Collaboration...
Get Over Yourselfie
This Presentation...
Who Are We?
Carolyn Cameron
Hockey Mom
Band Groupie
Lead Learner
Pit Crew Member
Brad Arndt
Snowboarder
School Teacher
Learning Community
8
Designer of Learning
Nut Movement
Member
Jenna Wilkins
Triathlete
School Teacher
Learning Community
8
Designer of Learning
Nut Movement
Member
Where Do We Come From?
Greystone Centennial Middle SchoolSpruce Grove, Alberta ~ Parkland School Division
*Grades 5-9
*640 Students
*35 Teachers
*12 Support Staff
What Are We About?
What the Research Says...
Building a Collaborative
Culture
Time to meet during
the workday
Focus on essential
outcomes, varied
assessments,
analysis of student
achievement
Develop norms or
protocols to clarify
expectations
regarding roles,
responsibilities, and
relationships among
team members
-Richard
DuFour,2004
Teachers Improve
Their Practice
in the Company of
Their Peers
Effective Teaching Framework
Teacher Learning as a
Collective Endeavor ~ Viviane Robinson
Collective
Responsibility
Greater Diversity of
Thinking
Program Coherence
PLCs are meant to be forums in
which difficult conversations
occur...in order for the instructional
practices of all teachers to change
and improve as the prime route to
producing much higher levels of
student learning.
~Odden, 2009
Collaboration at Greystone
*Scheduled into Day
*Teachers as Designers
*Common Planning Tool
*Look at Student Work
*Feedback Loops
And these “nuts” took it one
step further............
Your turn to be a nut!
• What did you notice about how the game
played out?
• Was it easier to jump in first? Second? Last?
• What sort of feelings did you experience?
• Was there anything that made it easier to
jump in? Why do you think that is the case?
Debrief
Building a Sandwich (or adult beverage!!!) Metaphor for
Collaboration
What do you need for successful
collaboration?
◦ Common Shared Vision - for
us...excellence in student learning
◦ Support
◦ Risk-taking
◦ Openminded
◦ Professional Standards
Greystone Planning Document
Welcome to
Learning Community 8
Flexible Spaces, Flexible
Schedule,
Flexible Groupings
Feedback from Staff
What Do the Kids Have to
Say?
Conversation Time...
Thanks for the conversation. Let’s keep it
going...
Follow us on Twitter:
@carolynjcameron @barndt77 @jennawilky
#psd70 #gcms
Check out our Website:
www.psd70.ab.ca/schools/greystone