April 1999 Reflecting on Practice Enhances Teaching
With a tide of education reform efforts sweeping the nation, high standards for student achievement have become the cornerstone of many school improvement plans. But setting high standards is not enough, caution Drs. Jane Braunger and Maureen Carr of NWREL, because teachers must know how to translate new standards into improved student learning in their classrooms.
To help teachers raise the level of both teaching and learning in the classroom, NWREL has developed the Curriculum Inquiry Cycle, a professional-development process that supports educators in making curriculum and instruction decisions responsive to state standards, local needs, and student characteristics.
Educators engage in an inquiry process that not only focuses on classroom practice and the learning and teaching which take place there, but also fosters the development of a learning community able to sustain a process of curriculum renewal on its own.
The Curriculum Inquiry Cycle includes four phases, which guide educators in understanding, planning, implementing, and reflecting on key curriculum decisions. Each phase of the cycle explores different questions:
- Examining Current Practice—What does current teaching look like? What does it reveal about attitudes toward curriculum? Is practice making a difference in student learning?
- Making Decisions—Are practices consistent with knowledge about how people learn? Are content and performance standards reflected in teaching practice? Is there an awareness of alternate models of teaching?
- Creating Optimal Learning Environments—What are the dynamics of an optimal learning environment? What learning structures are essential for powerful student learning? What assessments are appropriate in an environment that promotes teaching for understanding?
- Researching Our Classrooms—Given the agreed-upon changes in practice, what changes might be explored in the classroom? How can collaboration with colleagues support the process? How can research be shared?
"Reflecting on classroom practice helps to develop insights into the reasons behind the instructional decisions," note Braunger and Carr, who conduct the trainings in the cycle. "Inquiry within a professional learning community provides educators an opportunity to look closely at current practice, examine relevant research, and make decisions about changes to enhance student learning."
Teams composed of teachers and administrators from a school or district can participate in the Curriculum Inquiry Cycle either onsite during the school year, in a five-day summer institute hosted by NWREL, or in a combination of summer institute and onsite follow-up. The cycle can be tailored to suit individual needs and interests. Some schools may participate in the summer institute with follow-up trainings, while others may use selected phases of the model onsite to support curriculum renewal work already under way. Schools involved in the Laboratory's Onward to Excellence school improvement process can use the cycle in conjunction with the Mapping Curriculum and Best Practices workshops.
This year's five-day summer institute, to be held in Portland June 28 to July 2, will focus on improving learning and teaching in reading and language arts. The institute is designed for elementary, middle, or high school teams of five—an administrator and up to four teachers. Space is limited to six teams, or 30 participants total. Registration is $400 per person, and includes workshop materials and continental breakfast and lunch all five days. The institute will be held at NWREL, 101 S.W. Main Street, Suite 500, Portland, Oregon 97204. Online registration is available at http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/ci/register.html. Braunger and Carr can also provide more information about onsite follow-up trainings and the six-day onsite series during the regular school year, which is applicable to all curriculum areas.
A series of publications that complement the four phases of the Curriculum Inquiry Cycle is also being published by NWREL. The first three publications—An Overview, Making Decisions, and Examining Current Practice—are available now; Creating Optimal Learning Environments and Researching Our Classrooms will be available in the coming months. To order a copy of the first three publications in the series, please go to the Document Order Form for ordering information.
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