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= **The Art of Learning - A Virtual Community of Professional Learners** = =//"The way to learn is by leading; the way to lead is by learning." -Roland Barth in Learning by Heart// =

What a Professional Learning Community is NOT…. “Business as Usual”

 * // Everything in a school changes once Professional Learning Communities begin to take hold – beliefs, practices, behaviors, and how we do the business of teaching and learning. //**
 * // Cultural Shifts in a Professional Learning Community //**

Phil Schlechty ( 2005) refers to the challenge of reculturing as “disruptive change” because it “calls upon the system and those who work in it to do things they have never done” (p.3). It has been referred to as “second-order change”- innovation that represents a dramatic departure from the expected and familiar. Second-order change is seen as a break from the past, is inconsistent with existing paradigms, may seem at conflict with prevailing practices and norms, and requires the acquisition of new knowledge and new skills (Marzano, Waters, &McNulty, 2005) Few involved in the work of learning teams would argue against the idea that significant cultural shifts are necessary before schools can fun c tion collaboratively. While collective action seems logical, philosophical shifts are needed in three basic areas**//: (1) fundamental purpose; (2) use of assessments; and (3) response when students don't learn//**. This document provides an approachable overview of the kinds of changes necessary before a school can begin to think about teaching and learning in a new way. How can you change what people believe? You have to debunk the myths and at the same time focus on changing the behaviors. “Effective Leaders do not begin by focusing on changing assumptions and beliefs; they begin by focusing on **// changing behaviors” – //** Dufours,(2008) p.108. ( emphasis added). “There is a large literature demonstrating that attitudes follow behavior. That means people accept new beliefs as a result of changing their behavior” ( p. 65). Fullan ( 2007) insists “ all successful change processes have a bias for action….behaviors and emotions change before beliefs – we need to act in a new way before we get insights and feeling related to new beliefs. “Grab people by their practice and their hearts and minds will follow” Elmore ( 2002) ** Cultural Shifts in a Professional Learning Community ** From….. || To…… || A focus on Teaching || A focus on Learning || An emphasis on what was Taught || A fixation on what students learned || Coverage of content || Demonstration of Proficiency || Providing individual teachers with curriculum documents such as: state standards and curriculum guides…. || Engaging collaborative teams in building shared knowledge regarding essential curriculum. || 2. **A Shift in the Use of Assessments** From… || To…. || Infrequent summative assessments || Frequent, common, formative assessments || Assessments to determine which students failed to learn by the deadline. || Assessments to identify students who need additional time and support || Assessments used to reward and punish students || Assessments used to inform and motivate students || Assessing many things infrequently || Assessing a few things frequently || Individual teacher assessments || Assessments developed jointly by collaborative teams || Each teacher determining the criteria to be used in assessing student work || Collaborative teams clarifying the criteria and ensuring consistency among team members when assessing student work || An over-reliance on one kind of assessment || Balanced assessments || Focusing on average scores || Monitoring each student’s proficiency in every essential skill ||
 * How Do We Impact Culture? **
 * 1. Fundamental Purpose: **

3. **A Shift in the Response When Students Don’t Learn**

From…. || To…. || Individual teachers determining the appropriate response || A systematic response which ensures support for every student || Fixed time and support for learning || Time and support for learning as variables || remediation || intervention || Invitational support outside of the school day || Directed ( that is required)support occurring during the school day || One opportunity to demonstrate learning || Multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning ||


 * A Shift in the Work of Teachers**

From….. || To…. || Isolation || Collaboration || Each teacher clarifying what students must learn || Collaborative teams building shared knowledge and understanding about essential learning || Each teacher assigning priority to different learning standards || Collaborative teams establishing the priority of respective learning standards || Each teacher determining the pacing of the curriculum || Collaborative teams of teachers agreeing on common pacing || Individual teachers attempting to discover ways to improve results || Collaborative teams of teachers helping each other improve. || Privatization of practice || Open sharing of practice || Decisions made on the basis of individual preferences. || Decisions made collectively by building shared knowledge of best practice || “collaboration – lite” on matters unrelated to student achievement || Collaboration explicitly focused on issues and questions that most impact student achievement || An assumption that these are “my kids, those are your kids” || An assumption that these are “our kids”. ||


 * A Shift in Focus**

From: || To: || An external focus on issues outside of the school || An internal focus on steps the staff can take to improve the school || A focus on inputs || A focus on results || Goals related to completion of projects and activities || SMART goals demanding evidence of student learning || Teachers gathering data from their individually constructed tests in order to assign grades. || Collaborative teams acquiring information from common assessments in order to (1)inform their individual and collective practice, and (2)respond to students who need additional time and support. || Independence || Interdependence || A language of complaint || A language of commitment || Long term strategic planning || Planning for short term wins || Infrequent generic recognition || Frequent specific recognition and a culture of celebration that creates many winners ||


 * A Shift in Professional Development**

From || To || External training ( workshops and courses) || Job –embedded learning || The expectation that learning occurs infrequently ( on the few days devoted to professional development) || An expectation that learning is ongoing and occurs as part of routine work practice || Presentations to entire faculties || Team –based action research || Learning by listening || Learning by doing || Learning individually through courses and workshops || Learning collectively by working together || Assessing impact on the basis of teacher satisfaction ( “Did you like it?”) || Assessing impact on the basis of evidence of improved student learning. || Short-term exposure to multiple concepts and practices. || Sustained commitment to limited, focused initiatives. ||

Dufours(2008),Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work,Bloomington,IN pp. 92-98 Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, ( 2005), School Leadership that works, Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Schlecty,P(2005) Creating the capacity to support innovations: occasional paper #2. Louisville, KY:Schlechty Center for Leadership in School Reform. Accessed at [] on March 17, 2008. Elmore,R.(2002,January/February).The limits of change. Harvard Education Letter. Accessed at __[|http://www.edletter.org/past/issues/2002-jf/limits of change.shtml]__ on January 6, 2006.