Communities of Continous Inquiry and Improvement

http://www.sedl.org/pubs/change34/5.html

Resource Sharing Activity #2
Community Outcomes: Improving Teaching, Learning, and Understanding


Professional Learning Communities: (Article)
Communities of Continuous Inquiry and Improvement
Dr. Shirley M. Hord (1997)

"Our view is, by the way, that if you can't make a school a great professional place for its staff, it's never going to be a great place for kids" (Brandt, 1992, p. 21, quoting Hank Levin).


This articles’ focus identified how the relationship between staff and students, working together, created a learning community which produced positive outcomes for student’s achievement. They took ownership and shared the responsibility and success of students. In being successful to create such positive outcomes, these schools were committed to working together. They had something else in common; they shared the same mission.

Schools that became a professional learning community were willing to work together. They made changes to their classroom pedagogy and as a result students began to become engaged in learning task and achievement became greater in reading, math, science and history.

According to Darling-Hammond (1995) observations were made on schools that had initiated school improvement efforts. These schools analyzed teaching and learning, and through discussions, they realized that the practices were effective for students. Also academic results developed more quickly than schools that did not initiate school improvement.

Darling-Hammond also suggests that the interaction between teachers is critical. Teacher need to be able to talk and share with each other what they know, as well as being able to seek answers from other teachers regarding problems that they may be experiencing with teaching and student’s learning. Teacher’s seldom have the opportunity to observe their peer’s teaching and it is something that definitely needs to be addressed. Teaching is an every changing cycle and like students change over time, the same is true with teaching.

Professional Learning Communities are not only addressing the needs to the students, but the needs to teachers as well. Teaching is an ongoing process and to be an effective teacher, learning is always going to be taking place. The learning community gives the teacher opportunities to not only learn within their school, but outside the school as well.

In order for schools to be successful, there must be a connection. Learning becomes successful when teachers can teach in their classrooms effective, but when they also have the opportunity to find solutions to problems with other teaching professionals.
I thought this article tied in really well with our regarding. I know that it brought a greater understanding to me as far as the importance of Professional Learning Community. Improving our teaching, learning and understanding cannot be undertaken along. When teachers are not willing to be a part of such a community, I think the interest of the student’s learning is not their focus. We also have to remember, that no one person knows everything. We can’t be afraid to say when we are faced with problem(s) and need help in finding solutions.


References:
Brandt, R. (1995, November). On restructuring schools: A conversation with Fred Newmann. Educational Leadership, 53(3), 70-73.
Darling-Hammond, L. (1995). Policy for restructuring, in Ann Lieberman (ed.), The work of restructuring schools: Building from the ground up. New York: Teachers College Press.
Lieberman, A. (ed.). (1995b). The work of restructuring schools: Building from the ground up. New York: Teachers College Press.