on-site professional learning communities: one center’s experience with site-directed learning
TRANSCRIPT
On-site professional learning communities:
One center’s experiencewith site-directed learning
Our setting
Winnemucca Adult Learning Center
o Small, rural site, 113 studentso Seven part-time staff memberso 200-plus miles for professional
developmento Limited time for improvements
Where we are
Winnemucca, Nevada
Our students and staff
Our problem:
How can we: Make professional development
relevant to OUR needs? Find time for improvements? Do this without burdening staff?
Our answer: learning communities
Combine study with action… Focus on our specific needs Spend extended time on topic Collaborative Credits earned decided by each
instructor
Our format
Meet monthly Examine research Share lesson plans Support each other Develop improvements
Our topics…first semester
Nevada Content Standards…
How can we: Become familiar with standards? Use our new textbooks? Include standards in lesson plans?
What we did:
Studied the standards Created monthly lesson plans Shared experiences with peers Made it a habit Built in social time
Our topics…current semester
Student goal-setting, achievement:
o Integrate goal work into classroomo Encourage student ownership of
goal process
Student goals
What we’re doing now…
Reading what research says Assessing our current program Creating monthly questions Creating lesson plans to try-- then
share
Student goals
Learning communities are: Site specific Flexible Staff-friendly Practical
Conclusion
Site specific
Focus on Winnemucca Use materials we already have Solutions work with OUR students
Flexible
Respond quickly to changes. Snowstorm stopped technology LC Goal-setting quickly took its place!
Staff-friendly
Puts teachers in the driver’s seat Topics generated by instructorso Builds in time for study, reflection Gives “excuse” to get together
Challenging
Deeper learning over period of time Instructors as collaborators Active process “feels” like more
work Actually, time spent is same
Who benefits?