Expertise

Transforming learning communities

We provide outstanding training, coaching and comprehensive guidance on becoming a professional learning community.

‘A professional learning community is an inclusive group of people, who are motivated by a shared vision of learning who support and work with each other to find ways to inquire into their practice and together learn and develop new and better approaches that will enhance pupils learning’. (Stoll et al, 2005)

Current educational research indicate that successful schools learning environments operate as learning mentor communities which value collaboration, innovation and reflective practice. They regard learning and the improvement of development as the central activity for all the adults and pupils within the school, or employees or trainers in the work place. Teachers in learning communities operate as researchers and leaders of learning, seek their own solutions and view their mission as enabling pupils at both adult and youth levels to taking increasing responsibility for and control of their own learning.

Changing mind sets

Changing key influencer mind sets, including those of teachers, employers, trainers and mentors is the key challenge to changing learning best practices.

‘In a fast changing world if you can’t learn, unlearn and relearn you are lost’ (Stoll, L et al , 2003)

Professional development days without any barometer on retention, actual application or even shared belief in the proposition make negligible impact on long term changes to practice or mind set. Long term and sustainable change is brought about by high quality training, coaching and reflective practice over time which encourages teachers and trainers to identify their own self found solutions to the challenges of teaching and learning.

Teachers only change their professional practice when they can see a pay-off in terms of their own improved effectiveness in the classroom and have identified the evidence of improved pupil progress for themselves. This process takes time to evolve and impact on attitudes, beliefs, values and practice. The journey begins with encouraging teachers to make small but significant tweaks to practice that pay off immediately in terms of modifying pupil learning behaviours and improving their learning. Over time, through classroom based inquiry, online technology and peer coaching, we encourage active member partner teams to take creative risks and further develop and embed highly effective pedagogy through reflective practice. In this way we empower staff or coordinators to become leaders of learning, collaboratively seeking out the challenges to outstanding teaching and learning and identifying their own solutions.

When our implementation involvement concludes, what remains is a sustainable Against the Odds Mentality process which empowers teaching and training development, supports ongoing reflective practice and propels innovation in delivery, teaching and learning.

Innovative ways of delivering outstanding learning

The core business of a learning environment is to deliver the highest levels of positive mind growth and attainment for their participants.

Cutting edge content and research

The training and coaching methods we use and the teaching and learning strategies we share with teachers are founded on the best of current research and tried and tested practice.

We have identified three central characteristics which underpin good to outstanding learning:

1. 1. Not all outstanding learning experiences come about because of complex teaching strategies – small tweaks and changes to practice and environment can bring about both immediate and long term gains in pupil performance, classroom management, learning behaviors and progress.
2. 2. There is a core of absolutely essential teaching and learning strategies without which teaching and learning will be less than outstanding and pupils will consequently make less progress than they are capable of.
3. 3. There are a range of teaching and learning approaches that provide challenge, rouse curiosity, provoke creative responses and over time enable learners to take increased control over their own learning.

Current research and best practice brings together four key strands of effective pedagogy where the art of teaching meets the science of learning.

1. 1. Learner centeredness – Not all outstanding learning experiences come about because of complex teaching strategies – small tweaks and changes to practice and environment can bring about both immediate and long term gains in pupil performance, classroom management, learning behaviors and progress.
2. 2. Assessment Centeredness – enabling the learner to take control of their own learning and progress. The pupils’ ability to direct and control their own learning, their reflective capacities and thinking skills are founded on being involved in identifying and agreeing the learning intentions and success criteria; responding to timely feedback, review and reflection and frequent opportunities for self and peer-assessment.
3. 3. Community Centeredness – creating a collaborative ethos and encouraging dialogue for learning. A collaborative learning ethos and collaborative tasks and activities extend opportunities for pupils to learn independently of the teacher and facilitate purposeful learning and thinking through dialogue and social construction. Pupils and teachers see themselves as both learners and teachers and actively learn together through dialogue and social construction.
4. 4. Knowledge and skills Centeredness – Challenging learning tasks and activities infused into every lesson promote, engage and scaffold thinking and meaning making and skills development. Open ended questioning challenges pupils to contribute thoughtful, elaborated responses Pupils are encouraged to pose their own questions and analyze the contributions of others. They regard ‘being stuck’ or making mistakes as a learning opportunity.