Are you lot ready for some learning? In this weblog post I am going to endeavor to part my research into Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). I began formally researching PLCs inward 2011 every bit run of my Masters of Education as well as ended upward writing my thesis on them. For much to a greater extent than detailed information on the research you lot tin laissez passer notice buy this newspaper I published or read this brusk version costless of charge.
So, what are PLCs? Somebody else ever says it best as well as inward my reading, it was Karen Seashore Louis as well as Louise Stoll when they said:
In sum, the term ‘professional learning community’ suggests that focus is non only on private teachers’ learning but on:
(1) professional learning;
(2) inside the context of a cohesive group;
(3) that focuses on collective knowledge;
(4) occurs inside an ethic of interpersonal caring that permeates the life of teachers, students as well as schoolhouse leaders. (Stoll & Seashore Louis, 2007)
There is hence much inward that lone that I could unpack inward a serial of weblog posts, but all I volition state hither is – the words that I cause got position inward italics are what volition decide the success or failure of your PLCs. Take the fourth dimension to reverberate on each give-and-take as well as mean value of positive as well as negative examples of these inward your PLCs. For example, a cohesive group, are the correct people together? What needs to hold upward changed?
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| P1 PLC including the Pb teacher, assistant teacher, EAL instructor as well as PYP coordinator. |
In 2011, I laid upward iii PLCs inward a schoolhouse inward Viet Nam. I used Interpretative Phenomological Analysis, a qualitative research method to larn what teachers’ lived experiences were of the PLCs, over a six-week period. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 thorough literature review was conducted earlier the procedure of anonymous questionnaires, semi-structured interviews as well as a research diary was used to document findings. The results were transcribed as well as text analysis used to seat emerging themes. The results may hold upward constitute inward the tabular array below, alongside the most emergent theme on the top.
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| Results of the formal research. |
To summarise my findings, teachers felt the most valuable outcome of the PLCs was the sharing of resources. PLCs developed instructor leadership as well as schoolhouse civilization too every bit helping to orientate novel teachers. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 clear agenda was required for the PLC to remain focused as well as the timing of the PLCs was really important. The PLCs worked best when they were prioritised past times existence timetabled. At the cease of the 24-hour interval or during tiffin fourth dimension did non piece of job good every bit teachers wanted to acquire out every bit before long every bit possible. Below is a sample timetable showing how the fourth dimension when students are alongside unmarried champaign of report teachers tin laissez passer notice render an chance for twelvemonth bird horizontal PLCs to hold upward timetabled.
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| PLCs tin laissez passer notice hold upward timetabled past times direction to allow fourth dimension to collaborate. |
So how create PLCs piece of job best?
There are 2 fundamental theories that I believe back upward successful PLCs. They are activity research as well as appreciative inquiry. Action research is a spiral procedure of ongoing improvement. The IB ascendency cycles too every bit WASC/CIS accreditation are all examples of large activity research cycles. The schoolhouse researches as well as acts, researches as well as acts, researches as well as acts as well as keeps refining its practices. Another instance of this is the activity wheel inward the PYP shown below. Here students choose, act, reflect, choose, act, reverberate as well as hence on. In your PLC you lot mightiness hold upward working on formative assessment, research, act, reflect, research, human activity as well as hence on until you lot are happy alongside your practice.
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| The Action Cycle taken from Making the PYP Happen p. 26. |
Appreciative research on the other manus is an organisational alter theory. It has a strong, “no blame” policy. Having this sort of civilization inward PLCs is really of import hence people experience rubber to brand mistakes as well as part their opinions. There is a large focus on the positive, when was the organisation at its best, how tin laissez passer notice nosotros improve? It looks to harness the unlimited imagination as well as dreams of the groups inward the organisation, every bit this is the best alter agent.
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| Early childhood teachers collaborating alongside PSPE instructor on a transdisciplinary unit. |
PLCs inward the PYP
Standard C1 of the IB standards as well as practices is all virtually collaboration. If you lot prioritise fourth dimension for PLCs past times timetabling them as well as educate the capacity inward your squad to utilise this fourth dimension it volition assist you lot alongside C1. Some of the requirements are that collaborative planning:
- - takes house regularly as well as systematically
- - addresses vertical as well as horizontal articulation
- - is based on agreed expectations, differentiation, informed past times assessment, linguistic communication development.
- - addresses the learner profile attributes.
If PLCs are prioritised, the PYP coordinator has plenty liberate fourth dimension to attend the meetings, a clear agenda is inward house as well as capacity is built inward staff to utilise the time, as well as hence Standard C1 is i of the most beautiful standards inward whatsoever curriculum.
Whole School PLCs
The PLCs mentioned inward a higher house are bird storey groups that run across for planning. In the secondary schoolhouse these kinds of PLCs are unremarkably created only about a champaign of report similar the arts or the scientific discipline department. For accreditation alongside WASC, schools are required to cause got what they telephone cry upward focus groups. These are whole schoolhouse PLCs that cause got information from the bird storey PLCs which they telephone cry upward habitation groups as well as analyse that information to decide how it volition touching on pupil learning. Thanks for reading PLN!
References
Kruse, Seashore Louis & Bryk (1994), Building Professional Community inward Schools.
Mertler (2009) Action Research - Teachers every bit Researchers inward the
Classroom.
Lalor & Abwai (2014), Professional learning communities enhancing instructor experiences inward international schools, International Journal of Pedagogies as well as Learning.
Lalor & Geoghegan (2013), PLCs every bit a alter agent for improving instructor as well as pupil outcomes inward an international schoolhouse inward Vietnam.
Andrews & Lewis (2002), The experience of a professional person community: teachers developing a novel ikon of themselves as well as their workplace.
Stoll & Seashore Louis (2007), Professional Learning Communities - Divergence, Depth as well as Dilemmas.
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