9 Steps in aLearning Literacy Walk

Framework

What is a Literacy Walk?

Literacy walks are a series of organised, highly structured collaborative short visits by colleagues into active classrooms.They identify evidence of progress and areas for development for a school or group of teachers.

A literacy walk is designed to assist in ‘coaching’ for improved literacy practice in the classroom

It is a ‘snapshot’ of classroom literacy practice It helps to collect real data/evidence for improving literacy

teaching, professional learning and overall school improvement planning

It is to be constructive, not judgemental It is aimed at helping teacher/teams and schools understand

more about how teachers teach, learners’ learn and what gets taught to whom.

Why do a Literacy Walk?

Stimulates collegial conversation through questions Gathering of data Deepen understandings and practices through feedback Learn from and with each other Reinforce attention to a teaching and learning focus Observe different teaching styles.

Getting Along – Confidence – Resilience – Organisation – Persistence

The Purpose of a Literacy Walk

To observe the tangible impact that the coaching has had on the classrooms and to explore together the impact and effectiveness of teaching and learning strategies implemented within the school

to confirm that classroom data supports the school literacy focus

To learn, innovate and enquire into collective practices

To practise enquiry-based learning and leadership

To give teachers feedback about positive practices observed.

To create the opportunities for multiple insights into classroom practice

To emphasis good classroom practice with a practical approach to building capacity and school improvement

To provide a powerful vehicle for allowing knowledge to travel across and throughout a school

to make visible pockets of excellence or expertise, and to highlight joint areas for development and cross school enquiry

To provide a cost-effective way of generating data that is both formative and useful

Above all, Literacy Learning Walks enable groups of individuals to work together to develop an understanding of what a successful school looks like in practice. Pupil and adult learners can contribute equally to an investigation of how innovation is making a difference in the classroom.

Who goes on a Literacy Walk?

DEECD statistics estimate that a principal spends his/her time as follows:

Admin Area 65%Hallways/grounds17%Off Site 11%In Classrooms 7%

A Literacy Walk allows time for the principal to be back in the classroom.

Maximum of 4 walkers (3 is ideal) One of these walkers to act as timekeeper. A lead walker (principal/literacy specialist/literacy coordinator)

Only one literacy team can be walking in a school at a time.

Suggested Time Allowance for a Literacy Walk:

Establishing a team and rosterAgree on a FocusPrepare for walk 10 minsLiteracy Walk 10 mins per classroomDebrief 10 – 15 minsFeedback to colleague’s 10 – 15 mins

The 9 Step Literacy Learning Walk Protocol

1. Preparing whole staff for a Literacy Learning Walk:

Everyone understands the rational for a Literacy Learning Walk whether directly or indirectly involved

Everyone understands that they are learning from, with and on behalf of others

Everyone understands that not one individual is under scrutiny during the process

Everyone understands it is not a personal judgement or evaluation of teachers, students and or leaders

Everyone understands the following points need to be decided upon prior to the walk

Prepare date and time of literacy walks Decide on leaders/walkers and classrooms to be

visited Make sure all staff are given copies of above 3

items Distribute copies of note taking forms that walkers

will be using Inform staff that taking notes will help provide

collective feedback.

2. Preparing the team of walkers Discuss a climate of trust , openness and confidentiality

within the walkers Discuss the ‘focus’ for the visit Ensure all walkers are aware of time and classrooms to

be visited Ensure all walkers have note taking forms Discuss type of questions to be asked Reminder to observe classroom, students and teachers Only talking to students.

3. Pre Walk Briefing

Day of walk, immediately before visit

Discuss ‘focus’ for visit Walkers discuss what would be reasonable to see in a

classroom

Generating questions Distinguishing between citing evidence and making

unwarranted judgements Distribute note taking forms Discuss what is to be written on the notes What evidence and data could be collected Time keeper to keep an eye on the time in class.

4. Classroom visits

Walkers spend 10-15 mins in a classroom Walkers observe both teachers and students Discussions with students and teachers Examination of displays Examination of resources Study of students work Remember the ‘focus’ of the group Record observations Gather evidence from 4 resources (classroom

environment, talk with students, analysis of student’s work and discussion/observation of teacher).

5) Talking with teachers

Walkers don’t always need to talk to teachers Some schools have no interaction with the teacher Avoid interrupting direct teaching Ask if a teacher is able to talk If a teacher talks about how she is translating

professional development into practice – leave this discussion for later

What questions might you ask the teacher*Where does this snapshot fit in the bigger picture?*What preceded this snapshot?*How are you assessing students in this lesson?*How will you know that the students understand content ideas?

6) Talking with students

Look at how the students are learning Ask the student where they can go for help in their

learning Ask the student what they are learning and why they

need to know that Ask students how they can make their work better

Ask the students to talk about what they are learning Walkers should talk to a variety of students by gender,

ethnicity, level of engagement etc.

7) Corridor Talk

After the visit of each classroom the team gathers in the corridor to discuss the evidence they have gathered

They only discuss what they observed e.g. what student’s where learning?How the teacher assisted that learning?Student’s response to questions etcWhat tools were used by the teacher when working with the students?

Suggest questions that they might ask the teacher to learn more about what was happening in the class

All team members share By gathering everyone’s evidence the big picture can be

seen.

8) Debrief

At end of classroom visits walkers meet for a debriefing session

Evidence is reviewed and thought provoking questions asked

Look for patterns that might have emerged from several classrooms

Each person reviews their own notes Each person prepares observations and a list of

evidence they collected on the walk Each walker prepares one thought provoking question Walkers take it in turn to present their findings How can the literacy walk support the next step for the

school.

9) Feedback to colleagues

It is preferable to give feedback to colleagues’ on the day (no later than 5 days)

The feedback can be a formal or informal meeting or a ‘thankyou’ letter

Discussions will arise from observations

A literacy newsletter outlining positive practice could be distributed across the school omitting names or any specific information.

Behavioural Norms in a classroom

Walkers refrain from making judgementWalkers disrupt learning as little as possibleIf walkers aren’t from school they need to wear name tagsStick to the agreed focus for the walkWalkers should respect the learning communityExamine class displaysHave discussions with studentsExamine classroom resourcesLook at student’s workMove around so as not to disturb learningAvoid interrupting direct teachingBefore starting a conversation with a teacher ask is she/he is able to talk

Possible Focus for a Literacy Walk ( In Teacher’s Hands)

Participation - Attention –Engagement –Stimulation –Pleasure --Consistency Knowledge - Environment - Purpose – Substance - Explanations – Modelling - Metalanguage Orchestration - Awareness – Structure - Flexibility – Pace - Transition Support - Assessment – Scaffolding – Feedback - Responsiveness - Explicitness - Persistence Differentiation - Challenge - Individualisation – Inclusion – Variation – Connection Respect – Warmth - Rapport – Credibility – Citizenship - Interdependence

Getting Along*Suspend Judgement*Communicate Respectfully*Accept where others are at

Confidence*Respect confidentiality*Look for positives only*Allow and give no put downs

Organisation*Look but try not to intrude*Make balance observations*All notes taken are confidential

Persistence*Always act with integrity*Co-operate in good faith*Look for what is going well

Resilience*Reflect on what you see*Think of constructive feedback only*Use evidence and examples

9 STEP LEARNING LITERACY WALK FRAMEWORK

Debrief

Corridor Talk

Talking with

students

Talking with

teacher

Classroom visit

Pre Walk Brief

Prepare team of walkers

Prepare Whole Staff

Feedback to

colleagues

9 Step

Literacy Learning

Walk

Framework

Literacy Learning Walk Roster

Date9 – 10 am

Focus ‘Walkers’

Collegial Sharing of a Literacy Walk A big thankyou to all teachers for their participation in our latest Literacy Walk. We observed considerable teacher and student knowledge and felt some valuable literacy learning was being created. Through these Literacy Walks we are really seeing just how much effort and time is going into learning at our school. We look forward to our Next Literacy Walk.

What we SAW…….. What we HEARD ……….

What we FELT ………

Students working independently at tables

Computers being used to display and demonstrate knowledge

Teachers roaming around classrooms ensuring all students are on task

Picture prompts displayed for writing

Groups working on different activities

Diagrams used to help explain concepts

Task boards used as visual prompt for group activities

Different activities happening all over the classroom

Teacher modelling skills Teacher correcting

work with student and providing feedback to student

Range of texts used – Eg – newspapers

Language and words displayed around classrooms

Hands on materials and resources used

Students working all over the classroom in different locations

Shared writing – where both the teacher and students are actively involved

All students had a copy of the text

Pairing of stronger and weaker students – to ensure success

Teacher working in close proximity to students

Teachers explaining language in books using examples

Students reading together

Students sharing their knowledge with others

Clear and simple explanation of tasks and activities

Teachers praising good work

Deep conversations showing a detailed knowledge of the book being read

Teacher giving feedback and ideas to students

Teacher and students reading together

Students asking good questions

Teachers displaying their knowledge of what effective readers do

Students talking about what they had done well

Teacher encouraging students to ‘have a go’ when unsure

Linking of lessons to previous lessons

Activities had been extended over several days

Students always had something worthwhile to work on

Students were supported even when teacher was working with other groups

Early finishers were challenged Different abilities were catered for Teachers clearly had an extensive

knowledge of their students Students knew the purpose of tasks and

lessons Teachers had a good understanding of

literacy learning Students were showing teacher and the

class what they could do and what they knew

Linking The 9 Step Literacy Walk with Principles of Learning and Teaching POLT

1. The learning environment is supportive and productive.In learning environments that reflect this principle the teacher:

o 1.1 builds positive relationships through knowing and valuing each student

o 1.2 promotes a culture of value and respect for individuals and their communities

o 1.3 uses strategies that promote students' self-confidence and willingness to take risks with their learning

o 1.4 ensures each student experiences success through structured support, the valuing of effort, and recognition of their work.

2. The learning environment promotes independence, interdependence and self motivation.In learning environments that reflect this principle the teacher:

o 2.1 encourages and supports students to take responsibility for their learning

o 2.2 uses strategies that build skills of productive collaboration.

3. Students' needs, backgrounds, perspectives and interests are reflected in the learning program.In learning environments that reflect this principle the teacher:

o 3.1 uses strategies that are flexible and responsive to the values, needs and interests of individual students

o 3.2 uses a range of strategies that support the different ways of thinking and learning

o 3.3 builds on students' prior experiences, knowledge and skills

o 3.4 capitalises on students' experience of a technology rich world

4. Students are challenged and supported to develop deep levels of thinking and application.

In learning environments that reflect this principle the teacher:

o 4.1 plans sequences to promote sustained learning that builds over time and emphasises connections between ideas

o 4.2 promotes substantive discussion of ideas o 4.3 emphasises the quality of learning with high

expectations of achievement o 4.4 uses strategies that challenge and support

students to question and reflect o 4.5 uses strategies to develop investigating and

problem solving skills o 4.6 uses strategies to foster imagination and

creativity.

5. Assessment practices are an integral part of teaching and learning.In learning environments that reflect this principle the teacher:

o 5.1 designs assessment practices that reflect the full range of learning program objectives

o 5.2 ensures that students receive frequent constructive feedback that supports further learning

o 5.3 makes assessment criteria explicit o 5.4 uses assessment practices that encourage

reflection and self assessment o 5.5 uses evidence from assessment to inform planning

and teaching

6. Learning connects strongly with communities and practice beyond the classroom.In learning environments that reflect this principle the teacher:

o 6.1 supports students to engage with contemporary knowledge and practice

o 6.2 plans for students to interact with local and broader communities and community practices

o 6.3 uses technologies in ways that reflect professional and community practices.

The NMR

9 Step Learning Literacy WalkFramework

Prepared by

The NMR Regional Literacy Specialist Team

2008

Linking the 9 Step Literacy Walk Framework with the education of tomorrow.Links with POLT:

Links with The Blueprint Strategy:

Links with John Munro HRLTs:

Links with Action Zones: