Why professional learning communities

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Why professional learning communities?
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Using PLCs Outcomes for Teachers
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COLLABORATION

• a collection of superstar teachers working in
  isolation cannot produce the same results as
  interdependent colleagues who share and develop
  professional practices together.

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learning and change is intensely
interpersonal.(People getting smart together)

• Collaboration
• Sharing expertise and perspectives on teaching
  and learning
• Examining data about students
• Shared responsibility and mutual support for
  effective instruction

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There is no such thing as group behavior. All
group behavior results from the decisions and
actions of individuals.
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The most important learning occurs through
relationships in community
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• Teachers need instruction in building a
  professional community to replace the isolation
  that has been the norm for most teachers.
• Ann Healy-Raymond, Professional Development
  Specialist

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it is dangerous and often counterproductive to
put adults in a room without frameworks and tools
for skilled interaction.The Adaptive School
Garmston Wellman
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• Communication leads to community, that is to
• understanding, intimacy and mutual
  valuing.
• Rollo May in Leading Every Day

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Any group that is too busy to reflect on its
work is too busy to improve.

• Two Important Things
• That we talk professionals who are charged with
  preparing students to be successful collaborative
  citizens should themselves use the rich resources
  offered by true collegiality.
• How we talk it influences the personal and
  collective satisfaction that motivates us to
  effectively talk together in our schools.

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Resources

• http//www.adaptiveschools.com/asbooks.htm
• Adaptive Schools Books  The Adaptive School A
  Sourcebook for Developing Collaborative Groups by
  Robert Garmston and Bruce Wellman. Christopher
  Gordon Publisher, Norwood, MA. Telephone 800-
  934-8322. The Adaptive School Developing and
  Facilitating Collaborative Groups Syllabus by
  Robert Garmston and Bruce Wellman. Christopher
  Gordon Publisher, Norwood, MA. Telephone 800-
  934-8322.The Presenters Fieldbook A Practical
  Guide by Robert Garmston. Christopher Gordon
  Publisher. Norwood, MA. Telephone 800-
  934-8322. 
• Collins, Jannette. (2004). Education Techniques
  for Lifelong Learning Principles of Adult
  Learning. Available at
• http//radiographics.rsnajnls.org/cgi/content/full
  /24/5/1483
• Garmston, Robert J., and Bruce M. Wellman.
  (1992). How to make Presentations that Teach and
  Transform. Alexandria, Virginia Association for
  Supervision and Curriculum Development.
• Goodlad, John. Principles of Adult Learning.
  Available at
• http//www.teachermentors.com/RSOD20Site/StaffDev
  /adultLrng.HTML

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4 May LCF DATA (N 61 Teachers overall) Using the
scale below (1 no connection, 4 strong
connection) describe the strength of the
professional connections you made as a
consequence of the LCFs and the DAP planning
sessions at the LCFs.