getting started by Priscilla Barrot

Getting Started Networked Learning Walks

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www.ncsl.org.uk

Network leadership in action:

For more information about networked learning communities visit www.nlcexchange.org.uk www.ncsl.org.uk/nlc

Getting started with Networked Learning Walks

To order a copy of this publication, please email nlc@ncsl.org.uk quoting reference NLiA/NLW or download from www.ncsl.org.uk/nlc

National College for School Leadership Networked Learning Group Derwent House Cranfield University Technology Park University Way Cranfield Bedfordshire MK43 0AZ T: 08707 870 370 F: 0115 872 2401 E: nlc@ncsl.org.uk W: www.ncsl.org.uk/nlc © National College for School Leadership, 2005

“A Networked Learning Walk is a way of organising and focusing school-to-school visits. It enables enquiry into how network developments are affecting children in classrooms and develops a common vocabulary of learning and teaching.”

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Getting started with Networked Learning Walks

Networked Learning Walks This development tool aims to provide network leaders with all they need to get started with Networked Learning Walks. This booklet explains the methodology and process. The second booklet contains tools and templates adapted and developed in school networks to support the Networked Learning Walks (NLW) process. A third, due to be published in October 2005, presents accounts of Networked Learning Walks in practice. Wh at is a Netwo rked Learning Walk? Networked Learning Walks are a series of organised and h i g h ly structured collab o r at ive enquiry ‘walks’ through the classrooms of a school by colleagues from that and other n e t w o rkschools in order to identify evidence of progress and areas for development. They include short visits to classrooms by a team of people who work together to collect evidence, learn about what is happening and ask questions. They are intended to be constru c t ive rather than judgemental and aim to help a school to unders t a n d how teachers teach, how learners learn and what gets taught to whom and when. A Networked Learning Walk is a way of o r ganising and focusing school-to-school visits. The stru c t u re and protocols of learning walks ensure that the visit is focused on learning and teaching. It enables enquiry into how network developments are affecting children in classrooms and develops a common vocabulary of learning and teaching across and between schools. Origins of Netwo rked Learning Wa l ks The Networked Learning Walk’s origins are in the work of the Institute for Learning in Pittsburgh, where Professor Lauren Resnick and her colleagues devised and developed the LearningWalksm as a tool for school improvement and self-evaluation. Learning Walks focus on principles, disciplined practices and the content of the school curriculum. The Pittsburgh model is carefully researched and is making significant differences to schools and school districts in many parts of the USA.

Acknowledgements We would like to acknowledge the following for their contribution to this development tool: Karen Carter, Pete Dudley, Rob Hard y, Kirsten Hill, Jan Pritchard and colleagues in Success@ NLC. We would particularly like to recognise the work of the Pittsburgh Institute for Learning in inspiring our thinking and to acknowledge the debt owed to the their LearningWalksm Sourcebook (Goldman et al, 2004), which has been used extensiv e ly in piloting the development of Networked Learning Walks and upon which this booklet draws. Helen Barrett and Louise Johns-Shepherd Lead developers

Resnick conducted research into teacher ‘walkthroughs’, or formal visits to the learning areas of each others’ schools. The aim was to see how enquiries in the form of structured, focused visits and feedback on classroom practice could contribute to school improvement and self-evaluation. Each walk in the Pittsburgh model focuses on one or more of the Principles of Learning. The Pittsburgh Institute believes in creating communities of practice for whom the principles of learning are key. Their instructional leadership programme places an emphasis on understanding where these principles come from, what they mean, why they matter, what they look like in practice and how to bring them to life in classrooms and schools. In England, similar principles are found underpinning well-researched pedagogical approaches such as Assessment for Learning or Thinking Skills.

Although the Networked Learning Walk has its origins in the Pittsburgh Institute model, it has been developed and adapted to accommodate the context of school leaders in learning networks in UK. That is, the Networked Learning Walk models processes which are fundamental to networked learning and leadership. Why do Networked Learning Walks? Networked learning can be described as occuring when people from different schools engage with one another to learn, innovate and enquire into their collective practices. This can happen via: joint work groups collective planning mutual problem-solving teams collaborative enquiry groups shared professional development NCSL, 2005 Doing NLWs is one way to engage in these activities and to practise enquiry-based leadership. Doing NLWs is also a way of acting on your commitment to collaborative enquiry, enquiry-based practice and to evidence and data-driven learning. In addition, much of our own classroom and school is invisible to us, we are too familiar with our settings. Much of what we know is embedded in the ‘taken for granted’ social constuctions of particular classrooms or schools (Desforges, 2004). The multiple perspectives that are part of a NLW create the potential for multiple insights into classroom practice and ways to improve it. By looking closely at what happens in the classroom, teams of teachers can explore together the impact and effectiveness of teaching and learning strategies implemented within their school and network. This collaborative activity provides opportunities for a range of different people in a network to lead innovation and change and to influence the network’s development. NLWs bring together an emphasis on good classroom practice and school improvement with a practical approach to building capacity. It is a powerful vehicle for allowing knowledge to travel aross and throughout a network. It has the potential to make visible pockets of excellence or expertise, and to highlighting joint areas for development and crossschool enquiry. As a recursive adult learning activity the NLW is a cost-effective way of generating data that is both formative and useful. Above all, NLWs enable groups of individuals to work together to develop an understanding of what a successful school or network looks like in practice. Pupil and adult learners can contribute equally to an investigation of how networked innovation is making a difference in the classroom.

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Getting started with Networked Learning Walks

Agreeing a focus for the Networked Learning Walk Although the Principles for Learning which underpin the Learning Walk model developed by the Pittsburgh Institute for Learning have not been taken as the basis for the development of Networked Learning Walks in England. It is still important to base your walk upon shared and validated principles. These could derive from the research-base for your pupil learning focus which might then become the ‘lens’ through which you view the practice you see (NCSL, 2005a). For example, a sharp pupil learning focus (PLF) is based upon a pedagogy which has a proven research-base for making a difference (NCSL, 2003). If your PLF is based in Thinking Skills, Assessment for Learning, Emotional Literacy or Dialogic Learning you might choose to base your NLW on the research derived

The Networked Learning Walk protocol Networked Learning Walks follow a protocol captured in stages 1–12 below and also summarised in the step-by-step guide on pages 6–7.

principles which underpin these approaches to teaching and learning.

1 Preparing people for the Networked Learning Walk

2 Preparing the Networked Learning Walk team or walkers

You may be a new network which has only recently identified what looks like an appropriate pupil learning focus from self-evaluation and performance data. So you could use the Learning Walk as a reconnaissance process to check out whether classroom data supports this focus. You can then use it to set a baseline of observed data both to help pitch your CPD, and against which to assess your learning and progress later on.

Before the first NLW occurs in any school there is a great deal of preparation to be done in order for the NLW to be an eventual success. Preparation must ensure that:

In order for a NLW to be successful, a climate of trust, openness and confidentiality must be encouraged. This starts with a sense of common courtesy but incorporates an understanding of the protocols and parameters of the NLW process. Such shared behavioural norms or common expectations can guarantee the integrity of the Networked Learning Walk.

Where a host school has set their own learning focus, linked to their school development plan, and invited another school to investigate an identified issue on their behalf, the visit will be more relaxed and productive.

Figure 1 Steps in finding your NLW focus and planning what to look for: a worked example

Everyone, whether directly or indirectly involved in the enquiry, understands the methodology and specific focus of the current NLW. NLWs are understood as a whole-school learning journey, not just for the main participants or the headteacher. Everyone understands they are learning from, with and on behalf of others in the network and that they have a responsibility to engage in shaping the enquiry.

Question

Example: all schools and year groups

What this looks like in one year group (Y1)

It should also be made clear that no one individual is under scrutiny during the process. Classrooms are investigated for what they show about a school or network as a whole.

What aspect of mathematics have we been trying to improve as a network?

Fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio.

In ‘Measures’ we’ve been encouraging pupils to estimate capacity ratios with sand and water.

By the time a NLW takes place, individuals within a host school or department should be familiar with the following:

What pedagogical approach are we using to add value still further?

Our Thinking Skills approach means pupils now ask questions of each other as routine…

…like ‘how many jugs of water will it take to fill this bottle?’

What related CPD have we engaged in recently to help change our knowledge and practices?

ASTs across the network are modelling lessons in different schools.

Cross-school Research Lesson Study groups are collaboratively planning, o b s e rving and analysing lessons.

So what will we expect to see on display, in plans, work, pupil learning and teaching practices?

Evidence of work planned combining Thinking Skills techniques (questioning, ‘odd one out’ exercises etc) with fractions, decimals, ratio work.

Displays posing questions about ratios of containers, work recording this work, resources and activities, containers, sand, water etc.

Date and time of learning walk. Focus of the learning walk. Name of the team members or walke rs . Reminder that walke rs will be conversing with pupils. Reminder that walke rs will be taking notes to supplement their memory and for their own l e a r n i n g,but not for evaluation purposes. At this time, if teachers have not seen them before, they should be shown copies of the note-taking forms that will be distributed to walkers. Reminder that collective feedback will be given.

If you we re undert a king a Netwo rked Learning Walk tomorrow what would your focus be?

Wh at are the learning principles underpinning your network’s pupil learning focus?

See: Finding a focus for your work template in Booklet 2 Networked Learning Walks tools and templates.

Success@ NLC developed the following ‘behavioural n o rms’ for its Learning Walks: Walkers must refrain from making judgemental comments, whether disparaging or complimentary, about the school, the headteacher, the teachers, classrooms, or pupils. Walkers should disrupt learning as little as possible. If the walkers are not acquainted with the teachers, t h ey should wear name tags. Walkers should respect the learning community of the school they are visiting. They should: Stick to the agreed focus of the walk Refrain from comparing the school they are visiting to other schools or commenting about other schools The benefits of a Learning Walk are only as rich as the knowledge and skills of the walkers. At a minimum, walkers should study and practise the following skills: Looking at pupil work (whether as a display or in portfolios or exercise books). Talking with pupils and posing open questions to them in order to understand their learning. Distinguishing between citing evidence observed in classrooms and making unwarranted judgements or assumptions. Crafting questions based on observations.

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Getting started with Networked Learning Walks

Networked Learning Walks step-by-step guide What steps to take before, during and after the Networked Learning Walk

You will identify a focus for your NLW through a process which considers your network’s pupil learning focus together with adult learning (eg recent CPD). Key questions What are the learning principles underpinning your network’s pupil learning focus? How will this enquiry enable you to reflect upon current adult and leadership learning issues within your network? In what professional development have colleagues participated, and what can you reasonably expect to see in classrooms as a result of this? How might this CPD be manifesting itself in different subjects in classrooms, in pupils’ work, in teaching and learning behaviours?

Probably at the same time as you are agreeing your shared focus, you will be identifying key individuals who perform a variety of roles within the network who are best placed to participate as the NLW enquiry team.

1. Agree your focus

Having completed the whole walk, participants review the evidence and the questions raised during the corridor talk. Walkers use this new knowledge to inform changes to teaching and learning and CPD planning and development.

Key questions How will you structure the debrief to allow time for personal reflection, time for group reflection and discussion, and time for summary questions to be agreed? How will you ensure feed back to colleagues manages to reflect observed practices accurately, whilst focusing the group on what to do next? How will you set the focus for the next NLW?

Pause for thought…?

Key questions How will the team be supported in preparing for their walk and getting to gr i p s with the agreed protocols for its conduct? How will you ensure that the NLW is a learning experience for all participants? How will you gain the commitment of h e a d t e a c h e rs to the process?

6. Debrief and feedback to colleagues

Pause for thought…?

3. Prepare to walk

Immediately after the classroom visit, walkers take time to share and discuss the evidence that they have gathered in relation to the pre-identified focus of the walk. They pose thought-provoking questions and make non-judgemental observations. Key questions How will you make sure the discussion raises questions only based upon observed evidence? How will you encourage acknowledgement of success alongside critically constructive questions? Who will facilitate this discussion and note key points for discussions at the debrief meeting?

Pause for thought…?

Wa l ke rs and host schools must engage fully with the learning focus, principles and the NLW protocol agreed by the enquiry team.

Pause for thought…?

Key questions How will you ensure that everyone in your network knows why the walks are taking place? How will you make sure the ‘walkers’ know about the focus and what sorts of things to look for? Who will learn about their own leadership practice through involvement in the enquiry?

2. Establish a team

Pause for thought…?

Designed to provide snapshots of classroom practice, walks always take place in classrooms and last for no more than 15 minutes. Evidence is gathered from four sources: the classroom environment; talking with pupils; analysing pupils’ work; discussion with and observation of the teacher.

5. Corridor talk

Key questions On what basis will you determine which classrooms to visit? What protocols do you need to negotiate in order to be sure you can talk to teachers and pupils and minimise disruption whilst maximising what you can observe in your brief visits?

4. Classroom visits

Pause for thought…?

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3 Development walks

4 The pre-walk briefing for the team

5 Classroom visits

The first walks to occur in a network school might be thought of as ‘development walks’. Development walks concentrate on teaching the walkers about the NLW process. Over time, walkers use the knowledge gained on these development walks to participate in actual Networked Learning Walks.

On the day of the NLW, immediately before the walk begins, all the walkers should meet in a quiet location, such as the head’s office or library, to discuss the focus of the walk.

Walkers visit several classrooms for 5-10 minutes (initially no more than four–five classrooms). Walkers may engage in any of the following evidence-gathering activities:

A skilled NLW practitioner leads a development walk. During the walk, the emphasis needs to be placed on learning about the Networked Learning Walk as an enquiry tool. It has been found useful to focus upon: What can and cannot be learned from a Networked Learning Walk. How to behave on a Networked Learning Walk – Learning Walk practices and norms. How to apply Networked Learning Walk skills. The primary focus of a development walk is to learn how to use the process to describe teaching and learning and how to keep observations and questions positive and framed so as to feel as non-judgemental as possible. Development walks can serve, as well, to build social capital between network colleagues and to collect baseline information about the application of knowledge, skills and understanding following professional development.

At a minimum, the orientation of walkers should include a discussion of: Any additional information about the school that the host wants to present to the walkers. Data – formal or informal about the pupils. Discussion of what it would be reasonable to expect to see in classrooms, based on recent professional development and the network’s pupil learning focus. Discussion of strategy for questioning pupils to correspond with the focus of the walk. During the meeting, templates for taking notes and gathering data are distributed to the walkers. (Please see Booklet 2 Networked Learning Walks tools and templates for further details). The briefing for the Networked Learning Walk team may vary depending on several factors: The walkers’ familiarity with the Networked Learning Walk process. Walkers who are novices may need protocol reminders and coaching during the process. Walkers’ familiarity with the school. Obviously, the less familiar walkers are with a particular school, the more information they will need before the walk. For a team that has been conducting monthly learning walks in the network’s schools, the orientation may be a continuation of an ongoing conversation and, hence, abbreviated. The walkers’ familiarity with the learning focus, their colleagues’ professional development and with the subjects they will see being taught and learned. The former should be more straightforward as the focus is shared across the network. The latter may vary depending upon the experience of the individual team members. It is helpful to construct a team which has experience of, and some expertise in, teaching the range of curriculum subjects and pupil ages likely to be encountered on the walk.

discussions with the teacher examination of displays discussions with pupils examination of the arrangement of the classrooms examination of classroom resources study of pupils’ work A classroom full of pupils, their teacher, and their work, provides walkers with many possibilities for observation. Considering the short duration of a Networked Learning Walk, there is a limit to what any one observer can absorb. And no matter how quietly walkers speak when they converse with pupils, only a limited number of conversations can be held at one time without disrupting classroom activities. A good strategy is for walkers to designate who will talk to pupils or teachers before they enter each classroom. Most walkers take notes about what they observe. Taking notes helps walkers remember what they observed with specificity. It also avoids confusion about what was observed in each room. During the introduction to the Networked Learning Walk, teachers should be told about the note-taking. They should be reminded of this again during the briefing meeting.

6 Talking with teachers Colleagues from the Pittsburgh Institute for Learning (2004) have developed protocols which are drawn upon extensively in providing the following guidance. They have also proved to be important in the conduct of Networked Learning Walks in this country. Walkers need not always talk to teachers when they visit a classroom. If they do, conversation may be confined to a brief greeting and introduction by the leader of the Networked Learning Walk. When it comes to talking with teachers, there are several considerations in deciding whether to engage in conversation and what to ask. They include the following: One of the norms of Networked Learning Walks is to avoid interrupting direct teaching. Although obvious, it nevertheless should be stated that walkers never interrupt direct instruction to talk to either pupils or teachers. Before starting a conversation with a teacher, ask if s/he is able to talk – even when activities other than direct instruction are going on, a teacher may feel that s/he needs to devote all of the time to the support student learning. A teacher may prefer not to talk.

A teacher may be eager to talk about how s/he has been translating professional development into practice and how it has transformed pupils’ learning – but you have limited time. You need to pick this conversation up later. If you do have an opportunity to talk to the teacher, what might you ask? For example: Where does this snapshot fit into the bigger picture of the work in this class? What preceded it and what will follow it? How are you assessing your pupils during this lesson? What will you see or hear from pupils that lets you know pupils understand content ideas?

7 Talking with pupils A distinguishing feature of the Networked Learning Walk is its emphasis on conversations with pupils. While most traditional classroom visits tend to concentrate on what the teacher is teaching, the NLW also studies what and how pupils are learning. Student work is one part of the story – how they produce the work, what kind of scaffolding they are given, is another part. Their understanding of how to improve their work is another important element. Additionally, the whole of what pupils know in terms of content or strategy is not necessarily reflected in written or other products of learning such as models, designs, artwork etc. Neither may they necessarily reveal the hard work a student may have devoted to creating the outcome. When walkers question pupils, they explore how well the pupils know and understand: what they are learning where they can go for help in their learning why they need to know what they are learning how to judge the quality of their work how to make their own work better how to talk about what they are learning How to choose which pupils to talk to? Sometimes the choice is easy because it is dictated by the layout of the classroom. Perhaps the walker can reach only a few pupils without disrupting the class. Walkers may choose pupils in a variety of ways. Some walkers try to select a cross-section of pupils by gender, ethnicity, level of engagement, or other relevant criteria. Who a walker chooses to talk to is less important than remembering that each student is one individual and not representative of the classroom as a whole. It would be inaccurate to extrapolate from the experience of one student an assumption about the entire class. On the other hand, if a number of pupils seem to have the same experience and a pattern seems to be emerging, these responses may inspire the walker to raise relevant and/or thought-provoking questions in the corridor talk.

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8 Corridor talk

11 Final debrief

After each 5–10 minute classroom visit, the team gathers in the corridor or some nearby quiet place to discuss the evidence they have just gathered. They discuss what they observed and only what they observed.

After all the classrooms have been visited, the walkers meet for a debriefing session. They review the evidence and thought-provoking questions raised during the corridor talk. They look through their observations for any patterns that may have emerged in a number of classrooms. They consider these observations in the light of other information and discuss professional and leadership development needs of the teachers.

This may be observation of what pupils are learning, how the teacher was observed to assist that learning, what other resources pupils perceive as available to assist their learning, what the pupils said in response to questions, what student work was observed. A 5–10 minute visit to the classroom gives the walkers only a snapshot of the life of that class, so members of the team may suggest questions they might ask the teacher in order to learn more about what was going on during the lesson, or more about the student work that was observed. The purpose of these questions is to stimulate thinking that will move teachers to the next level of practice.

9 Leading and managing the corridor talk Managing these discussions is critical to the success of the Networked Learning Walk. Experience both in the USA and in the UK has shown that one experienced member of the group should take the lead in ensuring protocols are adhered to during these discussions team members share what they have observed in relation to the focus of the walk. It is human nature to focus upon what was missing or could have been done differently or better. But if possible participants should avoid making judgements based on prejudice and opinion. Rather, they should phrase their comments in a way that will support teacher learning and promote active engagement with, and learning from, these outcomes by the professionals in the school.

10 Gathering and analysing evidence from classrooms It is normal to feel that you are not gathering everything you could be on your first walk. Classrooms are very busy places. However, the proforma provided in Booklet 2 Networked Learning Walks tools and templates can help you organise your observations in such a way that you can more easily sort them, use them and observe patterns in them later. Remember that the power of a Networked Learning Walk is that the many perspectives on the classroom mean it is possible to gather just enough data to get the gist of what is working and what is in need of further development in relation to the identified focus. You do not need to have gathered all that as an individual. You may only have one piece of the puzzle but collectively you will probably have enough of the picture.

The following steps are recommended by the Pittsburgh’s Institute for Learning (2004). The first step in the debrief session is for each person to review his or her notes. Usually there are a few moments of quiet in which to work. Each walker prepares observations and a list of evidence of teaching and learning that s/he observed during the walk. Each walker prepares one or more thought-provoking questions designed to guide, encourage, and even inspire the colleages in the host school to take learning in the school up another notch. A ‘sweep’ is used – first hear the observations and evidence and then the questions. Usually a pattern begins to appear (see feedback to colleagues below). The debrief is also a time in which the walkers may consider how the learning network can best support the next steps for the school.

12 Feedback to colleagues A Networked Learning Walk must not feel like performance management or inspection as this could damage the disposition to learning. It is vital to ‘stop the clock’ with just enough evidence-patterns and questions to move things forward in the right direction. So it is crucial that colleagues receive feedback about the teaching and learning observed during a NLW. The piloting of the Networked Learning Walk has suggested feedback should be received no later than five days after the walk. This might be done during a formal or informal meeting, or as an alternative through a ‘thank you’ letter. In either case, careful planning is required. Sharing your wonderings with colleagues can be very productive: “We observed such and such a pattern in several classrooms and we were wondering whether this could be widenend across the whole school?”. In this way, feedback to colleagues may present an immediate opportunity for them to participate in the focus and planning of the next Networked Learning Walk.

What a Networked Learning Walk is not This booklet has set out a disciplined process which enables a network of schools to systematically gather sufficient high-quality data in a way which, while rigorous, also engenders professional debate and learning. Many have taken the words ‘learning walk’ and applied them as the focus for other sorts of cross-school visits and activities which, while valuable in many ways, are quite different from the process outlined in this booklet. If you do not follow stages 1-12 it is not a Networked Learning Walk as described here.

References

Further Information

Desforges, C, W, 2004, Collaboration: why bother? Nexus, Vol 1 No 3. NCSL, pp6-7 National College for School Leadership, 2003, Sharpening your learning focus, NCSL, Nottingham National College for School Leadership, 2005, Networked Learning Communities – Learning about learning networks, NCSL, Nottingham National College for School Leadership, 2005a, ‘Developing a network learning focus’ in What are we learning about...Establishing a network of schools?, NCSL, Nottingham Goldman, P, Resnick, L, Bill, V, Johnston, J, Micheaux, D, Sietz, A, Learning WalkSM Sourcebook, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh

For more information on the Pittsburgh Institute for Learning’s work on Learning Walks visit: www.instituteforlearning.org For more information on Networked Learning Walks visit: www.nlcexchange.co.uk

Additional resources National College for School Leadership, 2005, Networked Learning Walks tools and templates (Booklet 2), NCSL Nottingham To order a copy of these resources please email nlc@ncsl.org.uk.