{"content":{"sharePage":{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"37417702","dateCreated":"1302446423","smartDate":"Apr 10, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"JasonPearce1","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/JasonPearce1","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/esc18leadershipcertification.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/37417702"},"dateDigested":1532428559,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"April 9, 2011 Posting","description":"Chapter 11 The classroom learning community.
\n
\n#1. Describe the tips for effective classroom norms.
\n
\n
\n#2. Explain strategies for creating a learning community in the classroom.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"37418238","body":"Jason Pearce Chapter 11
\n
\nThe classroom learning community
\n
\n#1. Describe the tips for effective classroom norms.
\n
\n
\n(A) Align classroom norms with school wide expectations.
\n
\nThe school describes student expectations in the code of conduct. The students should be aware of these district wide rules, report card standards, citizenship expectations and expected work habits. Build your classroom around these expectations.
\n
\n(B) Keep a list of these norms few in number.
\n
\nThe shorter the list the better chance they will remember the rules and put them into practice.
\n
\n(C) Allow each classroom to establish its own norms.
\n
\nIf the kids develop their own norms, they will take ownership of those norms. This process is as important as the norms themselves.
\n
\n(D) State norms as commitments to act in certian ways rather than as beliefs.
\n
\nWhen the group commits to behave in a certian way, the classroom environment will better promote learning.
\n
\n(E) Review and refer to norms on a regular basis.
\n
\nSpend some time during the class day to review rules. Make some time to allow students to verbally reflect on how the class is doing following those norms.
\n
\n(F) Model and celebrate the classsroom commitments.
\n
\nTeachers are more effective when they model the norms they expect. When they celebrate those norms at work the students will fall in line with those norms.
\n
\n
\n#2. Explain strategies for creating a learning community in the classroom.
\n
\n
\nStudents must know what they are expected to learn. Effective teachers know exactly what they want to accomplish. To reach a "defined outcome" the students must understand the learning targets. Teachers must be clear about these outcomes so studnets understand the difference between what is a fair job and a great job. Students will be successful when they know the goal, understand the importance, know how they will demonstrate the goal and how their work will be assessed.
\n
\nTeachers must provide feedback regarding learning. Feedback should be timely and specific. This allows students to know the level of their performance and what is expected in the future. Students can also provide feedback to their classmates. This promotes a sense of community, which is the goal in the first place!
\n
\nClasssrooms work more effeciently with the use of cooperative learning groups. This allows students to compete, work on individual goals and help each other learn all at the same time. William Glasser says, "Learrning together as a member of a small learning team is more need-satisfying especially to the needs for power and belonging than learning individually." When using the cooperative learning strategies in the classsroom keep these things in mind:
\n
\nClearly perceived positive interdependence, face to face promotive interaction, individual accountability\/personal responsibility, appropriate use of small group skills and group processing are all important factors of cooperative learning groups.","dateCreated":"1302447846","smartDate":"Apr 10, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"JasonPearce1","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/JasonPearce1","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"37426112","body":"1. The tips for effective classroom norms are as follows: 1) Align classroom norms with school-wide expectations. It is important for students to have shared knowledge regarding school policy, student code of conduct, etc. 2) Keep the list of norms few in number. The smaller the list, the easier it is for students to remember all of the norms on the list. 3) Allow each classroom to establish its own norms. These are the norms of the members of this classroom, and what is more important than the norms themselves is the collaborative process of identifying those norms. 4) State norms as commitments to act in certain ways rather than as beliefs. Norms stated as 'We will do...' are more effective than belief statements such as 'We believe in...' 5) Review and refer to norms on a regular basis. In the beginning of school especially, it is critical to reiterate the norms upon the start of class and again at the end of class. 6) Model and celebrate the classroom commitments. Teachers who model and then celebrate successful completion of norms are showing students that the norms are important.
\n
\n2. There are several key components to strategies for creating a learning community in the classroom. First, present clearly defined learning outcomes in terms students understand. The best use of this strategy is to confirm that each student knows what it is they will be learning, why it is important, how they will demontrate their knowledge and skills, and what specific criteria will be used to assess their knowledge and skills. Second, encourage student participation in assessment of their learning. If students are aware of what they are to learn and the criteria used to assess that learning, they can then provide feedback for one another. Third, use cooperative learning. When classrooms function as learning communities, this is positive for both students and teachers.","dateCreated":"1302465823","smartDate":"Apr 10, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"carla.byrne","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/carla.byrne","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"37428490","body":"1. Describe the tips for effective classroom norms.
\nTo establish norms in a classroom is a complex and a long-term task. Norms are familiar ways of interacting in a classroom. The authors suggested that teachers can apply the same principles and concepts to create learning communities in their classrooms.
\n
\nIn this chapter, the authors also discussed the importance of collaboratively developed classroom norms and a few specific promises that each student understands, owns, and honors.
\n
\nThe authors offer some tips for effective classroom norms on p. 287-288 as follows,
\n
\n\u2022 Align classroom norms with school wide expectations \u2013 teachers must help students create a school-wide code of conduct so students can align their classroom norm to the school\u2019s expectations.
\n\u2022 Keep the list of norms few in number \u2013 ask students to agree on four to six essential commitments.
\n\u2022 Allow each classroom to establish its own norms \u2013 every student in the class should be engaged in making those commitments.
\n\u2022 State norms as commitments to act in the certain ways rather than as beliefs \u2013 the power of classroom norms lies on the group, through a collaborative process, commit to behave in certain and specific ways.
\n\u2022 Review and refer to norms on a regular basis \u2013 it is beneficial to begin and end every class period or school day with a review of the agreed-upon norms.
\n\u2022 Model and celebrate the classroom commitments \u2013 Teachers must model the norms of their classroom to send the message that the norms are important. Norms are also a powerful tool for addressing inappropriate behavior.
\n
\n2. Explain the strategies for creating a learning community in the classroom.
\nThe authors offer strategies for creating a learning community in the classroom as follows,
\n
\n\u2022 Present clearly defined learning outcomes in terms students understand \u2013 the authors stated that \u201cif classrooms are to function as learning communities, teachers will be certain to review the \u201c Learn what?\u201d question with students and answer it in terms each student can understand\u201d on p. 288- 289.
\n\u2022 Encourage student participation in assessment of their learning \u2013 Teachers must provide students with feedback concerning their learning, which is one of the most powerful factors impacting student achievement.
\n\u2022 Use cooperative learning \u2013 According to Johnson & Johnson on p. 293, \u201cCooperative learning requires students to work together to accomplish shared learning goals, meaning an individual student can accomplish his or her learning goal.\u201d","dateCreated":"1302470409","smartDate":"Apr 10, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"shawneequa.nunez","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/shawneequa.nunez","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"37088452","dateCreated":"1301948041","smartDate":"Apr 4, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"paulhidalgo","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/paulhidalgo","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/esc18leadershipcertification.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/37088452"},"dateDigested":1532428559,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"re: April 2, 2011 Posting","description":"1. In all of the schools described (regardless of the school\u2019s population, diversity, location, etc.), these schools were systematically organized to instill high expectations for all PLC members, and it enlisted \u201can army of professionals\u201d to ensure the organization\u2019s goals and initiatives were successful and monitored at all times; the habits and belief systems of these schools became their established school culture \u2013 always having high expectations for \u201call\u201d individuals involved. Furthermore, these schools instituted a variety of coordinated responses to intervention to ensure the likelihood of academic success & ongoing school improvement; most schools demonstrated significant academic gains \u2013 some surpassed state averages, some went from good to great, and some even became both state and nationally recognized schools. Finally, their tiered efforts and support (i.e. enrichment classes, small-group sessions, tutorial sessions, mentor programs, advisory programs, make-up homework sessions, learning centers, etc.) occurred in a \u201ctimely, directive, and systematic way\u201d.
\n2. When describing systematic interventions, first the \u201congoing\u201d professional development of teachers should correspond with the \u201congoing\u201d academic support for students. With this said, \u201cbest\u201d practices must be relied upon to ensure planned outcomes \u2013 building capacity for all teachers. Teachers cannot work in isolation. Likewise, efforts must be a coordinated and collective - building capacity and instilling a culture of high expectations. Finally, schools need to focus on the academic needs of their school and be responsible for creating programs & initiatives \u201cspecific\u201d to their needs.
\n3. A systematic approach will benefit all students; regardless of ability levels, this method along with the capacity of teachers increasing, will ensure best practices are being utilized, and allow for students to \u201calways\u201d have access to the instruction or intervention they require by those teachers who are the best prepared. Second, students will trust that teachers and the organization not only care about their academic success, but their future endeavors as well. Importantly, the messages conveyed throughout these students\u2019 academic experience will be consistent, closely monitored, and always involve those individuals who genuinely care about them; these efforts do not just nurture a student, but enable them to perform at high levels while reinforcing both productive and habitual behaviors. Finally, in regards to scheduling, class scheduling must meet the specific demands and academic needs of a school; the time and support for learning (or opportunities for intervention) must be intertwined in the school day. This thought process becomes proactive, rather than waiting until the school year has begun to find the needed and additional instructional time; once again, the degree of need and differentiation of a school\u2019s schedule will vary upon it\u2019s particular needs.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"29422735","dateCreated":"1288638735","smartDate":"Nov 1, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"Johnhorak","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Johnhorak","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288024119\/Johnhorak-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/esc18leadershipcertification.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/29422735"},"dateDigested":1532428559,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"January 22, 2011 Posting","description":"Chapter 1: New Insights into Professional learning Communities
\n1.In your own words describe what a professional Learning community is.
\n2.In your own words discuss and explain the big ideas that drive professional learning communities.
\n3.Discuss the importance of guiding the work of collaborative teams.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"33021056","body":"1. In education, it is a group of educators that work together through regular meetings and collaboration to improve the continuous learning of students.
\n2. First - schools must make sure that the number one purpose of the school is for students to learn at high levels. This comes from having effective teachers. Second - Teachers cannot work in isolation. A collaborative community is important. Third - There has to be people and a system in place that seeks to know whether or not students are learning at the level that is expected.
\n3. Guiding teams is important because, as we who have ever tried to conduct an elementary faculty meeting already know, if there is not guidance, the focus will not stay on instruction and learning. Someone has to keep the focus on what is important and not let the members of the PLC get side-tracked.","dateCreated":"1295716323","smartDate":"Jan 22, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"rgartman","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/rgartman","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1273073811\/rgartman-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33031578","body":"1. Educators work together towards a shared purpose\u2014improved student learning. Professional learning communities exist where teachers and administrators seek and share ways to improve their teaching practice and the learning of their students. This learning is then acted upon in a collaborative, supportive environment, and in a job embedded manner that is characterized by a shared vision, a supportive and interactive leadership, a collaborative community, an empowered teacher role, and supportive conditions.
\n
\n2. 3 Big Ideas:
\n(1.) School must ensure that students are learning at high levels. Collaboration must occur in order to clarify the non-negotiable learning standards, that learning is taking place, there is systematic intervention, and students are being challenged.
\n(2.) Schools cannot work in isolation. Key Words\u2014Collaborative and Collective Responsibility
\n(3.) Schools need to be proactive in monitoring student learning to ensure that the essential elements are a success.
\n
\n3. One key reason for guiding the work is to ensure that the conversation occurs that needs to occur and we are not meeting to just meet and catch up.","dateCreated":"1295751615","smartDate":"Jan 22, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"twhoward","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/twhoward","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1285466433\/twhoward-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33047666","body":"1. A professional learning comunity consists of a community of educators and students working collaboratively to ensure that all students are working at their highest potentials at all times. These educators are engaged in constant learning themselves and their main focus is not on what students are being taught but on what they are learning. Ongoing formative assessment is vital in order to determine if students are learning and at what stage of learning they are in at any given moment.
\n2. The big issues that drive a professional learning community are 1) students and student learning must be the top priority for all of those involved from teachers, campus administrators, and central office administration; 2) collaboration among teachers and administrators is a must; and 3) Constant monitoring and assessment is essential in order to determine student success.
\n3. Guiding the work of collaborative teams is essential if these teams are going to be successful. If something implemented is not monitored, we run the risk of teachers being crushed by their own prevailing myths including why they cannot do something different, why it will not work, etc. It is important for guidance so that people are encouraged and the learning community is monitored to ensure success.","dateCreated":"1295819659","smartDate":"Jan 23, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"carla.byrne","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/carla.byrne","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33050780","body":"1. A PLC is a group of individuals who are continually collaborating to ensure that students have the best opportunity to learn; with this said, this ongoing process promotes improved learning for both the student and educator via research-based initiatives. Importantly, PLC members work interdependently, are always goal-oriented, are collectively responsible, and are eager to assume the role of being mutually accountable.
\n2. Big Idea #1 \u2013 PLC members must be committed to aligning \u201call (educational) practices, procedures, and policies\u201d in order to promote student success and learning; Big Idea #2 \u2013 PLC members \u201cDO NOT\u201d work in isolation; initiatives are \u201ccollectively\u201d established, monitored, and continually improved in order to cultivate a PLC\u2019s vision; Big Idea #3 \u2013 Assessing and monitoring student progress is frequent, but most importantly, future PLC decisions are always results-based.
\n3. The importance of guiding a PLC lies in the ability of a school leader to assure goals are specific, purposeful, and collectively monitored for success. Furthermore, a leader must be willing to model (through his\/her actions) optimism, enthusiasm, and the \u201csense of urgency\u201d throughout the entire PLC process \u2013 actions speak louder than words.","dateCreated":"1295825892","smartDate":"Jan 23, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"paulhidalgo","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/paulhidalgo","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33075442","body":"1) A prfessional learning community is a group of educators who are committed to working together in the continual process of individual professional development and constant action research to do what is best to help the students they serve learn better. A PLC believes that the key to improvement for student learning is continuous learning for educators.
\n
\n2) The three big ideas that drive a professional learning community are 1) to ensure that all students learn at high level, and that the future success of students depends on how well that is achieved, 2)school personel must work together to build a culture where they work collaborative and assume responsibility for all students, and 3) teachers must constantly monitor student progress.
\n
\n3) Guiding the work is essential in an effective PLC because the entire school should be moving to achieve the same goals. It is not only important to give time for teachers and staff to collaborate, but more importantly, it is important to guide those conversations so that the staff will be coherent in the goals and they are striving to achieve.","dateCreated":"1295879736","smartDate":"Jan 24, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"tlcoleman3","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/tlcoleman3","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288704234\/tlcoleman3-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33095174","body":"#1.
\n
\n A true PLC is a group of teachers and administrators that work together researching ways to better serve the learning needs of their students. Educators must continuosly learn effective ways to relay the curriculum to the students.
\n
\n A PLC will focus on the learning of individual students, work collaborately with other teachers, review best teaaching practices and identify students current learning level. These teachers will stay action oriented and keep a commitment to continuous improvement by gathering evidence of student learning levels, developing strategies to build on those strengths and implementing ideas to address the weaknesses.
\n
\n#2.
\n
\n The first big idea that drives PLCs is getting the students to learn at higher levels by clarifying exactly what each student must learn, monitor the students progress and provide support when they struggle.
\n
\n The second big idea is that teachers and administrators work collaborately. This interdependent strategy allows everyone to assume collective responsibility for the student.
\n
\n The third big idea is that schools monitor student learning on an ongoing basis and use their findings to respond to any needs the student may have.
\n
\n
\n#3
\n
\n You must make sure that teachers not only have the time to collaborate, but also make sure they focus on the issues that impact student learning. Do not focus on the question "Do we collaborate?" Focus on the question "What do we collaborate about?" As administrators we should be focused on these questions as we guide these teams.
\n
\n Implementing ideas for learning is more powerful than talking about them. If you are guiding a collaborative team in a specific department, you should make sure that everyone is on board and doing their part to implement the plan.","dateCreated":"1295896287","smartDate":"Jan 24, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"JasonPearce1","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/JasonPearce1","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33381700","body":"Professional learning community (PLC) is when teachers and administrators continuously seek and share information and then implement what they learn to enhance their effectiveness as educators so students can benefit. As educators, we must have the knowledge and an understanding of the process in order to be successful.
\nThe three big ideas that drive professional learning communities are
\n
\n1) Focus on learning. Members of PLC must have clarity of purpose to ensure that all students learn at high levels.
\n2) Build a collaborative culture. School can\u2019t help all students achieve at high levels if teachers work in isolation. They must work together to achieve their collective purpose of learning for all. Schools improve when teachers are given the time and support to work together.
\n3) Focus on results. All staff receives relevant information on their effectiveness in achieving intended results.
\nThe importance of guiding the work of collaborative teams is the commitment to working together to raise student achievement. PLC members share responsibility for the total development of students and collective responsibility for students' success.","dateCreated":"1296356168","smartDate":"Jan 29, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"shawneequa.nunez","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/shawneequa.nunez","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"29422591","dateCreated":"1288638571","smartDate":"Nov 1, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"Johnhorak","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Johnhorak","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288024119\/Johnhorak-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/esc18leadershipcertification.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/29422591"},"dateDigested":1532428560,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"January 29, 2011 Posting","description":"Chapter 2: The Rise and Fall of School Reform
\n1.What are some of the problems associated with the No Child Left Behind Act.
\n2.Discuss the impact of nonstop school reform in our society.
\n3.Why has education reform failed to deliver the necessary change in our schools?","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"33383032","body":"1) Some of the problems associated with the No Child Left Behind Act are: 1) vague definitions of "Adequate Yearly Progress," 2) the disparity among states, 3) the nature of the assessments, and 4) the lack of funding. It is evident that NCLB raised questions in education that needed to be addressed, but it obviously failed to reach its goals.
\n
\n2) Nonstop school reform has had a great impact in our society. It has caused even further division between conservatives and liberals. Both have blamed the other for NCLB not reaching its goals. Nonstop school reform has also made Americans, particularly educators, feel despondent and that no matter what we do to improve education, we are a constant failure. So much pressure has been placed on American schools to elevate this nation and its citizens to the top of the world. However, we will always fail when there is a sense that nothing we do helps.
\n
\n3) Education has failed to produce the necessary change in our schools because the expecations are unrealistic and have caused despondency regarding public education's ability to reform itself, the task itself is complex and overwhelming, misplaced focus, lack of clarity on intended results, lack of perseverance, and failure to appreciate and attend to the process of change.","dateCreated":"1296361678","smartDate":"Jan 29, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"tlcoleman3","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/tlcoleman3","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288704234\/tlcoleman3-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33383694","body":"#1) In 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law, the No Child Left Behind Act. The goal of this program is that 100% of students across the nation will be proficient in reading and math by 2014. I think there are five major problems with NCLB.
\n1. The idea that 100% of a school's population will pass reading and math standards.
\n2. A school's progress is not measured as a whole student body, but broken into subgroups.
\n3. The disparity among states. States are free to develop their own assessments.
\n4. The nature of assessments. Each state gets to decide how many members of a particular subgroup are necessary to count the results.
\n5. Lack of funding. NCLB is not fully funded.
\n
\n#2) The impact of nonstop school reform in our society
\n1. The disappointment of conservatives as they found that the strategies implemented failed to yield the dramatic results hoped for.
\n2. Liberals wrestling with the dilemma of school reform alone cannot completely close the achievement gap due to external issues like socioeconomic status and discrimination.
\n3. The common confidence that there is still hope for widespread school improvement.
\n4. Reviews of national and international assessments which offer alternate perspectives of our nation\u2019s public education.
\n5. An increased public support measured by both the nation\u2019s satisfaction of our public education and holding government spending on public education as high priority.
\n
\n#3) There are six reasons that education reform failed to deliver the necessary change in our school.
\n1. Unrealistic expectations
\n2. The complexity of the task
\n3. Misplaced focus
\n4. Lack of clarity on intended results
\n5. Lack of perseverance
\n6. A failure to appreciate and attend to the change process","dateCreated":"1296365496","smartDate":"Jan 29, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"shawneequa.nunez","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/shawneequa.nunez","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33397264","body":"1. There are many problems associated with the No Child Left Behind Act. Some of those problems include standardized testing and its overuse (one test on one given day) and how tests are not the same across the states. Also, many teachers feel they are having to teach to the test and that curriculum is based soley around the standardized test, with too many objectives to be covered in the alotted time. Other problems with NCLB include underfunding and the use of sanctions on schools identified as needing improvement.
\n2. The non-stop impact of school reform has deepened an already huge chasm between conservatives and liberals and their stances on school reform. The neverending arguments as to blame and new ideas being implemented unsuccessfully have lead to an increase in the popularity of privitization of education among people in the community. These people in the community and folks in education feel despondent about our ability to improve schools.
\n3. Education reform has failed to deliver the necessary change in our schools due to several factors including unrealistic expectations and goals (education must solve all problems for everyone); the difficulty of the task of school improvement (so many different states with their own agendas, different school districts, different teachers, different students, etc); misplaced focus; lack of clarity (what should the results be and can we make them uniform?); lack of perserverance (teachers feel as though they have been here before and this fad will change in five years like they all usually do); and a failure to appreciate and attend to the change process.","dateCreated":"1296425789","smartDate":"Jan 30, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"carla.byrne","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/carla.byrne","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33398468","body":"These are my respnses to the Chapter 2 of PLCs at work.
\n
\n
\n#1. What are problems associated with the No Child Left Behind Act.?
\n
\n One problem associated with NCLB is that student performance is based on a single test. Annual yearly progress is the measuring stick for school improvement. You may have a school with lots of disadvanteaged students who show dramatic improvement and still be considered unsuccessful while schools of higher socioeconomic status are seen as successful with little to no improvement. A school may be doing well in most subgroups, but one subgroup could give the school failing status.
\n
\n Another problem with NCLB is that the states with the highest expectations are the ones most likely to fall short of thier goals. This has caused some states to lower thier expectations by creating an assessment system weak enough for most students to achieve proficient levels of performance. This has created a "race to the bottom" culture in education.
\n
\n Teachers have been given way too many curricular goals and not enough time to teach them. In many cases, the state has failed to provide appropriate feedback fromthe assessments to help teachers improve instruction.
\n
\n NCLB has been argued to be underfunded. Some have also argued that there has been an overemphasis on test preparation, narrowing of the curriculum and over identifying schools in need of improvement. A teachers highly qualified status may also be affected by low test scores. This could cause good teachers to leave these districts with younger unexperienced teachers taking their place.
\n
\n
\n#2. What is the impact of school reform on society?
\n
\n NCLB hoped to motivate public schools by opening the doors other educational options like private and charter schools. Achievement levels were not proven to be higher in those schools. Schools with higher numbers of low socioeconomic students have a harder time overcoming educational obsticles no matter how well their teachers are trained. These students are often times facing social hurdles that contribute to limited learning. According to study, the gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider. Children of poor families are more likely to attend lower quality schools with substandard facilities and limited staff. Middle and upper class students tend to attend better schools.
\n
\n Conservates argue that educators WON'T improve their schools, while the Liberals say they CAN'T improve thier schools. Social factors have seemed to the the number one culprit. This book has provided a unique perspectt that is contrary to the above mentioned. Statistics show that over the past decades graduation rates, increased credits in more challenging classes and raised SAT\/ACT scores have improved among many subgroups. One could arge that the system is not a complete failure.
\n
\n Although school reformers are calling for dramatic change, public satisfaction with public schools is at an all time high. the closer one is to the district, the more satified they seem to be. The public also seems to feel that education need more funding. Money, or the amount of is also directly corralated to most people's level of education. Fifty years ago, a student who did not finish high school could still reach middle class America. However, this is much tougher to do now.
\n
\n#3 Why has educational reform failed to deliver change?
\n
\nReason #1 UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
\n
\n These expectations are limitless. Should schools solve all social problems on thier way to educating children? Are social ills, pregnancy, obesity, lifestyle or morals part of the process? We have created a system designed to fail. The U.S. goal for 2014 is to have 100% proficiency in schools. No nation on the planet has done this.
\n
\nReason #2 COMPLEXITY OF THE TASK
\n
\n Changing the American Education System is difficult when you have fifty states overseeing 14,300 school districts.
\n
\nReason #3 MISPLACED FOCUD
\n
\n There are strategies for improving learning. NCLB has failed to implement those strategies.
\n
\nReason #4 LACK OF CLARITY IN INTENDED RESULTS
\n
\n People agree that schools should continue to improve but don't know what criteria should be used to measure the improvement. We focus on methods instead of results. Educators don't feel that a single test on a single day is a proper way to measure student achievement.
\n
\nReason #5 LACK OF PERSEVERANCE
\n
\n Teachers have been quick to abandon educational "FADS" with deligence and tenacity. Teachers often respond negetavely to these attempted reform strategies. "This to shall pass" is a popular attituse in public school culture. A system need to be put in place tp support and sustain improvement over a significant period of time.
\n
\nReson #6 FAILURE TO APPRECIATE & ATTEND...
\n
\n Teachers have failed to become skillful in the implementation process of change. Teachers need to understand that change is a process that needs to be met head on in order to affect school culture.","dateCreated":"1296427961","smartDate":"Jan 30, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"JasonPearce1","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/JasonPearce1","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33406356","body":"1. Problems with NCLB: (1) 100% passing math\/reading by 2014 is \u201cunrealistic\u201d \u2013 especially with \u201call\u201d subgroups that qualify to be tested for proficiency; (2) it\u2019s a numbers game; different states have different tests and standards \u2013 who is really proficient?; this is a huge disparity; (3) there\u2019s the discrepancy of some states \u201cwatering-down\u201d test items - especially when compared to the NAEP standards; (4) funding is tied into school improvement, but there have been questions on how much support will be given to states to help \u201cfacilitate\u201d improvement.
\n2. Impact of nonstop school reform in our society: (1) regardless of conservative\/liberal viewpoints, there has been documented school improvement along with higher accountability (i.e. ACT\/SAT scores, more rigorous coursework, increased graduation rates, etc.); (2) schools are being challenged with too many \u201coutside-the-classroom\u201d challenges; often these challenges (i.e. economically disadvantaged, poor school facilities, etc.) seem so overwhelming that there is the constant finger-pointing of who is too blame & who is to be the solution when it finds it\u2019s way into our classrooms; these are essentially distractions when trying to achieve school improvement; (3) the public acknowledges that there has been school improvement, but public frustration\/dissatisfaction occurs when there seems to be far too many expectations and guidelines to be adhered to by our schools.
\n3. Educational reform has failed to deliver the necessary changes in our schools because: (1) schools are pressure with unrealistic expectations when faced with too many social and lifestyle challenges (i.e. economically disadvantaged, pregnancy, nutritional habits, etc.); (2) 100% student success by 2014 may be \u201cunattainable\u201d; states trying to find the solution to it\u2019s particular educational needs might be to challenging \u2013 there are no true blueprints for success; to make matters worse, legislatures are too far removed from the classrooms; (3) it\u2019s unrealistic to consider there will be the perfect test created, to hope for the best results, and finally, then try to disseminate the test scores to meet what the federal governments deems adequate; (4) finally, some will approach the testing process and requirements as \u201cjust another\u201d mandate \u2013 the whole \u201cthis too shall pass\u201d thinking; unfortunately, status quo is no longer acceptable - school improvement is a must!","dateCreated":"1296441218","smartDate":"Jan 30, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"paulhidalgo","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/paulhidalgo","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33517220","body":"1. Critics were quick to make objections to several areas of the legislation. First of all, the whole idea that you could measure the quality of a school by a single test on limited specific days was doubtful. Also, critics did not like the idea that an entire school would be deamed unsatifactory due to as little as 30 students in any one subgroup. Basically, critics did not like the idea that schools would be measured on the performance on their worst students, not their best students. Another issue was that when comparing the individual different state assessments to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, there was basically no correlation how students performed on the tests. Many states have overidentified curricular goals which has resulted in generalization both in teaching and in reporting where students need improvement in instruction. Also, one of the biggest issues with school reform at the national level was\/is\/and will most likely always be funding.
\n2. When reading and thinking about how "nonstop" school reform has affected the United States and public education, it is evident that whether political parties agree, states are all exactly on the same level, or educators agree or disagree with all the specifics that are being done, one things that is apparent is that when we look back on where we are right now as complared to where we were 10 years ago or even 40 years ago, we have made significant improvements in education. We have seen improvements in graduation rates of high school students and decreases in the gaps between different ethnic groups in Math and Science. In general, all the attention on school reform has also helped the American people to continue to push for importance of education when it comes to prioritizing government spending.
\n3. a. Unrealistic expectations given to policy makers from the national level to the local level.
\nb. The overwhelmingly daunting task of not only changing, but drastically reforming a system as large as education, when typically reform has been left up to the individual states. Local reform can be tough, state reform almost impossible, national reform....
\nc. The book calls the next item "misplaced focus" but I would say it is closer to misdirected guidance--proven strategies were not implemented.
\nd. Continuing and possibly a result of the previous item, along with the misdirected guidance came unclear results.
\ne. Inconsistency and ineffective techniques that are not carried out and thus opening the door for fad after fad of the same old thing in a different package to try to get different results.
\nf. And something that gets not only education, but almost every business wanting to improve...inertia. Defined as the resistance to change.","dateCreated":"1296605822","smartDate":"Feb 1, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"rgartman","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/rgartman","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1273073811\/rgartman-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"35358474","body":"1. Problems with NCLB:
\n*Definition of progress--- The quality of a school is based on the performance of the students on one test. Is that what describes AYP? A school could be deemed failing even though dramatic increases has been made in different sub-groups. The pieces used to determine AYP are questionable in relation to how school are deemed good or bad.
\n*Unrealistic expectations---It is unrealistic is expect that by 2014 100% of the students in all subgroups will be passing assessments in math and science. As a math\/science person it is hard for me to say that, but you have to be truthful with your self.
\n*Disparity among states
\n*Nature of Assessments
\n*Lack of Funding
\n
\n2. Impact of Nonstop Reform:
\n*Disappointment of conservatives\u2019 realization that the strategies implemented failed to produce the desired hopes.
\n*Liberals dilemma of school reform as it cannot close the achievement gap.
\n*The common ground of hope for school improvement.
\n*Alternate perspectives of our nation\u2019s public education regarding national and international assessments.
\n*Public support
\n
\n3. Reform Failures:
\n*Unrealistic Expectations
\n*Complexity of the Task
\n*Misplaced Focus
\n*Lack of Clarity of Intended Results
\n*Lack of Perseverance
\n*Failure to Appreciate and Attend to the Change Process","dateCreated":"1299367839","smartDate":"Mar 5, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"twhoward","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/twhoward","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1285466433\/twhoward-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"29422537","dateCreated":"1288638513","smartDate":"Nov 1, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"Johnhorak","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Johnhorak","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288024119\/Johnhorak-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/esc18leadershipcertification.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/29422537"},"dateDigested":1532428561,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"February 5, 2011","description":"Chapter 3: Making the Case for Professional Learning Communities
\n1.Discuss some of the research that supports the implementation of professional learning communities.
\n2.Explain the Knowing-Doing gap.
\n3.What is the story that drives Professional Learning Community?","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"33715084","body":"1) There is a variety of research, both inside and outside the educational community, that supports Professional Learning Communities. My favorite example comes from Kruse, Seashore, Louis, & Bryk: "A school based professional community can offer support and motivation to teachers as they work to overcome the tight resources, isolation, time constraints and other obstacles they commonly encounter..." This basically means to me that if teachers work in a community, the sense of a shared vision and common goals helps ease transitions, and it helps teachers work more effectively.
\n
\n2) The Knowing-Doing gap, according to Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton describes the disconnect between knowledge and action as one of the great mysteries of organizational life. They ask, "Why does knowledge of what needs to be done so frequently fail to result in action or behaviour that is consistent with that of knowledge?" Eliminating the knowing-doing gap requires educators to get them selves out of ther comfort zone and take action to change things for the better.
\n3) The story that drives a Professional Learning Community is the set of unspoken "process" that make a PLC work. The are more centered on collaboration, coherence, and a common goal of student achievement in all areas.","dateCreated":"1296941018","smartDate":"Feb 5, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"tlcoleman3","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/tlcoleman3","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288704234\/tlcoleman3-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33723844","body":"1. When reading the beginning of Chapter 3, I got the feeling I was simply reading snipits of information that would support an authors opinion rather than entire pieces of research that would fully support PLCs and valid reasons why PLCs should be implemented into education as a whole. One of the snipits that caught my attention, although I may have misinterpreted it, is the "research" by Joyce and Showers, 1995, p.3. I do agree that the development of a learning community of educators is a cultural change and many cultural changes will be spawn due to PLCs. Education, by definition, should be a continual learning and therefore a continual cultural change should be taking place if we as a society want to show progress. If there is no change....something is dead.
\n2. Simply put, people don't like change. This is another one of those age old questions that never seems to get answered. Call it change or leaving you comfort zone, or unfamiliar territory. Whether it is education or business or your great grandmother making her famous dish...when asked why they do things the way they do, most people will respond, "Because that is the way we (or I) have always done it." Most people do not like taking risks and change is a risk. Sometimes we see the best results in schools that are put under pressure to change because of unacceptable progress. These school my feel like they have nothing to lose. When you take a school that is already exemplary or just below there is always that thought in the back of a teachers mind that if they make changes, things might get worse. The key is making educators comfortable with change before they are willing to implement that change. It is one thing to understand how things are supposed to work...but another thing to actually do it. I know how bungy jumping is supposed to work, I know how tight rope walking is supposed to work, and I know how skydiving is supposed to work, however, I don't really feel comfortable doing any of those things and I am always considering "what if something goes wrong."
\n3. Honestly, according to this book, the story I ready seems more like a fairy tale than reality. There are some great ideas in the story and some things that are already taking place in many schools without PLCs. The key to making this fairy tale come true is having the educational leaders from the very top down to the classroom teacher that are ALL willing to create and establish these assumptions and the new system that needs to be in place. Education can be very rewarding, but it is also very hard work. Maybe some teachers leave the profession because of a lack of support and collaboration with other professionals. I would dare say that low pay and lack of respect by both students and leadership also plays a role in the movement of new teachers out of education. I have always said that the most important thing for administrators to remember is they were once a beginning teacher too--never forget what is is like to be in the classroom.","dateCreated":"1296963408","smartDate":"Feb 5, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"rgartman","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/rgartman","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1273073811\/rgartman-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33725382","body":"#1 Most of the research acknowledged that collective learning among staff and learning solutions which address students' needs are the best implementation of professional learning communities. For example, Kruse, Seashore Louis, and Bryk stated that if education is to improve, teachers in a school-based professional community must demonstrate collective focus, collaboration, shared norms and values and maintaining opportunities for student learning. Newmann and Wehlage mentioned that if schools want to enhance student learning, they must encourage collaboration, share purpose and collective accountability among staff. It is important for leadership in the schools to establish and maintain professional learning communities. As the leader of the school, the principal must meet with teachers on a regular basis, identify practical ways to assist teachers in improving the quality of student learning and providing helpful feedback to teachers. Put simply, a vast majority of research produces a strong set of evidence that PLC\u2019s result in positive outcomes with regards to the success of improving educators and students in the areas of learning and teaching.
\n
\n#2 There is a big gap between knowledge of something and translating that knowledge into action. The Knowing-Doing Gap is where knowledge is not implemented. Most principals know what changes to make to improve education, but so few actually do it. As educators, we often read something or attend training and decide to change our behavior; however there is little action and we lapse into our old habits after we are back on campus. For example, school principals know they must be the leaders of instructional improvement and however, they find it is hard for them to really do it. The book also mentioned the unwritten rules in schools. The first year teacher often has many obstacles such as difficult students and schedules. I think professional learning communities provide examples of what to do and what to avoid and give useful how-to guide for principals looking to improve leadership and overall school performance.
\n
\n#3 When a new teacher comes into a school, her story or experience with PLC school should be collaborative teams. In a PLC school, teachers work together interdependently in order to impact their classroom in ways that will lead to better results for everyone. PLC members engage in collective inquiry into both best practices in teaching and learning. In conclusion, members of a PLC must realize that all of their efforts on learning, collaborative teams; collective inquiry, action orientation, and continuous improvement are the most powerful tools.","dateCreated":"1296970727","smartDate":"Feb 5, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"shawneequa.nunez","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/shawneequa.nunez","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33731054","body":"Jason Peacre
\n
\nPLCs Book Review Chapter 3
\n
\n#1. Reasearch supporting implementation of PLCs.
\n
\n Every interprise needs to become a learning institution or community. People who stop learning lose quality of life. School improvement is going to take a culture change, not a fad to produce the change needed. If student learning is to improve, the staff needs a shared purpose, collaborative activity and collective responsibility. When schools organize themselves into PLCs, teachers expectations are higher, students count on teachers for help, pedegogy is higher and so are achievement levels.
\n
\n Staff improvement through PLCs includes the following: Teachers will be less isolated. There is a shared responsibility for student learning. There is an increased meaning and understanding of the content being taught. There is more satisfaction and higher moral among teachers. Teachers miss less school time and make more lasting and significant changes in learning.
\n
\n
\n#2. Explain the Knowing-Doing Gap.
\n
\n Teachers know that change needs to take place and they understand the strategies behind the PLC concept. However, getting teachers to implement the necessary practices and buy in the the culture change is a different story. Knowing HOW to improve the school and student learning is a good thing. What is bad is NOT having the resolve to do what is necessary to convert their school into a PLC. The knowing-doing gap is a disconnect between knowledge and action. This is one of the great mysteries of life. Knowing what to do...but not doing it. Reminds me of my kids. "Why does knowledge of what needs to be done so frequently fail to result in action or behavior that is consistent with that knowledge?"
\n
\n
\n#3. What is the story that drives PLSc?
\n
\n Teachers must take an intense interest in ALL student learning. A teacher who works in isolation can't be successful. New teachers will be working with colleagues that are held mutually responsible for student learning. Teachers will be assigned a mentor and will be responsible for making contributions to his\/her team. Equity is very important. All students should have access to the same levels of knowledge and skills regardless of which teacher they have. Your teamates will solicit your questions and recommendations regarding curriculum and assessment. PLCs provide a systematic intervention process to monitor student learning on a timely basis and assure students get the support needed when they have difficulty learning. Teachers and their teamates will identify the strengths and weaknesses of students. When a teacher demonstrates the capability of being successful and effective they may be asked to take a leadership role on their team. The teacher can then share and help implement effective stategies to his\/her colleagues.
\n
\n Professional development should take place in PLC teams. Days set aside a workdays should be spent collaborating with your team. This is "job embedded learning." This is a powerful form of development and a great way to produce culture change in a school. Administrators must hire people who fit the school culture. Be sure to celebrate the efforts and achievements of a variety of individuals and teams. If a PLC provides a sense of belonging and connection then they will be successful.","dateCreated":"1297005939","smartDate":"Feb 6, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"JasonPearce1","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/JasonPearce1","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33734016","body":"1. There is a great deal of research supporting professional learning communities. Some of the research posits: 1)successful future organizations will be learning communities; 2) developing learning communities involve major cultural changes within those communities; 3) schools that are organized into professional learning communities see higher achievement levels among students and less isolation among teachers; 4) the PLC school offers more support and motivation to teachers.
\n
\n2. The Knowing-Doing Gap suggests that people KNOW what needs to be accomplished to affect change; but they do not always DO those things. The way to bridge the knowing-doing gap is essentially to change to culture of the campus. Most campuses have unwritten rules that teachers follow and often times these unwritten rules go against the philophosy of PLCs. For example, 'at this campus we are responsible for our own students and we work alone; you are lucky to work here and not be bothered by others.' This cultural norm has to be changed in order for people to DO what they KNOW will affect change for success on campus.
\n
\n3. The story that drives the PLC consists of the unspoken assumptions that teachers would learn regarding PLCs. These assumptions involve working in collaboration, ongoing professional development for teachers (professional development for each team), a commitment to equity for all students no matter what their present level of skill or knowledge may be; and ongoing assessment in order to determine student progress and individual student needs.","dateCreated":"1297012551","smartDate":"Feb 6, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"carla.byrne","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/carla.byrne","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"33756510","body":"1. Of the various noted supporters of PLCs, it is obvious and reiterated \u201cby the common phrases and terminology\u201d they use to promote their common beliefs. Similarly, these supporters utilize such common language as: \u201clearning institution & teaching institution\u201d, \u201ccontinuous learning\u201d, \u201cenduring influence\u201d, \u201cshared purpose, collaborative activity, and collective responsibility\u201d, \u201cmutual accountability\u201d, \u201cseamless blending of teaching & professional learning\u201d, \u201creduction of isolation\u201d, \u201clasting changes\u201d, \u201cwork interdependently\u201d, \u201ccollective commitment\u201d, \u201ccollaborative problem solving\u201d, etc. All together and undoubtedly, this type of professional language has become the key ingredients to sustain continuous growth and ensure collegiality among all members. Finally & if I had to choose a phrase that stands-out, I agree with how the NAESP proclaimed \u201cadults demonstrate they care about kids but also about each other\u201d.
\n2. The Knowing-Doing gap is simply based on the concept \u2013 \u201ceducators know how to improve schools, but lack the resolve to do what is necessary\u201d to create a PLC. All too often, the \u201cstatus quo\u201d stays intact and unchallenged; unfortunately, institutions become action less because of \u201cunwritten rules and norms\u201d that have been created over time. Thus, \u201cthe way we do things around here\u201d will seldom foster the foundation and the fundamentals of a PLC.
\n3. The \u201cstory\u201d that drives a PLC seems to be easily summarized by the statement \u2013 \u201cintense personal interest in the success of all our students\u201d. Unquestionably, PLCs are driven by common goals, interdependence, strong commitment, and mutual accountability \u2013 \u201call\u201d are continuous & ongoing\u201d; this understanding ensures both educators and students clearly understand expectations, seek out strengths & weaknesses, proclaim celebrations, and collectively inquire about methods that are research-based in order to continually promote and reinforce overall success. In following, the statement that appears to summarize the essence of a PLC is \u2013 \u201ca collective effort to achieve a mighty purpose\u201d. Finally, the practices of PLCs (if we were to follow Bloom\u2019s Taxonomy) need to be more application\/analysis-based, rather than just knowledge-based.","dateCreated":"1297049422","smartDate":"Feb 6, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"paulhidalgo","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/paulhidalgo","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"29422485","dateCreated":"1288638460","smartDate":"Nov 1, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"Johnhorak","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Johnhorak","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288024119\/Johnhorak-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/esc18leadershipcertification.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/29422485"},"dateDigested":1532428562,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"February 19, 2011 Posting","description":"Chapter 4: The Challenge of Cultural Change
\n1.Why is cultural change such an important issue regarding Professional Learning Communities?
\n2.Describe some common mistakes in the change process?
\n3.Discuss some of the leadership strategies for changing culture that the author puts forth.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"34523314","body":"1. \u201cA school\u2019s culture has far more influence on life and learning\u201d rather than the simple, common, and predictable structural changes. Understandably, all schools have cultures, but it is to what degree or the summation of those characteristics of a PLC that will truly determine the true culture of that organization \u2013 results (& even setbacks \u2013 problems, conflict, frustration, etc.) go hand-and-hand with this endeavor. Oddly, we seem to overlook the idea that \u201cschool cultures shape educators\u201d, but the question lies in whether we have the courage and energy to focus our efforts as a change-agent. Most agree, it is difficult to step outside the traditions of the status quo, but for true change to occur, PLC members must question their belief systems and habits to yield sustainable \u201creculturing\u201d; as stated, restructuring & reculturing are a \u201cprerequisite\u201d for moving forward. Finally, the following phrases give a fundamental description of this process \u2013 \u201cdisruptive change\u201d and \u201csecond-order change\u201d; ultimately, these statements describe sustainable change as a \u201cbreak from the past\u201d, expected, or familiar.
\n2. Common mistakes in the change process \u2013 (1) no sufficient sense of urgency, (2) lack of members who truly embrace the change process together, (3) no clear sense of direction or vision, (4) lack of credible communication, (5) failure to recognize and remove structural and cultural barriers, (6) failure to recognize short-term wins and to celebrate these results, (7) failure to recognize the difference between short-term wins and the establishment of an \u201canchored\u201d change in culture, and (8) failure to \u201canchor\u201d a \u201cnew\u201d way we of doing things around here. Essentially, true \u201cawareness\u201d of these factors (& others mentioned) set the tone for change and overall \u201ccontinued\u201d success.
\n3. Leadership strategies that lent themselves to cultural change can be supported by the mantra of the \u201cGenius of And\u201d; this idea is not based on mutual agreement or reaching a \u201cmiddle ground\u201d amongst PLC members, but rather (as stated by Jim Collins) \u201c a culture built around the idea of freedom and responsibility within the framework of a highly developed system\u201d; this system is based on \u201cchanging behaviors\u201d, is a conscious effort, and is \u201cat no point can it be said that the culture is complete and permanent\u201d - it must be ongoing & continually cultivated.","dateCreated":"1298134178","smartDate":"Feb 19, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"paulhidalgo","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/paulhidalgo","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"34536154","body":"#1) Cultural change is such an important issue regarding PLCs because it focuses on leadership and the challenges of how the leaders will assist school personnel in responding to cultural change. The book mentioned that all schools have cultures. These cultures in schools can include the relationships of people within and outside of the school, teachers, students, administrators, resources, local, state, and federal policies and rules, demographics, and the physical facilities.
\nThe book also mentioned \u201cwhile it is true that educators shape their school cultures, it\u2019s probably more accurate to say that their school cultures shape them\u201d Because of its complexity, cultural change may be the most difficult step in the implementation process. It involves more than just implementing a reform model or changing the curriculum. It may mean changing the school's culture to provide a supportive atmosphere where trust is persistent and leadership is shared and where continuous learning among the staff is valued.
\nAn effective collaborative culture is the professional learning community (PLC) which has been defined as \u201ca community where teachers engage in reflective dialogue, collective focus on student learning, collaboration, and shared norms and values.\u201d While the PLC may be the ideal collaborative culture, it often takes several years to establish the community. However, by beginning to work toward the establishment of a PLC, a collaborative culture may emerge even though the school may not be a true PLC.
\n
\n#2) A professor at Harvard Business School, John Kotter, introduced his eight-step change process in his 1996 seminal work, "Leading Change." The steps are
\n1. Allowing too much complacency-create a sense of urgency
\n2. Failing to create a sufficiently powerful guiding coalition-put together a strong enough team to direct the process
\n3. Underestimating the power of vision-create an appropriate vision
\n4. Undercommunicating the vision by a power of 10- communicate the vision
\n5. Permitting structural and cultural obstacles to block the change process-empower employees to act on the vision and remove the obstacles
\n6. Failing to create short-term wins-produce sufficient short-term targets
\n7. Declaring victory too soon-build on the change
\n8. Neglecting to anchor changes firmly in the culture-anchor the new behaviors in the organizations\u2019 culture
\n
\n#3) Some of the leadership strategies for changing culture are generally based on equality among all staff members and allow staff members to focus on their practice and how students are affected by their practice. Staff members in schools must 1) talk about practice; 2) observe each other engaged in the practice of teaching and administration; 3) work together on the curriculum by planning, designing, researching and evaluating the curriculum; and 4) teach each other about teaching, learning, and leading. When shared leadership is developed, a school or district will be able to sustain reform efforts because there are multiple sources of leadership and enthusiasm.","dateCreated":"1298170881","smartDate":"Feb 19, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"shawneequa.nunez","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/shawneequa.nunez","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"34544398","body":"Jason Pearce
\n
\nChapter 4 The Challenge of Cultural Change.
\n
\n
\n#1. Why is culture change so important?
\n
\n
\n "The way we do things around here." This statement describes a typical attitude in most schools. School culture has a more profound effect on learning than the department of education or the school administration. Unfortunately, sometimes an inefficient school culture shapes the teacher. Once a teacher has been "shaped" it's hard for them to step outside their traditions and culture. If culture does not change for the better there is no reason to believe schools will become bettter learning communities. It is impossible to develop a school into a PLC without dramatic culture shifts. The book states, " The work of developing PLCs is not the work of adopting new programs or implementing an innovative practice; it is the challenge of reculturing--the challenge of impacting the assumptions, beliefs, expectations, and habits that constitute the norm." We must provide "disruptive change" and innovation in the classroom that departs from the expected and familiar. A true culture change is a change in beliefs and habits.
\n
\n
\n#2. Describe some common mistakes in the change process.
\n
\n
\n There a a few common mistakes made in the culture change process. The first common mistake is allowing too much complacency. Without having a sense of urgency or when complacency levels are too high; failure is most often the result. The second common mistake is failing to create a sufficiently powerful guiding coalition. When individuals work alone they never have everything they need to overcome tradition. A key to successful change is creating a coalition or team of people to organize and create change together. The third common mistake is underestimating the power of vision. Vision helps to direct and inspire the actions of the members of an organization. Without a shared vision and direction, individuals are left to "do their own thing." The fourth common mistake is undercommunicating the vision by the power of ten. Change can't take place without tons of communication. A few memos and meetings a year are not enough to foster change. You must have a recognized leader that doesn't tolerate the ignoring of the vision or plan. Leaders MUST behave in ways that are consistent with the vision. The fifth common mistake is permitting structural and cultural obsticles to block the change process. We must address obsticles that block change. These may be structures that make it difficult to act, insufficient training or ineffective supervisors. These barriers must be removed. The sixth common mistake is failure to creat short term wins. We must have short term goals to keep momentum. Teachers need evidence to stay on a path of improvement. We must set short term goals and celebrate the results and small victories when we reach these goals. The seventh common mistake is declaring victory too soon. A win and a victory or two completely different things. Change need to be credible and verified, but if handled improperly can cause complacency or a feeling of not having to do any more. The last common mistake neglicting to anchor changes firmly in the culture. Changw will not "stick" until it becomes part of the culture.
\n
\n
\n#3. Discuss the leadership strategies for changing culture that the author puts forth.
\n
\n
\n The best way described in the book to inhance PLC culture is to be simultaneously loose and tight in leadership. A tight approach gives the administration full authority to implement change. A loose approach allows the teacher to implement their own strategies for change. We must have a shared purpose and consistent parameters in our plan. We also have to allow the teacher to have a certian amount of ownership of the culture change. There needs to be a balance of the loose\/tight leadership described above.
\n
\n Culture change is essential to a PLC. This change is difficult to attain. Top down or bottom up strategies both have shortfalls. Using both strategies together has been shown to be the most effective. There seems to be no step by step strategy. Focusing on changing the behaviors of the individual is the first srep in the process. Behaviors and emotions change before beliefs do. These new behaviors must change in order to be the new "how we do things around here." This happens late in the process. Once culture has truly changed, maintenence of the culture becomes ongoing.","dateCreated":"1298216506","smartDate":"Feb 20, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"JasonPearce1","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/JasonPearce1","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"34550490","body":"1. Cultural change is such an important issue regarding PLC's because a PLC is not a trend or a fad in education; a PLC requires that everything in the school change. Thus, it is crucial that a change in culture is implemented; otherwise, the PLC will not work. A PLC cannot be implemented sucessfully without changing the culture of a school.
\n2. There are many common mistakes in the change process. Some of those mistakes include allowing too much complacency, failing to create a sufficiently powerful guiding coalition, underestimating the power of vision, undercommunicating the vision, failing to create short-term wins and declaring victory too soon. More barriers to implementing cultural change include not including others in implementing change and organizational systems not being aligned with the change.
\n3. Some leadership strategies for changing culture include understanding that it is hope that is the catalyst to change, and not fear. Also, the authors suggest a shift from trying to make people believe what you want them to believe, and instead making changes to people's behaviors, with the idea that their beliefs will follow once they see the successes coming from their changed behaviors. The authors also encourage an alignment between a strong leadership and strong teachers; not a top down approach or a bottom up approach.","dateCreated":"1298232559","smartDate":"Feb 20, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"carla.byrne","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/carla.byrne","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"34558792","body":"1. Why is cultural change such an important issue regarding PLCs?
\nCultural change is important because real change cannot happen without it. For change to occur, the assumptions, beliefs, values, expectations, and habits that are normal day-to-day behaviors have to become imbedded into the aspects of the change process.
\n2. Describe some common mistakes in the change process?
\nI must say that my favorite misconception is one of Ken Blanchard\u2019s list of why change initiatives fail\u2014Those leading the change think that announcing the change is the same as implementing it. When I read this to my wife, she said, \u201cI am announcing that I want the trash taken out twice a day from now on!\u201d Even she doesn\u2019t believe that this change is going to take place. I think that sometimes, leaders and administrators announce change initiatives for the sake of \u201cchange\u201d and even they do not believe that the change will take place. The book lists eight common mistakes:
\n1. Allowing too much complacency.
\n2. Failing to create s sufficiently powerful guiding coalition.
\n3. Underestimating the power of vision.
\n4. Undercommunicating the vision by a power of 10.
\n5. Permitting structural and cultural obstacles to block the change process.
\na. For example, implementing a one-to-one laptop program for K-12 in the district and not purchasing software programs, having enough electrical outlets in the classrooms, and not having the technical support for operating the computers and\/or fixing the computers.
\n6. Failing to create short-term wins.
\n7. Declaring victory too soon.
\n8. Neglecting to anchor changes firmly in the culture.
\nAnother one of Ken Blanchard\u2019s list that I think is important is, \u201cThose being asked to change are not involved in planning the change.\u201d I am a huge supporter and believer in communication and collaboration. I believe that people have to have ownership in the things they are trying to do. Teachers are very, very passionate, sensitive, and defensive about the way things run in their classrooms because they create the activities, schedules, and atmosphere that makes up that classroom. If they had ownership like that in the changes that needed to take place, just think of the possibilities.
\n3. Discuss some of the leadership strategies for changing culture that the author puts forth.
\nThe author talks about top-down and bottom-up strategies with are often tried but do not seem to have success saying they fall under the \u201cTyranny or Or.\u201d Many organizations that have had success have overcome the \u201cor\u201d and adopted the \u201cand\u201d which is the ability to embrace both the top-down and bottom-up structure at the same time. They have developed a culture where top leaders are not threatened by decisions make by those in the trenches and those in the trenches feel secure and trusting enough to accept decisions from top leadership without feeling belittled. Another way the author puts the \u201cand\u201d structure is to be simultaneously loose and tight. Meaning that some aspects of the culture or change process have to clarify shared purpose and priorities as well as the parameters within which all members are expected to operate from day-to-day. Within the parameters, however, there is a large amount of latitude for individual and collective innovation, empowerment, and autonomy. (Once again, I believe in the empowerment aspect of building change.)","dateCreated":"1298250855","smartDate":"Feb 20, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"rgartman","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/rgartman","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1273073811\/rgartman-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"34564782","body":"1) Culture change is not only an important issue when dealing with a PLC, it is the MOST important issue. The school culture has far more impact on the school that most anything else, including leadership. Leadership cultivates the PLC, but unless leadership is intentional in making an impact on school culture, the PLC will never be "successful."
\n
\n2) There are several common mistakes in the change process listed in the chapter. However, I have chosen three that make the most sense to me:
\n 1) Allowing too much complacency: When we don't portray a sense of urgency in our mission, people are less likely to follow, and are more likely to be complacent.
\n 2) Underestimating the power of vision: The vision must be clearly communicated so that others know where the school is headed, and so that they know they are following the goals properly.
\n 3) Failure to creat short-term wins: Small victories and short term goal achievement must be recognized and celebrated so that the mountain of change does not seem to high to achieve.
\n
\n3) Some of the leadership strategies put forth by the authors include tight leadership and loose leadership.
\n
\nTight leadership is very much like top down leadership. Change, policies, procedures, etc. are passed down from the top and employes are commanded to follow them.
\n
\nLoose leadership allows the members of the organization to to do their own thing in hopes that the entire culture will shift and change will happen.","dateCreated":"1298261735","smartDate":"Feb 20, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"tlcoleman3","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/tlcoleman3","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288704234\/tlcoleman3-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"29422401","dateCreated":"1288638389","smartDate":"Nov 1, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"Johnhorak","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Johnhorak","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288024119\/Johnhorak-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/esc18leadershipcertification.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/29422401"},"dateDigested":1532428563,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"February 26, 2011 Posting","description":"Chapter 5: Mission and Shared Vision
\n1.Discuss the importance of the second building block of a professional learning community.
\n2.Discuss two of the common mistakes that leaders make in establishing a shared mission and vision.
\n3.What are some of the benefits of a clear, shared vision?","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"34562058","body":"1. Discuss the importance of the second building block of a professional learning community. The Second Building Block: Shared Vision
\nWe are cautioned not to confuse vision with mission. Mission answers the question, why and vision defines what the organization must become in order to fulfill the purpose and what future the organization hopes to create. It seems that most schools lack a shared vision and therefore are not able to improve like they would hope. Much like any other process that takes place, there are steps to implementing a shared vision that have to take place before it can be \u201cshared.\u201d The book talks about five different ways for implementing a vision within an organization. These are not all \u201cshared.\u201d 1. Telling by the boss, -- \u201cMy way or the highway type implementation.\u201d 2. Selling by the boss through persuasion. 3. Testing by the boss where reactions are gathered to help refine the vision before implementation. 4. Consulting by the boss where a committee is put together to develop a vision for review and approval, with the right to accept or refuse the recommendations. 5. Co-creating by the boss and members of the organization, through a collaborative process where a truly \u201cshared\u201d vision is created. Co-creating is not efficient but will most likely be the most effective.
\n2. Discuss two of the common mistakes that leaders make in establishing a shared mission and vision. Mistake #1: Leaders Attempt to \u201cGo It Alone\u201d, Mistake #2: Leaders Use a Forum That Is Ill-Suited to the Dialogue Necessary for Consensus, Mistake #3: Leaders Pool Opinions Rather Than Build Shared Knowledge. Mistake # 4: Leaders Allow for Ambiguity Regarding the Standard for Moving Forward, Mistake #5: Leaders Set an Unrealistic Standard for Moving Forward. Mistake #1 is where many leaders fail because they are on some sort of a \u201cpower trip.\u201d They think that now that they have authority, they can fix everything and they need no help. Often I think they lose sight of the fact that they were once teachers in a classroom that might have had valuable input at one time also. And then there is mistake #3, where a principal pools or selects the opinions he wants in order to accomplish his agenda rather than truly trying to have a shared vision.
\n3. What are some of the benefits of a clear, shared vision? According to the book, the benefits of a shared vision are that it motivates and energizes people, it creates a proactive orientation, it gives direction to people within the organization, it establishes specific standards of excellence, and it creates a clear agenda for action. The most important benefit is the clear agenda for action in that until the organization has clarified what it is trying to become, any attempt to move toward that point are ineffective. I do not think that you can overlook the power of ownership and empowerment when you really consider a true shared vision. People will fight for what they have created and what they believe in.","dateCreated":"1298256680","smartDate":"Feb 20, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"rgartman","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/rgartman","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1273073811\/rgartman-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"34841270","body":"1) The second building block of a professional learning community is shared vision. Bennis and Nanus (1995) state that when "colleagues address the question of vision, they are attempting to describe a realistic, credible, attractive future for the organization -- a future that is better and more desirable in significant ways than existing conditions. A shared vision offers a target that beckons." A shared vision is the "what" of what we must do to become the school that we want to be. A shared vision is an essential component to moving any organization forward toward the stated mission. However, educators in particular are sometimes overwhelmed in the sense that we must be "all things to all people." Oftentimes the shared vision is to broad and general, and consequently very little is accomplished that moves the school toward the mission. It is paramount that schools define the ideal school they are trying to create so that they may develop policies, procedures, and guidelines to develop that school.
\n
\n2) Two of the communication mistakes that leaders make in establishing a shared mission and vision include a) Leaders attempt to "go it alone", and b) Leaders use a forum that is ill-suited to the dialogue necessary for consensus.
\na) Leaders attempt to "go it alone." Dispersed leadership is essential to establishing a shared vision and mission. Many examples of research are provided in this chapter that prove the the "right people on the bus", or a "guiding coalition" is established. Leaders must have support when pursuing a new direction for the school. A fatal mistake is to proceed without a coalition within the school.
\nb) Leaders us a forum that is ill-suited to the dialogue necessary for consensus. Many times, information is disseminated via widely attended faculty meetings or campus wide email. Neither of these lends itself to personal dialogue where the school leader can get a real sense of the heartbeat of the faculty. Large group presentations and email offer little opportunity for questions to be answered effectively, and are therefore a common mistake.
\n
\n3) Some of the benefits of a clear, shared vision are: it motivates and energizes people, it creates a proactive orientation, it gives direction to people within the organization, it provides specific standards of excellence, and it creates a clear agenda for action. A shared vision is like a roadmap, created and supported by the faculty. It is a guideline so that the entire school can create the culture it desires. It helps the entire faculty move forward with coherence and consistency.","dateCreated":"1298644843","smartDate":"Feb 25, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"tlcoleman3","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/tlcoleman3","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288704234\/tlcoleman3-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"34913406","body":"#1) The second building block is shared vision. Shared vision under the concept of PLC is when administrators and school staff are united in their commitment to student learning. Schools that share a common vision for their students, staff, and administration achieved it through shared collaboration. Collaboration is a process in which educators work together to analyze and impact their professional practice in order to improve student learning (DuFour, 2008). Staffs are encouraged not only to be involved in the process of developing a shared vision, but to use that vision as a guide in decision-making about teaching and learning.
\n
\n#2) In my opinion, the two common mistakes that leaders make in establishing a shared mission and vision occurs when leaders attempt to \u201cgo it alone\u201d and leaders \u201cpool opinions rather than build shared knowledge.\u201d
\nThe first mistake is leaders attempt to \u201cGo It alone.\u201d The fundamental of professional learning community is team. The book stated that \u201cno one individual is ever able to develop the right vision.\u201d The PLC is a group of professionals within a school who share a common vision for their students, staff, and administration. DuFour and Eaker stated that in a PLC \u201ceducators create an environment that fosters mutual cooperation, emotional support, and personal growth\u201d which they could not achieve individually.
\nThe second mistake is leaders pool opinions rather than build shared knowledge. An effective team frequently engages in collaboration that builds upon the shared knowledge of team members. The support and shared leadership of administration will invite staff input toward decision-making. All levels of school staff are engaged in a process that actively seeks new knowledge that will address student needs.
\n
\n#3) Some of the benefits of a clear, shared vision are
\n1. Motivates and energizes people
\n2. Creates a proactive orientation
\n3. Gives direction to people within the organization
\n4. Establishes specific standards of excellence
\n5. Creates a clear agenda for action.
\nIn my opinion, when teachers and administrators have a clear and shared vision, this will result in students\u2019 success and an increased commitment to the school\u2019s mission and goals.","dateCreated":"1298775351","smartDate":"Feb 26, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"shawneequa.nunez","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/shawneequa.nunez","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"34927644","body":"1. A \u201cshared vision\u201d is essential in the fact that it describes a \u201ccredible\u201d and \u201cattractive\u201d reality for organizations; furthermore, this vision helps create a measurable agenda that stakeholders can use as a guide to measure progress. A shared vision also assists in clarifying the goals for establishing and monitoring policies, procedures, and programs, thus avoiding conflicting ideas.
\n2. Two common mistakes that leaders make in establishing a shared mission and vision are: (a) leaders try achieve meaningful change by themselves; leaders need \u201cdispersed\u201d leadership that will assist with the energy and enthusiasm required to \u201canchor deep (& meaningful change) in an organization\u2019s culture\u201d; (b) leaders misinterpret the true meaning of what it takes in achieving consensus (rather than unanimity); organizations cannot wait for individuals to buy-in or jump-on-board the school improvement bus or \u201ctrain\u201d; as stated, consensus is achieved when all points of views have been heard, and the will of the group is evident even to those who most oppose it.
\n3. Some of the benefits of a clear, shared vision are: (a) PLC members feel their work is meaningful, thus improving the chances for sustained \u201ceffort and energy needed for the difficult work of implementing change\u201d; (b) organizations move from the thinking of \u201creacting\u201d (staying within the confinement of the status quo) to an organization that is proactive in creating sustained change; (c) members know and understand their roles within the learning community; \u201cthis clarity simplifies the decision-making process and empowers all members of the staff to act with greater confidence\u201d; (d) that standards and guidelines are established and progress becomes measurable \u2013 this framework easily builds confidence in all tasks; and (e) organizations are able to create an agenda that is realistic and achievable; this allows for organizations to move away from the status quo and move forward in their endeavors.","dateCreated":"1298833344","smartDate":"Feb 27, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"paulhidalgo","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/paulhidalgo","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"34930120","body":"Jason Pearce
\n
\n#1 Discuss the importance of the second buiding block of a professional learning community.
\n
\n In order to create a "shared vision" you have to understand the importance of it. When you create a shared vision in your PLC you have provided a target for teachers to aim for and a plan for hitting the target. When you have a shared vision in your PLC, you have acheived element of organization and the change process for a learning organization and effective leadership.
\n
\n Developing a shared vision has not been easy for teachers and administrators. This lack of a shared vision has been a major obstacle in the effort to improve schools. If an educator can't describe the ideal school he or she wants to create, then they can't implement plans, proceedures and programs necessary to make it a reality. Yogi Berra once said, "If you don't know where you are going, you probably aren't going to get there." You also must get the faculty to buy in to these changes by asking them to take ownership in the change. You can do this by letting them take a creative part in the process and resolving any concerns they have along the way.
\n
\n
\n#2 Discuss two of the common mistakes that teachers make in establishing a shared mission and vision.
\n
\n One of the most common mistakes in creating a shared vision and culture change is that leaders try to do it alone. How can a leader communicate the vision, eliminate obstacles, generate short term wins and anchor new approaches without a "guiding coalition?" You have to get your people aligned and commited to the new direction. Administrators have to get the right people "on the bus" and build a superior leadership team. Distribute the leadership roles to your allies who can help influence the entire group.
\n
\n We cannot set unrealistic standards for moving forward. If you fail to move forward until "all agree to support it" or "all of us agree we can live with it," then you may never move at all. We can't make the mistake of we all must move forward or non of us do. We can't confuse unanimity with consensus. We move forward after all opinions are heard and the will of the group is evident, even to those that oppose it.
\n
\n
\n#3 What are some benefits of a clear, shared vision?
\n
\n First, a shared vision motivates and energizes people. If a teacher can form a connection between their daily tasks and the larger goals of the district, they are less likely to think their work is meaningless. Implementing change is difficult without committment and meaning felt by the educator.
\n
\n Second, shared vision creates a proactive orientation. Schools must be proactive and creative in problem solving. Shared vision helps move toward a new future for the school.
\n
\n Third, shared vision gives direction to people within an organization. When teachers have a shared vision, they have purpose and direction and their roles in the district are more clearly defined. Clarity equals simplification and confidence in the decision making process. They can make decisions by asking themselves, "Is this decision or action in line with the vision."
\n
\n Fourth, a shared vision establishes specific standards for excellence. A shared vision involves setting standards for excellence and a way individuals can measure their performance as well as the students.
\n
\n Most importantly, a shared vision can create a plan of action. Vision statements help educators assess policies that can help reach that vision or identify ones that are obstacles. We have to decide and describe what we want to become or our attempts will fail. We have to bridge the gap between reality and the hopes and vision for the future.","dateCreated":"1298837687","smartDate":"Feb 27, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"JasonPearce1","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/JasonPearce1","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"34932946","body":"1. The second building block of the PLC is a clear vision and a shared mission. Actually living a mission (not just putting it in writing) is very important to Professional Learning Communities. In developing the mission, schools should ask themselves what would it look like if we were living the mission? Incorpating this mission into the culture of the school is vital if a PLC is to truly form and be successful.
\n
\n2. One of the common mistakes that leaders make in establishing a shared mission and vision is that they often attempt to go it alone. These leaders fail to involve others in establishing the mission and vision. In doing so, their mission and vision fails because others did not have any input; therefore they had no ownership of the mission and vision. A second common mistake leaders make in establishing a clear vision and mission is that they use a forum that is not conducive to the dialogue necessary for concensus. Usually this format appears to be a presentation rather than a time for group discussion so that everyone has an opportunity to express opinions and concerns. People must feel they have been heard while establish a clear vision and mission if the vision and mission are to be accepted.
\n
\n3. There are many benefits to a clear, shared mission. One major benefit is that a shared vision and mission motivates and energizes people. When daily objections are relevant to people, they are more excited about setting forth to reach goals to these objectives. Making daily tasks relevant to people is critical. Another benefit of a clear, shared vision is that it creates a proactive orientation, rather than folks becoming reactive to issues that arise.","dateCreated":"1298842633","smartDate":"Feb 27, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"carla.byrne","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/carla.byrne","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"29422327","dateCreated":"1288638336","smartDate":"Nov 1, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"Johnhorak","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Johnhorak","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288024119\/Johnhorak-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/esc18leadershipcertification.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/29422327"},"dateDigested":1532428563,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"March 5, 2011 Posting","description":"Chapter 6: Shared Values and Common Goals
\n1.Discuss how collective commitments contribute to the action orientation of a professional learning community.
\n2.Discuss how collective commitments can help to create internal focus.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"34563538","body":"1. Discuss how collective commitments contribute to the action orientation of a professional learning community. Collective commitments are more than just statements made by members of the learning community in a group meeting; they are the words that make those statements personal and meaningful. When reading this particular section in this book, the one word that came to my mind was, \u201caccountable.\u201d It is like asking someone to help you quit a bad habit. Once you voice that request for help in a group, then you are not only accountable to the one person you asked for help, but you are accountable to everyone who knows you asked for help and you are more willing to commit to the task of quitting the behavior. In the same way, when you have make a collective commitment and everyone knows what you have committed to , there is a greater sense of responsibility to keep the commitment and thus move across the line from knowing what you want your school to be and actually doing what you have committed to do to move it to that point.
\n2. Discuss how collective commitments can help to create internal focus. I think that it is not so much about collective commitments as it is direction on placing the focus on things that you can control vs. things that are out of your control. When looking at the two different lists, the first list contains items that are for the most part out of the control of the classroom teacher. The second list places the control back in the court of the teacher and allows the focus to become more internal. When setting the collective commitments, it is important to direct members of the learning community to make commitments to things that are within their control and not get off on a tangent of discussing and being discouraged about things that they cannot control. A real situation that could be facing us in the future is classroom size. It that minimum number of students if raised from 22 to 25, there is no need to discuss or make collective commitments to change that number. Instead, we will have to discuss more of the things that were on the second list.","dateCreated":"1298259380","smartDate":"Feb 20, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"rgartman","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/rgartman","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1273073811\/rgartman-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"35155524","body":"1) Collective Commitments contribute to the action orientation of a professional learning community because they "help people move from aspiration to action." When colleagues make promises to one another, they focus on the "what" of school improvement: what they must do to close the "knowing-doing" gap. They clarify what teachers are prepared to do to create the school they want.
\n
\n2) Collective commitments can help create an internal focus because it shifts the focus from "them" to "we." It helps educators focus on what they can do individually to improve the school experience for the students. It also enables staff to focus on the things they can control rather than the things they cannot control. If teachers concentrate on improving what is within their sphere of influence, it contributes to school improvement and overall emotional health and well-being (Goleman).","dateCreated":"1299090423","smartDate":"Mar 2, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"tlcoleman3","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/tlcoleman3","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288704234\/tlcoleman3-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"35348808","body":"#1 As schools develop clarity of focus in identifying their fundamental purpose, their directions, clear priorities, and their collective commitment; the learning community can develop and grow. Dufour and Eaker stated that professional learning community operates under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators. Each individual in school must share a common interest in education. This focus on results leads each team to develop and pursue measurable improvement goals that are aligned to school and district goals for learning.
\nFor PLCs to effectively engage, collective focus and the commitment of all individuals is essential. The leader team must focus on learning, collaborative teams, collective inquiry, action orientation, and continuous improvement. The team must be assessed on the basis of results rather than intentions. As a professional learning community, we must commit to ensuring that all of our students are successful. Every teacher serves as a member of a collaborative leadership team and this leadership team must focus on the goal of achieving our shared strategy or school action plan. Our leadership team must come together on the goal of improving student learning in a particular content area. This team will facilitate working together in a systematic process in which teachers will analyze and improve classroom practices.
\n
\n#2 According to Dufour and Eaker (2008), collective commitment guides the behavior of the PLC by ensuring supportive structures, processes and resources are in place; modeling what is valued; asking critical questions; celebrating progress and challenging violations of commitments. Collective commitments represent the promises made among and between all stakeholders that answer the question, what must we do to become the organization we have agreed we hope to become?
\nAn internal focus is largely on organizational capability through people, systems and processes. Collective commitments can help to create internal focus by becoming more effective in collective decision making and follow-up action-plans, delegation, controls and results. Teachers must work in teams that engage in an ongoing cycle of questions to promote deep learning, analyze and improve classroom practices, and engage in an ongoing cycle of questions. Successful PLCs recognize and value the knowledge individuals bring to a learning community.
\nAs the our textbook clearly states, collective commitments can help educators concentrate on what is within their sphere of influence, effectively shifting their focus from depending on external factors to a focus on depending on their own internal, controllable, and reachable goals.","dateCreated":"1299347893","smartDate":"Mar 5, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"shawneequa.nunez","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/shawneequa.nunez","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"35378502","body":"Jason Pearce
\n
\n#1. Discuss how collective committments contribute to the action orientation of a PLC.
\n
\n
\n When the whole faculty and staff have a collective commitment to the goals of the school and a plan of action to accomplish those goals, they can better take action to accomplish those goals instead of just talking about what needs to be done. This allows the faculty to discuss what they want to do NOW insteadof what they WISH might happen in the future. We need school faculties to discuss what and how they want to do things in the present and make promises to act in certian ways to close the knowing-doing gap. Collective committments help each individual person focus on what they need to do to insure the success of the individual student. This will contribe to the success of the entire school.
\n
\n Talking about a solution to a problem is quite different that addressing the solution with a plan. We need specifics for each faculty member to focus on. These solutions need to be collaborative among each department with each member of that department actively contributing to plan.
\n
\n
\n#2. Discuss how collective committments can help create an internal focus.
\n
\n#1. Working in high performing collaborative teams whose members work interdependently to improve both adult and student learning.
\n
\n We must put our heads together and get on the same page when it comes to student learning. If studentsbegin to realize that there are certian consistancies from classroom to classroom that will not change, they will see a united front among teachers. The same stratagies will be apparent throughout the learning day.
\n
\n#2. Committing to a guaranteed and viable curriculum with clearly defined essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions for every unit.
\n
\n Kids will react better to an organized plan with clearly defined goals. Student may not be able to identify the goal if it is not made clear to them.
\n
\n#3. Participating in close, frequent monitoring of each student's learning through a variety of assessment strategies including team developed common formative assessments.
\n
\n How can we know if students are learning if we don't take the time to find out? If you give one test at the end of the six weeks you may find out that they 'didn't get it.' Now you have no time to tackle this problem because we need to move on to another set of skills. We need to constantly monitor learning through formative assessment. Then we need to revisit the curriculum the student may have not grasped. If we don't do this, we may find out too late down the road that we didn't master this certian set of knowledge or skills.
\n
\n#4. Creating and implementing a systematic plan to ensure students who struggle to learn a concept are provided additional time and support for learning.
\n
\n We can't do this if we don't know there is a struggle. We have to be able to identify problems quickly and provide the appropriate support. If a kid get to far behind they may want to give up or feel it is too late to make anymore progress.
\n
\n#5. Providing each teacher with frequent information regarding the proficiency of his or her students in aquiring the essential outcomes in comparison to similar students working to achieve the same outcomes.
\n
\n How does my student measure up to others of his same caliber? Are the outcomes similar or are there great gaps from one student to the next. This may prove that there is not a common intervention plan consisitent from classsroom to classroom.
\n
\nConclusion
\n
\n We can't confuse a staff's "wish list" with the true problem. Some teachers feel there is not enough time, money or administrative support to accomplish goals. This describes teachers who want someone else to fix the schools problems. Educators are more effective when they concentrate of their own "sphere of influence" istead of what is out of their control. The questions is, "What can I do to insure the success of the school's and the students goals?"","dateCreated":"1299436920","smartDate":"Mar 6, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"JasonPearce1","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/JasonPearce1","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"35382564","body":"1) Collective commitments are those promises that we make to one another as colleagues, to students and to parents as to what we are going to do each day to meet our vision. Collective commitments contribute to action orientation in the professional learning community because once these promises are made, intrinsically, most people have a desire to fulfil their promises. They begin to see the vision as something attainable: this is what we are going to do and we are all working together to make it happen.
\n
\n2. Collective commitments also help to create internal focus. Making these commitments toward goals that ensure the campus vision is met encourages everyone to work towards these goals together, rather than waiting and hoping on others to meet the goals for them. Instead of wishing for things to change with administration, or with the legislature, teachers and administrators are actively working together to meet the goals set forth toward the campus vision.","dateCreated":"1299444635","smartDate":"Mar 6, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"carla.byrne","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/carla.byrne","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"35392032","body":"1. As stated, \u201ccollective commitments help people move aspirations to actions\u201d; these same commitments will also be the driving force of the day-to-day operations of an organization and \u201cbring mission and vision to life\u201d. The fundamental premise \u2013 \u201cschool improvement takes on a sense of specificity, immediacy, and action\u201d; as Stevenson proclaimed, promises (we make to each other as educators and to our students) become a \u201ccovenant of obligations that unites its various groups as a community of responsibility\u201d.
\n2. Simply said, educators focus on what they can \u201ccontrol\u201d, and not what we hope others (outside of our organization) will do to improve the current status. As educators, we must be critical of ourselves and our practices \u2013 take ownership of where we are and where we must go to promote school improvement. This thought process reinforces the idea that we must be willing to change some of our behaviors (rather than just our belief systems) in order to move away from the established status quo.","dateCreated":"1299459511","smartDate":"Mar 6, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"paulhidalgo","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/paulhidalgo","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"29422291","dateCreated":"1288638293","smartDate":"Nov 1, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"Johnhorak","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Johnhorak","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288024119\/Johnhorak-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/esc18leadershipcertification.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/29422291"},"dateDigested":1532428564,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"March 12, 2011 Posting","description":"Chapter 7: Teaching in a Professional Learning Community
\n1.Discuss the new image of the profession according to the authors.
\n2.How is it that Professional Learning Communities build shared knowledge rather than pool opinions?","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"34605316","body":"1. Discuss the new image of the profession according to the authors.
\nThe authors define the new image as a fundamental structure of the school that is based on a communal gathering of high-performing collaborative teams that share collective responsibility for the learning of their students. This communal gathering works together, interdependently, to achieve a common goal for which they are mutually accountable. In this way, educators discover that they need, rely on, and depend on each other in order to achieve the shared goals that are set by them. One of the most important key steps in this process is establishing effective collaborative teams that have the capacity to impact student achievement in an intensely positive way. With this being said, the burden of the creation of the new image rests on the shoulders of top administration or at very least, the administration in charge of the PLCs. It will be the job of the PLC coordinator to ensure that the collaborative teams, which in turn create the fundamental structure of the school, are put together in a way that chemistry of \u201cinterdependence\u201d in created and performing as expected. Like the authors say, just because people meet on a regular basis does not mean that a collaborative team has been created.
\n2. How is it that PLCs build shared knowledge rather than pool opinions?
\nShared knowledge is based on research where pool opinions are based on experiences of the team members. When collaborative teams research and constantly seek the best strategies for helping students learn at the highest possible levels. As they are seeking out this information, they continually ask themselves the four critical questions of learning. When basing decisions and teaching strategies on proven research-based methods that answer the four critical questions, the shared knowledge base increases and opinions remain just that, opinions.","dateCreated":"1298338998","smartDate":"Feb 21, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"rgartman","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/rgartman","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1273073811\/rgartman-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"35222174","body":"1) According to the authors, the new image of the profession involves a shift from a culture of isolation to one of collaboration. The new image encourages teachers to work interdependently rather than dependeintly toward the pursuit of mutual accountability and achieving common goals. The authors specifically state that the image should be "one that is based on a communal gathering of high-performing collaborative teams that share collective responsibility for the learning of their students" (179). To me, this is the paramount of teamwork...where teachers lay their own personal goals aside and take responsiblity, together, for the learning of all students. The success of the students and the teachers is the main concern of the entire group. This "new image" is starky different from the traditional isolated experience of the teacher, where typically, they are responsible for the students in their classroom, and their classroom is their autonomous kingdom. The new image "celebrates professionals who work interdependently to accomplish collectively what they could never accomplish alone" (182).
\n2) Professional Learning Communities build shared knowledge rather than pool opinions because each member is involved in shared research about teaching strategies and share about the best strategies to teach certain skills. When they decide on the strategies they use, they are responsible for developing those strategies individually so that students learn at higher levels.","dateCreated":"1299168517","smartDate":"Mar 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"tlcoleman3","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/tlcoleman3","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288704234\/tlcoleman3-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"35695150","body":"1. The new image of the teaching profession according to the authors is one of collaboration and interdependence, with teachers no longer working in isoloation. Research shows that teachers work in isolation as kingdoms of their classrooms, only partially responsible for what is taught in their own classrooms, and not responsible at all for what goes on in the rest of the campus. The new image is one in which teachers work together in order to learn from each other and with each other and in order to address the following four essential questions: 1) what is it we want our students to learn?; 2) how will we know if each student is learning the skills?; 3) how will we respond when some of our students do not learn?; and 4) how will we enrich and extend the learning for students who are already proficient? Each person in the collaborative teams shares equal, collective responsibility.
\n
\n2. The collaborative groups of a PLC help build shared knowledge rather than pool opinions. Instead of everyone stating what they like to do best and what they have always done, these team members are given autonomy to use strategies they are most comfortable with; however, after assessments are made and performance studied, it is determined which strategies yielded the most success from students. From there, it is important for each member to work toward the ability to use these strategies in his\/her classroom. This classroom research is also effective in conjuction with the team members researching effective teaching strategies they have not yet utilized.","dateCreated":"1299810247","smartDate":"Mar 10, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"carla.byrne","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/carla.byrne","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"35787370","body":"#1) According to the authors p.178-179, \u201cto establish a new image of the fundamental structure of the school, one that is based on a communal gathering of high performing collaborative teams that share collective responsibility for the learning of their students.\u201d The fundamental purpose of the school is to ensure high levels of learning for all students. In a professional learning community, educators demonstrate their commitment to helping all students learn by working collaboratively. No school can help all students achieve at high levels if teachers work in isolation. According to the authors p. 181, \u201ca critical element in establishing effective collaborative teams in a PLC is creating interdependent relationships.\u201d Schools improve when teachers are given the time and support to work together to clarify essential student learning, build up common assessments for learning, evaluate evidence of student learning, and use that evidence to learn from one another. In a professional learning community, educators work together interdependently in collaborative teams to achieve common goals for which they are equally accountable.
\n
\n#2) How is it that PLCs build shared knowledge rather than pool opinions? According to the authors p.187, \u201cteachers must constantly seek the best strategies for helping students learn at the highest possible levels and beyond pooling opinions.\u201d Teachers in a PLC are constantly working with colleagues to come to a deeper understanding of the critical questions such as what do we want each student to learn? In a PLC, this issue is not left up to each teacher to resolve individually or a debate between teachers regarding their opinions on what students must learn. Instead, collaborative teams of teachers work together to build shared knowledge concerning crucial curriculum. Common goals do not mean all teachers must teach the same concept on the same day or in the same way. However, teachers have agreed to dedicate a certain amount of instructional time to specific content. PLCs build shared knowledge through a sense of openness and willingness to explore new possibilities.","dateCreated":"1300037802","smartDate":"Mar 13, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"shawneequa.nunez","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/shawneequa.nunez","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"35862076","body":"
\n1. The new image of our profession is \u201cbased on a communal gathering of high-performing collaborative teams that share collective responsibility for the learning of their students\u201d. There is diminished teacher isolation, less reliance on the status quo, and more group accountability to one another; undoubtedly, this process entails helping students learn at high levels \u201ccollaboratively\u201d in a positive manner. Finally & as stated in the first paragraph of chapter 8, \u201cworking in a PLC means you never again have to face the challenges of teaching alone\u201d.
\n2. Rather than basing practices on \u201cpooled opinions\u201d and as stated, \u201cthe culture of the group is concerned with the profession\u2019s best practices\u201d via creative problem solving involving & collaboration \u2013 not just congeniality within a group of individuals. In this frame of mind, PLC members contribute by modeling\/sharing their strengths, and rely on group members to help address his\/her individual weaknesses. Most importantly, teachers base instruction on research-based practices (along with concrete evidence) discovered by the group or better yet, \u201cwithin the group\u201d.","dateCreated":"1300136805","smartDate":"Mar 14, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"paulhidalgo","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/paulhidalgo","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"35991228","body":"Jason Pearce Chapter 7
\n
\n#1. Discuss the new image of the profession according to authors.
\n
\n
\n Schools have traditionally been places where teachers work in isolation. Teachers have often wanted to be left alone and are only concerned with the performance of their own students. A new image needs to be developed around a "communal gathering of high performing collaborative teams that share a collective responsibility for the learning of their students." A collaborative team can be described as the basic building block of an organization, a critical component of every enterprise, the best way to achieve a goal and a strategic vehicle for getting work accomplished." These teams are composed of teachers who are working "interdependently" to accomplish a goal for which they are mutually accountable. When teachers need and rely on each other, as well as help more students learn at higher levels, they are in fact a team. INTERDEPENDENCE is the key element to team. When schools work this way, each teacher is able to contribute his\/her strengths to the entire group. Teachers also hold each other mutually accountable for ALL student achievement. "Interdependence is what organizations are about. The willingness of individuals to cooperate with other members of an organization is one of the major determinants of organizational effectiveness and efficiency."
\n
\n
\n#2. How is it that PLCs build shared knowledge rather than pool opinions?
\n
\n
\n Teachers in a PLC are constantly searching for the best way to help their students learn at the highest levels. These teachers need to be careful not to "pool opinions." Statements like, "I have always done it this way" or "This seems to work for me" are examples of pooling opinions. Teachers in a PLC will seek to discover the best teaching practices and learn to implement those practices. Teachers must be students of research on teaching. Not only do teachers need to research other practices but also conduct their own action research. They will look at how the skills and concepts were taught. Then they will give a common assessment and discuss the results and strategies that led to the highest levels of learning. When PLCs have done the necessary research and are presented with clear evidence that particular strategies consistently yield better results, then these teachers are expected to develop their ability to use these strategies in the classroom. Opinions are not as powerful as concrete, specific, precise and proven evidence. PLC conversations should revolve around best practices used and best instructional strategies proven by student success. Remember what they say about opinions...everyone has got one.","dateCreated":"1300295793","smartDate":"Mar 16, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"JasonPearce1","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/JasonPearce1","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"29422227","dateCreated":"1288638243","smartDate":"Nov 1, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"Johnhorak","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Johnhorak","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288024119\/Johnhorak-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/esc18leadershipcertification.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/29422227"},"dateDigested":1532428565,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"March 19, 2011 Posting","description":"Chapter 8: Assessment in a Professional Learning Community
\n1.Discuss the importance of formative assessment in a Professional Learning Community.
\n2.What are some key factors discussed by the authors regarding the importance of Professional Learning Commmunity?","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"34608240","body":"1. Discuss the importance of formative assessment in a PLC.
\nWhen considering assessments, the definition of a formative assessment alone makes it an obvious choice for a PLC that is focused on improvement of overall student learning rather than simply retrieving data of knowing what concepts students have mastered once specific topics have been taught. While summative assessments will most likely continue due to the national and state mandated high-stakes testing, formative assessments seem to have the backing of some very sound research that suggests they are the solution to improving student achievement. Because a formative assessment informs both the teacher and the student about the student\u2019s current level of achievement, the results from this type of assessment takes on a two-fold purpose. First, it lets the teacher know how to guide instruction in order to meet the students\u2019 needs. Second, it helps the student understand what has to be done in order for them to learn and thus (hopefully) motivate the student to be a self-motivated learner. While this sounds a bit like a \u201cfairytale,\u201d for many students, the desire to please teachers and parents is far more important to them that we give them credit. And, even if formative assessments do not motive all students, the potential for motivation is far greater than from a summative assessment where once the assessment is over there is no longer any chance for success on that material.
\n2. What are some key factors discussed by the authors regarding the importance of PLCs? There is frequent and common advice that suggests that the use of formative assessments creates improvements in achievement of students. The book talks about many of the benefits such as the advantages of working in groups and gaining knowledge from each other, gaining regular and timely feedback regarding student attainment of critical standards, providing interdependent support for teachers, and promise for promoting genuine change in how teachers regard student work. Also, there were several reasons by Wiliam and Thompson for supporting collaborative teams or PLCs: 1) Teachers working collectively are more likely to possess that expertise than teachers working in isolation. 2) Teachers who see compelling evidence of students taught by their colleagues who are achieving at higher levels are more motivated to investigate alternative instructional strategies. 3) Commitments made in the team are a motivating factor in moving forward in the implementation of new strategies. 4) By developing common formative assessments, teachers are engaged in job-embedded and time-sustained learning rather than episodic and fleeting learning that often takes place in current situations. 5) PLCs and common formative assessments change the focus from teaching to learning. The summary of the importance of PLCs and using the PLC to help develop formative assessments is found on pages 212 to 216 in the book in the bold type print: more efficient, promote equity, help monitor and improve student learning, can inform and improve the practice of both the individual teachers and teams of teachers, can build the capacity of the team to achieve at higher levels, and are essential to systematic interventions when students do not learn. *The authors also state that there is still an very important place for assessments that are not common assessments and assessments that are summative and not formative.<\/strong>*","dateCreated":"1298342699","smartDate":"Feb 21, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"rgartman","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/rgartman","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1273073811\/rgartman-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"35230708","body":"Formative assessment is important in a PLC because the premise of a PLC is to promote learning for all students. A formative assessment is designed to find out which students are having trouble with a certain concept, develop a plan for intervention, and then offer an opportunity for re-assessment. This very concept supports learning for all students, regardless of their present ability. Also, the authors stress the importance of common formative assessments...where the team of teachers creates a like assessment. The authors contend that a group of teachers is more likely to identify strategies to resolve difficulties in student learning that a teacher who is creating an assessment alone. The also cite research that offers that common formative assessments promote positive change because teachers work together to establish criteria to judge student work, set standards, and make group decisions. This is job-embedded staff development...and proves to be the most helpful in promoting change.
\n2) Some key factors discussed by the authors concerning the importance of PLCs include citations from Wiliam and Thompson (2007) on pages 211-212. They include:
\na) Strong subject expertise is needed to create quality assessments. A team of teachers is more likely to contain the expertise necessary.
\nb) Evidence of student success gathered by a team within the school will get rid of the backward thinking of "that will never work here." When the group sees compelling evidence that students who are taught by their colleagues are achieving at high levels, they will be more likely to use different instructional strategies.
\nc) A group offers support when change is impleemented. Teachers are more likely to venture out and use different instructional strategies when they feel like they must honor the group.
\nd) When teachers work together to form common assessments, they experience the most meaningful type of staff development: job embedded. It has relevance.
\ne) Common formative assessments help shift the focus from teaching to learning.
\nThe authors content that items d and e are particularly important to promoting PLCs, and also offer their own arguments about why team-developed assessments are important:
\n1) They are more efficient. Teachers could divide responsiblilities and not duplicate and replicate. This is working smarter, not harder.
\n2) They promote equity. All students learn the same curriculum with the same strategies and take the same assessments.
\n3) They help monitor and improve student learning. Research indicates that common assessments improve student achievement.
\n4) They improve the performance of the indivitual teacher and the team of teachers. They are able to gather data than can actually be compared to the teacher next door because they are doing the same thing in their classroom.
\n5) They can build the capacity of the team to achieve at higher levels. When teachers have access to other teachers' repertoir of skills, they can expand their own.
\n6) They are essential to systematic interventions when students do not learn. This concept allows for teams to create systems of intervention for students who do not learn the concepts.
\nThe author contends that team developed common formative assessments are a cornerstone to an effective PLC.","dateCreated":"1299174014","smartDate":"Mar 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"tlcoleman3","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/tlcoleman3","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1288704234\/tlcoleman3-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"36159494","body":"#1) Discuss the importance of formative assessment in a PLC.
\nAs educators, we want to make a difference on students. The most important step that we must take is to assess whether they are learning the standards being taught. I think Wiliam & Thompson (page 202) gave the best definition of formative assessment. According to Wiliam & Thompson, 2007, \u201cformative assessment is an assessment for learning, a tool used to inform both the teacher and the student about the student\u2019s current level of achievement, to guide the teacher\u2019s instructional practice, to help the student understand what steps must be taken to further his or her learning, and to motivate the student to take those steps.\u201d
\nIn my opinion, formative assessment is an essential element of a PLC because it forms the foundation of teaching and learning. On the contrary to summative assessment, formative assessment is focused on collaboration in the classroom and identifying learning gaps during instruction. An example of summative assessment is TAKS tests. Even though the test results are helpful, teachers wait months to get the results and it is too late to implement or re-teach the topic or skills that students needed. Formative assessment is intended to serve as an introduction for teachers to learn more about their instruction and how can they help their students achieve targeted learning goals. As future principals, we must focus on two key areas, supporting our students and supporting our teachers. We must also establish a clear and shared focus through our professional learning communities which targets a shift from teaching to learning.
\n
\n#2) What are some key factors discussed by the authors regarding the importance of PLC\u2019s?
\nAccording to Dylan Wiliam and Mike Thompson (2007) p. 206, there are five key strategies that teachers should use in the classroom to maintain formative assessment. The five key strategies are
\n1. Clarify and share learning intentions and criteria for success.
\n2. Engineer effective classroom discussions, questions and learning tasks.
\n3. Provide specific feedback that moves learners forward.
\n4. Activate students as instructional resources for one another.
\n5. Activate students as the owners of their own learning.
\n
\nDylan Wiliam and Mike Thompson (2007) p. 211-212 also offer five reasons to support their argument that formative assessments created by collaborative teams offer the largest gains in student learning. The five reasons are
\n1. Teachers working collectively are more likely to possess that expertise than teachers working in isolation.
\n2. When teachers see compelling evidence of students taught by their colleagues who are achieving at higher levels, they are more motivated to investigate alternative instructional strategies.
\n3. Teachers repeatedly reported the commitments they had made to teammates kept them moving forward with implementation of new strategies.
\n4. When teachers develop common formative assessments they are engaged in the most powerful form of professional development.
\n5. Teachers make the transition from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning.
\n
\nI think that one key factor of importance of PLC is to have teachers learn and work together in order to achieve a common goal. Common formative assessment is one way in which teachers could learn and work together to help students increase achievement levels.","dateCreated":"1300541978","smartDate":"Mar 19, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"shawneequa.nunez","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/shawneequa.nunez","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"36187404","body":"Jason Pearce Chapter 8
\n
\n#1. Discuss the importance of formative assessments in a PLC.
\n
\n
\n A formative assessment should help a student in the learning process as well as inform the teacher of current achievement levels. The teacher uses these assessments to guide future teaching practices. These tests support learning a provides evidence to help the teacher use strategies that will be effective in student learning. Summative asssessments don't always give regular feedback regarding learning strengths and weaknesses and often times it is too late to address the needs of the students before moving on to new content. Formative assessments have the potential to IMPROVE learning. A good teachers is assessing ALL THE TIME, then using the feedback to check student skill and understanding. When a teachers uses formative assessment they should keep the following in mind...1) make it clear to the students what they should be learning 2) Engineer effective classroom instruction 3) provide feedback 4) train students to help each other 5) activate students as owners of their own learning. Teachers often make the mistake of recording test results and moving on to new content without addressing student defeciency. Formative assessment can be even better when teams of teachers form common assessments to administer to all students. The team of teachers can be in better position to identify effective strategies to resolve any difficulties in student learning. This teacher collaboration allows the ddepartment to analyze the data from these common assessments and discuss different strategies and techniques to addresss students needs. "This is how we solve the problem" is more effective than "This is the problem the students are experiencing."
\n
\n
\n#2. What are some key factors discussed by the authors regarding the importance of PLCs.
\n
\n1) TEAM-DEVELOPED COMMON ASSESSMENTS ARE MORE EFFICIENT.
\n
\nA team of teachers can get together and give their own expertise and divide responsibilities for developing units and assessments. This is an example of working smart and creating a curriculum and assessments that are the same across all classrooms in the department.
\n
\n2) TEAM DEVELOPED COMMON ASSESSMENTS PROMOTE EQUITY.
\n
\nCommon assessments increases the likelihood that students will have across to the same curriculum, same skills, same tests and have their judged according to the same criteria. This promotes equity across the entire department.
\n
\n3) TEAM-DEVELOPMENT COMMON FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS HELP MONITOR AND IMPROVE STUDENT LEARNING.
\n
\nCommon formative assessments is one of the most powerful strategies for improving student learning.
\n
\n4) TEAM-DEVELOPED COMMON FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS CAN INFORM AND IMPROVE THE PRACTICE OF BOTH TEACHERS AND TEAMS OF TEACHERS.
\n
\nWhen you have common formative assessments, your teachers are getting constant feedback on student proficiency and they have a common assessment where all students are held to the same standard. This helps promote a change in teaching practices, especially when one classroom is scoring lower than the others in a certian area.
\n
\n5) TEAM-DEVELOPED COMMON FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS CAN BUILD THE CAPACITY OF THE TEAM TO ACHIEVE AT HIGHER LEVELS.
\n
\nWhen teachers have access to others ideas and materials, they can expand their repertoire of skills. These teachers can begin to use these new sets of skills to raise student achievement. Teachers will be successful when they become more skilled in the use of assessments.
\n
\n6) TEAM-DEVELOPED COMMON FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO SYSTEMATIC INTERVENTIONS WHEN STUDENTS DO NOT LEARN.
\n
\n"What happens when students don't learn?" PLCs will create a system of intervention to allow time and support for the struggling student. These common formative assessments are critical to intervention.","dateCreated":"1300642655","smartDate":"Mar 20, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"JasonPearce1","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/JasonPearce1","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"36195164","body":"1. Formative assessment is a critical component of a PLC. Formative assessments are assessments for learning, not of learning. In this manner, assessments are frequent and ongoing. These assessments inform the teacher and students of where the students are at in their learning, to diagnose problems in learning, and more importantly to inform teachers of steps to be taken towards different, more effective teaching strategies.
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\n2) One key factor discussed by the authors regarding the importance of PLCs are that these ongoing formative assessments should be collaboritively created by the teachers and that results of these assessments be dissected by the teachers collaboritively. Once these results are dissected together, teachers as a unit can share strategies that were successful. The bonuses here are plentiful. First, these teachers are not relying on outside research; they are more likely to believe in what they are seeing happen on campus. Secondly, these teachers are not hearing what works at other schools; instead they are seeing it work right in their own schools. Third, it becomes less uncomfortable to implement new strategies with support from their cohorts. Fourth, a team of teachers is going to be more successful than a teacher working in isolation when creating these formative assessments. Fifth, when teachers work collaboratively, their professional development is hands-on and lasting, rather than fleeting as some trends will be. Lastly, these commom formative assessments complete the transition from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning, which is the most integral aspect to a PLC.","dateCreated":"1300656395","smartDate":"Mar 20, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"carla.byrne","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/carla.byrne","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"36269664","body":"1. As stated, formative assessments are assessments \u201cfor\u201d learning; to be more specific, this type of assessment identifies a student\u2019s current achievement level, but also allows for teachers to refine their teaching practices from the assessment data to better instruct \u201call\u201d students; more importantly, this data includes \u201cprecise information about the strengths and weaknesses of individual students\u201d. Formative assessments, because they are administered on a frequent basis, also \u201caccurately\u201d reflects student achievement and allows for immediate intervention(s) if necessary. Finally, when these assessments are created collectively, teachers become more aware of their own weaknesses\/strengths in regards to instructional strategies and knowledge, thus, \u201congoing\u201d formative assessments ensure \u201congoing\u201d and continued student achievement and the cultivating of best teaching practices.
\n2. In regards to formative assessments and PLCS, when colleagues work as a unit or team to create common assessments, they are more apt to have meaningful and genuine dialogue when sharing their ideas. Teachers have more opportunities to resolve difficulties as a group and eagerly seek-out professional development \u2013 whether on campus or off-campus. Ultimately, the sharing of \u201cbest practices\u201d drives the creation of powerful and authentic assessments that translates into student success; rather than working in isolation, collaboration also yields assessments that are consistent, equitable, and fair. With this, students become highly aware of these initiatives, thus, they are more prone to advocate for their own learning and academic success. Finally, this systematic (& ongoing) way of thinking helps reinforce a sense of community and allows all PLC members to take ownership of both teaching and learning.","dateCreated":"1300745838","smartDate":"Mar 21, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"paulhidalgo","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/paulhidalgo","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]}],"more":true},"comments":[]},"http":{"code":200,"status":"OK"},"redirectUrl":null,"javascript":null,"notices":{"warning":[],"error":[],"info":[],"success":[]}}