Leading Collaborative Learning: Empowering Excellence

Leadership, collaborative learning, and student achievement – discover what works! Today’s improving school systems require educators who intentionally collaborate and co-learn in service of students to get expected results. This resource-rich book from experts Sharratt and Planche is a straightforward, strategic path to achieving sustainable communities of deep learners. Research-proven inquiry techniques, vignettes, case studies and practical 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 Apply a replicable inquiry framework to leverage key resources and processes Build students’ cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal skills  Use "Assessment-in-Action" to improve, monitor and sustain student and staff progress  Build a collaborative culture through learning together Use this guide to transform your school from a place of ‘good intentions’ to a center of intentional practice today! "Is your school ready to learn to meet student needs as a team? If so, Leading Collaborative Learning: Empowering Excellence is the book to help your staff learn together in order to improve student learning." Renee Peoples, Teaching and Learning Coach West Elementary, NC "This is more than just another book on school leadership or school improvement. Collaborative learning is essential for success, and educators working in any capacity can find information here about how their role contributes to the process. From system leaders to school leaders to teachers to students, this book clearly explains the necessity of everyone’s participation in collaborative learning processes. As the authors state, participation in collaboration "is a powerful way to deepen educator capacity, to increase the value of the professional capital in the school, and to harness the power of the collective." Melanie Mares Sainz, Instructional Coach Lowndes Middle School, VA

Table of Contents:
List of Figures and Tables Foreword by Jim Knight Introduction by John Hattie Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors Chapter 1. Leading Collaborative Learning Moving to Excellence Guided by Research Definitions Set the Stage How We Lead Matters Our Research Broad Themes Emerging From the Research Collaborative Learning Cultivates Leadership The Impact of Collaboration on Student Learning A Pause for Reflection Chapter 2. From Theory Into Action Conditions for System Success Constructivism Frames Our Approach to Inquiry Collaborative Learning Is Our Approach to Leading Translating Our Theory of Action Into Four Practical Elements The Impact of Collaboration on Student Learning A Pause for Reflection Chapter 3. System Leaders Working Alongside School Leaders The Importance of System Leadership Leadership With Attitude: From Collegiality to Co-Learning Preparing Leaders to Lead Learning Structures That Drive Learning Applying Our Theory of Action The Impact of Collaboration on Student Learning A Pause for Reflection Chapter 4. School Leaders Working Alongside Teacher-Leaders Leadership for Student Achievement and Collaborative Learning Five Dimensions of Leadership Contextual Factors That Build Collaboration Using Leadership Influence Practical First Steps Enabling Collaborative Inquiry The Strong Case for Accomplished Teacher-Leaders in Every School Data That Matter When Time Is an Issue, a System Leader or Principal Might . . . Voices From the Field: A Case Study Applying Our Theory of Action The Impact of Collaboration on Student Learning A Pause for Reflection Chapter 5. Teachers Working Alongside Teachers Unstructured and Structured Collaboration Changing the “What” in Learning Conversations Learning Protocols as Scaffolds to Successful Collaborative Inquiry Applying Our Theory of Action A Pause for Reflection The Impact of Collaboration on Student Learning Chapter 6. Teachers and Students Working Alongside Each Other Teaching Is Evolving What’s the Difference? Cooperative Learning, Collaborative Learning, and Co-Learning Authentic Collaborative Learning Matters Teachers as Stewards Personalization and Differentiation Matters Classroom Inquiry-Based Learning: A Timely Approach Student-Led Learning Walks Applying Our Theory of Action A Pause for Reflection Our Culminating Event The Impact of Collaboration on Student Learning Afterword by Michael Fullan Appendices Appendix A. Survey Questions Appendix B. A Protocol to Establish Norms of Engagement Appendix C. Inhibiting and Enabling Conditions for Collaboration Appendix D. Sample Collaborative Discussion Protocol Appendix E. Benefits and Challenges of Networked Learning Communities Appendix F. Guiding Questions for Leaders in the Establishment of a School Leadership Team Appendix G. A Professional Learning Protocol: Sharing Student Work as a Driver for Co-Learning for Three to Four Participants Appendix H. A Protocol for the Process of Co-Learning With and Without Release Time Appendix I. Practical Beginnings to Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning Appendix J. Assessment Within Inquiry Processes The Book Study Glossary References and Further Readings Index

About the Author :
Lyn Sharratt, EdD, is a practitioner and researcher working in remote and urban settings worldwide. Lyn is an Adjunct Professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada; a Fellow at University of Melbourne, Australia; an author consultant for Corwin Press; an advisor for International School Leadership with the Ontario Principals’ Council; and consults internationally, working with system, school, and teacher leaders at all levels in Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Lyn focuses her time and effort on increasing each student’s growth and achievement by working alongside leaders and teachers to put FACES on their data, taking intentional action to make equity and excellence a reality for ALL students. Visit www.lynsharratt.com for articles, video clips, podcasts; on Twitter: @LynSharratt; on Instagram: lyn_sharratt; and on LinkedIn where Lyn owns the “Educational Leadership” LinkedIn group made up of 99,000+ members. Lyn’s authorship includes: Realization: The Change Imperative for Deepening District-Wide Reform (with Michael Fullan); Putting FACES on the Data: What Great Leaders Do! (With Michael Fullan); Good to Great to Innovate: Recalculating the Route, K-12+ (with Gale Harild); Leading Collaborative Learning: Excellence (with Beate Planche); CLARITY: What Matters MOST in Learning, Teaching and Leading (International Best-Selling Education Book in 2020); and Putting FACES on the Data – the 10th Anniversary Edition (with Michael Fullan). Lyn is proud of the recent co-development of the CLARITY Learning Suite (CLS) - a web-based collaborative Professional Learning opportunity that mirrors CLARITY. Lyn and her team believe that ‘everyone’s a leader’, thus CLS provides guidance to Learning Leaders on how to do this work of system and school improvement – together – to make a difference for all students. Visit www.claritylearningsuite.com. Beate Planche is an educational practitioner, consultant and researcher.  Beate is a sessional instructor in Graduate Education for the University of Western Ontario, Canada. Through her consulting work, Beate provides research, consulting and coaching for educators in the areas of literacy programming, collaborative inquiry, and inquiry-based learning for students. Beate is a former Superintendent of Curriculum and Instructional Services in the York Region District School Board as well as a former Superintendent supervising schools, a principal, vice principal and a co-director of a private school. During Beate’s tenure as Superintendent of Curriculum and Instructional Services, the department she led served over 200 schools and 9,000 teachers through their work with Area Superintendents, area Learning Networks and their work with new teachers, and teachers seeking individual support.  In her 20 years in educational administration, Beate has led in-service professional learning and has supported and mentored many new administrators, as well as curriculum and teacher leaders. Beate taught elementary as well as secondary students, spending a large portion of her career in Special Education working with students identified with learning disabilities. Beate has been an adjunct professor supporting teacher candidates for York University, has worked on contract with Ontario’s Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, and, is presently on the Boards of Learning Forward-Ontario and the Character Community Foundation of York Region. Beate is the author of over 20 published articles and reviewed papers. Visit Beate at LinkedIn, on Twitter @bmplanche, or on her website www.beateplanche.com

Review :
"Leading Collaborative Learning: Empowering Excellence is the definitive source for your comprehensive step by step implementation of collaborative learning.  This book belongs on every educator’s desk." "Is your school ready to learn to meet student needs as a team? If so, Leading Collaborative Learning: Empowering Excellence is the book to help your staff learn together in order to improve student learning." "I think the particular strength of this book is that it addresses something that is quite difficult to do, but easy to talk about—that is, establishing a collaborative culture of inquiry in a school.  So many leaders talk about collaboration, but then lead by telling.  This book helps leaders who may not have had the best leadership models themselves "see" what it looks like to "co-labor" (a turn of the phrase that is particularly welcome and illustrative, in my opinion) in a school setting for the good of teachers and kids." "This is more than just another book on school leadership or school improvement. Collaborative learning is essential for success, and educators working in any capacity can find information here about how their role contributes to the process. From system leaders to school leaders to teachers to students, this book clearly explains the necessity of everyone’s participation in collaborative learning processes. As the authors state, participation in collaboration "is a powerful way to deepen educator capacity, to increase the value of the professional capital in the school, and to harness the power of the collective." "This exceptional book is a rich and practical resource for leaders who realize the power of working together to improve schools. In a system where collaborative practices are the norm, student achievement and well-being becomes a shared responsibility. Deeper learning is maximized for everyone." "Recent advances in digitised technology tend to isolate learners but isolating teachers in their Professional Learning is dangerous. While collaborative inquiry may lead to deep and meaningful insights, this kind of work is easier to describe than practice. In this important book the authors examine what it actually means to ‘work together’ for a common purpose. They understand the complexity and analyse its components. It is essential reading for leaders and teachers committed to improvement in students’ learning through authentic research in the classroom. Full of practical advice backed up by years of successful experience – the ultimate collaborative resource." "Finally, Beate Planche and Lyn Sharratt have delivered a bold definition, provocative insights, and a clear framework for Collaborative Learning. They compel us in Leading Collaborative Learning to recognize that collaboration is a focused learning while outlining outcomes of a quality collaborative process. Sharratt and Planche have created a vital challenge for improving systems, schools and classroom practice. This book is a must read for all who wish to make a difference for the future now." "Sharratt and Planche understand that effective collaborative learning means co-laboring at all levels throughout the system. In this book, they help readers be better at co-laboring, be it at the school or systems level, and they offer extensive processes and resources to make collaborative learning be growth-producing for all involved." "Everyone knows that educators need to work better together—but the question of how to do so has rarely been addressed beyond the level of glittering generalities. In this breakthrough volume, Lyn Sharratt and Beate Planche provide busy professionals with precise action plans to build powerful and sustainable collaborative cultures in our schools. This is an indispensable contribution for all teachers, principals, and system-level leaders who are serious about uplifting learning for all students." "Lyn Sharratt and Beate Planche have done us all a great favor by writing this book. This well-researched resource provides a useful vocabulary for talking about and understanding Collaborative Learning, describes an incredibly helpful set of tools so that anyone can use them to lead collaborative conversations, and clearly defines a theory of action to help us organize and ground our collaborative work." "It is clear that Sharratt and Planche have themselves done everything that is in the book. What is even clearer is that they have helped scores of others engage in these actions suited to their own situations. This is a book that has crystal clear concepts, co-learning galore, guided by research, grounded in practice—all devoted to deep learning by students and adults alike." "The credibility of Sharratt and Planche, two of Ontario’s most respected curriculum leaders comes from the fact that they do not only write about what works, they have done the work! Their call for deeper learning as a result of collaboration or co-labouring takes this idea to a new level of much-needed inquiry. Their discussion of the research-informed elements for authentic learning and the related competencies further validate their assertions. I appreciate the holistic nature of their work with the focus on cognitive, interpersonal and intra-personal skills. The deconstruction of ideas related to innovation, creativity and growth mindsets and the identification of the specific behaviours of classroom teachers that build strong learning cultures will contribute significantly to our knowledge base." "If we are to move forward with making learning the central focus of schools, then we need to understand how to get past adult issues and politics, and concentrate more on authentic collaboration, which when done well can improve learning among adults and students. In Leading Collaborative Learning, Lyn Sharratt and Beate Planche show us how to do that." "This valuable resource explains clearly and persuasively why collaborative learning really is a good idea. It challenges you to reflect deeply on your current collaborations, and offers helpful definitions, examples and tools, whatever your role in the system. A great read!" "Leading Collaborative Learning: Empowering Excellence is a timely, important and compelling call to collective action and professional agency. It reminds us that teachers working together on real issues of learning and teaching can be a powerful catalyst for change. This is a must read book for anyone interested in securing and sustaining authentic school and system improvement." "Good collaboration, collaborative skills and behaviors increasingly are critical to our success in teaching and learning, and in the organization of education. Leading Collaborative Learning provides analysis and roadmaps for understanding, building and developing collaboration in the work of schools and setting the stage for deeper learning. It builds on evidence from the field and points to actions we can take to strengthen collaboration. It is an important contribution, a good read with intriguing ideas for us each to reflect upon."  "Lyn Sharratt and Beate Planche not only highlight the power of collaboration they go further to identify the key narratives to which this collective needs to attend.  Their notion of collaborative learning involves systems and school leaders building collective capacity, energizing knowledge together, and moving schools from being places of "plans and good intentions" to centers of "purposeful practice" on the part of all teachers who then empower students to do the same.  Who does not want to part of such a school?" "The major strength of the text addresses two points: the opportunity to really connect the need to engage in collaborative processes as a way to improve schools, and the way in which that same learning assists teachers in developing similar processes in their classrooms with students."