The Transformative Power of Collaborative Inquiry: Realizing Change in Schools and Classrooms

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 guide helps school leaders shape the development of 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. A follow-up to Jenni Donohoo’s best-selling Collaborative Inquiry for Educators: A Facilitator′s Guide to School Improvement, this book will quickly move you from theory to practice. Learn valuable lessons from leaders’ experiences 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 Included are Cardwork Strategies with explicit actions and phrases to improve professional practice. Use this insightful guide to develop teacher leaders who lead and learn productively!  "The concept of collaborative inquiry is increasingly bandied about these days with little precision. In one fell swoop, Donohoo and Velasco change all that with this succinct, hard hitting, complete, powerful, and, above all, accessible book on collaborative inquiry." —Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus OISE/University of Toronto "Donohoo and Velasco guide readers through an inquiry process that can strengthen every professional learning community. They provide the ‘how’ to teacher collaboration and shine light on the path that will get us all there." —Douglas Fisher, Professor San Diego State University

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments About the Authors List of Figures, Tables, and Resources Preface Part One: Collaborative Inquiry: A Transformative Professional Learning Design Chapter 1. Teacher Driven Improvement Addressing Adaptive Challenges A Collaborative Inquiry Framework What it is and What it is Not What do the Experts Say? Moving Collaborative Inquiry from Theory to Practice Chapter 2. Bringing Collaborative Inquiry to Scale Coburn’s (2003) Redefinition of Scale Conditions Necessary to Bring Collaborative Inquiry to Scale Part Two: Strengthening the Power: Realizing Change in Schools and Classrooms Chapter 3. Determining and Maintaining Focus Establishing a Needs Based Focus Formulating an Inquiry Question Developing a Robust Theory of Action Chapter 4. Provoking Thinking to Assess Impact Building Appreciation for and Capacity to Use a Variety of Assessment Data Teacher Learning Through the Collaborative Analysis of Student Work Determining Next Best Move Reconciling Discrepancies: Theories of Action Chapter 5. Shaping the Development of a Professional Learning Culture Shifting from Professional Development to Professional Learning Building Quality Professional Relationships Improving Collaboration Expanding the Reach of Learning Resources References

About the Author :
Jenni Donohoo is the director of Praxis-Engaging Ideas, Inc and a project manager for the Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE). Jenni has a PhD in Educational Studies and Supervisory Officer Qualifications. Jenni is a former classroom teacher and currently works with system, school leaders, and teachers around the world to support high quality professional learning. She has authored many peer-reviewed publications and three best-selling books, including Collaborative Inquiry for Educators, The Transformative Power of Collaborative Inquiry (with Moses Velasco), and Collective Efficacy: How Educators’ Beliefs Impact Student Learning. Jenni’s areas of expertise include collective efficacy, metacognition, adolescent literacy, and facilitating collaborative learning structures. Moses Velasco is a Professional Learning Leader with Toronto District School Board. He has held several teacher leadership positions at both the school level and central departments. He is currently completing a Masters of Education degree with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto. In addition to his professional and academic work, he sits on the board of directors for the Learning Forward Ontario affiliate. Moses is passionate about the critical role teachers play in improving education by expanding their understanding and exercise of leadership and influence. He also loves karaoke.

Review :
"There is a new #1 in Visible Learning – teachers’ collective efficacy. This book gets to the heart of working together to build the confidence that teachers and school leaders can change the learning lives of all learners, that they then do change their learning lives, and that they collaborate in this endeavour. Donohoo and Velasco ensure we focus on the right problems to collaborate about, that the process can be scaled, and that thinking is provoked to maximise impact. A most worthwhile book that shows the why, the how, and the impact of collaborative inquiry." "The concept Collaborative Inquiry is increasingly bandied about these days with little precision. In one fell swoop Donohoo and Velasco change all that with this succinct, hard hitting, complete, powerful and above all accessible book on Collaborative Inquiry. It’s all there: research, practice, theory, examples and crystal clear charts and guides to comprehension and deep action. _We learn what high quality Professional Learning is, and what it is not (13 comparisons); the 6 Lynchpins of Collaborative Inquiry, the distinction between Professional Development and Professional Learning, and each chapter starts with a ‘Cardwork Map’ that contains the 4 key ideas in each chapter. The Transformative Power of Collaborative Inquiry is as it promises: you can transform learning in your school and district by examining and employing the ideas in this book!" "The power of collaboration is evident throughout this book as Jenni and Moses guide readers through an inquiry process that can strengthen every professional learning community. They provide the "how" to the oft-asked question about teacher collaboration and shine light on the path that will get us all there. Their goal is clear – learning – and they hold teachers in the highest esteem as they help us all improve our interactions with our peers to benefit students." "Perhaps the greatest lesson we can learn from The Transformative Power of Collaborative Inquiry is that growth and development involves being open to challenges on the way to learning, leading and authentic collaboration. This book is a must read and a wonderful guide!" "By focusing on the importance of teachers as drivers for school improvement, Donohoo and Velasco highlight an important element that is often overlooked in this crucial learning process. Realizing that school improvement is not an event, they help us engage in the collaborative inquiry process in a way that changes culture in schools, leading to improved outcomes for students. Teachers in classrooms, principals in schools and leaders in central offices all play a significant role in creating the conditions for learning and improvement that are outlined in this very timely work." "The Transformative Power of Collaborative Inquiry is a quest for educators to learn collaboratively in order to improve student achievement while improving individual and shared educational practices. It blends what collaborative inquiry is with researchers’ work that supports the importance of inquiry as a productive mindset with practical tools, processes, and structures. Donohoo and Velasco build a case that collaborative inquiry can serve as a productive school improvement structure." "Donohoo and Velasco′s book provides an engaging, informed and practical call to action for placing educators as the leaders of their own, their peers′ and their students′ learning through The Transformative Power of Collaborative Inquiry. Vitally they go beyond merely calling for action to providing examples from schools and educators, their own professional experiences, and from latest research evidence. There are many authors who advocate for collaborative inquiry; where Donohoo and Velasco stand out is in a providing a timely must read book with useful resources to support facilitators develop conditions and practices for depth of quality collaborative inquiry to benefit educators and students." "Robust and ongoing collaborative inquiry at every level — among teachers but also among school and system leaders —has been shown to improve schools and school systems. Yet such collaborative inquiry remains relatively uncommon. This book enables collaborative inquiry "at scale" by combining an informed and nuanced grasp of relevant research with astute and practical guidance derived from the authors’ own extensive experience." "The Transformative Power of Collaborative Inquiry is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in realizing the enormous potential of collaborative inquiry to substantially deepen the learning of students, adults, and educational systems. With a rich collection of guidelines, tools, and examples, Jenni Donohoo and Moses Velasco bring clarity and precision to the what, the how, and the why of effective collaborative inquiry. A valuable and timely book for change agents in schools and districts."