CHAPTER TWO Introducing the Collaborative Learning Cycle
Activating and Engaging: Surfacing Experiences and Expectations
Exploring and Discovering: Analyzing the Data
Organizing and Integrating: Generating Theory
Exercise Your Learning
Extend Your Learning
Reflecting on Your Experience
CHAPTER THREE Avoiding Reality Wars
Pursuing Meaningful Data
Searching for Root Causes
Pursuing Worthy Problems
Identifying Causal Theories
Exercise Your Learning
Extend Your Learning
Choosing Which Data to Collect
CHAPTER FOUR Knowing the Data Fundamentals
Two Types of Data: Qualitative and Quantitative
Triangulation and Disaggregation
Dimensions of Data
Visually Effective Data Displays
Exercise Your Learning
Extend Your Learning
Information Altitudes Exercise
Types of Survey Questions
CHAPTER FIVE Developing High-Performing Groups
Group Member Knowledge and Skill
Skills for Talking About Data
Methods for Assessing Growth
Exercise Your Learning
Extend Your Learning
Four Dynamical Tensions: Assessing Your Group Membership
Four Dynamical Tensions: Assessing Your Leadership
Four Dynamical Tensions: Assessing Your Group
Stages of Group Development
Group Work Structures
CHAPTER SIX Moving From Dialogue to Discussion to Decision Making
Three Constraints to Productive Discourse
The Tools for Talking
Dialogue: Divergent Discourse for Opening Choice
Discussion: Convergent Discourse for Clarifying Priorities
Decision Making: Convergent Discourse on Choice
Exercise Your Learning
Extend Your Learning
Spend-a-Buck
CHAPTER SEVEN Evolving Decisions Into Actions
Common Barriers to Effective Planning
Intervention Planning Template: A Graphic Planning Tool
Planning as a Learning Process, and Learning as a Planning Process
Exercise Your Learning
Extend Your Learning
Intervention Planning Template
About the Authors
LAURA LIPTON, EDD, is codirector of MiraVia. Laura is an international consultant whose writing, research, and seminars focus on implementing effective and innovative instructional practices and on building professional and organizational capacities for enhanced learning. Laura engages with schools and school districts, designing and conducting workshops on learning-focused instruction, literacy development, and strategies to support beginning teachers. She facilitates organizational adaptivity and learning through training and development in data-driven dialogue, group development, action research, and learning-focused collaborations.
Laura is the author and coauthor of numerous publications related to organizational and professional development, learning-focused schools, and literacy development. Her selected publications include Groups at Work: Strategies and Structures for Professional Learning, More Than 50 Ways to Learner-Centered Literacy (second edition), Data-Driven Dialogue: A Facilitator’s Guide to Collaborative Inquiry, Making Mentoring Work: An ASCD Action Tool, Mentoring Matters: A Practical Guide to Learning-Focused Relationships (second edition), and Pathways to Understanding: Patterns and Practices in the Learning-Focused Classroom (third edition).
Laura has been a featured speaker at international, national, and state conferences since 1984. She has shared her expertise with thousands of educators throughout North America, as well as Central America, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. To learn more about Laura’s work, visit www.miravia.com or follow @lelipton on Twitter.
BRUCE WELLMAN is codirector of MiraVia. He consults with school systems, professional groups, and organizations throughout North America, and he presents on the patterns and practices of learning-focused classrooms, learning-focused conversations, effective presentation skills, and facilitation and development of collaborative groups.
Bruce is an award-winning writer whose work has been honored by the Education Writers Association and Learning Forward. He is the author and coauthor of numerous publications related to organizational and professional development, mentoring, quality teaching, and improving professional cultures.
His selected publications include Groups at Work: Strategies and Structures for Professional Learning, Data-Driven Dialogue: A Facilitator’s Guide to Collaborative Inquiry, Learning-Focused Mentoring: A Professional Development Resource Kit, Mentoring Matters: A Practical Guide to Learning-Focused Relationships, Pathways to Understanding: Patterns and Practices in the Learning-Focused Classroom, The Adaptive School: A Sourcebook for Developing Collaborative Groups, and How to Make Presentations That Teach and Transform.
Bruce has served as a classroom teacher, curriculum coordinator, and staff developer in Oberlin, Ohio, and Concord, Massachusetts, public schools. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Antioch College and a master’s of education