When seeking new ideas or learning how others are dealing with a complex situation such as the one we have been coping with for the past year, there is real power in feeling that you are not alone. With social construction, there is a sense of camaraderie when teachers recognize and seek out collaboration with their colleagues to cause a change, create a performance, or build a renewed vision.
(Note: Social Construction is one of the four attributes of personalized learning). The synergy of individual bits of knowledge, ideas and actions produce powerful and innovative solutions to meet the challenges at this time.
REFLECTIVE PROMPTS:
- In what ways do I encourage staff to seek others to help solve problems in their practice?
- In what ways do I offer opportunities for staff to reach outside of the expertise that is within the school to learn from other models?
- In what ways do I provide staff with the opportunities to test their ideas and see whether they hold up to the scrutiny of other’s perspectives?
POSSIBLE ACTIONS:
Teach staff the Habits of Mind, specifically Thinking Interdependently, Questioning and Problem Posing, Communicating with Clarity and Precision, and Remaining Open to Continuous Learning.
Use your PLN (Personalized Learning Network) to seek out experts that can provide staff resources, feedback, and inspiration.
Create FIGs (Faculty Interest Groups) —intentional groups of people with a mutual interest in a particular aspect of teaching and learning. Staff members investigate ideas, develop actions, and evaluate impact to improve the quality of learning both for themselves, their peers, and their students.
Looking to dig deeper? Download our Framework that combines the four attributes of personalized learning with Habits of Mind!