RSA1: Learning Communities: The Starting Point for Professional Learning is in Schools and Classrooms

RSA1: Learning Communities: The Starting Point for Professional Learning is in Schools and Classrooms

http://www.learningforward.org/news/articleDetails.cfm?articleID=2311

Professional learning communities (PLC) are becoming part of every school’s community. Each school has their own version of the PLC but there are many common themes within them. PLC’s are meant to be collaboration of teachers to improve student learning but also as a means of sharing information between colleagues. PLC groups should have a shared focus and should be working towards a common goal.

In the article written by Lieberman and Miller, they state that learning communities are “ongoing groups who meet regularly for the purposes of increasing their own learning and that of their students.” In their article, they mention five different studies that were done on learning communities. One of the studies that were mentioned brought an English department and a history department together and had them form a learning community. The group started very far apart and by the end of the study the departments were working together and made connections. This study is interesting because currently in our school the majority of our PLCs are all grouped by department and specifically by the curricular area those teachers teach in. It could be a really interesting experiment to see what would happen if two departmental PLCs joined together and worked toward a common cross-curricular goal. The PLC would probably experience the struggles that were mentioned in the study above but some really productive work could come out of it.

The readings from our textbook and this article had some similarities and common themes including collaboration, common goals, routines and vision. Both the article and the textbook agree that in order for teachers to collaborate effectively they need to have a clear purpose and a systematic process for each meeting. (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker & Many 120 & Lieberman and Miller 19) Both also suggest that each PLC should be focusing on an aspect of student learning and achievement. The textbook and article mention many challenges when conducting a PLC but one of the most interesting was that “most learning communities embrace a set of norms and rules that are in direct conflict with the schools.” (Lierberman and Miller 19) They mention they are in conflict because of the schools bureaucratic model. This can present a great struggle when trying to run a honest PLC.

References:

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T. (2010). Learning by Doing: A Handbook for

       Professional Learning Communities at Work (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Lieberman, A., & Miller, L. (2011). Learning Communities: The Starting Point for Professional Learning Is in Schools and Classrooms. Journal Of Staff Development, 32(4), 16-20.