This protocol was adapted from the National School Reform Faculty

You can find a PDF that includes both the Tuning Protocol and the Dilemma Consultancy Protocol here:

Two Protocols We Love at High Tech High Tuning and Dilemma Protocol

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Why we use protocols at High Tech High:

As teachers, our time is extremely precious in a way that “civilians” just don’t understand. Because of that, an unproductive meeting is really, really awful.

Using protocols makes it much more likely that meetings will be productive. So we use them a lot.

 

Norms for all protocols:

These norms are the oil that makes the machinery of the protocol run smoothly.

Share the air (or “step up, step back”)

If you tend to talk a lot,make sure you don’t dominate the conversation, and that everyone has the opportunity to speak. Equally, if you tend not to speak very much, make sure that you are contributing – otherwise nobody will get the benefit of your insights.

Be hard on the content, and soft on the people

Make sure that discussion (especially criticism) is focused on the project, not the person. this distinction needs to be crystal-clear in order to maintain a culture that is both rigorous and collegial.

Be kind, specific, and helpful

• Be kind: Presenting your work to your colleagues puts you in an incredibly vulnerable position. for the critic, on the other hand, it’s easy to get carried away when you’re critiquing work, especially when you feel like you know exactly what a piece of work would benefit from, and inadvertently say very hurtful things. thus, this norm cannot be stressed enough.
• Be specific: Even if you are being kind, you aren’t doing anybody any favors if you are vague.
• Be helpful: Make sure you’re proposing solutions as well as diagnosing problems.

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PROJECT TUNING PROTOCOL (45 minutes)

Goal: to help a teacher refine & develop the design of a project

Adapted from the National School Reform Faculty

Norms:

• Share the air (or “step up, step back”)
• Be hard on the content, and soft on the people
• Be kind, specific, and helpful

Size of Group

One facilitator, one presenter (or more, if the project is a collaboration), and 3–10 other people.

If possible, include students as well as staff in the group. Students tend to make the best suggestions.

What the presenter should bring to the tuning:

Bring your draft project plan, and any prototypes you’ve made and/or models you’ve found that show what kind of product you want students to create.

Think about the “burning question” they would like the group to help them answer. For example…

• “How can I make this project accessible to students who struggle with English?”
• “Who would be an authentic audience for this project?”
• “How can I help groups take control of their own time management?”

Protocol:

Step 1: As everyone arrives, hand out the project plan

The group should either sit in a circle, or around a table.

• Take a moment to remind everyone of the norms.

Step 2: The presenter introduces their project (time: 10 minutes)

The presenter explains  their goals for the project, gives an overview of how it will work and what will be produced, and (if appropriate) explains how the project  fits into the wider context of their class. At the end of the introduction, the presenter gives the tuning group their burning question.

Step 3: Clarifying questions (time: 5 minutes)

These are used to get a clearer understanding of the project. They have short, factual answers.

Examples: ‘How long will the project last?’ ‘How many hours per week will students have to work on it?’ ‘Where will the work be exhibited?’ ‘Who are you planning to invite to the exhibition?’

• If group members slip into asking “probing” questions, nudge them back to “clarifying”.

Step 4: Probing questions (time: 5 minutes)

Probing questions help the presenter to think about their project more deeply and expansively.

Examples: ‘How will students demonstrate their understanding through the final product?’ ‘What will you do if a draft takes longer than you anticipated?’

• Probing questions should not be ‘advice in disguise’ – for example, questions that begin ‘have you thought of trying…’ are not probing questions, and should be held back for the next step.

Step 5: Discussion (time: 15 minutes)

The presenter restates their burning question (the presenter may also wish to reframe their burning question at this point, in light of the clarifying and probing questions).

The presenter then physically leaves the circle, goes off to the side, and listens silently to the discussion.

The discussion should begin with positive feedback about the project.

• it’s a good idea for the facilitator to state this explicitly

After about eight minutes, the facilitator should ask the group whether they feel they’ve answered the presenter’s burning question. This helps keep conversation on track.

Step 6: Presenter’s response (time: 5 minutes)

The presenter may share what struck them most during the discussion, how they now think about their project, and what next steps they plan to take as a result of the ideas that have been generated.

• It is not necessary to respond point by point to what the tuning group has said.

Step 7: Debrief (time: 5 minutes)

This is a time to react on the process of the tuning itself. The facilitator leads it by posing questions to the whole group.

Examples: Did we have a good burning question? Did we stick to the question? When was a moment when the conversation made a turn for the better? Was there any point where we went off track? Did our probing questions really push the thinking of the presenter?

There will be a tendency to veer back into  a discussion of the project you’ve been tuning. Resist this.

Step 8: Closing the loop (time: 5 minutes)

This is a chance to say that one thing you’ve been dying to say during the tuning. Participants share one of their take-aways with a partner or everyone in the group shares one take-away with the rest of the group.

Participants may also share how participating in this tuning session will impact their own practice.

At the end, thank the presenter for sharing their work and their concerns, and thank the tuning group for their questions and advice. a tuning requires effort on everybody’s part, and it’s important to acknowledge this.