I just completed a 5 day course learning how to coach and facilitate a type of professional development called Critical Friends Groups or CFGs. In CFGs, groups of 10 - 15 teachers meet regularly (monthly) to discuss student work and teacher practice in an effort to improve student achievement. They do so using protocols facilitated by a trained member of the group. These protocols provide a structure that focuses the conversation, keeps people accountable for the things they say and helps the group find solutions to difficult problems.
I believe in the effectiveness of this work. I wonder how to both bring technology into the work itself and how to use the work to help increase the use of technology in the classroom. Can one support the other? I'm sure the answer is yes, but I don't yet know how. Perhaps a social networking site like ning, a blog or a wiki could help teachers to stay connected, keep the conversations going, and reflect on practice in between sessions.
I also wonder if there is a way to use the protocols Online. Could these types of structures help facilitate Online interactions? Could we create some protocols to help guide our Web 2.0 conversations? Do we need to? What do you think?
2 comments:
Hi Elizabeth,
thanks for your note on my blog about possibly using Critical Friends for an additional way to enhance collegiality. I think it's a great suggestion. I've followed Sizer's work for a long time, and had a great friend who was big in the CES in Michigan. She's talk about how much learning went on in the Critical Friends' meetings, and I'd just drool. At that time, there wasn't enough support/interest/openness in the faulty to get this sort of thing going. Maybe now, though...I'm trying to figure out whether we could keep going in the informal style we've had in our faculty Fireside Chats, and then gradually begin using the protocols. What do you think? Maybe the highly structured meetings should be an entirely different thing? any thoughts?
Thanks for the great idea.
The structure of a CFG might take away from the casual nature of the fireside chat, but some teachers might like to try it separately. You might also bring some protocols in to some of your meetings and see how they go. The Website is a great resource and the protocols are pretty easy to follow.
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