The purpose of the Learning Plan page is to synthesize the outcomes of each phase of inquiry from a school perspective. The following criteria for each phase have been provided below to guide the description of the work in each phase at your school.
Scanning
Scanning involves:
- A wide perspective on learning, informed by learning principles (OECD)
- Finding out what learners think and feel about their learning and
- what their families and communities perceive about their learning
Scanning is NOT:
- seeking evidence to reinforce the status quo
- Only looking at aspects of academic learning that are easily measured
- exclusively what the professionals think
Focusing
Focusing involves:
- Using information from the scan to identify an area for concentrated team learning
- Gathering more information if you need it to understand the situation
- Building on strengths or positives, as well as clarifying challenges
- Identifying a common area that the team can work on together
Focusing is NOT:
- The time to introduce completely new areas disconnected from the scanning process
- About assuming you have it all figured out and don't need to investigate any further
- Just about problems or challenges
- About everyone choosing his/her own area of interest
Developing a Hunch
Developing a hunch involves:
- Getting deeply held beliefs and assumptions out on the table about your own practices
- Focusing on things your team can do something about
- Checking your assumptions for accuracy before moving ahead
Developing a hunch is NOT:
- A general brainstorm of all possibilities
- Being obsessed with the actions of others or with issues over which you have limited influence
- Venting about the past, fuming about the present, or finding someone to blame
Learning
New Learning is:
- Tailored to the situation
- Directly linked to the focus identified earlier in the spiral
- Exploratory testing how new approaches could be better than previous practices
- Sustained and supported over time
New Learning is NOT:
- Pursuing the latest trends
- Disconnected from the context
- Uncritically adopting new ways without understanding the purpose
- A short-term or quick fix
Taking Action
Taking action involves:
- Learning more deeply about new ways of doing things and then trying them out
- Evaluating the impact on learners and seeking their feedback
- Building trust and cultivating a growth mindset
Taking action is NOT:
- Trying something new without considering its value and relevance in your situation
- Implementing without monitoring the effects on learners
- Assuming everyone feels OK about the change
Checking
Checking involves:
- Knowing what you want to accomplish for your learners and having specific ways to determine how you are doing early in the inquiry process
- Setting high expectations that your actions will make a substantial difference for ALL learners
- Setting the stage for what comes next
Checking is NOT:
- A routine to follow at the end
- Seeking some difference for some learners
- Judging the capacity of learners to succeed
- Justifying your actions