Supporting the Learning Goals Through Follow-Up
The goal for professional development is to improve student learning. Teacher participation in a variety of staff development opportunities will enhance their instructional practices and increase student access. Teachers need follow up opportunities for hands on experience in implementing the new skills and having discourse about their success and failures with colleagues through professional learning communities.
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Viewing Guide
How can techniques be used to support professional development and facilitate student academic progress?
What role does professional learning communities, virtual and face-to-face, serve in supporting professional development follow up? What impact does collaboration have on lesson plan development? How can goals of professional development follow-up impact teacher practice and student growth? |
Growing with Professional Learning Communities (PLC's) and Networks (PLN's)
A professional learning network is composed of professionals who share the same philosophy and goals for education, while a professional learning community as defined by DuFour, is a group of people working interdependently toward the same goal. The major difference between the two is a learning network is selected by the user while the community is embedded in the culture of the school. There are two types of PLNs; intelligence gathering and collaborative tools. Collaborative tools include resources like ning, twitter, facebook, wikis and intelligence gathering tools using RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds to get updates from blogs, youtube, websites, etc. Depending on use, a professional learning network may also serve as a professional learning community.
The research supports five attributes of professional learning communities
1. supportive and shared leadership
2. collective creativity
3. shared values and vision
4. supportive conditions
5. shared personal practice
The research supports five attributes of professional learning communities
1. supportive and shared leadership
2. collective creativity
3. shared values and vision
4. supportive conditions
5. shared personal practice
Activity
Jigsaw: Divide into 3 expert groups, and read your assigned section of the following article:
What is a Professional Learning Community? By Richard DuFour What is a PLC? dufour_PLCs what is a plc.pdf
Professional Learning Communities Change Management Process Step 1: Cultural Shifts
Read the following article B Richard DuFour Work Together: But Only If You Want To (pages 9-13 only)
Add one idea/thought to Padlet after reading the article.
What is a Professional Learning Community? By Richard DuFour What is a PLC? dufour_PLCs what is a plc.pdf
- Choose a recorder and a reporter for your group.
- Summarize the big ideas for the whole group.
Professional Learning Communities Change Management Process Step 1: Cultural Shifts
Read the following article B Richard DuFour Work Together: But Only If You Want To (pages 9-13 only)
Add one idea/thought to Padlet after reading the article.