Peer Coaching: Unleash the Potential of Collaboration

1. Peer Coaching: Unleash the Potential of Collaboration Abbey Alessi, Deborah Gallaher, Shelee King George

2. Welcome • Introductions • In this session….

3. Session Overview • Effective professional development • About the Peer Coaching program • Coaching in Practice

4. Synectic • How is professional development like/not like your first day in kindergarten?

5. Professional Development Activity • Facilitator and Recorder-Timekeeper (10) Think of a time that you learned something from a professional development experience that changed your practice as a teacher or principal. What made the experience so effective? • Reporter: Share (Add 1) • Compare: Research handout

6. Current Practice • School based Professional Development Matrix • Reflect on your current practice

7. Think About Typical Technology Professional Development • Traditional training • Focus on tools • Lacks opportunity for reflection

8. Misconceptions “If you buy it, they will use it.” “If you buy it, it will change the way children learn.”

9. Reality Check • Nearly 100% classrooms wired and connected to the Internet • Teachers still not comfortable • Pre-existing teaching practices continue • Islands of Excellence

10. Infrastructure • Investment in bandwidth but not “human bandwidth” • Time to invest in the Human Infrastructure

11. Our Dilemma • How can we help teachers infuse technology to enhance the teaching and learning process?

12. Why Peer Coaching • Collaboration • Feedback • Reflection • Alignment - adds value • Handout

13. About Peer Coaching • Simple method of professional development • Builds teacher leaders • Helps teachers share practices and learn from one another

14. Peer Coaching Program Background • 2001 - US Department of Education and Puget Sound Center • 2002 - Local grant partners; expanded statewide • 2004 - Microsoft adopted Peer Coaching as first Professional Development opportunity in their Partners in Learning Initiative • 2005-6 – Shared with over 43 countries • 2007 – Statewide adoption for EETT grant monies in Florida, Washington and Arizona

15. Lesson Design Coaching Skills Tech Integration Peer Coaching Program Curriculum • Coaching skills • Technology integration • Lesson Design

16. Program Goals • Develop teachers to be peer coaches • Achieve systematic technology integration • Engage students in powerful learning • Infuse professional development into the life of schools

17. Peer Coaching Program at a Glance • Blend of face-to-face and distance learning activities • Time for coaches to learn, practice, collaborate and reflect • Eight day-long coach training sessions scheduled over a year • Sessions at a Glance

18. Coaching Roles • Facilitator • Collaborator • Consultant • Coach

19. The Trust Model Trust Model

20. Pause to reflect • Think about the types of roles you play • What behaviors do you display that build trust? • Elbow share

21. Looking at Coaching Roles • Video

22. Coaching in Practice

23. Cleveland High School

24. Cleveland High School • Seattle School District • 110 schools • 46,416 students • Part of the Gates Foundation Small Schools Initiative

25. Meet the Staff and Students

26. Of 630 students 59% African American 23% Asian 8% Hispanic 7% Caucasian 3% Native American Of 41 certificated staff 61% Caucasian 15% Asian 20% African American 2% Hispanic 2% Native American Cleveland Staff and Students

27. Why Cleveland? • Paul G. Allen Family Foundation • Technology Infusion in Small Schools (TISS) • Build skills to make Cleveland a good school

28. TISS Grant If good schools have • Time for collaboration • Time to strengthen skills • Integration of technology into teaching and learning • Value student exhibitions, presentations and portfolios TISS can provide this opportunity

29. A TISS Journey • Year 1 of the grant… • Allen foundation provides possibilities • 4 academies • 3 coaches recruited • Need identified: Student Progress Feedback

30. Year 2 • Online Progress Reports • Change in Leadership • Move to interim site • 4 new coaches recruited

31. Year 3 • Online Progress reports >>> The Source • New equipment compliments of the Levy • Coaching session evolves into REALity check

32. An Ah Ha Moment • Session 7 of the Peer Coaching Program • The same reflection you did earlier • How do we place ourselves on the school based professional development matrix? • Collective Focus on Student Learning

33. Year 4 • 7 coaches • 13 collaborating teachers • Professional Development REAL focus • Support structure on site • Technology Boot camp • Project REAL

34. Project REAL • What really matters? • Improve senior projects • Project REAL • REAL audience • REAL purpose • REAL product • What if….

35. REAL commitment • Every teacher commits to offer one exhibition experience for students • A REAL school focus • All PD aligned • Rubric creation • Exhibition planning • Exhibition opportunities

36. Exhibition Experiences • Teacher • Teacher + student • Student • iPod winner

37. 3-2-1 • 3 things that show the value of collaboration at Cleveland • 2 things you still have questions about • 1 insight related to Cleveland’s journey

38. Student Technology Skills • Exhibition Experiences created a need for tech savvy students • Need for a common level of technology skills • Technology Boot Camp for staff and students

39. Technology Boot Camp • Team effort • 5 Online sessions • Rewarded with Jump Drive • End result: Exhibitions that showcase a REAL purpose through a REAL product for a REAL audience

40. Technology Boot Camp is Sustainable • Created with grant but sustainable beyond • Part of the fabric of Cleveland • All new students and staff will continue to receive training • Basic skills for teaching and learning

41. Reflections

42. What Really Mattered • Planning from within • Focus on the teaching & learning process • TISS coaching triads • 7 triads affects 21 of 41 teachers • Improve the use of new technology • Basic technology skills for teaching and learning

43. Teacher Technology Skills

44. Staff Perception of Tech Boot Camp • 62% of the staff report that as a result of Technology Boot Camp, students’ skills with technology either significantly increased or somewhat increased when compared to last year. • The remaining survey participants were unable to make a comparison because they had not used technology in their classrooms in the past.

45. Exhibition Experience Participation

46. Collaborating Teacher Reflections • It was great to know that there's someone there to help you whenever you needed it. There was always someone to collaborate with and to bounce ideas off of - not only with technology, but also with subject based curriculum. • The demand for the use of technology has grown not just by students but also by staff.

47. Reflections: Coach Rebbecah

48. Reflections: Catherine

49. Challenges • Challenges: The fear of deprivatization of practice. • Public display of lessons and exhibitions • Lab space demands

50. Next Steps • Next steps: Staff Retreat • Lesson improvement • Collaboration • Student reflection • Exhibitions defined further • Tech Boot Camp: NotchItUp