How Much Time Is Needed?
Approximately 30 – 60 minutes.
How The Activity Works
- Divide the Planning Team into 5 small groups.
- Each group will receive copies of one of the following articles: Research Summary on High Performing Districts, The eight-stage planning process for District and Schools, Critical Success Factors for School Leaders, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, 21st Century Learning Skills.
- Each group is given instructions for First Turn/Last Turn activity and completes the activity.
- Groups are rearranged. At least one person from each of the first groups is in the second group. Each member shares highlights from their first discussion with the second group.
Explaining The Activity
First Turn/Last Turn
From Data-Driven Dialogue: A Facilitator’s Guide to Collaborative Inquiry by Bruce Wellman and Laura Lipton Page 138
- Read individually. Highlight 2-3 items.
- In turn – share one of your items – but do not comment on it.
- Group members comment – in round-robin fashion*- about the item (without cross-talk).
- The initial person who named the item then shares his or her thinking about the item and takes the last turn, making the final comments.
- Repeat the pattern around the table.
*Round-robin is a highly structured participation strategy. Group members speak in turns, moving around the table in one direction.