effective approaches for developing a community of practice beth fairchild & leanne lorenzo july...

Early Intervention Technical AssistancePennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network

Effective Approaches for Developing a

Community of PracticeBeth Fairchild & LeAnne Lorenzo

July 2008


Welcome

Supporting Inclusion through

Collaborative Consultation:

Facilitated Discussions

Front Facilitator Table with Materials

Participant Tables – group format – slant so no person has back to screen

Agenda

• Welcome/Introductions• Communities of Practice• Discussions• Group Decisions• Wrap Up

– Next session: May 23, 2007

Introductions

• Name • Agency• Your Role in the

Consultation process

Consultation Activity Timeline 2005

• Article from Young Exceptional Children

• Request for Overview session on the Eight Stage Consultative Process


• Pat Wesley and Virginia Buysse– Initial state-wide training for Preschool practitioners

• Juliann Woods– Initial state-wide training for Infant/Toddler practitioners


• Fall – Statewide Survey to determine interest in topic and structure


• Pat Wesley & Virginia Buysse– Advanced state-wide training

• Juliann Woods– Initial state-wide training


• Leadership Conference

• PDE Conference

• Facilitated Discussion Groups

What is a Community of Practice? (Buysse & Winton, 2007)

A community of people with diverse expertise who engage in shared inquiry and learning

(Palincsar, Magnusson, Marano, Ford, & Brown, 1995)


A promising approach based on collective expertise and designed to scrutinize & improve practice, policy & research


An ongoing enterprise that invites researchers, practitioners, & consumers from a variety of different backgrounds & organizations to share, build upon & transform what they know about effective practices

The Origins of CoPs (Buysse & Winton, 2007)

• Anthropology (Lave & Wenger, 1991)

• Business (Wenger & Snyder, 2000)

• Education (Palincsar et al., 1998)

Theoretical/Conceptual Foundations (Buysse & Winton, 2007)

• Situated learning theory

• Evidence-based practice

• Reflective practice

Defining Features of CoPs(Wesley & Buysse, 2006)

• Diverse expertise• Shared purpose & goals• Activities (discussion, reflection,

observation)• Inquiry (formulating & testing hypotheses)• Linking ideas with the broader community• Regeneration of membership and cycle of

activities

Goals of a CoP (Buysse & Winton, 2007)

• Opportunities for deeper, collaborative investigation

• Opportunities for colleagues to share similar goals or dilemmas

• Opportunities for individual presentations of dilemmas, successes, observations, experiences, etc.

Goals of a CoP (Buysse & Winton, 2007)

• Method of refining, improving practice

• Method for individual and collective reflection

• Creation of shared knowledge of practice

DISCUSSIONS & ACTIVITIES

• identify what is happening with the implementation of the consultative process in the region

• discuss successes and challenges that have been encountered

• discover the supports needed to implement the consultative process

• decide the format of continuing sessions

Group Discussion: The Eight Stage

Consultation Process

•What is currently happening in your

STATE?

Group Discussion: The Good, The Bad and

The Ugly…

• What successes have you experienced?

• What challenges have you encountered?

Group Discussion: What Supports Are

Needed?

• What supports would help you begin or continue implementing the Eight Stages of the Consultative Process?

• Brainstorm Ideas

Group Decisions: Where Do We Go From

Here?

• Determine Topics• Determine How Often to Meet as

CoP• Determine Best Times of Day• Determine When to Start in the

Year


Here?

• VOTES•Three (3) votes for topics•One (1) for how often to meet•One (1) for times during the day to

meet•One (1) for when to begin in 2007-08

school year

Group Decisions: RESULTS

•Top Five (5) topics

•How Often to Meet:

•Time of Day to Meet:

•Begin next “round”:

WRAP UP

• Next Session: How Do/Did You Start?

• Your role: bring things to share• May 21, 2007• Next Year: initial registration will

include dates and topics for discussion/sharing

• Please complete the feedback form before you sign out to leave.

Questions???

• History• Planning• Survey• Overview for CoP

Building and Supporting

Communities of Practice

Next Steps

• Synthesize discussion notes from initial presentation and meeting

• Prepare minutes and agenda for next meeting

• Create a “distribution list” of participant’s email addresses

• Email agenda and minutes 2-3 weeks before meeting

Ideas for CoPs

• Review agenda/minutes

• Review/Discuss what a Community of Practice is

• Develop “Questions to Consider” to guide discussion

Fine Tuning

• Facilitate discussion so members can prioritize their needs to provide a focus for their CoP

• Provide current information/resources about consultation

• Encourage the CoP to become self-supporting and rotate facilitators for meeting sessions

• Decide how often to meet and schedule ahead

What We Learned…

• Early Intervention, EHS and HS, Child Care managers were eager to learn more to improve collaboration with other entities to better serve all children!

More…

• They learned so much about each other’s programs and began building strong interpersonal relationships to support future collaboration

And, more…

• Provided an opportunity twice a year to share in an organized, but comfortable environment…

• Participants were removed from their “daily responsibilities and given the chance to share with peers

• This time was theirs!


Here?

• Determine Topics• Determine How Often to Meet as

CoP• Determine Best Times of Day• Determine When to Start in the

Year

•THANKS for attending!

• Have a safe trip back!


Edward G. Rendell, Governor Gerald L. Zahorchak, D.Ed. Estelle Richman Education Secretary Public Welfare Secretary

Harriet Dichter, Deputy SecretaryOffice of Child Development and Early Learning

Maureen Cronin, DirectorBureau of Early Intervention Services

effective approaches for developing a community of practice beth fairchild & leanne lorenzo july...

Documents

cop buysse winton

collaborative consultation

community of people

stage consultation processwhat

consultative processdecide

collective expertise

uglywhat successes

overview session