PLC+September+24

=** Week 5 PLC: **** Studying Teaching Practice in Professional Learning Communities **=

PLC Meeting Location:Distant PLC Meeting Time:Distant

Hour 1
Please view the video below as an anticipatory set for today’s lesson, to get your attention focused on using Inquiry to study Teaching Practice in collaborative groups: [] (seems to take a while to load and displays very small, but is worth it! Approximately 15 min.)
 * //ENGAGE//**

//One suggestion: []//
 * //EXPLORE//**

Hour 2

 * //EXPLAIN//**

//**Please view the video and respond to the discussion question by posting it here on the wiki page. Include your name at the end of your comment.**//

1. How would it help you as a teacher to have a time to discuss with other teachers?

It would help me because I would get to hear other teacher's ideas and how their lesson plans work. By talking to other teachers I would also be able to hear different strategies and try them out in my own classroom. (Abby)

It would help me learn how to ask questions and respond to teacher educational views. This would allow me to figure out the teaching style that would work best for me in the classroom and be a better collaborator. (Christina)

As a teacher I need feedback from my team because they might have different approches that could help me become a better teacher. Also I can share my ideas to others that need my help. We all gain from dicussing with other teachers. (Rachel)

I think as a teacher you never stop learning and hearing what other teacher's are doing in their classroom would help me become a better teacher. (Stephanie)

It would help me as a teacher to have time to discuss with other teachers because it would not only provide me with valuable feedback on my teaching, but give me suggestions for ideas to incorporate into my lesson plans and classroom to better the education of the students. (Libbi)

2. What would it take to provide time in a school day for teachers to discuss together?

Administrators would have to be willing to give teachers the time and everyone would have to work cooperatively in order for there to be time for teachers. I think it would take time away from the students or it would take away planning time that teachers need. (Abby)

I believe it would take a positive attitude, effort, and support to provide time in a school day for teachers to discuss together. I say this because, many teachers fell overwhelmed with tasks (legal and mandated by the school principal and school board). If they would keep a positive attitude about all challenged requirements they would be able to make time during the school day. (Christina)

A set schedule that everyone can be comfortable and everyone agress too. It is important for all teachers to show up on time and prepare to give feedback or share findings they have seen in their classrooms. (Rachel)

Working together, positive attitude, wiling to be flexible and a stable schedule that everyone agrees to make to time for discussion. (Stephanie)

It would take coordinating schedules, providing for supervision for the students when the teachers are meeting, and a set process for discussion to use the allotted time most effectively. (Libbi)

3. Do you believe that these discussions could be accomplished during planning time? Why or why not?

I do not think that these discussions could be during planning time because there would be too little time to talk with other teachers. I think that most teachers would rather use there time to plan than discuss issues. A solution to this problem could be for teachers to have a meeting time once a month for these discussions to be held. (Abby)

Yes, I believe that these discussions could be accomplished during planning time. Teachers should stay focused on what they want to discuss during planning time. If they plan to discuss it and don't then they were not being very productive. They should distinguish times between topics before hand so they may have time to discuss everything and possibly more. (Christina)

I believe planning time could be used for discussions once a week either at the beginning or at the end. All other days should be used to actually plan what you need to do that week. A very important quality is to be prepared and that planning time should be used efficiently. (Rachel)

No, I believe that these discussion should not be during planning time because is hard for teacher to do that and also have time to do lesson plans. (Stephanie)

I believe that some of these discussions could be accomplished during planning time if they are short discussions, but planning time is already very busy. Teachers need all of the planning time to actually plan and therefore do not have time left over to have meaningful discussions with other teachers. (Libbi)


 * //ELABORATE//**

First, take turns discussing the data you have collected so far on your Child Inquiry. These questions might guide your conversation:
 * Who did I choose?
 * What did I see?
 * What does it mean?

Next, it is time to analyze the data you have collected, or in other words, figure out what is going on with this student! Either individually, or in partners, take some time right now to read and listen to Modules 4 and 5. Once everyone has gone through these, discuss. Finally, the Inquiry #2 assignment requires you to select a teaching practice of your cooperating teacher to study—something that seems to work or something that doesn’t seem to work or something that has just caught your eye. Could be:
 * Grouping
 * Presenting
 * Classroom management
 * Communicating
 * Technology use

As a group, make a list of teaching strategies that you see used in your class. Take turns formulating a “wondering” about one strategy. How can your PLC group help you to initiate, analyze, and write-up this inquiry?

Hour 3

 * //EVALUATE//**

We learned that it is important for teachers to have time with other teachers in order to discuss different classroom issues. We all agreed that it would be difficult to have a scheduled time have these discussions that would meet everyone's needs. We also agreed that teachers can learn from other teacher's experiences and need that time to spend with another adult in order to talk about what worked and did not work in the classroom. We know that we learned something and grew from it because we all had not heard of this collaborative teaching groups. When watching the video we learned what was need and that it would be very useful to have on a campus. We all thought that this could be something that we would look for on a campus or maybe suggest it if it is not already being implemented.

3. As a group, please look at the Assignments page for the description and grading rubric for the Inquiry #2 assignment. Now is the time to being Inquiry #2, selecting a teaching practice of your cooperating teacher to study. The format is the same as your Child study, and you should use what you learned through the five QUEST Teacher Research Modules.

4. Individually, please send your PLC Check as an email to Caroline so that she can get you recorded as "attending" in the gradebook:
 * What/Who worked well in today’s PLC meeting?
 * What/Who didn’t work so well in today’s PLC meeting?