Leading Collaborative Learning

Leadership, collaborative learning, and student achievement – discover what works! This resource-rich book provides a straightforward, strategic path to achieving sustainable communities of collaborative learners. Research-proven inquiry techniques, vignettes, case studies and action-oriented protocols help you build strong learning relationships for high-impact student achievement. System leaders, principals and teachers learn to: Integrate diverse views and perspectives Build trust and hear every voice Leverage key resources and processes Build students’ cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal skills Use “Assessments-in-Action” to improve, monitor and sustain progress Build a collaborative culture through learning together Use this go-to guide to transform your school from a place of ‘good intentions’ to a center of intentional practice today!

Get the fuel you need to drive collaborative leadership in your school! What type of leadership do you practice? Many of us rely on transformational and instructional leadership. But there are advantages in applying a holistic angle including all stakeholders—an approach known as collaborative leadership. Peter DeWitt unpacks six factors framed through John Hattie’s research while painting a powerful scheme: meet stakeholders where they are, motivate stakeholders to strive for improvement, model how to do it. The blueprint will inspire you to: Transform your leadership practice Identify where you can make changes Build and empower your team Incorporate all stakeholders into the conversation

Shared knowledge between educators breeds shared success in all systems and schools Comprehensive in scope, CLARITY illustrates how system and school leaders must come together to boost student achievement and build teacher capacity to learn, teach and lead. By emphasizing collaborative processes, Lyn Sharratt’s detailed design demonstrates how shared knowledge, equity and expertise can make every classroom more impactful and every teacher more empowered. Readers will uncover these ‘Big Ideas’: 14 essential Parameters to guide system and school leaders toward building powerful collaborative learning cultures Case studies, vignettes and firsthand accounts from gifted teachers and leaders bring important theories and practices to life From all points in the organization, a ‘line-of-sight’ directly to students’ FACES in every classroom to ensure continuous improvement Data-driven tasks and tools to tackle solutions needed in all facets of education With more than four decades of research, writing and practical experience in system, school, and classroom improvement, Sharratt provides a ‘why-and-how-to guide’ to assist educators across the globe as they solve 21st century-created problems and identify the much-needed learning critical to the success of our future citizens.

A school-wide model for addressing individual needs The greatest goal of education is to ensure equity while enhancing learning and academic success for all students. And yet, it is impossible for one teacher to meet the extensive needs of all students in his or her classroom. The traditional schooling model cannot provide for this complexity and leaves educators perplexed. The solution is a collaborative approach where “every child deserves a team” to surround them with supports that recognize their strengths and challenges. Collaborative Response offers a school-wide model for addressing students’ individual needs. The three fundamental components of the model are: collaborative structures and processes; data and evidence; and continuum of supports. In this book, readers will find: Entry points for beginning this work Potential pitfalls of the approach Case studies from schools that have adopted the model Access to a website with tools, templates, case studies, and more With a focus on quality classroom instruction, this book shares examples from schools and districts that have transformed how they respond to the needs of all learners.

By attending to the adult learning that takes place through more collaborative approaches to leadership, this volume draws upon scholars who understand leadership as more participatory, transformative, generative, and democratic. Looking beyond position-based individual leadership it captures how adults learn through the diverse actions, processes, and strategies collaborative leaders employ to bring about change. Drawing from scholarship and practice, this sourcebook weaves theory with the authors experiences by showcasing real-life examples of collaborative leadership in a variety of contexts including community, healthcare, secondary, and post-secondary education. It also provides a range of creative strategiesÂsuch as playbuilding, coaching, fostering global partnerships, and ensemble leadershipÂas well as indigenous and feminist perspectives on leadership. This sourcebook will support adult educators seeking to promote learning through more collaborative approaches to leadership and engagement in a variety of settings. Readers will benefit by deepening their understanding of how leadership is not only enacted among individuals, but how it is also expressed in collective ways of thinking, doing, being, knowing, and learning. This is the 156th volume of the Jossey Bass series New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. Noted for its depth of coverage, it explores issues of common interest to instructors, administrators, counselors, and policymakers in a broad range of education settings, such as colleges and universities, extension programs, businesses, libraries, and museums.

A guide to thirty-five creative assignments for pairs and groups Collaborative Learning Techniques is the bestseller that college and university faculty around the world have used to help them make the most of small group learning. A mountain of evidence shows that students who learn in small groups together exhibit higher academic achievement, motivation, and satisfaction than those who don't. Collaborative learning puts into practice the major conclusion from learning theory: that students must be actively engaged in building their own minds. In this book, the authors synthesize the relevant research and theory to support thirty-five collaborative learning activities for use in both traditional and online classrooms. This second edition reflects the changed world of higher education. New technologies have opened up endless possibilities for college teaching, but it's not always easy to use these technologies effectively. Updated to address the challenges of today's new teaching environments, including online, "flipped," and large lectures, Collaborative Learning Techniques is a wonderful reference for educators who want to make the most of any course environment. This revised and expanded edition includes: Additional techniques, with an all-new chapter on using games to provide exciting, current, technologically-sophisticated curricula A section on effective online implementation for each of the thirty-five techniques Significantly expanded pedagogical rationale and updates on the latest research showing how and why collaborative learning works Examples for implementing collaborative learning techniques in a variety of learning environments, including large lecture classes and "flipped" classes Expanded guidance on how to solve common problems associated with group work The authors guide instructors through all aspects of group work, providing a solid grounding in what to do, how to do it, and why it is important for student learning. The detailed procedures in Collaborative Learning Techniques will help teachers make sure group activities go smoothly, no matter the size or delivery method of their classes. With practical advice on how to form student groups, assign roles, build team spirit, address unexpected problems, and evaluate and grade student participation, this new edition of the international classic makes incorporating effective group work easy.

This book takes the idea of distributing leadership in schools to a new level of understanding and practice. The authors address the complexities of leadership by putting forward two essential propositions. The first is the need to understand leadership as the outcome both of people’s intentions and the complex flow of interactions in the daily life of schools. The second is the need to integrate values of social justice and democracy into our understanding of leadership. Building on this insight, the authors show how leadership can be truly collaborative. The book also combines practice, theory and research and draws on the authors’ international experience. This book is an invaluable resource for reflection and change for everyone who contributes to and studies leadership – senior leaders, teachers, support staff, students and researchers.

Foster reflective teacher leadership and make real change happen! Teachers are powerful change agents in the on-going process of school improvement. This insightful, must-read companion guide to Donohoo’s best-selling Collaborative Inquiry for Educators helps school leaders develop a sustainable professional learning culture. Practical suggestions and in-depth research shed light on your path as you explore the benefits and challenges of adopting authentic teacher collaboration across schools and districts. Learn valuable lessons from leaders in the field and discover: A rationale and framework for engaging in inquiry The vital conditions needed to ensure systemwide collaboration Common pitfalls and the four stages of school improvement