Networks For Learning: Effective Collaboration for Teacher, School and System Improvement

243 Pages·2017·2.391 MB·English

by  Brown Chris, Cindy L. Poortman

NETWORKS FOR LEARNING
Educational researchers, policy-makers and practitioners are increasingly focusing
their attention on Professional Learning Networks in order to facilitate teacher
development and encourage school and school system improvement. However,
despite the understanding that PLNs can contribute significantly to improving
teaching practice and student achievement, there are key challenges regarding their
use. These challenges include:
·· ensuring PLNs can provide opportunities for generating and sharing knowl-
edge within schools
·· enabling teachers and professionals to direct their own development
·· helping individuals change their practices through inquiry-led approaches
·· facilitating partnerships which work across a variety of stakeholders
In this new edited volume, Brown and Poortman evaluate these challenges from
both a theoretical and practical approach. A multitude of perspectives from a team
of international contributors covers:
·· the importance of Professional Learning Networks
·· the use of evidence within PLNs
·· the impact of inter-school networks
·· international cases of networks and communities
·· the promotion and sustainability of PLNs
Also featuring case studies and exemplars to contextualise sustainable learning net-
works, Networks for Learning is an accessible and thoroughly researched book, which
will be essential reading and a valuable resource for researchers, teachers and school
leaders who are interested in developing Professional Learning Networks.
Chris Brown is Professor of Education at the School of Education and Childhood
Studies, University of Portsmouth (UK). Chris has extensive experience of leading
a range of funded projects, many of which seek to help practitioners use networks
to identify and scale up best practice, and was recently awarded a significant grant
by the Education Endowment Foundation to work with 100+ primary schools in
England to increase their use of research.
Cindy L. Poortman is Assistant Professor in the professional development of
teachers in teams at the University of Twente, the Netherlands. She is also Project
Leader of the Dutch national project ‘Pilots for the Development of Professional
Learning Communities’, and Founder and Co-Project Leader of the Datateam
Projects, the Netherlands.
NETWORKS FOR
LEARNING
Effective Collaboration for Teacher,
School and System Improvement
Edited by Chris Brown and Cindy L. Poortman
First published 2018
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2018 selection and editorial matter, Chris Brown and Cindy L. Poortman;
individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Chris Brown and Cindy L. Poortman to be identified as the
authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual
chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Names: Brown, Chris, 1975- editor. | Poortman, Cindy L., editor.
Title: Networks for learning: effective collaboration for teacher, school and
system improvement / edited by Chris Brown & Cindy L. Poortman.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge, 2018. |
Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017034753 (print) | LCCN 2017053077 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781315276649 (ebook) | ISBN 9781138244757 (hbk) |
ISBN 9781138244764 (pbk) | ISBN 9781315276649 (ebk)
Subjects: LCSH: Professional learning communities. | School
improvement programs.
Classification: LCC LB1731 (ebook) | LCC LB1731 .N367 2018 (print) |
DDC 371.2/07–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017034753
ISBN: 978-1-138-24475-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-24476-4 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-27664-9 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India
In memory of Sam Stringfield. Thank you for supporting us
in establishing the ICSEI network on Professional Learning
Networks and for encouraging us to pursue this book.

CONTENTS
List of figures ix
List of tables xi
List of contributors xii
Acknowledgements xx
Foreword xxi
Andy Hargreaves
Introduction 1
Chris Brown and Cindy L. Poortman
1 The importance of Professional Learning Networks 10
Cindy L. Poortman and Chris Brown
2 Balancing top-down and shared leadership: A case study of a
Teacher Design Team in transition to a new approach 20
Floor Binkhorst
3 Research Learning Networks: A case study in using networks
to increase knowledge mobilization at scale 38
Chris Brown
4 Developing Communities of Pedagogical Inquiry
in British Columbia 56
Leyton Schnellert, Paige Fisher and Kathy Sanford
viii Contents
5 From data to learning: A data team Professional Learning Network 75
Kim Schildkamp, Jaana Nehez and Ulf Blossing
6 Austria’s Lerndesigner Network: The dynamics of Virtual
Professional Learning in interschool networks 92
Livia Roessler and Tanja Westfall-Greiter
7 A Professional Learning Network for the entire local
education system: Educational landscapes in Germany 115
Pierre Tulowitzki, Anika Duveneck and Michael Krüger
8 A Lesson Study Professional Learning Network in secondary
education 135
Siebrich de Vries and Rilana Prenger
9 Learning networks for sustainable literacy achievement 152
Mei Kuin Lai and Stuart McNaughton
10 Getting beneath the surface: Examining the social side of
Professional Learning Networks 172
Joelle Rodway
11 Establishing sustainable school improvement through
Professional Learning Networks 194
Mireille D. Hubers and Cindy L. Poortman
12 Looking back and moving forward: Where to next for
networks of learning? 205
Alan J. Daly and Louise Stoll
Index 215
FIGURES
0.1 The relationship between communities of practice and PLNs 3
1.1 Theory of action for how networks work 17
2.1 A model of the stepwise method 28
3.1 Structure of the four workshop approach 45
5.1 The data team intervention 77
6.1 Implementation of the NMS reform in ‘Generations’ 95
6.2 The roles and networks of Lerndesigners 96
6.3 Emerging actions of Lerndesigners 98
6.4 Genesis of Lerndesigner Network – horizontal and vertical
networking 103
6.5 Strands of OLLD – increasing activity actions 105
6.6 Triple Diamond Model of the Department of Innovation 109
8.1 A theoretical model of how lesson study produces
instructional improvement 137
9.1 Knowledge sharing between PLNs in a school (intra-school) 163
9.2 Knowledge sharing between PLNs in a cluster (intra-cluster) 164
9.3 Knowledge sharing between a school and the cluster PLNs 164
9.4 Knowledge sharing example between the school and
cluster PLNs 165
10.1 Child and Youth Mental Health organizational chart 174
10.2 CYMH General Information network 176
10.3 Density comparisons between CYMH’s general
information and research knowledge networks 179
10.4 Star graph—a completely centralized network 181