2006 a 21st century plc slides
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Presentation given at Loyola Chicago at the request of Lorraine Ozar and the Center for Catholic School Effectiveness.TRANSCRIPT
A 21st Century Learning Community
by Eric E Castro
“We’re a school and we’re a community – so we’re a learning community”
- a high school teacher
“…groups of people engaged in intellectual interaction for the purposes of learning.”
- Patricia Cross
communities of learners “operate with a commitment to the norms of continuous improvement and experimentation and engage their members in improving their daily work to advance the achievement of school district and school goals for student learning.”
- National Staff Development Council
Three Primary Characteristics
1. Shared vision
2. Collaboration
3. Collective responsibility
Strata of Learning Communities
School faculty
Academic departments
Subject levels
Districts and diocese
large
large
large
Formal vs.
informal
Learning Communities
a Case Study
• Five instructors• Weekly meetings
– for a half-hour– with an agenda– with minutes
• and Action Items
• Discuss– overarching questions– enduring
understandings
• Review curriculum• Plan assessments• Discuss instruction
Creating this Learning Community
• Grant to redesign curriculum– “Understanding by Design” model
• Personnel changes– Me plus one
• instituted weekly meetings
– Us two plus one– We three plus two
Maintaining the Learning Community
• Compatible personalities
• Socialization
• Shared Mission and vision
• Trust and respect
• Sense of responsibility
• Ongoing professional development
“People
Capacities”
- Shirley Hord
Maintaining the Learning Community
• “Physical Conditions”– Space
• near materials?
– Time “Without time, the work of collaboration doesn’t get done … or doesn’t get done well.”
Important Components
• Compatible personalities• Socialization• Shared Mission and vision• Trust and respect• Sense of responsibility• Ongoing professional development• Space• Time
What would you add
to improve this
learning community?
Benefits
1. Better teaching
2. Deeper andmore meaningfullearning
3. High morale
Conclusion
The three most necessary components of a professional learning community are:
1.Teachers pursuing a shared vision of enduring outcomes
2.Teachers collaborating on the learning activities and assessments, and
3.Teachers taking collective responsibility for student learning.
References
Cross, K. P. (1998).Why Learning Communities? Why Now? About Campus. 3, 4-11.
National Staff Development Council, (2006). Standards - Learning communities. Retrieved October 31, 2006, from NSDC.org Web site: http://www.nsdc.org/standards/learningcommunities.cfm
Hord, S. "Professional Learning Communities: What Are They and Why Are They Important?" Issues ... about Change 6.11997 1 Nov 2006 <http://www.sedl.org/change/issues/issues61.html>.
Eric E CastroSaint Ignatius College PreparatorySan Francisco, [email protected]
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