Professional Learning Community at Work

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Professional Learning Community at Work
Advances in Learning, Teaching and Technology

• Delwyn L. Harnisch
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

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The Need for Quality Education

• Changing global economy
• Scarce resources for education
• Changing global workforce
• New technologies needed for increased
  productivity
• Employees need new skills to advance or maintain
  their current position
• Training needs to be done more efficiently and
  faster
• Real world connections to learning are essential
• Increased reliance on technology tools for
  collaboration
• CNN images of real-time conditions
• Cell phones, iPhones
• Computers, Web 2.0 tools for collaboration
• iPods

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Good Collaboration Tools

• Promote communication (Skype)
• Share a diagram, photograph, paper, or similar
  objects (Powerpoints, Picasa)
• Allow natural interactions (Facebook)
• Document construction (Google Docs)
• Geographic richness (Google Earth, Wikimapia)
• Be easy to use and learn

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Implications for Educators

• Training in technology needed for children
• Student-centered learning environment is
  essential
• Course design is based on instructional and
  motivational factors that support
  student-centered learning
• Technology used provides support for a
  student-centered learning community
• Assessment provides data on student outcomes and
  the role the technology delivery system played in
  student learning.

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Instructional and Motivational Factors
Meaningful and Relevant
Student Centered Learning Environment
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Instructional and Motivational Factors
Meaningful and Relevant
Challenges and Standards
Student Centered Learning Environment
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Instructional and Motivational Factors
Meaningful and Relevant
Challenges and Standards
Student Centered Learning Environment
Critical Thinking and Learning Skills
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Instructional and Motivational Factors
Meaningful and Relevant
Challenges and Standards
Student Centered Learning Environment
Critical Thinking and Learning Skills
Climate and Context
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Instructional and Motivational Factors
Meaningful and Relevant
Challenges and Standards
Student Centered Learning Environment
Critical Thinking and Learning Skills
Climate and Context
Choice and Control
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Instructional and Motivational Factors
Meaningful and Relevant
Challenges and Standards
Student Centered Learning Environment
Critical Thinking and Learning Skills
Climate and Context
Interests and Creativity
Choice and Control
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Instructional and Motivational Factors
Meaningful and Relevant
Challenges and Standards
Student Centered Learning Environment
Critical Thinking and Learning Skills
Adapt to Individual Differences
Climate and Context
Interests and Creativity
Choice and Control
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Instructional and Motivational Factors for
Student-Centered Learning environment
Meaningful and Relevant
Social Interactions And Personal Relationships
Challenges and Standards
Student Centered Learning Environment
Critical Thinking and Learning Skills
Adapt to Individual Differences
Climate and Context
Interests and Creativity
Choice and Control
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Technology Supported Instruction
Real World Context
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Technology Supported Instruction
Bookmarks for News Events http//www.ianr.unl.ed
u/kendrick/jgk.htm
Real World Context
Connections to Outside Experts
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Technology Supported Instruction
Wild Ride http//www.intel.com/education/
Real World Context
Connections to Outside Experts
Visualization and Analysis Tools
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Technology Supported Instruction
Online Resources
Real World Context
Connections to Outside Experts
Visualization and Analysis Tools
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Technology Supported Instruction
Real World Context
Scaffolds for Problem Solving
Connections to Outside Experts
Visualization and Analysis Tools
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Technology Supported Instruction
Real World Context
Opportunities for Feedback, Reflection And
Revision
Scaffolds for Problem Solving
Connections to Outside Experts
Visualization and Analysis Tools
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Characteristics of a Learning Community
Shared Interest
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Characteristics of a Learning Community
Shared Interest
Shared Respect
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Characteristics of a Learning Community
Shared Interest
Shared Respect
Range of Skills
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Characteristics of a Learning Community
Shared Interest
Shared Respect
Range of Skills
Teamwork
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Characteristics of a Learning Community
Shared Interest
Shared Respect
Tools for Sharing Multiple Perspectives
Range of Skills
Teamwork
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Characteristics of a Learning Community
Shared Interest
Goal Knowledge Production
Shared Respect
Tools for Sharing Multiple Perspectives
Range of Skills
Teamwork
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Professional Learning Communities(PLC)

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Focus with Purpose on Learning

• We will be a school with an unrelenting focus on
  learning. All students are expected to succeed
  failure is not an option
• Ultimately, it will be the responsibility of the
  student and his/her parents to take advantage of
  the support available.

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Motivators of PLC Efforts

• We accept learning as the fundamental purpose of
  our school and therefore are willing to examine
  all practices in light of their impact on
  learning.
• We are committed to working together to achieve
  our collective purpose. We cultivate a
  collaborative culture through development of high
  performing teams.
• We assess our effectiveness on the basis of
  results rather than intentions.

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Prerequisites for Advancing on the PLC Continuum

• The schools that develop as PLCs are those who
  take action. The best way to develop capacity to
  function as a PLC is to engage in PLC practices.

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Purposeful Steps in Becoming PLC

• Clarify the essential knowledge and skills each
  student will acquire as a result of each unit of
  instruction, grade level, and/or course.
• Implement systems to monitor each students
  mastery of essential learning on a timely basis.
• Implement systems to ensure that students who are
  not learning are provided additional time and
  support during the school day.
• Organize the staff into collaborative teams and
  provide them with time to meet during the school
  day.

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Purposeful Steps in Becoming PLC

• Insist each team demonstrates it focus on the
  critical questions by requiring every team to
  develop the products associated with those
  questions.
• Insist each team identifies and pursues a SMART
  Goal that can only be achieved if members of the
  team working together interdependently.
• Implement a systematic process to ensure that
  each team develops common assessments.

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Purposeful Steps in Becoming PLC

• Implement a process to ensure that each teacher
  is provided with information on the success of
  his or her students in achieving the essential
  outcomes, as measured by common assessments, in
  comparison to other students.
• Give every teacher the benefit of the support of
  colleagues in assessing student learning and
  developing strategies to improve upon the
  results.
• Implement strategies to celebrate the work of
  teams and progress of your school

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Its time for a new conception of the school
principal, one based on a skilled passionate,
moral commitment to students and teachers
learning- and to the leaders own learning
(Barth)
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International Context
Japan
Singapore
The Netherlands
Ukraine
RUSSIA
South Africa
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and the ultimate Learning Community
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Leadership Team Qualities

• Choicepeople who want to be there, to have
  appropriate responsibilities, be involved in
  discussions about strategies and be listened to.
• Competencepeople who have the skills to do the
  work that is expected of them.
• Purposepeople who understand the importance of
  their role in the enterprise.
• Recognitionpeople who are given feedback
  (continuous), have their work recognized and
  celebrated.
• Comfortpeople who enjoy the task and look
  forward to continuing engagement with colleagues.
  
• Progresspeople who know that progress is being
  made (small goals met) against an agreed upon
  schedule and process.
• Enthusiasmpeople who are able to communicate
  their enthusiasm and vision for the work that is
  being done beyond the team.

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Essentials Steps for Quality Higher Education
Classes

• Faculty prepared to teach higher education
  classes
• Learning is student-centered
• The technology fits the content
• Students must be informed how to succeed
• Close personal interaction
• Variety of appropriate technology tools
• Appropriate assessment methods

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Our Task as Educators

• Rethink the concept of school
• Add learner-centered collaborative activities
• Technology supported inquiry-based learning

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Professional Learning Community at Work
Advances in Learning, Teaching and Technology

• Delwyn L. Harnisch