What if? Collaborating to imagine the possibilities…. What if educators across disciplines and grade levels collaborated to share their work, problem-solve and create? What if communication among colleagues promoted critical friendships bound by a desire to improve their practices in order to promote student learning? What if we re-imagine professional development? In the CFG® New Coaches’ Training you’ll learn how to create collaborative groups to imagine the possibilities together.
What is Critical Friends Group® work? A Critical Friends Group professional learning community is made up of educators who share a commitment to professional growth, collaboration, and improvement of student learning. “In 1994, the Annenberg Institute for School Reform designed a different approach to professional development, one that would be focused on 1 the practitioner and on defining what would improve student learning.” Since 2000, Critical Friends Group Coaches’ Trainings have been coordinated by the National School Reform Faculty (NSRF) at the Harmony Education Center in Bloomington, Indiana. The Director of NSRF, Michele Mattoon, has been instrumental in expanding the work of NSRF overseas, and assists with the creation and implementation of the CFG trainings.
Institute Course Description: This is a five-day certification training for new Critical Friends Group (CFG) coaches. This training will focus on teaching participants how to increase student achievement through collaborative professional learning communities. By the end of the training, participants will have learned collaborative methods to improve student learning, create equity in the classroom, increase efficient, effective communication, and enhance personal performance through the use of protocols and reflective practice. Participants who complete the full five-day training will become official CFG coaches, certified through the National School Reform Faculty (NSRF). Access the following link to learn more about Critical Friends Group work & the training: http://www.nsrfharmony.org/
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See the NSRF Website for more information on the history and practice of CFG work. http://www.nsrfharmony.org
Institute Trainer:
Penny Kynigou
International CFG® Facilitator for the National School Reform Faculty, Bloomington IN - USA
Penny Kynigou is an International Facilitator/ trainer for the National School Reform Faculty. She has been a coach and CFG participant at ACS Athens, an American International school in Greece, for the past five years. Through the initiation and development of CFG communities at this K-12 school, the school culture has been significantly impacted and teacher job satisfaction increased. Starting initially with a small band of fellow enthusiasts, the CFG community at ACS Athens has grown steadily and now embraces 70% of the faculty who see the trust based groups as a springboard to professional development and problem solving. Penny's commitment to the value of CFG communities has been confirmed by the recent Action Research project at the school. Along with her colleague, David Nelson, she has co-authored a pair of articles titled “For Teachers, by Teachers”, about the ACS Athens experience recently published in Connections, the NSRF journal. Obtaining a degree in social anthropology in Cambridge University, Penny went on to a career as a practicing classroom teacher with 30 years experience JK-6. She has developed expertise in creating a sense of community, collaborative support and trust among her students which fosters self reflection and individual growth. She brings this commitment to collaborative reflective practice to her work with colleagues. Penny's wealth of hands-on experience in the classroom in applying CFG-inspired collaborative learning activities with students makes her an inspiring and invaluable resource for teachers. At ACS Athens, Penny is the Coordinator of Professional Collaboration and Learning, mentoring new colleagues within the school. She is also a member of the Near East South Asia (NESA) Schools' Association Coaching Collaborative. Penny blogs about classroom practice and educational issues at bloggingthelearningcurve.wordpress.com. Contact the trainer at the following email: kynigoup@acs.gr
Institute Schedule (2017): Sunday June 18 - 9:00-5:00
CFG® Training Institute on the Campus of ACS Athens (Lunch break from 1:00-2:00 each day)
Monday, June 19 - 9:00-5:00
CFG Training Institute on the Campus of ACS Athens
Tuesday, June 20 - 9:00-5:00
CFG Training Institute on the Campus of ACS Athens
Wednesday June 21 - 9:00-5:00
CFG Training Institute on the Campus of ACS Athens
Thursday June 22 - 9:00-2:30
CFG Training Institute on the Campus of ACS Athens
Please note that lunch is not provided, but there are many nearby cafes where you can buy lunch.
Overview of the 5-Day Training Institute Agenda (June 18th -22nd): Essential Question – “What do I need to know and be able to do to create, foster, and sustain an equitable Critical Friends Group® community as part of a collaborative professional learning community in our district and schools?” Over-Arching Goal – Participants will learn several protocols for engaging group members in reflective conversations about teaching practices, adult and/or student work, with the goal of achieving higher and more equitable student outcomes. These are the first three days of the five-day certification training. Day One: Today is an introduction to Critical Friends Group work. While being engaged in today’s protocols and activities, participants will learn to build trust, create a safe atmosphere and learn about protocols and why they work. Day Two: Participants will learn protocols designed to promote active listening, data analysis, and effective strategic planning. Participants will also be introduced to another way to discuss professional texts. Day Three: Participants will learn several protocols for discussing texts and resolving professional dilemmas. Participants will all have an opportunity to facilitate and present work. Day Four: Participants will experience the power of Critical Friends Group work to support their own professional growth. They will present their own professional work and participate in a range of protocols to brainstorm new projects, tune lesson plans and explore dilemmas. Day Five: Participants will create a plan for rolling out Critical Friends Group communities in their own workplaces.
Institute Fees: 5-Day Institute ▪ ▪
Discounted Registration : €560 - For first 5 participants registering before March 20, 2017 Regular Registration : €765 - If registering from March 21 - April 27, 2017
The CFG® Training is being organized and hosted by the Institute for Innovation and Creativity at ACS Athens. The fees include the five days of training, training packet, snacks, and coffee breaks. Upon completion of the CFG training institute, members will receive a one year’s access to the NSRF online network of materials, including updated protocols and processes. Participants who complete the full five-day training will receive full certification as CFG Coaches through the National School Reform Faculty, and obtain full CFG Coaches’ benefits with NSRF for one year. *Opportunities to receive University Credit for the Institute may be available at an additional cost through one of the Universities that we work with. Please indicate your interest upon registration. **Lunches, Hotel and transportation are not included in the fee. The school is located directly on the Metro Line for easy access to centrally located hotels throughout Athens. --Recommendations for Hotels available upon request.
Cancellation Policy and Minimum Number of Participants: NSRF works hard to keep the costs of our five-day trainings as low as possible, and only accepts up to 15 participants per national facilitator, which makes it an especially high-value training opportunity. Because of the limited number of seats and the low margin, full refunds are only available with cancellations eight weeks before the event. If you must cancel between six and eight weeks, you may receive a 50% refund. Later than six weeks, we cannot offer a refund. We encourage anyone whose plans have changed to transfer their paid application to another attendee, if possible.
A note to all registered participants: In the event that the minimum number of registrations is not achieved, ACS Athens reserves the right to cancel or reschedule this training up to four weeks prior to the event. Do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until we confirm that the minimum has been reached.
CFG On-Site Trainings also available through NSRF: If you would like to bring an on-site training to your school, the National School Reform Faculty can bring its trainings to your location. On-Site CFG Trainings can be tailored to the particular needs of your organization, and is our most cost-effective option if you'd like to train ten or more people at once. A five-day On-site CFG Coaches' Training is the recommended format and can be arranged with NSRF. The amount will vary depending on your location, the size of your group, and whether you might be able to offset some expenses directly. Go online for contact details: http://www.nsrfharmony.org/
Registration: Registration is limited to the first 15 participants. Registration can be completed online at the following address: http://tinyurl.com/ACS-Athens-CFG-Training
Critical Friends Group® Coaches' Training – Payment Options: When you sign-up via the online registration you may pay by credit card. If you prefer to pay in cash, you may make payment with wire transfer or bank deposit using the following: Bank Wire Transfer / Deposit ▪
Recipient
Institute of Innovation and Creativity Ινστιτούτο Καινοτοµίας και Δηµιουργικότητας (IIC)
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Bank Wire Transfer
Account Number: Alpha Bank 209 00 2320 003144 Branch 209, 493 Mesoghion Avenue, Aghia Paraskevi, GR-15343 Swift Number: BIC CRBAGRAAXXX IBAN Number: GR56 0140 2090 2090 0232 0003 144 Ref: Your Name - ACS Critical Friends New Coaches' Training: Summer, 2017 ▪
Bank Deposit
Account Number: Alpha Bank 209 002320 003144 Ref: Your Name - ACS Critical Friends New Coaches' Training: Summer, 2017 When you make a bank deposit or wire transfer, please note your deposit as "ACS CFG® Training", and include your name, for better handling of payment. ●
Credit Card Payment via Paypal:
Log into your paypal account: www.paypal.com Click “Pay or Send Money” Click “Pay for Goods or Services” Enter the following email of the ACS Athens E-Shop, who will receive the payment: eshop@acs.gr Enter the payment amount. Add a note indicating the participant’s name and “ACS Critical Friends New Coaches' Training: Summer, 2017”