Learning Walks

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Learning Walks

• St Peters School, Epping

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What is a Learning Walk?

• Learning Walks are a collegial activity where
  teams collect evidence of progress to determine a
  focus or improvement in learning and teaching.
• They are intended to be constructive and help
  school communities better understand how teachers
  teach, learners learn and how best to progress
  learning. 

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Rationale

• Learning walks are part of our professional
  practice at St Peter's school. They are an
  essential component of our strategic plan that
  provides learning and professional growth for all
  teachers. Learning walks form a cycle of
  collaborative inquiry related to teaching and
  learning foci identified in our school Annual
  Action Plan. They provide an opportunity to
  gather data about teaching practice and student
  learning and are evidence based to allow for
  collegial conversations.
• Learning walks allow for continuous improvement
  through feedback and therefore the school
  revisits previous foci, observations and
  wonderings
• All teachers will have the opportunity to be
  walkers or hosts as we work towards our goal of
  improving learning outcomes for all students
• The observations and wonderings in the feedback
  letter will inform the future direction in
  literacy learning to be developed at literacy
  PLTs with Literacy leaders, level planning and
  incorporated into the professional learning
  opportunities. Observations and wonderings from
  numeracy learning walks will form foci for
  numeracy staff meetings, level planning, PLTs and
  school closure days and facilitated by the
  numeracy and TL coordinator.
• Learning Walks have been developed in RE and
  Contemporary Learning.

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Process

• Learning walks are scheduled 2-3 times a term
  with the focus related to identified learning
  areas in the schools Annual Action Plan.
• Teachers are invited to host other teachers
  (walkers) to observe practice in the classroom
  related to a specific focus. There is a
  continuous cycle of teachers being either hosts
  or walkers.
• After the learning walk is completed the lead
  walker writes the feedback letter and sends it to
  all staff members

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Process (contd)

• Feedback letter to all teachers. Leaders are to
  be familiar with the observations and wonderings
  and ensure these are understood and being
  actioned by class teachers.
• Opportunities to implementation of wonderings-
  level planning, individual conversations/planning
  with teachers, induction of new teachers process,
  classroom walkthroughs, PLTs, WMH (observation
  sessions, goal setting), professional learning
  wheels.
• Evidence of learning for continuous improvement
  and professional development will be through
  improvement in student learning outcomes as
  identified in data tracking, PATR and PATM
  testing, SINE screening tests and interviews,
  classroom teacher monitoring and peer
  observations, classroom programs, NAPLAN data,
  observations from related learning walks.

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Learning Walks 2013

• Term 1
• Focus Religious Education
•  Date Thursday 14 March, 9-1.10pm
•  Focus of the observations (Arising from
  wonderings in previous RE learning walk)
• In what ways can we personalise learning for our
  students in Religious Education using the
  Contemporary Learning Schema to support, enable
  and engage our students Catholic identity within
  an evolving globalised world?
•  Links to AAP
• To engage all students in contemporary learning.
• Professional learning for all teachers in
  engaging, contemporary learning opportunities in
  Religious Education (St Peters is part of
  professional learning in CEOM initiative-
  Learning and Teaching in a Contemporary Catholic
  School
• Enhance Religious Education using Contemporary
  Learning Framework
• Teachers capacity to plan, implement and assess
  RE will be expanded.
• Ensure assessment for learning opportunities
  aimed at developing students understandings of
  our Catholic faith story are part of the planning
  cycle in RE
•  
• Walkers Teresa, Emily, Alison H, Olivia
• Hosts Sarah P, Maj, Narelle, Chris

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Learning Walk Term 2

• Focus Oral Language/ Listening and Speaking
• Date Day 1 Monday 3 June Prep- Year 2
• Day 2 Tuesday 4 June Years 3-6
• Focus of the observations for this walk
• How do we ensure the engagement of all students
  through powerful teaching and learning
  opportunities that incorporate contemporary
  tools, technology and developmental thinking
  strategies in authentic and purposeful oral
  language/ speaking and listening experiences that
  support reading comprehension?
•  Links to AAP
• Develop teachers understandings of instructional
  strategies in literacy with a particular emphasis
  on Reading
• Provide a broad range of developmental listening
  and speaking activities
• Develop teachers capacity to provide students
  with opportunities for differentiated learning by
  rigorous analysis of data
• students in Years 3-6 learning tracked using
  AUSVELs learning focus as basis of developing
  foci
• Pat R online formative assessment analysed at
  PLTs and used to set foci and matched learning
  experiences.
• Data tracking wall P-2 in reading to ensure
  student progress.
• Learning walks focused on contemporary literacies
  in reading

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Learning Walk- Term 3

• Date Day 1- Tuesday 6 August
• Day 2- Wednesday 7 August
•  
• Focus of the observations
• How do we effectively use contemporary learning
  opportunities to differentiate
  the learning for students in
  Maths by effectively tracking, recording,
  monitoring and using student learning to direct
  and inform future teaching and learning?
•  
• Rationale- Links to Annual Action Plan
• Develop clear understanding of the curriculum
  demands across each year level from Prep to Year
  6 to direct our planning
• SINE data, PatM online and assessment schedule
  tasks as a means of being evidence informed about
  students learning
• Data tracking in numeracy using visual model.
• Whole school mathematics approach is implemented.
• Learning walks P-6 to continue supporting peer
  observation and goal setting from wonderings.
• Contemporary units of work include directed, real
  life problems, games, structured activities and
  open ended problems

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Learning Walk-Term 4

• Contemporary Learning Pedagogy vs Practice
• Date Wednesday 30 October, 2013
• Focus of the observations
• What evidence do we have that the Contemporary
  Learning Framework is supporting and enabling
  students in powerful teaching and learning within
  a flexible learning environment?
• Rationale- links to AAP and CL wonderings
•  
• To explore pedagogy within the context of the
  Contemporary Learning Framework
• To observe and identify elements of the
  Contemporary Learning Schema within everyday
  practice
• To discuss how learning experiences are optimised
  through the use of technology within the flexible
  learning spaces.
• To further develop teacher knowledge and
  expertise so that they are confident users of
  contemporary tools.
• To promote opportunities that allow student voice
  to personalise learning.
• To utilise iPad minis to capture vision and audio
  during the walk  
•  

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Where does it fit?

• Learning walks are used at St Peters to monitor
  our Annual Action Plan and to ensure improved
  student outcomes in all areas.
• They are focused on a range of areas and a range
  of year levels (at some stage all teachers will
  have the opportunity to be involved as both a
  walker and a host).
• Each walk will lead us on to another focus the
  wonderings become the focus.

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What is it really like?

• What was it like when the walkers were in your
  room?
• How did you find the feedback session?
• Did the feedback letter give you future
  directions or get you thinking about your
  teaching and learning in your classroom?
• Was the process a positive and worthwhile
  experience?

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INSIGHTS

• Ver

Very focused with a strong evidence base that
provides future direction in teaching and
learning. It is an affirming experience that
promotes collegiality
WOW! A positive experience where I learnt so much
from what others are doing in their classrooms!
Being a walker first helped me feel comfortable
with being a host!
I was nervous at first about being a host but the
feedback was so positive. I felt supported by my
peers in what I am doing with my students. The
strong protocols made it a safe experience for me.
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Protocols and Anti Harassment
Thoughts, Feelings, Wonderings?