The Learning Community

1. MELS 601 Ch. 2 The Learning Community

2. The Learning Community Community celebrates the dignity and worth of self and others, fosters the empowerment of both and encourages and supports the maximum development of human potential for the benefit of the common good. Norris, et. al.

3. What is a PLC? • Resources II\Professional Learning Communities-- A Fable.mp4 • Is a PLC a group or a team? • What is the difference? • Resources II\Solution Tree Rick DuFour on Groups vs. Teams.mp4

4. The Learning Community • “Development cannot be considered without first addressing the concept of empowerment, which means “to enable.” • Is this a true statement? • What strategies have successful leaders you have worked for used to empower their staff?

5. Sociological and Psychological Nature of Groups • Reciprocity • Groups are able to reciprocate or give back to each other, leading to productive ways of influencing each member • Cohort Model • Cohorts that operate as true groups are characterized by four important qualities:

6. Cohort Models • Interaction • Members’ interaction is enhanced through frequent opportunities for group members to come together. • Purpose • A common purpose unites the group in a meaningful way and creates a common community. • Interdependence • Group members work together to achieve something they all value, each member brings a different skill and/or mindset to the cohort • Individual Growth • Individuals grow in a climate of support and security in a true community. The exchange of ideas fosters a dialogue that challenges this growth and provides a sustaining force for the individual’s development. • Do you experience this type of model at your school site? • What can a leader do to assist members of the school staff to get to this point?

7. What is a Community? • According to the text, regardless of its label… • Setting • Cohort • Team • There is imbedded in the definition the idea of collective purpose…

8. Communities have Two Dimensions… • Sociological • Concerned with the nature of the group • Psychological • Concerned with the nature of the individual within the group

9. Senge: Five Disciplines of a Learning Community • Systems Thinking • Personal Mastery • Team Learning • Mental Models • Shared Vision

10. Systems Thinking • Each place is a community of its own and has within it many other communities. My Place and Your Placeare unique communities joined together by a common purpose…learning. Through comparative learning, we begin to shape Our Place.

11. Personal Mastery • The individual is important in each learning community. Individuals impact My Place, Your Place, and Our Place and are, in turn, impacted. In this collaborative experience, the individual is an important key to the success of each community.

12. Team Learning • As individuals exchange ideas, powerful learning experiences are created. Bridges are built between the various communities… • My Place and Your Place are the first step to becoming Our Place.

13. Challenging Mental Models • Through discussion and dialogue, individuals discover realities they had not previously encountered. Individuals learn to appreciate others’ viewpoints and pause to question their own assumptions. Through questioning, new possibilities are considered…new realities are created.

14. Shared Mission, Vision and Values • These are developed from the culture that exists within each school (place). The school’s culture is formed from the history, traditions, and celebrations that make each school unique.

15. Instructional Leadership • Page 28 of the text discusses Instructional Leadership • How can the principal of the school truly be an effective instructional leader? • Page 29 & 30 discusses goal setting. • What strategies will you/do you employ as a leader to insure consistency in the decision making process at your school?