Spaghetti sauce and the Connected Coaching eCourse--a new perspective

Photo Credit

I thought it was the best -- it was delicious-- it worked-- it was good--
3 years ago
when I wrote

The homemade spaghetti sauce last week was rich, flavorful-- just downright extraordinary.
I attribute most of that to the quality of the ingredients-- something about organic farm fresh tomatoes, new onions, fresh organo, real garlic, and a touch of hot sauce to add a bit of a zing. Yet I've used those same ingredients before and the sauce never had the unique flavor of this batch. There must be something to the love, to the passion that becomes part of the process. No longer a strict recipe follower when I'm putting together a dish I've made before, there is the possibility of an extra large clove of garlic, maybe dried oregano-- always evolving, responding to conditions at hand.

And then recently
a neighbor shared some she had made
and
it was time to consider
how to take the best of what was and create the best of what could be
and this time it seems as it's the addition of 2 cloves and a bay leaf--

In that post of years ago,
the sauce and the Connected Coaching pilot were the focus of my thinking--

Now,
the sauce with its added spices --
compelling--
And as it simmered, my thoughts focused on the Connected Coaching eCourse I facilitate, in its 3 or 4th iteration. Learners have been transparent with their excitement at the possibilities and I have been, I fear, a bit too satisfied, lulled into some sense of complacency. Should know better at this age.  Time and time again, each group developed meaningful relationships to their surprise. And my hope, that others might see the potential of the appreciative inquiry approach (that I view as a real game changer in education) in which they are immersed in the eCourse and adopt that stance in coaching, has come to fruition more than I could ever imagine.

And I attributed much of it to our purposeful collective building of trust through a variety of activities and to my continued thinking on adult learning and assessment , influenced significantly by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, Dean Shareski, Dave Cormier, Cathy Davidson and Anne Fox who introduced me to the research on heutagogy. I thought I had developed a Lani remix that enabled self directed learning.   I thought I was on to something.

As one who thought she put learners at the forefront-- In 2013, the co learners in one section of the course objected to the term "learning contract":

Although I hope that everyone in the course will always view the potential for change in our Connected Coaching model and see the possibilities throughout the process, I am never sure how our journey will play out for so many reasons. Since I've requested that each co learner create his/her own learning contract, since I've stressed our time together is about their following their personal interests under the umbrella of coaching in online spaces-- it has been my fervent hope that that request and some possible paths outlined mapped in the MentorMob playlists and weekly overviews set the stage for organic, messy, linked learning increasing the likelihood of trips characterized by detours, side trips and loop backs.  

For this trek, the discussion and angst around the learning contracts which are shared with the entire group and for which many request feedback went deep with serious questions around its purpose and value. Initially, this request (the learning contract and it is a request as are all the learning opportunities) is open with few parameters or introduction. When the questions arose  I added a resource on heutagogy that speaks to the importance of self governed learning, the contracts filled the discussion thread as did comments supporting each others efforts and various paths towards personal goals emerged. We were on our way-- together. And I had my first big aha moment! When I had adapted the learning contract for the eCourse, I had not given thought(and should have) to the connotations of "contract". When Doris  suggested she'd prefer to call her contract a learning pledge-- my brain stopped for a moment-- and then realized the implications remembering what a difference one word can make and how much more aligned pledge is to the community building of the eCourse and to the Connected Coaching model! Next trip-- learning pledge is it!

And has been since---

The "learning pledges" developed, we do a KWL and a collective wondering as the course begins and I'm feeling we're delving into each learner's purpose. (My feelings on the eCourse were much the same as the ones I had had for the spaghetti sauce.) And as we progress through each week, I suggest essential questions.

Let's stop there    ---enter Connected Courses
and Michael Wesch's and Gardner Campbell's videos --






my making connections to my context--
knowing I know "my why" of the course-- to provide the opportunity to experience the potential of a strength based inquiry to improve practice and the world of education--

and my questions. WAIT-- my questions
and realizing that my questions become the focus-- really
despite my intention that learners engage in their own "why", to follow their passions

It's time -- to take the best of what works and create the best of what could be--
Just as the goodness of the spaghetti sauce grew and benefited from additional perspectives and the added spices--
So should the eCourse with my intended focus on the next iteration with an additional, more sustained focus on the "why" of the co learners.

Can I share fully developed thoughts on what that will look like, sound like? Not yet-- a work in progress-- additional thoughts on this welcomed!

Connected Coaches earn certification

Note: Cross posted from Powerful Learning Practice blog.

What happens when a group of passioned Connected Coaches from around the world come together for six weeks to reflect upon and improve their practice?

They become poster children for global collaboration as they dialogue asynchronously and juggle time zones across the U.S., Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong and Australia to collaborate synchronously. They dig even more deeply into the complexity of appreciative inquiry, cognitive coaching, trustbuilding, and protocols to become more accomplished in the craft of coaching. And as they do, they co create:

Coaching Tips and Tricks



  5 Card Flickr Stories about coaching  

 Coaching Metaphors



Brainstorming areas of interest, they self select into 2 groups to conduct mini action research-- one group around a growth mindset and coaching and the other, protocols that support design thinking. In a final celebration webinar, they present their process and all they've learned-- enriching our collective coaching wisdom.

 From the design thinking group



And the group exploring growth mindset and coaching




It was, as Shelley mentioned, "six weeks of extraordinary commitment"!

And with that commitment, that exceptional learning, that action research, Powerful Learning Practice is proud to announce it's first group of certified Connected Coaches, coaches who have adopted the dispositions of and met the standards for a Connected Coach.
Amy Musone
Anne Fox 
Cathy Beach 
David Baker
Dawn Imada Chan 
Fiona Turner 
Jennifer Bloomingdale
Linda Nitsche 
Mark Carbone
Shelley Labiosa 
Viv Hall

Congratulations! We are delighted to acknowledge your certification as PLP Connected Coaches.

Learning Pledges in the Connected Coaching eCourse

Note: Cross Posted from PLPNetwork

Last night's dinner-- an aspargus pasta-- was especially good! The flavor and the texture of each of the ingredients -- asparagus, onions, balsamic vinegar, Asiago cheese and whole grain penne -- coaxed the greatest possible flavor from them to create a memorable experience. It's a recipe that has evolved over the years; it's the tweaking as I sought just the right balsamic vinegar, the perfect time to add the cheese, the best whole grain pasta. While I cleaned up the kitchen and reflected on the meal, the similarities to the Connected Coaching eCourse that I design and facilitate stood out for me.

From it's inception, the "ingredients" of the course have remained constant and they continue to provide the firm foundation for the course  -- the strength based appreciative inquiry framework, the trustbuilding that grounds coaching in online spaces, the taking of time for reflections, the intentional building of relationships  and the focus on growing a community of learners.


And yet like the asparagus pasta, the course has evolved. There are more diverse and purposeful opportunities for reflection enhancing the potential for deepened understandings.

A much more significant tweak followed the search for the perfect flavor for self governed learning  -- the current learning pledge expectation, far more intense and unique,  and based on ideas from Heutagogy (briefly illustrated below) has set the stage for organic, messy, authentic learning. With the diverse group of learners that collaborate in the course, there is the increased likelihood for learning journeys characterized by detours, side trips and loop backs under the umbrella of Connected Coaching.

	TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM	HEUTALOGICAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
LEARNER ROLE	Share information	Learner driven, self directed, self governed
TEACHER ROLE	Presents information	Provides resources
CONTENT	Basic to higher order skill based	Authentic, meaningful, relevant
SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS	Independent learning	Social and collaborative learning
ASSESSMENT	Tests, quizzes	Self-assessment, reflection

Initially called learning contracts, the angst created by that term was too much for some and at the suggestion of a learner, they morphed to learning pledges.  Their shape, their form --different for each learner. And therein lies the beauty-- as the pledge is about what they want to learn, about their goals, about their own self--assessment.

Dawn's table format  best met her needs as she identified 3 areas of focus and essential questions from the course that would guide her learning.

Sara's 5 goals  set a path for her learning beyond the formal eCourse learning time together.

Kathryn added images to communicate more clearly her pledge to learning.

While Susan mapped out her learning through the lens of "know, do, be" and thoughtfully included assessment of, for and as learning.

Fiona also approached her learning pledge through the lens of  "know,do, be"; her's is one of the most dynamic pledges in that she has linked to her reflections and added thoughts as she learned.

Finally, Jennifer's narration addressed 5 questions

With a simple request and no prescribed template-- an open recipe screaming for  learners to tweak their own authentic path for learning-- the pledges, posted publicly in the course space, are rich with creativity, rich with expertise, rich with passion. Learning pledges, one critical ingredient that contributes to the learner centered inquiry environment for learning in the Connected Coaching eCourse.

I hope you will accept this cordial invitation to join the upcoming session and travel your Connected Coaching learning journey with only the best of ingredients.

Powerful reflections--

In week 8 of the Connected Coaching eCourse, I invite co learners to reflect:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnrite/536533294/

This quote on reflective teaching easily transfers to reflective coaching. Think coach or coaching for teach and the word coachee for students.

Reflective Teaching is a habit of mind that requires consciously thinking about how teaching practices impact students’ learning. According to Kennedy (1989) reflective teaching promotes a thoughtful, contextualized view of teaching from which teachers learn how to make choices about educational goals and practices. Just as we hope our students will show growth over time, as teachers we can show growth in our practice if we take the time to reflect.

Professional growth can occur if we first look back on our practice to draw conclusions about events, then change our behaviors as a result of research, knowledge and reflection. Teachers can become empowered decision makers, engaging in systematic reflection of their work by thinking, writing, and talking about their teaching; observing the acts of their own and others teaching and by gauging the impact of their teaching on their students’ learning (Farrell, 2004). http://edge.ascd.org/_The-Art-of-Reflection-What-you-need-to-do-to-improve-your-practice/blog/6094913/127586.html

And I suggest that they be transparent in their reflection.

The reflections of this group of co learners are thoughtful; they are powerful. These folks are on a journey deep into understanding coaching in online spaces and into being one of those coaches. They open a window onto learning and Connected Coaching.

Linda: "As coaches, we speak with a positive intent, believing in the competency, dedication, and capability of those we coach"  Coaching: Ten Essential Ideas | Nitsche Notes

Fiona: "“however when I decided to provide reflections on my colleagues reflections I realised that I was learning more deeply.” Reflecting on Connected Coaching | eLearning Reflections


Matt: "One of the most important concepts I have taken away from this experience is appreciative inquiry. I am constantly revisiting it. My goal is to reflect on my capacity to focus on the positive when working with other learners in online spaces. Reflections from My Connected Coaching eCourse #plpnetwork | Reading by Example

Lauren: "It really is a rare privilege to engage in this type of listening and conversation" Connected Coaches Course #plpnetwork | Innovation ANESU

Cathy: "It seems so obvious to me now that the power and beauty of the connected coaching model lies in “coming alongside” and supporting my colleagues as they explore and lead themselves on a journey which meets their own wants and needs."
Reflections on Learning to be a Connected Coach | Journeys off the Beaten Path

What a privilege to learn with Linda, Fiona, Matt, Lauren and Cathy!