BEWARE - Long Post - I'm Trying To Think Something Through On-Line

I am enjoying facilitating this on-line PLC immensely . . . it seems to me to be doing some great things for us already. I like that we can share resources with one another and that we can have an instant place to make announcements about logistical happenings (like opportunities to present at conferences, details about upcoming events like the kick-off, and reminders from NEFEC to submit important paperwork, etc.). In addition, I like that we have created a space not only to deal with swapping useful materials with one another and making announcements, but to share individual reflections on the inquiry process, how coaching is going, and our personal thinking and challenges as we embark on this incredible inquiry journey together this year!

Emulating the power of a face-to-face PLC in the on-line environment continues to be both intriguing and challenging for me! I thought I’d use a blog entry to get my thinking out on one of my latest dilemmas in facilitating this community on-line . . .

I recently received an email from someone who is familiar with our on-line community and requested to be added because the person thought it was extremely valuable and would love the opportunity to learn from the site . . . now comes my dilemma. While adding someone to the site might seem pretty simple, I must say it has become fairly complicated in my own mind. I find myself wanting to add this person to the community since I want to be inclusive of anyone and everyone who is interested in inquiry to be a part of the work . . . BUT, I am sensitive to the fact that if this is an on-line community, we need to be sure that all members feel comfortable with each other and to use this on-line space to share thinking and wrestle with issues related to this inquiry work with one another. Adding additional members could have the potential to inhibit the present membership of the community from sharing openly with each other. We have done a good deal of work to establish ground rules and build relationships with one another so we can trust our communications in the on-line environment. We probably need to continue to do some work in this area, but what would it mean to add someone that is not a facilitator to the community?

I then began to think about all the facilitators this year, and a parrallel situation that may have already, or could potentially happen in the future to all of you. Suppose you have gone through most of your local meetings, and you are coming up on your data analysis meeting, where a number of your group members are going to present the data they have collected thus far and receive feedback from other members of the group. Up to this point, everyone in your group shares a history, and is very familiar with each others’ inquiry to date. Then, you are approached a week before your meeting by another teacher (or maybe even a principal) and asked if they can join your group and come to the data analysis meeting. What do you do?

Maybe the situations aren't exactly the same, but I could use some help in thinking this one through – should our on-line community be open to others? If not, that’s fine!! If so, do we need to set any parameters around adding a member who is not a facilitator?

I spoke with Chris about this, and he was a great sounding board. He shared with me a few principles from a book he is currently reading by Anklam called, “Net work: A practical guide to creating and sustaining
networks at work and in the world.” These principles included the following:

"Principle #7. Successful networks are reflective and generative. Networks
are complex, not chaotic" (p. 6).

I am definitely feeling success – our community both is, and is becoming reflective and generative . . . I am definitely also feeling complexity . . . and I don’t want our community that has so much potential to become chaotic! . . .

HELP!

Nanc

I'm a little late on posting this blog, but I have done a lot of reflecting on the "Kickoff." I had 3 teachers join me at the kickoff, but I have a total of 7 who will be a part of inquiry this year. I've shifted from the involvement of middle & high school teachers last year to middle & elementary this year. I would have liked to have some teachers for the high school level, but for one reason or another, they did not respond. The kickoff was very exciting. It never fails, I always return with new things I want to try. In Mickie's presentation, I got the idea of teachers sharing examples of tests and reflecting on the complexity of the questions through a “Gallery Walk.” I think this would be a great way to support teachers in developing those "higher order" questions that are so important. I want to try this with the pretests my teachers are developing for the new 9 weeks. I’m planning to have them post the tests in the conference room on the day of team meetings and write comments/suggestions to one other directly on the tests. I think this will give them positive feedback & ways to improve their questions writing skills. I also loved her idea of a “Tic, Tac, Toe” board at the end of a unit. The students chose 3 activities in a row to complete as a culminating activity for a unit. This is a great idea for “Differentiated Instruction.”I also had the privilege of being in Debbi's presentation on Fluency. Even though I have heard it several times, her enthusiasm makes everyone excited about inquiry. Her "passion" for reading shines through her presentation. Thanks Debbi!My group will be meeting for the first time on November 6. I plan to include refreshments like I did last year & meet for 1-1 1/2 hours. It seems that a couple of the inquiries will focus around science since we are involved in a large science grant that focuses on “hands on" curriculum in our district. I'm excited about the discoveries that will be made through those inquiries. Teachers in general seem to be under a lot more stress this year. I hope I can make “Inquiry” come across to them as not just something else to do, but as the rewarding experience that we have all experienced in the past. The kickoff helps with that, but because I had several teachers who did not attend, I want to make sure I portray that important message. I even thought about having one of the teachers who presented last year share his inquiry at a district meeting. I thought that would make it personal and give him a chance to share his presentation one more time. Sorry- this was long. I guess I was making up for my missing posts. I’m looking forward to “inquiry” this year. I’m always a little nervous getting started, but once we get moving, I know it will be fine.

Fairly long entry alert: but feedback from anyone who has the time would be greatly appreciated.Suggestions/words of wisdom/expressions of encouragement and good cheer?I know we all need to get pushed from the nest sooner or later, and suspect that all the little birdies are somewhat loathe to leave the nest-service food and the congenial warmth at the same time they are developing curiosity about trying this flying thing. Although we're hardly fledglings in any other way, that's kind of where Anna Falcouner and I are this year in our role of trying to go out much more on our own with teacher inquiry professional learning communities in our district. Our county curriculum people worked with Sabrina to launch a semi-independent county-wide plan: facilitators in each school (several in a couple of schools), with each facilitator having the potential to work with up to 5 teachers, launching our own kickoff night, and our own showcase in the spring. To that end, Anna and I worked very hard last summer to plan a two-day workshop to lead the potential facilitators through Dr. Dana's book, to allow for questions and discussion, to practice a protocol, and to send them off to recruit in their schools. It has worked much better in some schools than others, but it looks at this time as if we might have up to 50 presenters early in May. We just had a three-hour follow-up meeting with the facilitators this last Wednesday during which time we gave them some of the idea-stimulating and product-honing activities from the manuscript of Nancy's new book. If anyone has the time, I'd be happy to send a list of the sections she graciously allowed us to excerpt. The meeting went pretty well: the new facilitators were glad to get the definitions and activities, and recognized their potential usefulness. It's an exceptionally bright group of people that we are lucky enough to be working with. They had numerous questions, but some of the participants were relieved to realize that all of us are really in learning mode together, and that right answers were not what we were about. While everyone who completes a project will get some money to spend for his/her classroom, and each person who presents will be paid our normal stipend ($100) for the showcase day, the participants cannot really be motivated by money, because it's just not that much to go into the personal pocket. We would appreciate:ideas for reducing jittersactivities from the manuscript that worked well with your inquirersany practical suggestions you can addthe abovementioned words of wisdomWe want to make inquiry a very normal and useful option for professional development in our system. Success this year can mean big long term pay-offs for the kids. What we're terrified of is the possibility that, if we aren't successful, the reputation of inquiry in our district will be clouded and its potential lost. We are birdies with butterflies in our stomachs, flapping our wings like crazy. Thanks so much--from both Anna and me.