1. LEADERSHIP & TEACHER DEVELOPMENT
Teacher Educator Enhancement Program
Workshop 1
Facilitators:
Professor Sharon F. Rallis
Professor Gretchen B. Rossman
Center for International Education
University of Massachusetts Amherst

2. OVERALL WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES
Recognize multiple ways of knowing, learning, teaching, and approaching problems of practice
State sources of information about problems of practice
State approaches to address problems of practice
Define and describe Action Research Inquiry Cycle
Use the Action Research Package to practice AR between workshop days
Define and describe the use of the Portfolio of Professional Practice
Explain what are useful data that constitute credible AR portfolio evidence

3. OBJECTIVES – Day 1
Identify the elements and conditions for creating a supportive Learning Circle
Recognize and indicate multiple ways of knowing, learning, teaching, and approaching problems of practice
State sources of information about a problem of practice
State concrete approaches to address a problem of practice
Define and describe the Action Research Inquiry Cycle
Use the Action Research Package and the Action Research Tool to plan a small scale Action Research project
Identify the steps and procedures for conducting small-scale AR projects

4. AGENDA – Day 1 60 minutes Welcome, Agenda, Objectives, LC Environment
Reflection – Multiple Ways of Knowing
15 minutes
BREAK
Learning – Action Research Inquiry Cycle
45 minutes
LUNCH
Planning – Plan out AR Projects

5. OUR ASSUMPTIONS
We respect your knowledge and experience. We will work collaboratively.
We are all educators – interested in learning.
This initial cycle of workshops is a pilot.
Theories of action – if I do X, Y is likely to happen.  
Major reforms in education focus on ADULTS as learners.
Major reforms in education focus also on learner-centered pedagogy – may entail profound changes.
Learners have agency.
Good teachers and trainers have many strategies to draw upon.
And we need to remind ourselves that this work is all about the children and youth of Palestine.

6. What is a Learning Circle?
A Learning Circle is safe space where participants come together (either face-to-face or virtually) and create a reflective and respectful community of practice to accomplish concrete goals and tasks.
PARTICIPANTS CREATE SAFETY THROUGH TRUST AND RECOGNITION OF MUTUAL BENEFIT

7. Learning Circles Problem solving together to improve practice
Collaboration, reflection, critical feedback, and support
Learning Circles
Experimentation with problems of practice and critique of proposed solutions
Frequent meetings to build trusting and productive professional relationships with current and new colleagues
Problem solving together to improve practice
TRUST – “I surely won’t share if I think you will laugh at me.”
EVERYBODY BRINGS SOMETHING: a particular expertise, a special skill, an experience, a set of questions…..
CRITICAL FRIENDS
Learning as a social process where LC members engage in dialogue
Sharing knowledge, skills, expertise, experiences
Uncovering uncertainties

8. Why should I participate in a Learning Circle?
to continuously reflect and learn with colleagues
to apply theory to my practice
to receive support that sustains my professional development
to build trusting professional relationships with current and new colleagues
to discover and develop new content and teaching techniques
Changed a bit

9. Where will LCs take place?
Either informal or formal meetings. Some meet over coffee.

10. Who will participate in LCs?
Me and my colleagues
Me, my colleagues, and a facilitator
Me, my colleagues, a facilitator, and invited guests:
Subject experts
My principal
My supervisor
Teacher educators
See page 18 in the Action Research Package

11. What are my responsibilities?
Listen carefully to others.  
Maintain an open mind.  
Engage in friendly disagreement.
Strive to understand the position of those who disagree with you.  
Help keep the discussion on track.
Speak your mind freely, but don't monopolize the discussion.  
Address your remarks to group members rather than the facilitator.  
Communicate your needs to the facilitator.  
Value your own experience and opinions.  
BUILD TRUST.
Are there any others that are important to add?

12. What is this object? What is this?
What do you as an individual know about it?
Write down and share.

13. BREAK – 15 minutes ONLY

14. WHAT IS ACTION RESEARCH?
a reflective process of problem solving and small-scale experimentation
conducted by individuals working in teams
to improve their practice
Good professionals do this naturally.
Theoretical roots are not academic. AR comes from analyses of practice and social change.

15. Action Research is a method to help me to:
Problematize,
Collect data about,
Reflect upon, and
Take action to improve … my practice.
Action Research is a method to help me to:
CHANGED - Reflection = thinking and action planning

16. What do I want my students to learn?
PLAN
What instructional strategies will I use to facilitate this learning?
OBJECTIVE
What do I want my students to learn?
IMPLEMENT
What happens in the class?
(collect data)
How will I know?
NEXT STEPS
ASSESS
What do I do next? (action planning)
What do students learn?
How do I know?
(collect data)
CHANGED – OBJECTIVE IN OUR CASE, START WITH “WHAT IS THE PROBLEM”?
EVALUATE
What did I learn? (reflect and interpret)

17. A COMMON PROBLEM OF PRACTICE
Mr. Khalifah is trying to teach his class about subject-verb agreement in English. He is explaining the concept to the whole class, using examples from the textbook. Several students begin talking to each other. Mr. Khalifah tries to ignore this and go on with his presentation, but a moment later even more students begin to talk. Mr. Khalifah says, 'Would everyone please be quiet and listen. You're going to be doing some exercises and, if you don't listen, you won't know what to do.' The class becomes quiet, and Mr. Khalifah continues his explanation. Within two minutes, the noise level begins to rise again, and Mr. Khalifah reminds the class to be quiet.
ASK ONE PARTICIPANT TO READ OUT LOUD

18. REVIEW THE EXAMPLE AND RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS
What is the teacher trying to do?
What is the problem?
What additional information does Mr. Khalifah need to help him plan?
How will he collect it?
What will he do with it?
What approach will he develop to try out?
What data will he gather as he tries this new approach? Will he need a ‘critical friend’?
What does he learn?
What will be his next steps?

19. LUNCH BREAK – 45 mins

20. PLANNING YOUR AR PROJECT
Step 1 – Identify a problem of practice or everyday activity of practice
Step 2 – Plan an approach
Step 3 – Think about how to gather data

21. STEP 1: PROBLEM
Identify a problem in my teaching practice. What is not working? What are students not learning?
Describe the problem in detail here. What do I know already? What evidence do I have?
Given this problem of practice, what do I want my students to learn?
Describe the learning goals for my students here:

22. STEP 2: PLAN OF ACTION
What specific instructional strategies will I use to facilitate this learning? (Pedagogical content knowledge)
Write my strategies here (I can also attach a lesson plan):
How will I gather data to see if my strategies work? That is, how will I know what students learn? (Data collection tools)
Write my data collection tools, process, and plan here (for example, tests, COG, student work, etc.):

23. WHAT ARE DATA?
1, 2, 3 …. 45
purple
happy

24. REFLECTION ON LEARNING
What I have learned?
What questions do I have?
POST-IT NOTES  AFFINITY DIAGRAM if time.

25. Thank you for your participation. We meet again on Day 2.