ERIC ED395453: Using a Participatory Conference Model for Planning Collaborative, Decentralized Professional Development. A Project of the German Teaching Community in Canada.

21 Pages·1996·0.53 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
FL 023 759
ED 395 453
Enns, Esther E.; Jahn, Juergen
AUTHOR
Using a Participatory Conference Model for Planning
TITLE
Coklaborative, Decentralized Professional
Development. A Project of the German Teaching
Community in Canada.
Calgary Univ. (Alberta).
INSTITUTION
PUB DATE
[96]
NOTE
21p.
Descriptive (141)
PUB TYPE
Reports
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Affective Objectives; Change Strategies;
DESCRIPTORS
*Conferences; Educational Change; Educational
Objectives; Foreign Countries; *German; *Inservice
Teacher Education; Instructional Development;
*Language Teachers; Models; Professional
Associations; *Professional Development; Program
Development; Second Language Instruction; Teacher
Associations; *Teacher Participation
IDENTIFIERS
Canada
ABSTRACT
The planning, design, development, and implementation
of a conference of Canadian German teachers to promote a
collaborative, decentralized approach to professional development are
described. The report begins with an overview of the professional
development situation among German teachers in Canada. Particular
focus is on efforts to make fundamental changes in the format of
development programs by building teachers' individual motivation for
and interest in professional development activities and their ability
to participate in continuous learning, implementing a participatory,
interactive conference model, and structuring a national professional
association supporting this model. The theoretical background for
such a model is also outlined. The process of creating a
participatory conference is then detailed, including the
establishment of objectives, design of the conference format,
preliminary planning, creation of an opening information fair, and
use of round-table discussions and action groups. The conference
process is then described from the organizers' perspective, including
many logistical issues and considerations and follow-up activities.
Additional planning notes are provided in an appendix. (MSE)
***********************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that ,:an be made
from the original document.
************************************************************************
Using a Participatory Conference
Model for Planning Collaborative,
Decentralized Professional Development
A Project of the German Teaching
Community in Canada
U.S. DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION
Mal of Educehonal
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND
Research and Improvement
krEDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL
INFORMATION
ee.r 6
CENTER (ERIC)
HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
is document has been
reproduced as
h
received from the
person or organization
iginahng it.
.
0 Minor changes
have been made
to
improve reproduction
quality.
Points of view
or opinions stated
in this
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
document do not
necessarily represent
official OERI position
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
or policy.
Esther E. Enns & Juergen Jahn
University of Calgary
,
AVAILABLE
c,741
BEV
s.
1
Using a Participatory Conference
Model
for Planning Collaborative,
Decentralized
Professional Development*
theory, the new orientation makes
sense,
lePargfrfij tfiVnTinitTI
in
but in a country like Canada where needs
ana a
differ vastly from region to region and local
centre to local centre, it is difficult for the
Esther E. Enns & Juergen Jahn
organizers to plan and cany out practical
University of Calgary
strategies on a national level. This is why
the experiences we have gained
can be of
I. Introduction
particular interest to individuals who play
a
leadership role in professional associations
a. An Overview of the Professional
facing challenges similar to our
own: serv-
Development Situation
ing a constituency that is widely dispersed
throughout the country and searching for
Canadian teachers of German are presently
models of professional development and
making fundamental changes in the format
change that are participatory, self-directed
of their professional development. We
want
and decentralized in nature.
to take charge of our own professional de-
velopment and organize it at the
grass-roots
The main elements of the Canadian change
level. We are doing this by building
on
initiative among German teachers
are:
teachers' own potential for professional
growth when they engage in collaborative
A paradigm shift in the didactics
projects geared towards teaching develop-
of professional development
ment. The results are leading to a model of
from a transmission model where
professional development that provides
experts make presentations at oc-
stronger, ongoing support in our continuing
casional, organized meetings
or
professional growth and that requires fewer
conferences to an interactive
resources. Under the leadership of the na-
model where participants
are en-
tional association, the Canadian Council of
gaged in continuous learning
Teachers of German (ccro,
we are devel-
processes
oping a process-oriented and learner-cen-
tred professional development model
Implementation of a participa-
wherc the main function of major profes-
tory, interactive conference
sional conferences at
a national level in-
model
volves planning teaching development
initiatives for the local level.
Proposals for the structure of
a
national association capable of
This objective represents
a great challenge
supporting and fostering a partic-
for the organizers of professional
develop-
ipatory, decentralized profes-
ment. From the point of view of learning
sional development model
3
2
Open, co-operative discussion
sumed that conference participants
will
processes at the meta-level of
translate into action what they have
pas-
professional development plan-
sively absorbed. Current research,
how-
ning.
ever, has shown that the effect of this
type
of transmission model is
transitory,
b. ContextforDeveloping the
Participatory
whereas models which rely
on principles of
Conference Model
active and interacti7e experiential
learning
are actually much more likely to lead
to
Growing awareness that the professional
change in an individual's teaching
practice.
development support structure of Canadian
teachers ofGerman is gravely threatened
by
A fairly widespread phenomenon
of con-
various structural, political and fiscal
fac-
ference fatigue and a resulting lack of
inter-
tors provided the impetus for change. The
est in professional development had been
implications of the increasing financial
cut-
noticed among Canadian GFL
teachers.
backs became abundantly clear
to the rep-
The underlying problem, in
our opinion,
resentatives of the Canadian German
as a
was the manner in which knowledge
was
foreign language (GFL, also referred
to as
transmitted at our large conferences.
As
DaF, Deutsch als Fremdsprache)
associa-
passive recipients, teachers felt disenfran-
tions attending the national
conference in
chised and excluded from the genesis
of
1992. Traditional large-scale
conferences
innovative didactics
- a phenomenon that
were obviously no longer feasible: public
had a disappointing, alienating
and
funding to promote the teaching of
German,
demotivating effect on the individual.
both from the Federal Republic
and from
Canadian sources was dwindling and
the
The following factors
were identified as
provincial ministries throughout
the coun-
contributing to dissatisfaction with
profes-
try were introducing cost-saving
measures.
sional development
as delivered at large
For Canadian teachers of
German this
conferences:
meant fundamental problems with regard
to
future training, professional
development
A disparity between conference
and collegial co-operation.
Recognizing
themes and the actual
program:
the gravity of the situation, members
of the
few offerings that actually relate
German teachers' associations
decided to
to the stated theme
test new approaches to professional devel-
opment and conference planning that
prom-
A lack of contributions that
i sed to be feasible under
the new
would be of immediate
use in the
conditions.
classroom
c. Theoretical Background
A plethora of thematically
gen-
eral contributions without practi-
Traditional models of professional
devel-
cal relevance to the experiences
opment are designed to bring about change
of individual teachers
in teaching practice by
transmitting new
content, materials and methods. 'Speakers
at
Communication between partici-
large-scale conferences
present their pro-
pants is often marginalized with
fessional expertise in the form of
lectures,
experts and their presentations
presentations and workshops, and it is
as-
taking centre-stage: collegial dis-
4
3
cussions remain so informal that
A feeling of self-worth
they do not lead to subsequent
actions
Job satisfaction.
A lack of opportunities to trans-
Although the specific problems
we had to
late the findings of the presenters
deal with left us no choice but to develop
a
into practical action plans (ro
participatory model, this does not
mean that
post-event assessment)
we reject transmission models as a matter
of principle. The transmission of profes-
Geographic isolation which
sional expertise plays an important role in
hamper follow-up meetings and
providing the required impetus for certain
ongoing communication
topic areas. Experts reporting on their find-
ings can, at the appropriate moment,
gener-
Discrepancies in the final confer-
ate new ideas to be applied in the classroom.
ence programme theme and indi-
%;
vidual contributions (the
A paiticipatory model which
accesses the
odds-and-ends phenomenon or
thoughts and experiences of the conference
the well-known "supermarket"
participants is complementary to the
trans-
syndrome!).
mission model. It would be appropriate in
the following situations:
In order to counteract conference fatigue
and the resulting waning interest in profes-
tr
Defining of objectives and plan-
sional development, a participatory model
ning of projects (visioning)
of professional development
was needed.
Such a model was designed
as a counterbal-
Self-directed renewal of a profes-
ance to the aforementioned negative factors
sional association
by producing the following change in
per-
spective on the part of participants:
The establishment of local proj-
ect groups with concrete plans
An active rather than passive
for action.
stance with regard to profes-
sional development
The two conference models (transmission
and interaction) obviously
serve different
The will to be autonomous (the
purposes. They are not mutually exclusive
readiness to work as self-di-
but will eventually have to be integrated in
rected, responsible and self-mo-
a meaningful manner. A long-term, con-
tivated individuals)
stantly self-renewing concentric
process
might proceed like this:
Professional maturity (by
con-
tributing to the sharing and de-
Teachers recognize a need for
velopment of professional
professional development
expertise)
They formulate a joint objective
Collegial interdependence in-
at a participatory meeting
stead of dependency
on experts
4
They obtain impulses for specific
shift in the professional development
of
action goals at a transmission-
Canadian teachers of German. We
did this
type conference
by emphasizing the following questions:
The action plans are acted
upon
How can we establish
a bottom-
by decentralized collaborative
up approach to professional de-
local project groups.
velopment?
How can we do a better job of
II. How German Teachers Made
a
accessing the professional
Participatory Conference
a Reality
growth potential of teachers?
The following is a discussion of
the ek-
In order to achieve this goal, the
following
ments of our conference model, the interac-
concrete working objectives were formu-
tion model. We
are drawing largely on
lated:
experiences pined at three experimental
conferences. The focus, however, will
be
To demonstrate teachers'
poten-
on the last of these, the 1995 conference in
tial for professional development
Regina, since this is where the
conceptual
planning and its translation into action
were
To awaken, activate and
set in
carried furthest.
motion their potential for profes-
sional development
a. Objectives
To develop project plans for local
As a matter of principle, each
conference,
and regional "grass-roots" clus-
as a whole, was geared towards fulfilling
a
ters involved in professional de-
clear objective or set of objectives.
At a
velopment
previous conference (Kontakt '93
in Cal-
gary), the objective was to identify
focal
To lay the groundwork for
per-
points for the future of German
instruction
sonal involvement in profes-
in Canada. At a later meeting
(Working
sional development at the local
or
Session Calgary '94), the conference
objec-
regional level by including col-
tive was to design a
new professional de-
leagues in the planning
process.
velopment model. To ensure
a concentrated
and focused effort
on the part of partici-
b. Design of the Conference Format
pants, a clear objective was made
apparent.
The Impuls-Seminar Kontakt '95
in Regina
The experiences of the Workhig
Session
provided proof of this. When
objections
'94 had shown co-operative work
in small
against conference contents and
processes
groups to be the most productive way of
were raised, the organizers were able
to
proceeding. For this
reason, it seemed de-
point to clearly formulated objectives
and
sirable to adopt this structure for the
Im-
were thus able to give a positive direction
puls-Seminar with its approximately
100
to the conference.
participants. In order to achkwe
our goal of
a "participatory conference", we structured
The over-all goal for the
Impuls-Seminar
the seminar as a series of
open, interactive
Kontakt '95 was to bring about
a paradigm
5
working sessions with co-operative, proj-
ect-oriented activities.
In the process of planning Kontakt '95,
it
was important to be aware of the close
A successful participatory professional
interconnectedness of this and previous
conference required careful planning and
conferences. The conference
was seen as a
flexible process control, not unlike the
landmark in an ongoing process spanning
methodology used in co-operative learning.
several years. For this reason, the results of
All work phases of the conference
were
the Working Session '94 in Calgary
were
appropriate to the given objectives and
oc-
given special consideration.
curred in the following order:
The first announcement of the confeience
Stock-taking with regard to the
with a declaration of its objective and
a
conference theme
preliminary programme concept
were
mailed out in July 1994. The intention
was
Further exploration of the theme
to take stock of areas of interest of potential
through discussions
participants and of the contributions
to the
conference they might wish to make. Addi-
Reporting and sharing of discus-
tional information was provided
on a regu-
sion results
lar basis during fall and winter.
Discussions leading to the devel-
From the responses it
was not possible to
opment of action plans at the
arrive at an overall concept which would
local and regional levels
have corresponded to the conference objec-
tive. A programme committee
was formed
Reporting and sharing of action
to come up with a conference
programme
plans.
that would do justice both to the proposed
conference contributions, which relied
Following each of these experimental
con-
largely on a traditional conference format,
ferences, full proceedings with detailed de-
and the original conference objectives.
scriptions of the discussion results and
There was thus a danger that the original
conference activities were published.2
objectives for the conference might
not be
achieved. The programme committee
soon
c. Preliminary Planning
realized that incompatible
concepts and the
limited time available mad
it impossible to
.
Preliminary planning consisted of
an ex-
have a conference that
was both a tradi-
tended lively exchange between geograph-
tional transmission-style and
an innovative
ically widely dispersed colleagues.
The
participatory event. The committee
there-
preparation phase lasted from May 1993
fore decided to present the proposed
pre-
until May 1995 and was largely handled
by
sentations and workshops in the form
of an
e-mail, telephone and fax. In June 1994,
a
information fair and to
use them as points
planning committee3 did eventually
itset to
of departure for the round-table
cliscus-
develop a first concrete concept for Kontakt
sions. The idea for the information fair
for-
'95. The task of sending applications
for
mat arose from experiences that Esther
financial support to Canadian and German
Enns gained while working with
Michael
authorities was subsequently delegated
to
Legutke as planning consultant for the
1994
two committee members.
joint conference of the Goethe Institute
in
6
Munich, the British Council and the Ger-
the presence of an expert in process-ori-
man Association for the Promotion of
ented development who would act
as con-
Teacher In-Service Education.
sultant. They therefore retained the services
of a conference planning consultant
to act
The conference programme
was designed
as observer and meta-facilitator throughout
with the following considerations in mind:
the conference.
It was not intended to be
Since the associations involved in organiz-
ing the conference were also holding
their
dictated by submissions from
executive meetings during the conference
persons wishing to give presenta-
and a restructuring of the associations
was
tions and workshops
on the agenda, a representative with consti-
tutional expertise was asked to direct
and
a supermarket-style offering of
steer this initiative.
ready-to-use materials and ideas.
In order to achieve the objectives of
the
It was intended as
conference, the physical space had
to be
consistent with the conference
concept. The
Preparation for teacher trainers to
Language Institute at the University of
Re-
activate local "grass-roots" clus-
gina offered the kind of venue which
made
ters
a participatory conference feasible: It had
classrooms with movable chairs asid tables
A participatory work process
as well as a larger conference room suitable
for the information fair and capable
of
An integrated focused learning
being used for interactive plenary sessions
process in three phases.
in the round. A further advantage
was that
all conference rooms, food services
and
To this end, the following elements
served
accommodation were largely integrated in
as the framework for the programme:
one building and removed from downtown
distractions.
The information fair as a
means
of taking stock of didactic
The local infrastructure
was well suited to
whievements
the conference objectives and helped
to cre-
ate an enjoyable and intimate atmosphere
The round-table discussions
as
in which people found it
easy to communi-
inspiration for joint professional
cate. An airport shuttle service, friendly
development projects
assistance from students working
at the
conference desk, social events where
par-
The planning discussions
as a
ticipants could get acquainted, friendly
means of forming action groups
conversations during conference breaks,
a
involved in professional devel-
working supper and a reception by
the
opment.
Honourary Consul of the Federal Republic
of Germany all contributed
to creating this
During the fine-tuning of the
programme,
atmosphere. The inclusion of these
inter-
the organizers realized that the
participa-
personal dimensions was of vital impor-
tory character of this conference required
7
tance in making the innovative conference
In lieu of the keynote address,
there were
paradigm a reality.
thus two full hours at the
start of the con-
ference dedicated to the information
fair. It
Three weeks before thq conference, the
pro-
gave participants an opportunity to
enter
gramme committee sent out the following
into direct contact with the exhibitors
and,
material for pre-conference reading:
where they were interested,
to obtain more
detailed information. The fair guide
in the
An article entitled Teacher-Di-
appendix was intended to provide direction
rected Professional Develop-
to the fair visit and to help participants keep
ment by Bryan Ellefson who
.the conference goal in mind.
describes in a very readable
way
the development on which
our
The fair exhibits had largely been
offered
seminar is based.
ahead of time. In the conference
binder,
they were grouped according
to the four
Thought-provoking
ideas.
topic areas of the conference. The
exhibits
(DenkanstöBe) for the four topic
were set up in the larger conference
room
areas of the round-table discus-
and the adjacent foyer. Colleagues
helped
sions
each other in setting
up their respective
booths in the course of
an evening social.
An up-to-date conference plan
The exhibits remained in place for
the du-
ration of the conference, forming
a visual
Proposals for professional devel-
backdrop to the didactic achievements
of
opment, Professionalising Sec-
many conference participants.
ond Language Instruction, by
a
colleague from one of
our asso-
e. Round-table Discussions
ciations.
The round-table discussions
gave partici-
This final mailing was supplemented
at the
pants an opportunity to develop profes-
conference site by a thick conference binder
sional growth projects with their
colleagues
with local and organizational
information
on the basis of their didactic achievements
as well as the above-mentioned documents,
without, however, resorting
to the presen-
the agendas, minutes and by-laws
of the
tation format. It was hoped that
the very
PCM and the ccrG and ample
room for
structure of these round-table discussinns
records and personal notes.
would help participants
to enter into dia-
logues and systematic discussions
of indi-
d. An Information Fair
as Conference
vidual experiences and
to develop action
Opener
proposals for general
use.
Several colleagues
were asked to join facil-
The organizers had decided
to do without
itator teams for the round-table
discussions.
the traditional keynote address.
Instead, the
Extensive preparation with regard
to the
conference opened with a short welcome
by
topic was not required of them.
Besides
the host institution and the
organizers and
being participants in the
discussion, the
a few words about the objectives and format
four facilitators
on each team were to steer
of the conference.
the discussion and
to act as recorders. On
the eve of the conference,
there was a pre-
liminary planning session for
the facilita-
0
8
time than anticipated. It also proved diffi-
tors. It included an orientation consisting of
cult at times to relate personal professional
an explanation of their function and a pre-
experiences to the discussion topic and the
sentation of the conference objecilves. The
conference objective. Although this ex-
programme committee had envisioned their
change was an important phase of the learn-
role as follows:
ing process of the conference, it turned out
to distnct some participants from the con-
The facilitators were to...
ference objective. Nevertheless, many con-
crete proposals could be worked out on this
arrange the seminar rooms
first day.
help the members of the group to
The round-table discussions continued on
become acquainted and to create
the following day, and participants were
a positive working atmosphere
free to choose the group they wished to join.
Contrary to the expectations of the planning
help members of the group to
committee, many colleagues remained with
formulate their focal points with
their original group. During the plenary
regard to the topic
session at the end of the second day, many
detailed and well thought-out plans in
help people to define a limited
poster form were presented to the plenum.
focus for the discussion
(The results will not be reprinted here; their
content can be found in the conference pro-
steer the conversation only as
needed, e.g. when somebody
ceedings.)
talked too much or deviated from
f. Action Groups
the topic
Following the conclusion of the round-
ensure that notes were taken dur-
table discussions, the participants formed
ing the discussion and a report for
action groups whose task it was to plan
the plenary session was prepared.
concrete projects for local or regional
"grass-roots" clusters. For practical rea-
All participants had received "Denk-
sons, the action groups were formed along
anstöl3e", ideas relating to the four topic
regional lines. Participants from the four
areas, ahead of time as a preparation for the
groups took their impulses from the round-
round-table discussions. They were not
table discussions directly into the regional
meant to provide a predetermined frame-
groups. Each regional action group devel-
work but to generate ideas and to provide a
oped a concrete plan to be acted upon by
lively starting point for the round-table dis-
the local "grass-roots" clusters. The col-
cussions. Appendix 2 shows the topics and
leagues in these regional action groups
ideas.
would then take on the responsibility for
implementing the planned projects and for
Following the information fair on the first
regularly sharing information about the
day, the conference participants joined one
progress of their projects with other re-
of the four round-table discussions taking
gional groups.
place in the smaller seminar rooms. De-
pending on the size of the group, the getting
acquainted phase may have taken more
0