professional learning communities an educational model built on collaboration

Professional Learning Communities

An Educational Model

Built on Collaboration

Activity 1:

On the next slide, you will see a series of 21 letters. You will have 30 seconds to memorize as many of them as possible.

When the 30 seconds is up, the diagram will disappear and you must write as many letters as you can in their proper location on your paper.

What is a Team?

J

D XB M T

R V C N Z A L Y Q

H S E K U F

Activity 2-

Now get together with 2 other people and compile all of the letters that you got correct. See how many letters you placed correctly collectively.

What is a Team?

Activity 3-

Now, between 3 or 4 of you, take 2 minutes to make a plan how you would approach this task together. Come up with a plan how the 3 members could memorize the 21 letters given another 30 seconds.

You will now have 30 seconds to look at a new diagram and together, record as many letters as possible.

What is a Team?

M

G XB J V

L T A N Y C R Z F

H K D S U Q

Discuss with your partners under which circumstances you were acting as a(n):

IndividualTeamGroup

Which method was most effective?

What is a Team?

Whose methods were the best?

How did they do it?

Could someone else’s strategy be combined with it to make it even better?

Sharing strategies school-wide and working together to use each other’s strengths to create a product that is better than any team could have created alone now makes you a . . .

COMMUNITY!

What is a Team Community?

Step 1- Take 1 minute to write on each card a classroom-level barrier that keeps students from achieving their potential. Don’t list outside influences that we have no control over like “Class size is too big” or “Not enough money.”

Step 2- In a group of 3 or 4, combine your items into one stack, eliminating repeats and similar items.

Step 3- Separate the stack into two piles:1) Issues that collaboration can solve2) Issues that collaboration cannot solve

Bring them to the front and stick them on the two tables.

The Power of Collaboration

• Shared mission, vision, values, and goals• Collective inquiry• Collaborative teams centered around data• Action orientation and focus on learning• Continuous improvement• Results orientation

PLC Characteristics

• Shared mission, vision, values, and goals• Collective inquiry• Collaborative teams centered around data• Action orientation and focus on learning• Continuous improvement• Results orientation

Break up into 6 groups and on a chart paper, describe what your assigned characteristic would look like in a PLC school that had mastered this characteristic. Be prepared to share with the rest of the group.

PLC Characteristics

• Shared mission, vision, values, and goals

• Collective inquiry• Collaborative teams centered around data• Action orientation and focus on learning• Continuous improvement• Results orientation

PLC Characteristics

Group 1 share out

The Four Pillars of a PLC

- Mission

- Vision

- Values

- Goals


- Mission- Vision

- Values

- Goals

Pillar # 1: MISSIONmis sion [mish-uhn] – noun

“The fundamental

purpose

of an organization.”

MISSIONThe mission of an organization is

found by answering the question:

“Why do we exist?”

[because] we choose to accept it …”

Learning!

“Our mission …

MISSIONFundamental Questions to Answer

1. What is it we expect all students to learn?

2. How will we know when they have learned it?

3. How will we respond when they don’t learn?

4. How will we respond when they already know it?

Pillar # 1: MISSION

Clarifies Priorities

and

Sharpens Focus

Real Mission Statements

Through the cooperative effort of parents, community, and staff, ___ School is committed to challenging students to strive for continued personal growth and academic achievement in a caring supportive environment where cultural and intellectual diversities are enhanced and independent thinking is emphasized through a quality academic and vocational program.

Weak Words and Loophole Words

Through the cooperative effort of parents, community, and staff, ___ School is committed to challenging students to strive for continued personal growth and academic achievement in a caring supportive environment where cultural and intellectual diversities are enhanced and independent thinking is emphasized through a quality academic and vocational program.

Real Mission Statement 2

The mission of the ____ School community is to ensure that students attain academic excellence, lead productive lives and value diversity. We will set measurable goals, provide the means to reach the goals, monitor progress and design interventions to meet the changing needs of students. We will instill in our students pride in our school community while encouraging growth through enriching educational and cultural experiences.

Analyze the Mission Statement


- Mission

- Vision- Values

- Goals

Pillar # 2: VISIONvi sion [vizh-uhn] – noun

“A realistic, credible, attractive

future

for an organization.”

VISIONThe vision of an organization is


“What do we hope to become at some point in the future?”

VISIONFundamental Questions to Answer

1. “What are the essentials for our students?”

2. “If we did an excellent job with the

essentials, what would that look like?”

Pillar #2: VISION

Establishes

Direction


- Mission

- Vision

- Values- Goals

Pillar # 3: VALUESval ues [val-yoos] – noun

“The specific

attitudes, behaviors, and commitments that must be demonstrated in order to

advance the organization’s vision.”

VALUES

The values of an organization are


“How must we behave to create the school that will achieve our purpose?”

Professional Learning Community

VALUE Statements

Represent a Fundamental Shift

- from belief to behavior

- from thinking to doing

- from “we believe” to “we will”

Pillar #3: VALUES

Guide

Behavior


- Mission

- Vision

- Values

- Goals

Pillar # 4: GOALSgoals [gols] – noun

“Measurable

milestones

that can be used to assess progress in advancing toward a vision.”

GOALS

The goals of an organization are


“What results do we seek and how will we know we are making progress?”

• Provide short-term priorities and steps to take to achieve the “benchmarks” of student achievement

• Foster both the results orientation of the PLC and the individual and collective accountability for achieving the results

• Are essential to the collaborative team process

Professional Learning Community GOALS

• Helps sustain momentum toward the

Mission• Allows for celebration of small

Successes• Creates an atmosphere of

Teamwork

Meeting Short-Term GOALS

Pillar #4: GOALS

Establish

Priorities

Which Goal(s) Focus on Learning?

A. We will use 3 SDAIE strategies before our next meeting.

B. We will reteach standard 2 Thursday and Friday after school in room 201.

C. We will do a “balancing equations” intervention and retest, shooting for 80% proficiency.

The Four Pillars of a PLC- Review -

Mission: Clarifies Priorities/Sharpens Focus

Vision: Gives Direction

Values: Guide Behavior

Goals: Establish Priorities

• Shared mission, vision, values, and goals

• Collective inquiry• Collaborative teams centered around data• Action orientation and focus on learning• Continuous improvement• Results orientation

PLC Characteristics

Group 2 share out

PLC’s Require

COLLECTIVE INQUIRY

When engaged in a process of

collective inquiry we are asked to:

- question the status quo

- seek new methods

- test those methods

- reflect on the results

When engaged in PLC

COLLECTIVE INQUIRY

“The process of

searching for the answers

is more important than having an answer.”

• Shared mission, vision, values, and goals• Collective inquiry

• Collaborative teams centered around data

• Action orientation and experimentation• Continuous improvement• Results orientation

PLC Characteristics

Group 3 share out

PLC’s Require

COLLABORATIVE TEAMS

col lab o ra tion [kuh-lab-uh-rey-shuh n] – noun

“A systematic process in which we work together interdependently to analyze and impact professional practice in order to improve our individual and collective results.”

Four PLC Assumptions about Collaboration

1. If schools are to improve, staff must

develop the capacity to function as professional learning communities.

2. If schools are to function as professional learning communities, they must develop

a collaborative culture focused on data related to student learning.

Four PLC Assumptions about Collaboration

3. If schools are to develop a collaborative

culture, they must overcome traditional teacher isolation.

4. If schools are to overcome their tradition of teacher isolation, teachers must learn to work in effective, high performing teams.

Brainstorming

It has been said by a wise man that “The hardest part about PLCs are the people.” (Horton, 2010)

What is your school presently doing to help teachers to function in high-performing teams?

Brainstorming

In a PLC school with high performing teams …

• Collaboration is embedded into every aspect of the school culture

• Time for collaboration is built into the school calendar

• Products of collaboration are made explicit


• Facilitation skills, protocols, and student work guide collaboration

• Interventions are automatic, mandatory, and within the school day (afternoon discussion)


• Are guided by . . .


• Are guided by . . .

Norms !-)


• Teams pursue specific and measurable performance goals:

Strategic & Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Results-orientedTime bound


• Teams have access to relevant

information • However, they must be careful of the DRIP

syndrome …

Data Rich, Information Poor

The Heart of the


The TEAM LEARNING PROCESS • Clarify 8 – 10 essential outcomes per semester

by course or grade level

• Develop at least 4 Common Assessments

• Establish specific targets/benchmarks

The Heart of the


The TEAM LEARNING PROCESS

4. Administer assessments at common times

5. Analyze results from assessments

6. Identify and implement improvement strategies

Professional Learning Community Characteristics

• Shared mission, vision, values, and goals• Collective inquiry• Collaborative teams• Action orientation and

experimentation• Continuous improvement• Results orientation

Group 4 share out

PLC’s Require

ACTION ORIENTATION & EXPERIMENTATION

• “Research based DOING”

• Developing and testing hypotheses

• Developing, testing, evaluating theories

PLC’s RequireACTION ORIENTATION & EXPERIMENTATION

• Having tolerance for results that aren’t anticipated

• Seeing “failed experiments” as an opportunity to learn more and begin again


• Shared mission, vision, values, and goals• Collective inquiry• Collaborative teams• Action orientation and experimentation

• Continuous improvement• Results orientation

Group 5 share out

PLC’s are Focused on CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Each member of the organization (school) is engaged in

considering key questions:

• What is our fundamental purpose?• What do we hope to achieve?• What are our strategies for becoming better?• What criteria will we use to assess our

improvement efforts?

In a PLC school aimed at CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

All members of the


know and understand that the

Mission and Vision are ideals to be worked toward in the long run.


• Shared mission, vision, values, and goals• Collective inquiry• Collaborative teams• Action orientation and experimentation• Continuous improvement

• Results orientation

Group 6 share out

PLC’s Have a RESULTS ORIENTATION

Outcomes (not intentions)

are the measure of success.

“Hope” is not a strategy.


• Shared mission, vision, values, and goals• Collective inquiry• Collaborative teams• Action orientation and experimentation• Continuous improvement• Results orientation

Professional Learning Community Taking ACTION

“Perhaps the greatest insight we have gained in our work with school districts across the continent is that schools that take the plunge and actually begin doing the work of a PLC develop their capacity to help students learn at high levels far more effectively than schools that spend years preparing to become PLCs through reading or even training.”

- Richard DuFour, et. al.

Learning by Doing

Student-Based Protocol Video

As you watch this video, consider the following:• Did this protocol help the meeting flow?• Did the protocol have any negative

consequences?• Did the group norms affect how they

interact with each other?

professional learning communities an educational model built on collaboration

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