plc overview. resources essential questions: what do you mean by plc? how do plcs fit within your...
TRANSCRIPT
PLC Overview
Resources
Essential Questions:
• What do you mean by PLC?
• How do PLCs fit within your current structures?
• What will your PLC do?
• What is your plan to implement PLCs?
Today’s Outcomes and Processes
• Connect to prior learning• Myths and Legends of
PLC’s• Benefits of PLC’s• PLC Readiness • Identify Necessary
Conditions• Understanding Teams• PLCWashington.org
• “T” Chart Activity
• “123” Shoot Protocol
• Using Surveys
• 6 Hats
• Discussion
• Reflection
• Engagement
The Power of Professional Learning Communities
The most promising strategy for sustained,
substantive school improvement is building
the capacity of school personnel to function
as a professional learning community. The
path to change in the classroom lies within and
through professional learning
communities.
-Milbrey McLauglin, 1995
Educators in 100 different districts identified three broad areas of change that need to
occur to improve student learning
1. Rethink and transform the current professional development paradigm.
2. Restructure the outcomes of teachers' professional development.
3. Re-culturing schools and communities for on-going, job-embedded teacher growth and professional development.
Source: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory - SEDL
What do you know about PLC’s?
The BIG IDEAS of a PLC
We accept learning as the fundamental purpose of our school (Students, Staff, Community)We are committed to working together to achieve our collective purpose. We cultivate a collaborative culture through development of high performing teams.We assess our effectiveness on the basis of results rather that intentions. We are Driven by the four foundational questions . . .
Teams in PLCs Collaborate About the Right Things:
4 Critical Questions of Learning
What is it we expect students to learn?
How will we know when students have learned it?
How will we respond when students don’t learn?
How will we respond when students already know it?
PLC’s are Learned Behaviors . . . With Great Benefits
Myths and Legends Activity
• What have you heard from others about PLC’s?• What do you want to know about PLC’s?• What do you think a PLC is?• What do you think a PLC is not?
Is Is Not
Staff Benefits Student Benefits
Is . . . Educators Learning from each other
Is . . . A collaborative process
Is . . . Focused on student work and student learning
Is . . . Focused on Instructional Practice
Is . . . An empowering infrastructure of support
Is . . . Effective professional development
Is . . . Connected to the context of teachers’ classrooms
Is . . . Action and results oriented
Is . . . Continuous school improvement
A Professional Learning Community . . .
A Professional Learning Community . . .
Is Not . . . A prescription
Is Not . . . A new “program”
Is Not . . . Just a book study
Is Not . . . Forced on educators
Is Not . . . Another fad
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory- SEDL
Staff Benefits
Reduced teacher isolation
Collective responsibility for student success
Increased understanding of the roles teachers play in helping all students achieve
More satisfaction
higher morale
less absenteeism
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory - SEDL
Student Benefits
Decreased dropout rate
Less absenteeism
Greater academic gains in comparison to traditional schools
Smaller achievement gaps between students from different backgrounds
What is a PLC?
Educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes in order to improve student learning
School
Each PLC is organized into a series of high-performing collaborative teams which meet on a regular basis to focus on student learning.
Team Team Team
Four QuestionsEach Team uses the four foundational questions to drive reflection, action research, essential learnings, lessons, formative assessments, support, and enrichment . . . Resulting in . . .
Results Improved Student Learning
What is a Team?
School
Team
Four Questions
Results
Team
A team is a group of people working interdependently to achieve a common goal, for which members are held mutually accountable
Organized by a shared course, shared subject, shared grade level, or interdisciplinary program. There has to be a logical reason for putting teams together
Teams answer the four questions
1. What do we want our students to learn? (Most essential curriculum 8-12 key learnings per semester)
2. How will we know they are learning? (frequent, team-developed, common, formative assessments)
3. How will we respond when they don’t learn? (timely, directive, systematic interventions)
4. How will we respond when they do learn? (timely enrichment/extension)
School
Four Questions
Results
Team Team Team
What are the Four Questions?
Four Questions
What is a PLC?
• Time
• Team Norms
• Resources
• Trust
• Removing Barriers
• Shared Knowledge
• Job Embedded PD
• Shared Purpose
• Establishing Focus
School
Team Team Team
Four Questions
Results
Necessary C
on
ditio
ns
Team Defined
A team is a group of people working interdependently toward a common goal for which members are mutually accountable.
Not Teamwork
Working as a Team
What do PLCs and the Blue Angels have in common . . . ?
What are your teams?
• Discuss and share out your team structures…– What are your roles?– What questions are
you exploring?– What support do you
need in order to work more effectively as a team?
Professional Learning
communities
Awareness
Time
TeamworkNorms
Purpose
Coaching
Trust
Data
Protocols CollaborationWorking
with Adults
Looking at student
work
Norms
Time
Data
Trust
Coach
Norms
Time
Data
TrustCoach
Time
Are you Ready for a PLC?
1,2,3, Shoot
1, 2, 3, Shoot
Reflective Dialogue • Faculty/staff members talk with each other about their
situations and the specific challenges they face.
Not at all Somewhat 50% To a large degree
To a great extent
1 2 3 4 5
Discussion:
1, 2, 3, Shoot
De-Privatization of Practice• Teachers share, observe, and discuss each others’
teaching methods and philosophies.
Not at all Somewhat 50% To a large degree
To a great extent
1 2 3 4 5
Discussion:
Finish “Shooting” 15 - 20 Minutes
PLC Survey
What barriers exist in your school?
• Based upon the survey discussion or your experience…– What barriers exist in
your school?– How do you plan to
address them?– How will you engage
others in this conversation?
Initial Thoughts
Time for Learning & Collaboration
Removing Barriers
Establishing Group Procedures
Working as a team/Teacher Isolation
Resources
Facilitation
Physical Proximity
Necessary Conditions
Challenge Cycle
Developing Norms Worksheet
When Establishing Norms, Consider Proposed Norm
TimeWhen do we meet?Will we set a beginning and ending time?Will we start and end on time?
ListeningHow will we encourage listening?How will we discourage interrupting?
ConfidentialityWill the meetings be open?Will what we say in the meeting be held in confidence?What can be said after the meeting?
Decision MakingHow will we make decisions?Are we an advisory or a decision-making body?Will we reach decisions by consensus?How will we deal with conflicts?
ParticipationHow will we encourage everyone’s participation?Will we have an attendance policy?
ExpectationsWhat do we expect from members?Are there requirements for participation?
Norms
• Review your group norms…
• Write 2-3 behavioral definitions for your norm. (What does it really look like?)
• What will you do if norms are not followed?
Protocols
• Clearly define roles
• Create safety through structures
• Are used purposefully
• Define time, expectations, procedures and products
• Build trust
Consultancy Protocol
• Read overview of consultancy protocol
• Watch video on PLC Washington and jot notes/initial thoughts on protocol description
• Discuss possible use in your team
Central Question or Proposed Change (6 Hats Protocol)
Are we ready to implement this plan as presented?
Six Hats Protocol1. Proposed Future Change for the
School
2. State the Central Question or Proposed Change so Everyone Understands
3. Assign One Color Hat to Six individuals (or subgroups from a larger group)
4. Each Color Hat will Focus on the Change or Central Question through the Lens of their Particular Hat
Six Hats Protocol
• White Hat = Data (Research, Effectiveness, Costs)
• Black Hat = Caution (Downsides of this idea)• Red Hat = Emotion (How will people react to the
idea? Who will like it? Who will be upset?)• Green Hat = Growth (Learn? Grow as a staff?)• Blue Hat = Process/Communication (who
facilitates the process? How will this be communicated with stakeholders?)
• Yellow Hat = Sunshine (Positive Aspects, Benefits? What good will come of this? )
Should We Implement This Plan?
Data Caution Emotion
GrowthPositive
Facilitate communication
Central Question or Proposed Change
Should we implement the plan as presented?
"Unless you are prepared to give up something valuable you will never be able to truly change at all, because you'll be forever in the
control of things you can't give up."
— Andy Law Creative Company
Protocol
• Assign “hats” to team members• Take 2 minutes to write at least one question for
your hat• Starting with the white hat:
– Pose question– Team asks clarifying questions (2 minutes)– Team discusses question (3 minutes)– Repeat for all hats
• Debrief– What questions remain unresolved?– What next steps do you suggest for your team?
Something was missing…
• What would you suggest to improve this protocol?
• How could a protocol like this help you implement your team norms?
Investigating Protocols
• Read procedure and recourse in your packet.
• Discuss protocols you would like to learn more about, or try with your team.
• Next steps?
Are you willing to investigate and implement a PLC at your school?
1. Write down your level of commitment on the sticky side of the sticky notes (so people can’t see the number when stuck on a wall). Don’t show anyone else in the group
2. Use a scale between 0% and 100% (in increments of 10 e.g. 40%, 70%, 10%, 90%)
3. Post on the ConSensoGram which produces a graph for a quick measurement check against the question above.
Process Matters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Question: How willing are you to investigate and implement a PLC at your school?
All of us are smarter than any one of us
My success is dependent on your success
Group IQ
There is such a thing as group IQ. While a group can be no smarter than the sum total of the knowledge and skill of its members, it can be much “dumber” if its internal workings don’t allow people to share their talents.
-Robert Sternberg
Questions?
Time Bandit
Why Professional Learning Communities?
Staff identifying their own needs and developing learning experiences to meet those needs
School-based and embedded in daily work
Organized around collaborative problem-solving
Continuous and on-going with follow-up and support
Apply new learning within the context of the classroom
Connected to a comprehensive change process
Recognized by research to improve student learning
PLC’s will be the P.D. of the 21st Century
Schools are struggling with the Implementation of PLCs
People are learning some of the “What” but not the “How”
Necessary Conditions are not highly considered
More authentic way to improve schools
Focused on student learning and instructional practice
Why Professional Learning Communities?