Constructing a learning partnership in transformative teacher development

RSA4:  Constructing a learning partnership in transformative teacher development

By:  Charley Eads 

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            Transformative learning is a process that moves a student to a reflective practitioner according to Palloff and Pratt (2007).  When a student signs up for a class they obviously are there to learn the subject matter that is intended to be learned.  While answering questions in an online forum other students have the opportunity to reply to comments that are being made.  When this process happens students may dig deeper and reflect and take the discussions to different areas than were expected.  This process may need to be guide by the teacher of the online course according to Palloff and Pratt (2007).

            Swanson (2010) discusses how in a classroom when something is written reflectively there I just a simple reflection.  To take that work and make it public would the gather perspective and placement of others.  This type of reflective practice would encourage the student to grow knowing there is an acceptance of their individual work.  Swanson (2010) also discusses that the level the student reflects at depends on the developmental stage of the student. 

           

            Transformative learning will allow students to be able to gain more in their studies and to hopefully become better problem solvers.  When this process takes place it causes students to think about options and possibilities they may not have thought about before.  The collaboration that is involved will aid in the process.  With the guidance of an instructor students have the realm available to them to learn to learn and be able to problem solve more efficiently.  This is the type of thinking that educators want students to gain.  The old way of regurgitating information is found to be simply not enough!

           

References

Palloff, R., Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: effective strategies for the virtual classroom. (2^nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

 Swanson, K. (2010). Constructing a learning partnership in transformative teacher development. Reflective Practice, 11(2), 259-269. doi:10.1080/14623941003672428

RSA3 Online Communities

RSA3:  A Student's Guide to Strengthening an Online Community

By:  Charley Eads

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            Honesty, responsiveness, relevance, respect, openness, and empowerment are the keys to building a successful learning community according to Palloff, R., Pratt, K. (2010).  This all begins with the professor and rolls directly in to the students' ability to be successful in the online community.  The ability to feel safe on the students' part will allow them to collaborate more efficiently in the classroom and feel comfortable doing it.  The online community will be graded more so on the depth of knowledge and the number of skills gained (Palloff, R, Pratt, K. 2010).  This is why it is important that the students remain comfortable with the community and tools they are expected to use in any given class.

            With the advancement of how learning is done through technology, Students will need to be able to grow in skills and abilities to keep up in worldly matters.  Online communities have grown to huge importance because of this.  West, R (2010) says that one reason for the importance of online communities it so to help students overcome the sense of isolation that online students could traditionally feel.  When students feel comfortable in their particular online community they tend to engage more, have more respect for the diversity of all students, higher intrinsic motivation and a higher learning outcome (West, R 2010).  This will definitely allow the students to be the best students they can be.

            All communities are important.  When fact-to-face interaction is not possible the community needs to find its way through other means.  Interactions that take place without eye to eye contact can be more bold and in depth!  Online communities can provide such a place to learn and grow as students and professionals.  When a community is fully functional by all members it will erupt with possibilities of growth in all areas.  When knowledge and collaboration are presented in an online community that is safe and friendly you can bet that everyone that is included will unlock their personal potentials for accelerated growth.

References

Palloff, R., Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: effective strategies for the virtual classroom. (2^nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

West, R. (2010). A student’s guide to strengthening an online community. 54 (5), 69-75. doi: 10.1007/s11528-010-0439-7

RSA2: How One Elementary School Uses Data to Help Raise Students' Reading Achievement

RSA2:  How One Elementary School Uses Data to Help Raise Students' Reading Achievement

By:  Charley Eads

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            "The very reason to engage in the PLC process is to improve results" (DuFour  RI, Dufour Re, Eaker, Many, 2010).  Engaging in a PLC may be exactly opposite of how educators have been working.  Instead of focusing on process and inputs, educators need to focus on results.  These results will allow educators to enhance their practices to improve student learning, however, the results will need to be authentic and provided in a timely manner.  DuFour  et al (2010) states  that collecting data is the first step towards wisdom, and sharing data is the first step towards community.  Utilizing SMART goals will allow educators to achieve their goals.  Administration needs to assist educators by providing immediate feedback to allow educators to adjust if needed to improve student results.

            Westwood elementary in Ankeny, IA found itself on the NCLB watch list for reading performance.  Principal Ford knew something had to be done.  He turned to DuFour and Many's work in Professional Learning Communities at work:  Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement (1998).  The focus of the PLC was to increase reading scores significantly.  Immediately, Westwood was taken off the watch list due to the results of the student achievement.  Main focuses were place on teacher collaboration, and the ability of Principal Ford to hire substitute teachers and utilize late start Wednesdays to help with the collaboration process.  The school district went a step further and created Teacher Quality funds that compensated teachers for their extra time they spent working on the PLC process.

            The particular PLC focused on reading results.  According to Mokhtari, Thoma, Edwards (2009) "research tells us that teacher engagement in ongoing collaborative data review and reflection leads to substantive changes in reading instruction, which can,  in turn result in significant improvements in student reading achievement."  DuFour et al (2010) discussed how a PLC is used to improve results.  Westwood found this out first hand.  Collaboration that is focused on results will allow educators to better meet students' needs.  Research has proved this!  Recent experience at Kewanee high school shows that the data needs to be specific to a certain goals otherwise, results will not be achieved.

References

DuFour, RI., DuFour, RE., Eaker, R., Many, T. (2010).  Learning by doing:  A handbook for professional learning communities at work. (2^nd ed.).  Bloomington:  Solution Tree Press.
 Mokhtari, K., Thoma, J., & Edwards, P. (2009). How one elementary school uses data to help raise students' reading achievement. Reading Teacher, 63(4), 334-337.

The Implementation of PLC's

RSA1:  The Implementation of PLC’s

By:  Charley Eads

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               I found an article from the Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin called Professional Learning Communities: Practices for Successful Implementation.  The authors Linder, Post and Calabrese discuss their findings as they attempted to implement PLC within community schools.  The topic that struck me as most important was the building a sense of community.

               Creating a staff that completely buys in to a vision can be daunting!  Time and time again you will read about how educators should meet, "as a whole group to write curriculum," Linder (p. 14).  The key here is definitely as a whole group.  The more educators work together the more they can accomplish.  As educators grow as a group they find that sharing ideas and thoughts over success and failures that they can learn from each other Linder (p. 14) tells us that educators were, “willing to disrupt their previous instructional routines.”  Many times it seems that educators are just trying to keep their heads above water and refuse to change.  Within all teams one should find unity that is unbreakable.

               As a PLC is implemented into a school, educators and administration alike, need to look at the values component to discuss behavior.  “How must we behave to create the school that will achieve our purpose?” (Dufour, p. 33)  In education our behaviors must be held in the utmost importance in order for everyone to be on the same page.  We always hear lead by example.  Some of the actions of educators that I witness would cause me great pain in my classroom.  Leaders need to be seen as guidance more than someone watching over them.  This will encourage participation by the entire group.  This participation will most likely lead to the better education of the students.

Work Cited

Linder, R. A., Post, G., & Calabrese, K. (2012). Professional Learning Communities: Practices for                Successful Implementation. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 78(3), 13-22.

DuFour, RI., DuFour, RE., Eaker, R., Many, T. (2010).  Learning By Doing(2^nd ed.).  Bloomington, IN:  Solution Tree Press

Charleys Blog

This is my first Blog ever.  I just wanted to let you know that I am related to President Lincoln!(At least that is what my dad said)  President Lincoln was a wrestler in his hayday as well!

Charley