Historically, professional learning has been a linear process. Educators attend a professional development (PD) session then attempt to implement what they’ve just learned into the classroom. While some may have success, an integral part of the professional learning process is classroom practice. Integrating classroom practice into the educator development cycle is essential if teachers, schools and districts want PD to have a lasting impact.
Embedding classroom practice into the theory of action builds on two evidence-based approaches — lesson study and action research — that rely on educators to:
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Drive their own learning based on both their own and their students’ needs.
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Embed PD and professional peer feedback into their everyday classroom practice.
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Investigate their classroom practice as an integral part of educator development.
This theory of practice has been a driving factor as we’ve supported educators in their professional learning journeys. When teachers learn better, their classroom practice is enhanced. And when they have the opportunity to reflect and iterate upon that practice, student learning outcomes improve.
But what we’ve noticed is that the once linear process isn’t so linear anymore. As educator development continues to evolve and support this theory, we are discovering the need to support professional learning in various contexts. If learning is continuous and happens even when we don’t anticipate it, then connected and participatory learning is what happens when we intentionally educate ourselves on things we’re passionate about through any means we can find – everything from Twitter chats to book clubs to video conferences and online classes.
Regardless of the subject, when we’re passionate about gaining new knowledge we inherently focus on building our own competency, engage with fluid environments and create our own paths to explore, investigate and connect.
This natural, instinctive way of learning is often lost in traditional professional development opportunities where the focus is on completion rather than on engagement and relevance to learners and their professional practices. To effectively design adult learning opportunities, PD providers can better leverage the voluntary steps people take to deepen their own understanding.
Primarily, this means supporting learners as they move between the outer and inner loops of learning – which means as they transition from passively cooperating in learning opportunities to collaborating and taking action in shared learning experiences.
This model of outer and inner loops shows the fluidity of learning within Communities of Practice.
Outer loop |
Transition |
Inner loop |
Learners engage in exploration and discovery based on interests, experience and/or prior knowledge. Explorations may be informal and open-ended with learners possibly communicating with one another but rarely working together directly. |
Between the inner and outer loops learners find mentors and engage in more intensive one-to-one interactions. Peer feedback and coaching become critical components of the learning experience. |
Learners engage in more intensive, structured and formal learning that provides access and exposure to larger domains of knowledge. Learners often shift into direct collaboration with one another. |
With the inner and outer loop model, learning is continuous and fluid. Learners collaborate around a hashtag and attend conferences in the outer loop then shift into an intentional social learning experience around the same domain in the inner loop. Simon Terry, an education consultant and thought leader, describes this shift as “our opportunity to enrich and expand the understanding of value of collaborative work.”
Building professional learning experiences that have real impact for adult learners requires an understanding of their objectives, compassion for their interest in learning and growing, and a learning structure that uses their time efficiently. This shift in professional learning theory honors the entire learning process, from initial discovery to classroom practice to collaboration and more.
To learn more about the outer and inner loops and their role in professional learning, download our free ebook on Leveraging Learner Instincts for Personalized PD.