What?

whatreflection

So What?

sowhatwhiteboard reflection

Now What?

These whiteboards from the last webinar session of the recent Connected Coaching eCourse illustrate just one of the many ways co-learners reflected upon their learning. As the content of these whiteboards evolved over the time spent on each, ideas were extended in both chat and audio. This final collaborative reflection highlighted common understandings, deepened others, accentuated passions and provided for a number of personal “aha” moments.

elevator chat

“When you work from people’s strengths we create opportunity for excellence.”

“Paraphrasing and questioning are the heavy lifters in coaching.”

“Need a big neon sign flashing positive presuppositions….”

“Thinking about possibilities opens doors.”
(excerpted from a number of webinar sessions)

In addition, “elevator chats” with comments like the ones excerpted above, often concluded many synchronous sessions prior to those final whiteboard reflections. The transparent collaborative reflective statements made thinking visible and served as a launchpad for more questions.

As well, individual transparent reflections in open spaces revealed profound insights and connections that had been made to the context and content, to colleagues and to themselves as we learned together.

From Linda Nitsche’s

“How did I not see a different way to support teachers, students, and parents when it was so obvious from so many collective experiences in my life ? It was only after after completing my Connected Coaching course through Powerful Learning Practice and experiencing the power of  Appreciative Inquiry, that I really, FINALLY, Got It!

For me, my AhHA! moment was when I recognized that the Pathmarkers in Connected Coaching were the ingredients that could help to change the culture of a school one person at a time.”

to Fiona Turner’s

“I learned that by focusing on my learners and their best interests that this took the pressure off me to ‘know the answers’.  Instead by requesting their stories, paraphrasing to demonstrate active listening, making observations about successes, affirming their potential and following up by asking an appreciative question, this has the potential to lead the learner in developing self-awareness – where they think they need to go next.

As the stories unfold I am reminded of Ronald Heifetz’s metaphor of watching dancers from the balcony. As a coach I need to get to the balcony to see the big picture — notice patterns, detect direction, gain perspective, observe movement.

As I watch the dance I am supported in the knowledge that I am practiced in the technique of coaching, but now I realise if I focus on the interests of the dancers and not mine, that I have the heart, the tools and strategies that will help the dancers work out how to get where they want to go.”

Throughout the course, co learners engage in reflective activities in which they “recapture their experience, think about it, mull it over and evaluate it” (Boud, Keogh and Walker (1985), recognizing that

“maximizing meaning from experience requires reflection”

providing opportunities for
“amplifying the meaning of one’s work through the insights of others;
applying meaning beyond the situation in which it was learned;
making a commitment to modifications, plans, and experimentation; and
documenting learning and providing a rich base of shared knowledge.” (Costa and Kallick (April 2000)

Or as Amanda Rablin in her 6 word story in the eCourse illustrated—

reflectionamanda6wordstoryWith each reflective process, learners adopted more fully an essential disposition of a Connected Coach– “Commitment to deep reflection and growth over time” — learning more deeply.

As former reflective eCourse learners coach/facilitate learning face to face and in online spaces, additional opportunities are here for you to reflect with others in the Connected Coaching eCourse – launching in late September.

About this course

connected_coaching__66691.1361317675.300.300The Connected Coaching eCourse runs from September 30 – December 13 with instructor Lani Ritter Hall.

The use of coaches to assist educators in becoming more accomplished and subsequently improving student achievement occurs frequently in face to face settings. To meet the needs of today’s connected educators, coaching should also move into online spaces. The Connected Coaching eCourse will prepare you to coach in online spaces, to leverage the affordances of technology for coaching. Through this 11-week eCourse you will explore:

  • Foundations for and elements of the Connected Coaching model
  • An appreciative inquiry strength based approach to coaching
  • Protocols and activities for use by connected coaches
  • Ways to leverage web 2.0 tools for coaching in an online environments
  • Basic tenets of problem based learning, action research and TPACK

Space is limited, so enroll now!

Enroll now
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Lani Ritter Hall

Lani is Community Leader for Powerful Learning Practice. She also serves as the “Newbie Maven”, helping along and nurturing newbies to the PLP experience, as well as facilitator for the Connected Coaches. Lani brings more than 35 years of teaching experiences in urban, sub urban, and independent schools at the middle/secondary level in the U.S and Canada to this work. A national board certified teacher, she and her students began collaborating globally in the late 1980’s. Lani has created and facilitated professional development around technology infusion into learning for over twenty years and served in a leadership role for the K12Online Conference for 2 years. She is co-author of The Connected Educator: Learning and Leading in a Digital Age.
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