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About this wiki:
This wiki presents the results of a faculty brainstorming session held on August 28, 2008. Teachers discussed possible look-fors or language that might be considered or used as we conduct or reflect on our //walk-throughs//. Though we worked with six categories or buckets, we are not married to those categories. Further discussion may lead us to combining categories or deleting them.

The Professional Courtesy category captures teachers' feelings relating to conditions under which learning walks should take place.

We attempted to capture the notes on the flip chart sheets. Please feel free to revise ideas that were not accurately captured.

What are learning walks? (Please add other ideas to this list!)
Learning walks are brief, systematic, professional visits made to the various learning spaces within a school. They are generally followed by discussion and feedback. Learning walks are not part of the evaluation process.

"Schools use learning walks because the process enables observers to focus attention on student learning with the intent to use specific feedback and opportunity for reflection to improve student learning." (from Learning Walk Training packet)

Learning walks may involve school and district administrators, teachers, mentors, coaches, and students.
 * Who walks?**

(from Learning Walk Training packet)
 * Walkthroughs provide an opportunity to:**
 * Reinforce attention to an instructional and learning focus in the school's improvement plan
 * Gather data about instructional practice and student learning to supplement other data about school and student performance
 * Stimulate collegial conversations about teaching and learning through asking questions about what evidence is and isn't observed
 * Learn from other participants through observations, questions, experiences, and perspectives
 * Deepen understandings and practices by continuous feedback
 * Deepen understandings and practices related to improvement


 * //Walks// may be made for a variety of purposes. Among them:**
 * To share practices within a department
 * To introduce new faculty members to instructional strategies
 * To better understand curriculum alignment
 * To observe interdisciplinary connections
 * To better develop collegiality

(from Learning Walk Training packet)
 * Four types of Learning Walks:**
 * 1) //Principal/Assistant Principal Solo LW:// Conducted by the principal/assistant principal as a regular part of the school day. This is the most prevalent walk and it is designed to occur daily.
 * 2) //Collegial//: Conducted by the principal with other administrative colleagues and/or conducted by teachers with other teachers--this occurs on an as needed basis.
 * 3) //Supervisory//: Conducted by the principal and his/her supervisor--this might occur monthly.
 * 4) //District/System Level//: Conducted by a team of district stakeholders--this might occur 2-4 times a year.

A //look for// is what you expect to see. A //look for// identifies what the observer aims to observe. It is a clear statement or descriptor of a teaching or learning behavior, strategy, outcome, product, or procedures, that is observable. It is what the observer is looking for when visiting a classroom or observing student work. (from Learning Walk Training packet)
 * What are //Look Fors://**

Some resources (please add to this list!):

 * Bloom, Gary. [|Classroom Visitations Done Well]. //Leadership// April/May, 2007.
 * Marshall, Kim.[|//Recovering from HSPS// (Hyperactive Superficial Principal Syndrome)] //Kappan// May 2003. 701-709.
 * Israel, Michelle. [|Teachers Observing Teachers.] //Education World// 25 April, 2008.
 * Barnes, Francis V. and Marilyn Miller. [|Data Analysis by Walking Around.]//School Administrator// April 2001. 20-24.
 * Skretta, John and Vernon Fisher. [|The Walk-Through Crew]. //Principal Leadership//. Nov. 2002. 39-41.
 * [|Networked //Learning Walks// tools and templates]

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