RSA1: Online Professional Learning Communities
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Module
two focuses on teams of teachers working together collaboratively to create a
curriculum that all teachers not only agree upon but understand. Furthermore, it discusses that when
teachers do meet collaboratively, their time needs to focus on student
achievement instead of particular students and their behavior. “The purpose of collaboration- to help
more students achieve at higher levels- can only be accomplished if the
professionals engaged in collaboration are focused on the right work.” (DuFour,
DuFour, Eaker & Many, 2010).
With
this being said, it is extremely important for teachers to have a common goal
when they meet. If teachers do not
have this goal, their meeting can easily go off track and therefore not
allowing the task at hand to be completed. Since time is such an important resource to everyone,
especially teachers, it is important that teachers work together
collaboratively on the task at hand.
Supporting
the Growth of Effective Professional Learning Communities was published in Phi
Delta Kappan in March of 2011.
This article focuses that not only do teachers need time to work
collaboratively but they also need to be taught how to work collaboratively
with one another. “District must
be deliberate in their efforts to teach teachers how to collaborate. Simply putting well-meaning individuals
together and expecting them to collaborate was not enough.” (Thessin &
Starr, 2011). Also throughout the
article, is was expressed that teachers themselves needed to learn how to
“facilitate their own professional learning.” (Thessin & Starr, 2011). Having training sessions that are
voluntary completed this. Teachers
who attended these training sessions were able to report back to their
schools/teams of teachers and discuss what was learned. Teachers were then able to attend
additional training session at higher levels of learning.
The
information from the article supports the information that was in the
reading. The reading offered more
of how to get teachers to collaborate together, especially with teachers
outside of their school. However,
the article and reading both discuss the importance of having teachers work
together to collaborate what is best for their students and their achievement.
Resouces:
DuFour, R., DuFour, R.,
Eaker, R., Many, T. (2010). Learning by doing: A handbook for professional
learning communities at work (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
Thessin, Rebecca A. &
Starr, Joshua P. (2010).
Supporting the Growth of Effective Professional Learning Communities. Phi Delta Kappan, 92, 48-54. Retreived
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