The purpose of the Learning Plan page is to synthesize the outcomes for each phase of inquiry from a school perspective.  The following criteria for each phase have been provided below to guide teh description of hte work in each phase at our school.

Scanning

• Scanning invloves:
  

• A wide perspective on learning, informed by learning principles (OECD)
  
• Finding out what learners think and feel about their learning and
  
• What their families and communities perceive about their learning
  

• Scanning is NOT:
  

• Seeking evidence to reinforce the status quo
  
• Only looking at aspects of academic learning that are easily mesaured
  
• Exclusively what the professionals think
  

Focusing

• Focusing involves:
  

• Using information from the scan to identify an area for concentrated team learning
  
• Gathering more information if you need it to understand the situation
  
• Building on strengths or positives, as well as clarifying challenges
  
• Identifying a common area that the team can work on together
  

• Focusing is NOT:
  

• The time to introduce completely new areas disconnected from the scanning process
  
• About assuming you have it all figured out and don't need to investigate any further
  
• Just about problems or challenges
  
• About everyone choosing his/her own area of interest
  

Developing a Hunch

• Developing a hunch involves:
  

• Getting deeply held beliefs and assumptions out on the table about your own practices
  
• Focusing on things your team can do something about
  
• Checking your assumptions for accuracy before moving ahead
  

• Developing a hunch is NOT:
  

• A general brainstorm of all possibilities
  
• Being obsessed with the actions of others or with issues over which you have limited influence 
  
• Venting about the past, fuming about the present, or finding someone to blame
  

Learning

• New Learning is:

• Tailored to the situation
  
• Directly linked to the focus identified earlier in the spiral
  
• Exploratory—testing how new approaches could be better than previous practices
  
• Sustained and supported over time
  

• New Learning is NOT:
  

• Pursuing the latest trends 
  
• Disconnected from the context
  
• Uncritically adopting new ways without understanding the purpose
  
• A short-term or quick fix
  

Taking Action

• Taking action involves:

• Learning more deeply about new ways of doing things and then trying them out
  
• Evaluating the impact on learners and seeking their feedback
  
• Building trust and cultivating a growth mindset
  

• Taking action is NOT:
  

• Trying something new without considering its value and relevance in your situation
  
• Implementing without monitoring the effects on learners
  
• Assuming everyone feels OK about the change
  

Checking

• Checking involves:
  

• Knowing what you want to accomplish for your learners and having specific ways to determine how you are doing—early in the inquiry process
  
• Setting high expectations that your actions will make a substantial difference for ALL learners
  
• Setting the stage for what comes next
  

• Checking is NOT:
  

• A routine to follow at the end
  
• Seeking some difference for some learners
  
• Judging the capacity of learners to succeed
  
• Justifying your actions