Papers by Lisa Porter Kuh
This article addresses four intentions that make up a balanced curriculum approach: Guided Discov... more This article addresses four intentions that make up a balanced curriculum approach: Guided Discovery, Following Children's Interests, Interactive Modeling, and Compelling Materials. When teachers address these four intentions they commit to rich, interesting, engaging experiences for young children that build knowledge, skill, and relationship.
... Collaboration 39 Modes of Belonging in Communities of Practice 42 Conclusion 46 Chapter 4: Tr... more ... Collaboration 39 Modes of Belonging in Communities of Practice 42 Conclusion 46 Chapter 4: Tradition and Methodological Approach 47 Introduction and Data Collection Perspective 47 Site Selection and Study Design 48 The Sites in Context 50 Dorsett Head Start Center 51 ...
On the job experiences such as collaborative teacher meetings can shape how early childhood educa... more On the job experiences such as collaborative teacher meetings can shape how early childhood educators grow professionally and how schools can develop communities of practice. However, the effect of conversations during teacher meetings on teacher practice is not fully understood. This yearlong qualitative case study examined the rela- tionship between conversations during formal collaborative experiences and the actual classroom practice of early childhood teachers in a district, Head Start, and univer- sity lab school. Data sources included observations of teacher meetings and classroom practice, interviews with teachers and administrators, and ECERS-R ratings. Three factors contributed to the cultivation of productive communities of practice: (a) par- allel processes that promoted the transfer of teacher talk into practices that enriched classroom environments; (b) administratively supported collective control of curricu- lum by teachers; and (c) use of protocols to guide conversations. Intentionally designed and carefully orchestrated collaborative experiences are worth pursuing but emerge according to a group’s capacity to develop productive parallel processes that inspire transfer of meeting topics into best practices in classrooms.
Reflective practice has potentially positive effects on an organization’s capacity to focus on st... more Reflective practice has potentially positive effects on an organization’s capacity to focus on student learning and teaching practices. In an effort to comply with policy and provide teachers with opportunities to reflect on their practice, dis- tricts, schools, and teachers have turned to various models that feature collabora- tive experiences. One such model is the Critical Friends Group (CFG), focusing on the improvement of practice and learning experiences for children, using pro- tocol-driven structured conversations. This article examines the mechanisms that support and sustain reflective practice within a community of practice and uti- lizes Wenger’s three dimensions of practice – mutual engagement, joint enter- prise, and shared repertoire. The study followed a CFG in an elementary school using ethnographic case study methods to conduct a close examination of CFG meetings, protocol use, and analysis of teacher interviews. The propensity to ‘look out’ at school-wide issues vs. looking in at classroom practices, percep- tions about feedback on classroom practice, and using protocols to guide conver- sation emerged from the data as prominent mechanisms in communities of practice. CFG facilitators and coaches, as well as participants must be explicit about the purposes of their work and protocol use alone does not ensure a focus on student learning and teaching practices.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 1547688x 2014 868209, Jan 2, 2014
Theory Into Practice, 2009
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Papers by Lisa Porter Kuh