RSA1: Professional Learning Communities: A Bandwagon, an Idea Worth Considering, or Our Best Hope for High Levels of Learning?

Module 2 Blog #1

http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ775771.pdf

A professional learning community’s major goal is student learning.  Throughout Module 2 and its readings we learn about a number of different things related to PLCs and their formation. Chapter three asks the questions what do we want our students to learn, and how will we know what they have learned it (Dufour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2010).  These are two questions that need to be asked when developing a PLC and relate directly to formative assessment.  Our readings also discuss what resources are needed.  This does not mean what books we need its asking what do teachers need to make their PLC worthwhile and beneficial for their students.  How do you find the space and work the time into already busy schedules?  How do you share all of your great student work, assignments, tests, and best practices?  Depending on the group and depending on their needs will determine the tools and resources used to do just this.  This is where our technology can be a huge help.  People who can not meet face to face weekly could have a virtual online space to share and chat when they have individual time because sometimes let’s face it, finding group time when everyone is available is much more difficult.  The chapters also talk about setting goals to accomplish along the way.  Personally, I feel this is hugely important to the success of a PLC.  A lot of the time this isn’t a focus and therefore the group looses focus along the way.  Lastly, if I had to pick one key word from the readings it would be collaboration.  PLCs should be promoting collaboration amongst one another throughout the process, which will tie into all the steps along the way.  Teachers need to shift from an I/me perspective to an us/we perspective.  Find common ground.

I knew what online article I wanted to read as soon as I saw the title “Professional Learning Communities: A bandwagon, an Idea Worth Considering, or Our Best Hope for High Levels of Learning.”  At both my school’s I’ve taught at I’ve been part of PLCs; one titled a PLC one not.  My first school where I was part of a “PLC” before being introduced to anything or being part of it an older woman in my department said “Oh great, another thing we did 30 years ago that we now have to do all over again.  You can paint a zebra orange but he’s still a zebra.”  I found it very interesting that she felt most all things in teaching/learning came full circle that just changed a title and called it something new.  Because of this discussion I have been intrigued ever since about whether there was substance to this concept or was it just a bunch of recycled fluff.  What is a PLC?  This article gets right to it.  Ironically enough my peer-reviewed article is none other than Richard DuFour.  My online resource talks about a lot of the confusion that is out there surrounding PLCs.  Developing that even further the article talks about what people do, think they should be doing, and what it is they actually should be doing.  It talks about how people “did not focus much on practices; instead the focused on terminology, structures, and perceptions.” (DuFour, 2007)

The chapters talk about the practices and the article talks about the need to focus on the practices but a lot of people get caught up in the technical jargon.  Teachers were calling themselves part of a PLC without focusing on the important things like assessment criteria and collaboration.  The chapters acknowledge these as important as does the article.  The article also talks about how PLCs sometimes fail because there is not enough time that is a concern also brought up in the textbook.  “One of our most consistent findings and understandings about the change process in education that all successful schools experience ‘implementation dips’… a dip in performance and confidence as one encounters an innovation that requires new skills and understanding (Fullan, 2007).  I think the article has a strong similarity to the books feelings however its looking at an example of when elements of a PLC are not present and points out what should happens. 

References

DuFour, R. (2007). Professional Learning Communities: A Bandwagon, an Idea Worth Considering, or Our Best Hope for High Levels of Learning? Middle School Journal, 39(1), 4–8.

Dufour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2010). Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Communities at Work (2nd ed.). Solution Tree.

Fullan, M. (2007). Leading in a Culture of Change (Revised.). Jossey-Bass.