1. How People Learn and How Leaders Learn
Ellen Goldring
Peabody College,
Vanderbilt University

2. Agenda Why Professional Principal Preparation?
Theory of Change
Goals
How Principal’s Learn and Program Delivery
Bridging Theory to Practice
Tools for Learning and Practice
Challenged Based Learning Modules

3. Why Professional Preparation: Conception of How Professional Preparation Influence Outcomes for Schools
Professional Training and Preparation, Professional Development
Teachers learning’ opportunities & instructional improvement efforts; school culture
Leader Background
Leadership practice & knowledge & Skills
Student Outcomes Achievement
School context:
Student & Faculty
characteristics 3

4. Program Goals
The program’s purpose is to develop principals who are committed to and knowledgeable about, and can implement the following goals: 
1. Embracing research-based ideas about good learning,
2. Recognizing high quality teaching and knowing how to sustain and nurture it, identifying what gets in the way of excellent teaching, and knowing what to do about it,
3. Data-based decision making,
4. Leading through vision and knowing how to work with their teachers to develop a clear sense of direction for their schools and a strategy to effect change,
5.  Working effectively as part of a team to develop and implement strategy, and
6. Viewing change as a process and a shared activity requiring the support and understanding of a broad group of constituents that includes community leaders, school staff, parents, and students, the school board, the superintendent and central office staff.

5. Professional Preparation is part of a System for Overall Reform
Policy Levers
Standards
High quality personnel preparation
Personnel licensure and assessments
Ongoing professional development
Incentives and personnel policies
Conditions of work
System evaluation and assessments
High Quality Schooling
Opportunities to learn
High quality instruction
High quality curriculum
School instructional leadership
Data systems: Monitoring progress and accountability
Personalized learning cultures
Coordination: Home, community, and school
Professional culture
Educational Research and Development

6. HOW

7. The Traditional Approach: Theory Bridged to Practice

8. Internship Innovative Approach: Integration & Strategic Connection
Challenges of Practice
Knowledge & Expertise
Performance Based Assessment & Feedback
Internship

9. What are TOOLS for Professional Learning?
Prompt thinking and action
Constrain and enable thinking and action in particular ways across settings and over time
Help negotiate which actions to take toward meeting specified goals
Specify parameters of acceptable conduct
Communicate about norms of behavior
(Brown, 1989;1991; Honig, 2008)

10. Types of Tools Conceptual: New forms of thinking and new knowledge
Principles, frameworks, ideas
Instructional leader, decision making, autonomy,
Practical tools: New action
Change practices, strategies, utility in context
Leadership Assessment Tool
School Improvement Planning Guide
Teacher Observation Rubric

11. The Teaching & Learning Continuum
Traditional
Class
Work
Coaching &
Mentoring
Authentic
Immersive
Activity
Observation
Simulations
Interview
Shadowing
Problem-based
Practice

12. Goals of Challenge Based Learning and How People Learn Framework
To Facilitate Learning That
Is based in real-world challenges.
Activates existing knowledge as a foundation for new knowledge.
Demonstrates to and with the learner the new knowledge.
Helps the learner apply the new knowledge.
Helps the learner integrate this new knowledge into his/her school setting.

13. Challenge-Based Learning
Challenges are simulated problems or dilemmas that focus on realistic, day-to-day issues, events, and scenarios that school principals confront
Learning primarily take place through carefully crafted ‘challenges’.
The challenges are deliberately designed to enable participants to learn how to assess a situation, determine what they already know and what they will need to know,
and to learn how to identify and utilize sources of knowledge, skill and values that will enable them to wrestle with challenges productively.
Familiarizes learners with situations and problems they will encounter outside the classroom
Aims to prevent inert knowledge and promote transfer of learning by integrating content knowledge with problem solving

14. Challenge Learning Cycles: An Example of learner-centered design
                                         
                

15. Share Initial Thoughts
Students post and discuss their initial thoughts about the challenge This serves to 1) surface students’ predispositions, 2) alert others to the different ways one might understand and address the problems involved 3) helps the instructor to identify teaching opportunities and challenges.
Related research: generative learning (Wittrock), eliciting prior knowledge (Gagné), avoiding inert knowledge (Whitehead); social constructivism (Cole, Resnick); advanced organizers (Ausubel); setting personal goals for understanding (Alexander).

16. Examine Varied Perspectives and Resources
Students examine and compare a range of perspectives and learning resources related to the problems to be solved.
Related research: multiple representations-cognitive flexibility (Spiro); constructivism
(Bruner); contrasting cases (Bransford & Schwartz); expertise, knowledge in depth (Alexander)

17. Types of Learning Resources
Discussion of research by leading scholars (on DVD)
Commentary on effective practice by distinguished educators (QuickTime on DVD)
Texts, reports and articles (print and on-line)
Examples of effective practice (web and DVD)
Selected web sites
Structured opportunities to interact with other students and the instructor on-line

18. Test Your Understanding
Students take a brief examination on the content of the learning resources they were provided in order to hold them accountable and to increase the chance that student discussions to follow are informed. The instructor evaluates and provides rubrics that allow students to self-evaluate.
Related research: Embedded assessment (Wiggins);scaffolding (Vygotsky);

19. Response to the Challenge: Discussion and Posting of Later Thoughts
The response to the challenge involves two steps, both of which include interaction among students and between students and the instructor: 1. An open-ended discussion of a critical issue related to the challenge. 2. A draft and, following discussion, a redraft of the “final” response to the challenge. Related Research: authentic audiences and emerging understandings, (Vygotsky, Lave); social constructivism (Brown)

20. Integrative Application
Each course requires students to use what they have learned from the course modules to solve an authentic problem in a school setting. For example, students must assess the adequacy of services being provided students with disabilities and recommend strategies for improvement based on research and noting the potential barriers to implementation.

21. Reflection
To wrap up each course, students are asked to reflect, in writing, on what and how they have learned focusing on the differences between their initial thoughts (which they have posted) and their later responses to the challenges.
Related Research: reflective practice (Schön); the development of metacognitive skills (Bransford,et al.)

22. Examples

23. Why Challenged Based Learning: How People Learn
Learner-Centered
Assessment-Centered
Knowledge-Centered
Community-Centered
Frog is the leader, fish are the learners . Is he learner centered-did he try to figure out what are the pre-conceptions of the fish? Assessment centered-did not assess their learning? To see if they had misconceptions. Did Frog know what to teach? Knowledge centered, community cente4red—learning with other fish?
What were frogs preconceptions about fish needed to know? Did Frog try to understand what fish was thinking? Unlearning?

24. How People Learn Framework

25. Learner Centered
People construct new knowledge and understanding based upon that they already know and believe. Learning must address participants’ preconceived ideas and knowledge.
What I learned connects well with what I know already.
I learned how to solve real-life problems.

26. Knowledge Centered
Can’t just start and stay where the learner is but need content—a body of knowledge.
Access to multiple opportunities for learners to experience using foundational knowledge to solve problems.
Simulated participants to intellectual effort beyond that required by most professional development.
Encouraged participants to use multiple resources to improve their understanding

27. Community Centered
Learning occurs in supportive settings that are structured to value certain norms that promote learning.
Determine what learning is valued
Asked participants to help each other to understand ideas or concepts.
Formed "discussion groups" to facilitate learning.
Asked participants to share ideas and experiences with others whose backgrounds and viewpoints differ from their own.

28. Assessment Centered
Provides feedback so learners can revise their thinking and problem solving approaches.
Opportunities for self assessment
I got feedback about my performance that helped me to improve my thinking or understanding of the subject area
I was encouraged to evaluate my work.

29. Changes in Learning from Data Analyses
Depth of new insights
Reference to a much wider array of knowledge
Use of more ‘expert’ terminology
Use of knowledge
More relevant ideas
Focused ideas
Not rote learning, but interpreting the information and connecting it to problems at hand
Language is solution focused-action oriented
Participants see new knowledge as tools for solving problems