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Jackie Russell's Portfolio Page

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(Redirected from ETAP 623 Spring 2015)

My Topic/Purpose

This course, Developing a PLC, will focus on how teachers and other professionals within the educational system can develop an effective Professional Learning Community (PLC). Promoting PLC's within schools fosters collaboration among novice and veteran teachers. Collaboration between professionals yields countless benefits including increased teacher satisfaction, significant professional growth, and a shared responsibilty for student success. When PLC's are properly implemented and sustained, collaboration lends to strong productivity within classrooms. In this course, we will consider the following questions:

  • What is a Professional Learning Community (PLC)?
  • What is the process of a PLC?
  • What are the benefits of a PLC?
  • What are the pitfalls of a PLC?
  • How are PLC's developed and sustained?

Learning Outcomes

This course will provide teachers and administrators with information that will enable them to develop and sustain a Professional Learning Community (PLC). By the end of the course, learners will:

  • Conceptualize the idea of how PLCs promote student learning through facilitated collaboration
  • Describe the PLC process
  • Understand the criteria of a successful PLC
  • Evaluate current attitudes about PLCs present within self and in one's workplace
  • Examine possible factors that could enable or impede PLC adoption
  • Create a PLC with your current colleagues

Needs Assessment

Instructional Problem

A teacher may work to implement unit lessons to the best of their ability and will often find that some students have yet to meet the learning targets. Traditionally, teachers are left to their own discretion about how to address the needs of their students. Some may wish to use further instructional time to support their struggling learners, which could cause mastery level students to lose momentum. Others may wish to continue on with new content so as not to impact students who have already mastered the standards, which in turn could cause struggling students to fall further behind. Effective educators work to employ methods of intervention that are differentiated to ensure all students can achieve the learning outcomes ranging from re-teaching to supplying extension activities and everything in between. Regardless, teachers vary greatly in how they draw conclusions about student learning relative to course objectives. If students fail to meet objectives even after they are attended to, teachers may conclude that the student be transferred to a less rigorous course, they may lower standards for subgroups of students, they may tutor students prior to and after school, and some may even allow struggling learners to fail (Dufour, 2004).

What is to be Learned

Learners taking this course will discover or gain deeper knowledge about a collaborative model used to improve teacher practice, and, more importantly, student learning. A Professional Learning Community (PLC) can work to consistently and constantly address important questions including: What do we want each student to learn? How will we know when each student has learned it? How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning? Each question is important to ask so that teams may work to improve the learning of all students. The final question very well may drive the PLC process. Learners in this course will be exposed to ideas that allow them to improve their practice by ensuring students learn, by collaborating with team members and administration, and by analyzing data to inform the PLC process.

The Learners

The learners who will benefit from this course can be those who partake in the educational system including teachers, administration, support staff, and any other stakeholder invested in the well-being of their school's success.

Instructional Context

The majority of instruction and learning will occur online through the Knowledge Network for Innovations in Learning and Teaching (KNILT). Learners will be asked to apply what they have learned to create a PLC in their own school/work environment.

Exploring the Problem and Solution

Learners will be given the opportunity to learn and apply concepts, as well as reflect on course activities. Learners will gain insight into the vast opportunity to be gain through a successful PLC, conceptualize the process of a high-functioning PLC, and establish a PLC within their own work environment, being mindful of their unique strengths and weaknesses throughout the course.

Goals

It is the aims of this course to enlighten learners about the value of adopting a PLC, as well as motivate educators to invest in the PLC process to have the tremendous benefits realized for their school and/or workplace.

Performance Objectives

  • Learners will identify defining characteristics of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) through viewing and reading related content.
  • Learners will describe potential benefits and challenges they potentially anticipate for their own implementation by evaluating the reflection of PLC participants.
  • Learners will examine their current work culture and environment by completing a survey.
  • Learners will conceptualize the process of a PLC by viewing content.
  • Learners will evaluate key components present within model PLCs by viewing several PLCs in action.
  • Learners will engage in meaningful discussion surrounding the topic of PLCs with a community of educational professionals
  • Learners will synthesize their learning by creating a PLC within their own school community

Task Analysis

Course Purpose

  • The purpose of this course is to help teachers and administrators develop and sustain a Professional Learning Community (PLC)

Learning Outcomes

  • After completing this course, learners will be able to do the following:
  1. Describe the defining characteristics and big ideas of a PLC
  2. Conceptualize why developing and sustaining a PLC works to improve teacher practice
  3. Perform introspective tasks to tailor the needs of one's own PLC
  4. Plan and implement an effective PLC by synthesizing the knowledge obtained through this course and the needs of your current grade level team

Essential Prerequisite Skills

  • In order to successfully complete the course, Developing a PLC, learners must be able to:
  1. Recall and consider prior and present experience facilitating student learning
  2. Command basic knowledge of current collaborative opportunities in workplace
  3. Evaluate the current cultural norms present within school or educationally-driven workplace
  4. Adequately operate and complete tasks on an internet-enabled electronic device

Supportive Prerequisite Skills

  • In order to successfully complete the course, Developing a PLC, learners must be able to:
  1. Exude a malleable attitude towards achieving effective student learning
  2. Commit to collaborative work relationships
  3. Focus on the success of each student

Curriculum Map

References and Resources

BethelSchools. (2014, January 31). Professional Learning Communities (PLC) in Bethel School District [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WLcm0pe_bg

Bransford, J. D. (2000). How People Learn. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Dufour, R. (2004). What is a professional learning community? Educational Leadership, 61. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may04/vol61/num08/What-Is-a-Professional-Learning-Community¢.aspx

DuFour, Rebecca. [FPScurriculum’s channel]. (2012, February 25). Solution Tree Rebecca DuFour, 3 Big Ideas of a PLC. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxWw_6ahyvk

DuFour, Rebecca. [Sol Tree]. (2009, October 9). Solution Tree: Rebecca DuFour PLC Keynote. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpl5hJWQ_mc

DuFour, Richard. [Sol Tree]. (2011, April 8). Solution Tree: Rick DuFour on Learning by Doing. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HHpancww9c http://www.edutopia.org/professional-learning-communities-collaboration-how-to

E.L. Haynes PCS. (2014, June 30). Building a Professional Learning Community: Top Five Lessons Learned. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrvhzXrfpNc

Gateway Public Schools. (2012, August 23). Introducing Professional Learning Communities at Gateway High School. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr7aUrra27w

Ha, C. [Christopher Ha]. (2010, August 8). PLC – Professional Learning Community Implementation. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWUoceQsZ3A Ipsorg. (2012, March 13). About Professional Learning Communities [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7YX40bWrCs

Jameson-Whitney, Paula. Designing Essential Standards [PDF document]. Retrieved from http://plc.sdcoe.net/Resources/Focus%20on%20Learning/Designating_Essential_Standards.pdf

King, D. (2015, January 28). Enhancing the Professional Learning Community Process: A Series of Tweaks. Retrieved from http://www.solution-tree.com/blog/enhancing-plc-process/

Larson, M. B., Lockee, B. B. (2014). Streamlined ID: A Practical Guide to Instructional Design. New York, NY: Routledge.

Mrsjenjacob. (2011, June 24). Ignite! Professional Learning Communities [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4jS5lUz-2w

Pearson North America. (2013, April 19). Seven Hills Elementary School PLC Meeting [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2UCLZDWdyA

Stevens Elementary School.(2002). Professional Learning Communities. Four Essential Questions and How We Respond, Retrieved from http://www.dps61.org/domain/1578

https://www.surveymonkey.com/

Tech Learning. (2013, June 30). Professional Learning Communities [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuKS3vv6wyM

Walker, B. (2014). Professional learning communities (PLC) self-assessment rubric. Retrieved from http://collaborate.caedpartners.org/display/CAED/Professional+Learning+Communities+(PLC)+Self-Assessment+Rubric

Links

Return to Jackie Russell's Main Page

Go to Jackie's Mini-Course: Developing a PLC