TEA Collaborative Learning Group
Overview of Plan

Ellwood

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Team Members:
Robin Ellwood Sheila Adams

What is your role within your team?
Team leader/organizer/TEA

What professional growth goals do you and your team members hope to reach through this partnership?
See description below

How will you and your team reflect on these goals and on learning and classroom practice (e.g., pedagogy, the use of technology, content, the process of science)?
see description below

Mentoring Plan (Revised from Orientation)
Mentoring Plan: Robin Ellwood

My goals for working with colleagues in a significant, long-term, mentoring relationship are numerous. By bringing a group of dedicated educators together to share experiences and ideas, knowledge will be multiplied. The group will open new doors of exploration for all involved; parcticipants will share in opportunities and experiences that may not be available if we were to operate in isolation. Each group member will become more proficient at integrating the process of science into his/her curriculum; students will therefore be experiencing more authentic science. Teachers and students will increase their understanding of the global significance to polar regions and the investigations being carried out in those regions. Parcticipants will develop a broader appreciation of the scientific process and its relevance to our global society. I hope to create a network of individuals to share resources, ideas, and lessons. The group will support and encourage each other to develop new, innovative, lessons and to challenge each other to bring the inquiry process into our classrooms. Creating the mentoring group will be the first challenge. I will call it a “mentoring workshop series” to create a Polar Learning Community. I will extend personal invitations to individuals I believe would be committed to, and enthusiastic about, the process. I will create a flyer announcing the formation of the group and will distribute it to all schools within a reasonable traveling distance. I will send flyers to TEA associates in the area. I will post the flyer on the New Hampshire Society for Technology in Education (NHSTE) website. I will give presentations about TEA at schools, libraries, various clubs and organizations, and NHSTE; this will not only spread the word about TEA, but also allow me to promote the formation of the mentoring group. Through these efforts, a dynamic group of committed individuals will be assembled. In order for the group to truly function collaboratively, we must have some common themes and goals. Two major goals will be established by me, and clearly presented during the “recruitment” phase of group formation. They will be to broaden the implementation of the scientific process within science classrooms and to infuse the TEA experiences into curriculum plans. These will be the “umbrella” goals of the group under which any number of individual and additional group goals can be reached. Although I will set the two major “umbrella” goals, the group will work together to establish smaller group and individual goals. My major goals for the first year of collaboration include: establishing each team member as a vital parcticipant, commitment to the two umbrella goals, and commitment to staying with the group for the duration. I will establish start and finish dates for the official workshop series, but will encourage continued contact afterwards. I hope to have the 140 (minimum) hours for TEA requirements completed within 12-15 months, but I hope to have the group continue at some level beyond the official end date. Keeping a group assembled and moving forward will provide several challenges. Peoples schedules change, interests change, other responsibilities and commitments change, and people move. A long term investment is difficult to maintain. Strategies for sustaining involvement are imperative. Having an official start and finish to the mentoring workshop series will provide a clear picture of the time commitment; minimum expectations can be established. Providing something for people to “walk away with” will also encourage involvement. Making clear that parcticipants will leave with greater skills, lesson plans, resources, and an extended teaching network will also encourage involvement. I will put together a resource packet for each parcticipant; it will include books, maps, posters, stickers, and specific resource materials - such as information on Mt. Washington and polar regions. The group will generate a resource list to be shared. Teacher professional development, recertification, credit hours will be available. I will organize a workshop/retreat up Mt. Washington this coming winter - to study glacial geology and weather - this will also provide a “carrot” for parcticipation. Hopefully, all these offerings will provide incentives to join the group and to maintain commitment. In order to make this group successful, I will rely on many resources and support personnel. TEA, and the teaching network it encompasses, will be a major resource. The networking offered through TEA is extremely powerful; my group will take advantage of this resource. Sheila Adams, president of NHSTE, will be an invaluable resource with her expertise in technology. She has already stated she would like to parcticipate and assist us with expanding our use of technology within the classroom. I have numerous resources on inquiry based science education and on polar regions which will be shared. I have numerous connections to professors at the University of New Hampshire who are willing to talk with the group and have us visit their labs at UNH. My training in “team building” may also come into play while forming and maintaining the group. Perhaps the biggest resource the group will have will be each other and all each of us will bring to the group. With individuals come differences. The success of the group will also depend on the groups ability to accommodate our different perspectives and needs. This will require flexibility and respect. The strengths and goals of each individual must be recognized and supported. The needs of the group and each individual will be “put on the table” so everyone is aware of common and individual goals. A “Full Value Contract” will be drafted; we will agree to work within the group generated contract and make adjustments when the boundaries of the contract are disrespected. The effectiveness of the group will depend on our ability to meet the goals of all parcticipants. The initial meeting(s) will be extremely important; we will spend significant time establishing the objectives of individuals and the group. I will establish that, although I may be the leader in terms of brining the group together and organizing various activities, we will each be responsible for the success of the group and in the ultimate direction we focus. I will “set the stage” for the development of group goals and the “full value contract.” It will be established that the overall success of the group will be dependent on the parcticipation, commitment, and enthusiasm of the individuals. A possible outline of the initial meeting follows: a) Welcome - explain why I started the group/ TEA etc. b) Introduction of parcticipants - why they wanted to join the group c) Discuss 2 major “umbrella goals” and why they were established (Inquiry & TEA) d) Discuss plans to help the group reach goals e) Brainstorm individual goals and other group goals f) HW: brainstorm other goals/needs/ full value contract ideas - bring next time g) Science discussion - what we’re doing in classes now/ what we need to do to bring Inquiry into classrooms h) Start discussion of Inquiry and how to do it successfully The success of the group will be assessed through numerous methods. Group feedback will be sought on a daily basis; this will be analyzed and discussed. The group will reflect upon individual and group progress. We will determine whether we are meeting our vision and goals. If we are not, we will decide what needs to be done to get back on track - or decide if the new track is going in a good direction that should be maintained. We will take time to reflect on the stages of collaborative learning: define, explore, experiment, reflect, and share. The success of the group will be measured by our ability to confidently and positively state that we have completed each of the collaborative learning steps. The acquisition of each stage will be considered a milestone. I have established a timeline for myself to assist in reaching my goals: a) establish specific dates for activities/guest lecturers/field trips/retreats/etc. (by 10/20/02) b) create a flyer announcing the formation of the group and its intentions (by 10/30/02) c) have a TEA presentation ready to present (by 10/15/02) d) start TEA presentations and flyer distribution (by 10/30/02) e) have “official” group formed by 1/15/03 f) first group meeting by 2/1/03 g) have at least 60 hours completed by 6/1/03 h) have 140 hrs (minimum) completed by 5/4/04 i) continue with group for those interested

Bottom Line: I hope to share my TEA experience with as many people as possible and to bring authentic inquiry based science investigations to as many classrooms as possible.