How
does using protocols like “critical friends” help teachers become more
reflective of their teaching practices?
Protocols, like
"Critical Friends," allows educators to create meaningful learning
experiences for all learners. This occurs by allowing learners to collaborate
in an analytical, democratic community. When no one learner is above another,
groups are socially just and accommodate everyone.
What
conditions are required for teachers to make use of this protocol?
CFG is meant to provide professional
development to improve student learning.
Critical Friends Group members must cooperate with one another,
be focused on student learning, allow their practice to be made public, and use
self-reflection to analyze and reflect on comments made about their work.
It should occur in a
structured setting where participants are mutually supportive and honest and
are able to give and receive critical feedback from those peers.
How
could this protocol be used with students?
A true Critical Friends
Group brings together four to ten teachers within a school over at least two
years, to help each other look seriously at their own classroom practice and
make changes in it. If adapted for students, then students would cooperate to
work out strategies to move themselves toward learning predetermined goals.
Identify
two specific protocols you will embed in your PBL unit. Consider protocols for teacher-student or
student-teacher feedback as well as student-student feedback.
1. Protocol:
Forming Ground Rules
2. Protocol:
Observation Protocol #1 - Video Camera
I love the two protocols that you are using. I am also going to use the forming ground rules protocol at the beginning of the year. I also agree with all that you are saying about the critical friends protocol and hope that all teachers start using it.
ReplyDeleteHi Robert,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that honesty is a crucial component of Critical Friends Group and even a Critical Friends Protocol. Without honest feedback, growth is limited.
Thanks,
Dawn