The Learning Community

MELS 601Ch. 2

The Learning Community

Community celebrates the dignity and worth of self and others, fosters the empowerment of both and encourages and supports the maximum development of human potential for the benefit of the common good.

Norris, et. al.

What is a PLC?

Resources II\Professional Learning Communities-- A Fable.mp4

Is a PLC a group or a team? What is the difference?▪ Resources II\Solution Tree Rick DuFour on Gro

ups vs. Teams.mp4

The Learning Community

“Development cannot be considered without first addressing the concept of empowerment, which means “to enable.”

Is this a true statement?

What strategies have successful leaders you have worked for used to empower their staff?

Sociological and Psychological Nature of GroupsReciprocity

Groups are able to reciprocate or give back to each other, leading to productive ways of influencing each member

Cohort Model Cohorts that operate as true groups are

characterized by four important qualities:

Cohort Models

Interaction Members’ interaction is enhanced through frequent opportunities for group members

to come together.

Purpose A common purpose unites the group in a meaningful way and creates a common

community.

Interdependence Group members work together to achieve something they all value, each member

brings a different skill and/or mindset to the cohort

Individual Growth Individuals grow in a climate of support and security in a true community. The

exchange of ideas fosters a dialogue that challenges this growth and provides a sustaining force for the individual’s development.

Do you experience this type of model at your school site? What can a leader do to assist members of the school staff to get to this

point?

What is a Community?

According to the text, regardless of its label… Setting Cohort Team

There is imbedded in the definition the idea of collective purpose…

Communities have Two Dimensions…

Sociological Concerned with the nature of the group

Psychological Concerned with the nature of the

individual within the group

Senge: Five Disciplines of a Learning Community

Systems Thinking

Personal Mastery

Team Learning

Mental Models

Shared Vision

Systems Thinking

Each place is a community of its own and has within it many other communities. My Place and Your Place are unique communities joined together by a common purpose…learning. Through comparative learning, we begin to shape Our Place.

Personal Mastery

The individual is important in each learning community. Individuals impact My Place, Your Place, and Our Place and are, in turn, impacted. In this collaborative experience, the individual is an important key to the success of each community.

Team Learning

As individuals exchange ideas, powerful learning experiences are created. Bridges are built between the various communities…

My Place and Your Place are the first step to becoming Our Place.

Challenging Mental Models

Through discussion and dialogue, individuals discover realities they had not previously encountered. Individuals learn to appreciate others’ viewpoints and pause to question their own assumptions. Through questioning, new possibilities are considered…new realities are created.

Shared Mission, Vision and Values

These are developed from the culture that exists within each school (place). The school’s culture is formed from the history, traditions, and celebrations that make each school unique.

Instructional Leadership

Page 28 of the text discusses Instructional Leadership How can the principal of the school truly

be an effective instructional leader?

Page 29 & 30 discusses goal setting. What strategies will you/do you employ

as a leader to insure consistency in the decision making process at your school?