn. Sharing of ideas and especially noting the success / failures of these was helpful. Time spent – extra homework Sometimes hard to get here on time and organised. Still not sure how to op to the next step with context clues. I value the collegial feedback at the meeting. I find the sharing of ideas useful. We all feel more confident than earlier in the year. The number of us doing ‘old fashioned’ (in the nicest sense) pre-tests and making comparisons. The old familiar techniques, e.g. cloze Making connections that Brian talked about. Could this work with class subject word list that Dianna has? Could this be start of connecting texts to the wider world? PLC Feedback –26 th May 2010

PLC meetings every three weeks Week 2: Topic PLCs E Learning Restorative Practices High Ability Students TESSOL Maori Achievement Pacific Achievement Low Achievers Week 1: Department PLCs Week 3: Facilitators’ PLC PLC Structure 2009

PLC’s 2010: Evaluation of progress using Kirkpatrick scale LevelQuestions related to:Reported impact of PLCs 1How teachers felt about their learning Nearly all teachers had positive reactions. 2Whether they learnt anythingMost teachers reported impacts on their learning. 3Was the learning used in practiceMany teachers reported using their learning in practice. 4Do we know the impact on student outcomes? Not yet

PLCS: Lessons Learned 2009  PLC members need some commonality: a group of students they all work with or a teaching strategy/ approach they are developing.  Department facilitators require the same ongoing support as topic/core facilitators.  Department PLCs and Topic PLCs need to be brought under same umbrella so both are working towards school strategic goals.  PLCs need to meet regularly to establish momentum.

Professional Development Rocket

Weekly PLC meetings Week 1: Core / Topic PLCs C PLCs E Learning Restorative Practices High Ability TESSOL Numeracy across the Curriculum Week 2: Department PLCs Focus on formative practice and NZC Facilitator training and support – monthly E learning Lead Team Sub MERGE campus group Facilitator training and support – monthly E learning Lead Team Sub MERGE campus group PLC Structure 2010

C Band Observations

PLC’s 2010: Evaluation of progress using Kirkpatrick scale LevelQuestions related to:Reported impact of PLCs 1How teachers felt about their learning Nearly all teachers had positive reactions. 2Whether they learnt anythingMost teachers reported impacts on their learning. 3Was the learning used in practiceMany teachers reported using their learning in practice. 4Do we know the impact on student outcomes? Not yet

E Learning PLC How can E learning enhance teaching and learning at MRGS? ‘Since any teaching strategy works differently in different contexts for different students, effective pedagogy requires that teachers inquire into the impact of their teaching on their students’ NZC

E-learning and pedagogy Information and communication technology (ICT) has a major impact on the world in which young people live. Similarly, e-learning (that is, learning supported by or facilitated by ICT) has considerable potential to support the teaching approaches outlined in the above section. For instance, e-learning may: assist the making of connections by enabling students to enter and explore new learning environments, overcoming barriers of distance and time facilitate shared learning by enabling students to join or create communities of learners that extend well beyond the classroom assist in the creation of supportive learning environments by offering resources that take account of individual, cultural, or developmental differences enhance opportunities to learn by offering students virtual experiences and tools that save them time, allowing them to take their learning further. Schools should explore not only how ICT can supplement traditional ways of teaching but also how it can open up new and different ways of learning.

Wiki

Create or identify a metaphor for e-Learning in the NZC to share digitally on the wiki at our next PLC on March 3rd.

Where to from here?

The cliff face on the right is the New Zealand Curriculum. The cliff face on the left is student achievement. The little rock providing the bridge is the resources I have available, and the sheep is me trying to find a way across. Good luck!

Being able to communicate through different mediums leads us on a fascinating voyage. The destination is never fully known or understood, but the adventure is in the getting there.

Guiding questions How does the integration of e-learning reflect the needs and interests of my students? How will e-learning strategies be embedded into the planned programme of learning? How will the integration be supported by relevant offline experiences before and after use? What opportunities are there for my students to work cooperatively? Can the e-learning be combined with other relevant learning experiences? (digital and non-digital) How and at what stages of the learning will I evaluate the use of e- learning?

E Learning Lead Team Focus for 2010: Developing and sharing good practice Building skills as leaders of ICT Leading an E Learning PLC or Department PLC meeting Focus for 2011 Leading professional learning in Department PLCs Further developing I Learn (moodle) Establishing a parent portal

Peer coaching Based on inquiries After school review meetings – 1 per term Professional developmen t days – 1 per term Wiki Lead Team Structure

E Learning Lead Team Focus for 2010: Developing and sharing good practice Building skills as leaders of ICT Leading an E Learning PLC or Department PLC meeting Leading professional learning in Department PLCs Focus for 2011 Leading professional learning in Department PLCs Further developing I Learn (moodle) Establishing a parent portal

Science Department – case study Ashween Kumar – E Learning Lead Team

A case study from the E-Learning Lead Team Fiona Burns

Self Review Model

Building a Model of Self Review: 1a. Raj believes that the learning experiences of his students can be enhanced by the use of ICT tools.

Building a Model of Self Review: 1b. Raj joins the e-Learning PLC and is introduced to the idea of using ‘wikis’ to promote student learning.

Building a Model of Self Review: 2. Raj begins a course wiki and puts course material onto it.

Building a Model of Self Review: 3. Raj monitors student sign ups to the wiki.

Building a Model of Self Review: 4. There is good uptake and positive initial informal feedback.

Building a Model of Self Review: 5. There is demand from students to supplement in class experiences with online experiences.

Building a Model of Self Review: 6. Raj decides that he needs to use the wiki for more than a reference resource for students.

Building a Model of Self Review: 7. Raj believes that in order to promote student centred learning, the ICT tools need to be used in an interactive way.

Building a Model of Self Review: 8. Raj runs an assignment for each of his classes on his wiki. Students save their work to the wiki and so that others can see the work of others. This is done as a formative assessment.

Building a Model of Self Review: 9. Raj monitors the activity on the wiki and asks students to post feedback on it asking them about their online experiences.

Building a Model of Self Review: 10. Student feedback is positive, but there is a call for more interaction

Building a Model of Self Review: 11. Raj theorises that the students want to have more control over their own learning.

Building a Model of Self Review: 12. Raj rejects student calls for facebook and decides that iLearn has the ideal set of features to achieve what is needed.

Building a Model of Self Review: 13. Raj believes that the development of iLearn will allow him to further advance his students’ online experiences, giving them the features necessary to structure student centred learning.

Reflection Buy in – clear focus for professional learning Facilitators – ongoing training and support Teachers engaged in inquiry (self review) Engaging teachers in quality learning activities Leadership of professional learning – ongoing planning and review

Group discussion Leading professional learning – whole school – Michael Leading professional learning at department level – Ashween Leading professional learning in a lead team – Sophie Personal self review – Fiona