In this chapter, Tate discusses three related concepts, but does not explain the differences between them or how they relate to one another. She starts with examples of reciprocal teaching to illustrate the idea that we retain most of the material we are able to teach. Pairing learners up to teach each other is one strategy for this method. Tate discusses some peer coaching in the strategies section, but I know coaching/mentoring is a complex area of study. Regarding cooperative learning, I rely on the Johnson, Johnson and Smith’s “The State of Cooperative Learning in Postsecondary and Professional Settings” (2007), which emphasizes the method’s relationship to theory, research and practice.
Application: In most of the Innovate Extension events across the country, participants are part of a team and that team is provided a coach. I have served as a peer coach at two of these events. Because the events last only one day, coaches cannot meet all the roles suggested by Killion (2009). They instead focus on the role of “catalyst for change.” Innovate Extension coaches are often Extension professionals from outside the state where the event is taking place or community members from outside Extension who have a reputation for being innovators. Their primary job is to help stop the team from falling into thinking as usual. The goal of these events is to give Extension professional tools they can use to prompt innovative thinking, so it is important for coaches to guide teams to using those tools when they get stuck.
Assessment: Three-Minute Presentation
The assessment for the Innovate Extension events is a variation on the three-minute thesis. Innovation teams have three minutes to present the innovative idea they had worked on at the workshop. Their peers are able to provide feedback on the presentations through an online form
References
Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T. & Smith, K. The State of Cooperative Learning in Postsecondary and Professional Settings. Educational Psychology Review, March 2001, Vol. 19, Issue 1. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-006-9038-8
Killion, J. (2009). Coaches’ roles, responsibilities, and reach. In J. Knight, Coaching approaches and perspectives (pp. 7-28). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Tate, M. L. (2012). “Sit and Get” won’t grow dendrites: 20 professional learning strategies that engage the adult brain. (2nd Ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.