Helen Timperley’s states that the Teacher Inquiry and Knowledge Building Cycle “builds the relevant professional knowledge, skills and dispositions” to improve teaching practice and student learning (Timperley, 2009, p. 22). It could also be found to closely correlate and fulfill similar expectations found in the State Superintendent’s Quality Professional Learning Standards (QPLS). The cycle begins with a step to find out “What knowledge and skills do our students need?” followed by “What knowledge and skills do we as teachers need?” and then “Deepen knowledge and refine skills,” which is where the QPLS are mostly reflected.
At this particular step, Timperley explains how it consists of “three principles [that] were identified in terms of the content of the professional learning in addition to using assessment information for professional inquiry” (p. 23). The first point focuses on the importance of connecting the various taught activities to how different groups of students responded; to find if student outcomes related to teaching practice. The QPLS in Equity relates to this same idea where all groups of students must have equal access, opportunity and outcome to succeed. Furthermore, it relates to the necessary QPLS in Resources to ensure this is possible, that the support is there.
The next point is to identify how teachers apply their knowledge and skills through their practice in an efficient matter that meet curriculum expectations and personal pedagogical values. The QPLS in Content and Pedagogy, Design and Structure, and Alignment and Coherence, indicate how teachers’ level of expertise affect “students’ capacity to learn and thrive” (“The Superintendent’s Quality Professional Learning Standards,” 2015, p. 2); and therefore need to recognize how they could improve their approaches. However, it is essential to also stay focused on what is expected of the school, state and federal requirements.
For the final point in the cycle’s “Deepen knowledge and refine skills” step, is to ensure there are multiple opportunities for students to learn and apply new information from having been taught in numerous ways. Thus, making our way through Timperley’s cycle to “Engage students in learning experiences” and to see “What has been the impact of our changed actions?” To support each of these steps, we could follow the QPLS in Collaboration and Shared Accountability. By understanding the benefits of sharing each others resources and experiences, teachers could have a larger collective in able to meet the demands of required for successful student outcomes.
Resources:
“The Superintendent’s Quality Professional Learning Standards.” (2015). Professional Learning Support Division: California Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ps/documents/caqpls.pdf
Timperley, Helen. (2009). Using assessment data for improving teaching practice. Research Conference. Retrieved from http://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1036&context=research_conference
At this particular step, Timperley explains how it consists of “three principles [that] were identified in terms of the content of the professional learning in addition to using assessment information for professional inquiry” (p. 23). The first point focuses on the importance of connecting the various taught activities to how different groups of students responded; to find if student outcomes related to teaching practice. The QPLS in Equity relates to this same idea where all groups of students must have equal access, opportunity and outcome to succeed. Furthermore, it relates to the necessary QPLS in Resources to ensure this is possible, that the support is there.
The next point is to identify how teachers apply their knowledge and skills through their practice in an efficient matter that meet curriculum expectations and personal pedagogical values. The QPLS in Content and Pedagogy, Design and Structure, and Alignment and Coherence, indicate how teachers’ level of expertise affect “students’ capacity to learn and thrive” (“The Superintendent’s Quality Professional Learning Standards,” 2015, p. 2); and therefore need to recognize how they could improve their approaches. However, it is essential to also stay focused on what is expected of the school, state and federal requirements.
For the final point in the cycle’s “Deepen knowledge and refine skills” step, is to ensure there are multiple opportunities for students to learn and apply new information from having been taught in numerous ways. Thus, making our way through Timperley’s cycle to “Engage students in learning experiences” and to see “What has been the impact of our changed actions?” To support each of these steps, we could follow the QPLS in Collaboration and Shared Accountability. By understanding the benefits of sharing each others resources and experiences, teachers could have a larger collective in able to meet the demands of required for successful student outcomes.
Resources:
“The Superintendent’s Quality Professional Learning Standards.” (2015). Professional Learning Support Division: California Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ps/documents/caqpls.pdf
Timperley, Helen. (2009). Using assessment data for improving teaching practice. Research Conference. Retrieved from http://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1036&context=research_conference