Case study discussion: Jennifer Crosson !

Jennifer Stooke-Crosson posted Jan 21, 2018 10:24 PM

!
!
When reading and evaluating Collaborative Inquiry: A
Facilitator's Guide developed by Learning Forward
Ontario, numerous thoughts came to mind about my
collaboration practises and those I have experienced
within schools and the district. I thought about how each
stage of the guide fits well in relation to the core
concepts of collaboration, the realities of how I might
use it and the challenges it might present in my daily
practises.Then I thought about the problem solving
conundrums discussed in the articles we have read to
date in relation to the guide. It occurred to me that the
guide serves as a good example as to how we might
present a structure in which to teach abstract skills
required for ill structured problem solving experiences as
in the case of the inquiry process.
To begin, I found the guide to be well organized and
provided the structure that is necessary in helping new
participants to the process stay focused. It clearly
outlines steps that encourages educators to reflect on
their daily teaching practises as well as challenging
them to strengthen educational practises through inquiry
that will undoubtably lead to improved learning for
students in their schools.
Next, I broke down how I thought the stages of the
guide fit in relation to the core concepts of Collaborative
Inquiry (noting that the steps in the process often
overlap or may need adjusting as the inquiry evolves):
. Collaboration- being the first stage of framing the
problem.
. Inquiry- involving stage two and overlapping with stage
three collecting/analyzing evidence.
. Problem solving- involving stage two and overlapping
with stage three collecting/analyzing evidence.
. Design- involving stage four celebrating and sharing
with overlap of stage one "theory of action".
I felt the guide would be useful in bringing structure to
big inquiries that might involve the school as a whole. It
is clearly laid out so would help a large group of people
who interpret problem solving and inquiry in different
ways to narrow their focus. It would also ensure that
participants stay focused, help them clearly define goals
and roles in the process, and would be an efficient way
of processing data and reporting findings. Furthermore,
it would give direction and recommendations as to what
the next steps might be in the evolving practises of the
school. Finally, it might help teachers gain perspectives
on how to approach and teach the unstructured process
of problem solving with a structured tool as a guide while
keeping in mind that it is an evolving process, not a
means to an end.
I had concerns about the logistics of how one might
use the guide in their daily practises as it seems to be a
tool that involves a lot of commitment in terms of time.
The commitment needed to engage in activities to
promote understanding in each stage of the inquiry,
collaborating to agree upon a common vision and in the
actual work involved in the four stages seems
erroneous. Obtaining, organizing, and interpreting data
and finally, composing the findings seems like a
monumental balancing act for teachers who are already
stretched to their limits due to commitments such as
coaching, running departments, designing curriculum
and attending a host of meetings while also trying to
keep current in their practises by attending workshops or
participating in course work.
I think there are many good ideas in the guide that
could be adapted to use in smaller inquiries such as
those presented at School Based Team meetings in
helping students who experience learning or behavioural
challenges. I'm not sure that such an in depth scope of
inquiry would be necessary or feasible to use when
approaching individual needs of students.
In summary, I think the guide possesses many good
ideas that educators, small teams, larger departments,
schools and districts could adapt due to time constraints,
as well as use in it's entirety to manage large inquiries. I
think it would help districts foster a culture of inquiry and
reflection that will undoubtably improve educational
practises and student learning. On a last note I feel that
the document itself is a great example of a structured
tool that would aid educators in becoming more
confident agents of problem solving skills.