Reflective Collaborative Conversations: Articulating Intention and Reflecting upon Action

1. Reflective Collaborative Conversations:Articulating Intention and Reflecting upon Action Dale Vidmar Information Literacy and Instruction Coordinator/ Education, Communication, Health & Phys. Ed. Librarian Southern Oregon University Library vidmar@sou.edu http://www.sou.edu/~vidmar/lillywest2009/vidmar.ppt Lilly West 2009 Conference on College and University Teaching Pomona, California March 20, 2009

2. Reflective Collaborative Conversations Existential Question: Why are We Here? Participants will be able to: • Structure a reflective collaborative conversation around diverse activities such as classroom teaching, creating learning modules, organizational retreats, or strategic plans. • Function in the various roles of teacher, facilitator, and observer with colleagues. • Engage in a reflective process to promote formative collaborative assessment.

3. Reflective Collaborative Conversations Therefore, one of the most promising ways to improve learning is to improve teaching.” “The quality of student learning is directly, although not exclusively, related to the quality of teaching. - Thomas Angelo from Classroom Assessment Techniques

4. Reflective Collaborative Conversations A formative process that facilitates introspection and self-awareness prior to, during, and after teaching.

5. The Intentional Teacher A primary characteristic of an outstanding teacher is intentionality– Having a purpose with which to cultivate informed reflection.

6. Why Reflection? “Experience itself is actually the ‘greatest teacher,” . . .

7. What Does Our Experience Say?

8. Why Reflection? “Experience itself is actually the ‘greatest teacher,” . . . not “we do not learn as much from experience as we learn from reflecting on that experience.” - Thomas S.C. Farrell from Reflective Practice in Action: 80 Reflection Breaks for Busy Teachers

9. Why Reflection? Do you ever talk with colleagues after class about teaching? How does this affect your teaching? Do you ever talk with students after class about your teaching?

10. Reflective Collaborative Conversations Intention: Planning Conversation Reflection: Reflective Conversation Classroom Experience Critical Incidents: Transformative Events

11. Critical Incidents • Critical incidents (Brookfield) – a vividly remembered event that is unplanned and unanticipated • Opportunities to examine and better understand what we do and how we do it in order to initiate change and improvement

12. Reflective Collaborative Conversations Individual: Introspection Facilitator: Elicits critical reflection Observer: Moderates the process and takes notes Trust & Collegiality

13. Reflective Collaborative Conversations Two Primary Stages: 1. Planning Conversation • Clarify intentions: Lesson goals and objectives • Teaching strategy and procedures: What the instructor will do? • Student achievement: What the students will do to indicate success • Data to support self-assessment: What is important to the teacher? • Establish a positive, collaborative relationship between peers

14. Reflective Collaborative Conversations Two Primary Stages: 2. Reflective Conversation • Assessment of Lesson: How did the lesson go? • Recall data to support reflections • Compare intentions with the actually lesson: What was different and why? • Effect on future lessons: new learnings, discoveries, or insights • Comment on the coaching process and refine as needed

15. The Cycle of Reflection • What am I doing? • Why am I doing what I do? • Is what I am doing effective? • How are the students responding to my teaching? • How can I improve what I am doing?

16. Reflective Collaborative Conversations • Role of the Facilitator • Set the groundwork for trust • Listen actively—seek clarification • Encourage reflection • Acknowledge the individual with nonverbal responses • Comments should further the conversation—”Tell me more...” • Enhance conversation rather than offer opinions or ideas.

17. Reflective Collaborative Conversations • Role of the Observer • Observe the process—note any deviation from role • Take notes for the individual to share for review and reflection • Note any thought-provoking comments or critical moments • Note nonverbal or verbal behaviors • Constructive criticism is the law

18. Reflective Collaborative Conversations Let’s try it! Form into a triad and choose roles—individual, facilitator, and observer

19. Reflection In your group, list some qualities or skills that helped promote productive critical reflection

20. The Craft of Teaching “Significant, meaningful, and long-term positive change will be achieved only when it comes as a decision from within the individual . . . based on self-evaluation” • - Lapp, N., Lascher, T., Matthews, T., Papalewis, R., • & Stoner, M. • from “A Proposal for Formative Assessment of Teaching”

21. References and Resources • Angelo, T. (1993), Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for teachers, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. • Brookfield, S. D. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Costa, A. & Garmston, R. (1994). Cognitive coaching: a foundation for renaissance schools. Norwood, MA: Christopher Gordon. • Farrell, T. S. (2004). Reflective practice in action: 80 reflection breaks for busy teachers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. • Lapp, N., Lascher, T., Matthews, T., Papalewis, R., & Stoner, M. (2003, June). A proposal for formative assessment of teaching. Retrieved May 22, 2008 from http://campus.sou.edu/~vidmar/reflective_peer_coaching/FormativeAssessmentLitReview.pdf • Slavin, R. E. (2006). Educational psychology: Theory and practice. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.

22. References and Resources • Vidmar, D. J. (2006). “Reflective peer coaching: Crafting collaborative self-assessment in teaching.” Research Strategies. 20 (3), 135-148. • Vidmar, D. J. (2009, March). “Roles of the Facilitator and the Observer.” Retrieved March 20, 2009, from http://home.sou.edu/~vidmar/lillywest2009/roles.doc. • Vidmar, D. J. (2009, March). “Collaborative Peer Conversation Questioning Strategies.” Retrieved March 20, 2009 from http://home.sou.edu/~vidmar/lillywest2009/reflective_collaborative_conversation_questions.doc.

23. Reflective Collaborative Conversations:Articulating Intention and Reflecting upon Action Dale Vidmar Information Literacy and Instruction Coordinator/ Education, Communication, Health & Phys. Ed. Librarian Southern Oregon University Library vidmar@sou.edu http://www.sou.edu/~vidmar/lillywest2009/vidmar.ppt Lilly West 2009 Conference on College and University Teaching Pomona, California March 20, 2009