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A Process of Discovery

Teachers examine cultural perspectives through collaborative analysis of student learning

By Georgea Langer and Amy Colton
Categories: Learning designs, Reaching all students
October 2016
Vol. 37 No. 5
The collaborative analysis of student learning (Colton, Langer, & Goff, 2015) is a professional learning design that transforms teachers’ capacities and commitment to relentlessly pursue and use equitable ways to promote students’ learning excellence. Our 30 years of experience and research indicate that when facilitated study groups analyze the work of carefully selected students over a period of months, all students benefit — especially those whose cultures are different from that of their teachers. “Here’s a thought: Could Nika’s sloppy paper reflect his anger about how the Native Americans were treated by the pioneers?” Group member Collaborative analysis of student learning accomplishes these outcomes through structured transformative learning — the “process by which we transform our taken-for-granted frames of reference to make them more inclusive,

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Authors

Amy B. Colton and Georgea M. Langer

Amy B. Colton ([email protected]) is the executive director of Learning Forward Michigan and a senior consultant at Learning Forward. Georgea M. Langer ([email protected]) is professor emeritus of teacher education at Eastern Michigan University.

The 5 phases of collaborative analysis of student learning

  1. Establish a focus for collaborative inquiry. What area of the curriculum is most challenging for our students?
  2. Define teachers’ professional learning goals. Which students would be most fruitful to study over time so that we may discover equitable responses?
  3. Inquire into teaching for learning (three to five months). Which approaches are most responsive to our students’ specific strengths and needs?
  4. Assess learning progress. What progress have our students made? Who needs further assistance?
  5. Integrate learning into teachers’ professional practice. What have we learned about ourselves and our teaching, and what might we need to learn more about?

Communication skills for productive dialogue

Engage in committed listening.

  • Attend fully: Suspend judgment, note verbal and nonverbal cues.
  • Pause: Understand what was said, resist interrupting, allow speaker to elaborate.

Communicate interest and understanding.

  • Paraphrase: Value and clarify what was said.

Encourage deeper levels of analysis and reflection.

  • Probe for clarity: Gain information unintentionally left out.
  • Empowering probe: Assume that speaker has already considered the question or issue being raised.
  • Probe for beliefs and feelings: Reflect on and examine accuracy of beliefs that may limit ability to reach a student.
  • Put ideas on the table.
  • Offer ideas in an inviting way, using tentative language. Refrain from trying to persuade or convince others.

References

Bocchino, R. (1993). Are you planning the future or fixing the past? Journal of Staff Development, 14, 48-52.

Colton, A., Langer, G., & Goff, L. (2015). The collaborative analysis of student learning: Professional learning that promotes success for all. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Katz, S. & Dack, L.A. (2013). Intentional interruptions: Breaking down learning barriers to transform professional practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Mezirow, J. (2000). Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Yero, J.L. (2002). Teaching in mind: How teacher thinking shapes education. Hamilton, MT: MindFlight Publishing.

Georgea Langer
Author and Education Consultant | + posts

Georgea M. Langer is an author and education consultant. She has published extensively in the areas of staff development teacher education, and teachers’ reflective inquiry in journals such as the Journal of Educational Psychology, Educational Leadership. She wrote the 2003 bestseller, Collaborative Analysis of Student Work: Improving Teaching and Learning. The second edition, co-authored with Amy Colton, will be published in 2015 by Corwin Press.

Amy Colton
+ posts

Amy Colton is a senior consultant for Learning Forward and executive director of Learning Forward Michigan.

Categories: Learning designs, Reaching all students

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