Week+2+-+Professional+Learning+Communities

Professional Learning Communities: What Are They and Why Are They Important?: Issues About Change, Volume 6, Number 1
I found an article that talks about what a professional learning community is, and why they are important. Thought you all might be interested in reading it. You can find this article here: [] Ashley Relational Trust: The glue that binds a professional learning community by [|Cranston, Jerome], Alberta Journal of Educational Research , ISSN 0002-4805, 12/2011, Volume 57, Issue 1, p. 59 Here is the original article that I found that piqued my curiosity. I was curious about characteristics of effective school culture when I happened to stumble upon this article. If you have the time, have a gander. Otherwise, we can look at it in class. Cheers Tom

Search the article at the U of C Library

Critical Reflections on Professional Learning Communities in Alberta
Electronic Journal of Sociology (2006) __[]__

Professional Learning Communities: A Literature Synopsis
http://education.alberta.ca/apps/aisi/literature/pdfs/FINAL_Professional_Learning_Communities.pdf Focuses on schools in Alberta

Richard DuFour & Robert Eaker - Leading developers of PLC's __[]__

DuFour/Eaker model includes the foundation of the "four pillars" of an effective learning community as: shared mission, shared vision, shared values and shared goals. What is our PLC's mission, vision, values and goals?

NOTES: 4 course integration Schedule of weekly topics - preliminary outline, Define facilitator schedule in advance 1 paragraph in advance for the upcoming week 1 resource - with brief paragraph Timeline for weekly tasks - this week paragraph and resource by Thursday - week 3 - Importance of integration: Katie, Charlene - week 4 - Generalist vs specialist: Brenden, Sherry - week 5 - Integration phart in inclusion: Kendall, Deirdre - week 6

Relational Trust Article Jig Saw 1 Ashley, Sherry 12 principles, what kind of schools; private and public schools, small, medium and large. Study relationship btwn principle and faculty - how this determines overall climate 3 concentric rings - teacher student rltn - faculty to faculty rltn : how do you marry the outside and inside world - school to community Organic trust - moral belief in the trust in the institution Contractual trust - actual and verbal contracts Relational trust - anchored in social exchange, reciprocal, more personal Study parameters - Interview process - non verbal, verbal cue 5 themes - Trust developing - Relational trust requires group norms: ground rules, climate of trust, supports change - effective collab - faculty trust in the principle Lack of trust is the real inhibitor of TLC Principle is the central person - key role, set culture, principle acts as a central hub with faculty, build stability, cohesion Faculty requisite trust with principle - enacted culture, few or small gaps between what is said and done

Questions : Does everyone agree? What happens if there is one person who doesn't participate. Principle is the key person - examples of school where principle has changed 4 pillars: shared vision, mission, values & goals - Video Discussion - generalized specialists, requires a collaborative group.

Notes:
Much to do about nothing Relationship and staff increase relationship Explored situations when trust is NOT present Basic premises of trust are present in Phart group, relational, contractual, organic trust 3 types of trust - they are present in our group Not about hiring the best teachers, more about improving existing teachers. 3 rings of interaction. teacher-student, teacher-teacher, teacher-principal

Conclusions of paper Much to do about nothing Relationship and staff increase relationship Explored situations when trust is NOT present Basic premises of trust are present in Phart group, relational, contractual, organic trust

Things we talked about Process of facilitation process - schedule for the next few weeks - topics and themes

Clarified Clarifications on weekly individual tasks and timelines i.e. 1/2 group was on professional learning communities, 1/2 importance of integration Facilitator to facilitator hand off week to week? when? how?

Things that go well in our group When someone else talks, others listen

Role of facilitator Should also be to ensure that equal conversation as well as discussion

Things that need to be addressed In a group, some people's voices will be lost each week. How do we find Building community - we didn't do the activity that builds community How should time be prioritized? Is the priority to discuss and engage with each other? How much class time should be allocated to producing products?

Brendan, Ben and Kendall discussed the details of pregnancy.

Jig saw technique of article 5 groups of 2 people and the

Conclusions of paper Much to do about nothing Relationship and staff increase relationship Explored situations when trust is NOT present Basic premises of trust are present in Phart group, relational, contractual, organic trust 3 types of trust - they are present in our group Not about hiring the best teachers, more about improving existing teachers. 3 rings of interaction. teacher-student, teacher-teacher, teacher-principal