MeTA musings

An article recently published in Washington ASCD's eJournal, Curriculum in Context, was an attempt in summarizing my district's professional learning journey during the past several years.

A special thanks goes out to the teachers and administrators on our district leadership team who have spearheaded and refined this vision.  I recall at least three times in which this team overhauled my draft professional learning agenda.  I count it a true blessing to work alongside a team with such a high level of trust.

PLCs are nice but I like PLNs better @NMHS_Principal #tic13
— Matt Degner (@mwdegner) June 19, 2013

Every once in a while I see a reference to PLNs, PLCs and communities of practice that makes me wonder if I understand the similarities and differences between these three phrases.  While I admit that I do not have a full understanding of these ideas, I thought it might be helpful for my own thinking to flesh out a few ideas in writing.

Personal Learning Networks (PLN)

"A personal or professional learning network (PLN) involves an individual's topic-oriented goal, a set of practices & techniques aimed at attracting and organizing a variety of relevant content sources, selected for their value, to help the owner accomplish a professional goal or personal interest." -David Warlick, slide 4

Furthermore:

"Personal learning networks (PLNs) are not new. We have long relied on our families, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances to supplement our knowledge about the world. Our professional learning also comes from reference books, the textbooks we carried home from college, the television and radio stations we tune in to, and the professional and personal-interest periodicals to which we subscribe. And we have been connecting with people and information through the digital realm for decades. But the times are still changing. Information and communication technologies (ICT), including an ever growing repertoire of open source applications, have freed content from the printed page, giving voice to the ideas of people we have never had access to before and enabling us to reshape our information experiences to suit our learning needs. Harnessing these new technologies to create and grow our own PLNs is imperative for educators who want to stay connected to the changing world we are charged with introducing to our students." -David Warlick (pdf)

Based on Mr. Warlick's definitions, a coin collector could have a personal learning network as might a doctor and elementary teacher.

While technology can play an important role in expanding and accessing additional resources in our personal learning network, I don't think today's digital tools define a personal learning network.  As an example, prior to joining Twitter several years ago, here's a snapshot of my PLN:

My goal was to improve as a high school math teacher.  I utilized professional journals, professional development (PD) opportunities, read publications and interacted with colleagues near and far.

Today, I am also able to learn through reading blogs, listening to podcasts, following conversations and links through Twitter, interacting with new and old friends face-to-face at conferences and video chat or talk on the phone with my siblings (and siblings-in-law) who are educators.  A PLN involves humans we interact with in person or virtually as well as the resources they create (i.e. blogs, journal articles, podcasts, conference presentations).

Professional Learning Communities (PLC)

"The idea of improving schools by developing professional learning communities is currently in vogue. People use the term to describe every imaginable combination of individuals with an interest in education - a grade-level teaching team, a school committee, a high school department, an entire school district, a state department of education, a national professional organization, and so on.  In fact, the term has been so ubiquitously used that it is in danger of losing all meaning."  - Richard DuFour 

So, what is a PLC?

"...an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve" - DuFour, DuFour, Eaker and Many, p. 11

From p. 14 of Learning by Doing, the essence of the PLC process is captured in three big ideas:

1. The purpose of our school is to ensure all students learn at high levels.
2. Helping all students learn requires a collaborative and collective effort
3. To assess our effectiveness in helping all students learn we must focus on results -- evidence of student learning -- and use results to inform our professional practice and respond to students who need intervention or enrichment.

In other words, a professional learning community is a group of educators who are working together to improve student learning.  From my vantage point, PLC is an education-specific term.  The adults who form a collaborative team within a professional learning community would likely share one or more of the following in common: students and/or content.  For example, a team of third grade teachers or high school science teachers may form a collaborative team working towards the ideals set forth in the PLC process.  It would be less likely that a secondary P.E. teacher, a first grade teacher and a guidance counselor would form a collaborative team within the PLC framework.  In my experience reading about and leading a PLC process, these educators are often a part of the same building or school district, but may also cross building or district boundaries.  Three physics teachers from separate districts could form a virtual collaborative team that uses evidence of student learning to inform professional practice.  

Communities of Practice

"Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly." - Etienne Wenger

This group of people have an identified shared interest.  As Wenger suggests, "In pursuing their interest in their domain, members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information." To use a phrase from the term itself, this group of practitioners share their resources and experiences with each other for the conscious or unconscious rationale of collective improvement.

Communities of practice appear to be present in education, government, professional membership associations, and in many other sectors.

Synthesizing PLC, PLN and Communities of Practice
First, I think it's important to note that at least two of these three terms are not specific to education. None of the three require digital communication tools, however these tools can surely enhance and expand opportunities for learners.

I think the definitions and examples above help me better understand the differences between these three terms, but how do they overlap and interact with each other?

Enter a fictitious middle school social studies teacher, Jane:

Jane is assigned to a collaborative team with other middle school social studies teachers.  This team regularly uses student assessment results to inform their professional practice (PLC).  Jane regularly lurks on Twitter and spends time consuming content through her RSS feed and several email lists (PLN).  On Saturday mornings, Jane meets for coffee with a friend from church.  They regularly discuss their shared hobby, quilting (Community of Practice).  Jane often shares the resources from her PLN with her PLC when brainstorming new instructional strategies to help students learn at higher levels.  Every once in a while, Jane shares her passion for quilting with her students and middle school social studies colleagues, because it's part of who she is as a person.

Wrapping up
The purpose of this commentary was to write down my thoughts surrounding three phrases that, in my opinion, are sometimes inadvertently used synonymously. It was also to suggest how they might often overlap and can supplement each other.   Last, I hope it served to deepen my own understanding of these three phrases so that I might become a better learner and help others do the same.  

• Accountability - At any given time a team member can refer back to previously made decisions within the document. Administrators can also gain a better understanding of the team's progress without being present.
• Organization - Teams no longer need to shuffle through 3-ring binders full of handouts, agenda and minutes.  Teams are required to create a collection within Google Docs that encompasses their agendas and minutes, norms, goals and other pertinent documentation.
• Accessibility - Our administrative team can access these documents where ever and whenever. For example, I was once in our elementary school meeting with a team, and received an instant message asking to elaborate on a comment I had left on a team's minutes from the high school. I was able to go into the Google Doc of the high school team and reply to their request.

Differentiated Professional Development in a Professional Learning Community was the most highly anticipated book on my summer reading list.  As a curriculum director for a district embracing the professional learning community concept, this book seemed right up my alley.

"Districts must gradually and systematically move from one-shot, one-day, out-of-the-district workshop to job-embedded, teacher-led collaboration in which everyone's learning style can be consciously considered" (4)

"When planning professional development, districts and schools should evaluate their in-house capacity to address their own needs" (31)

"...the best way to motivate adults is to enhance their reasons for participating in professional development and to make learning as relevant and convenient as we can" (38)

"If the universal focus of mission statements is to support lifelong learning, then all educators must be committed to putting that mission into action in their own lives" (100)

"Sending one or two teachers to attend a conference based strictly on teacher interest will not move a PLC forward"

"We recommend that the majority of conference days be devoted to work that furthers the targeted goals of vertical, departmental and grade-level teams...teams facilitated by teacher leaders provide the structure for working on curriculum alignment, analyzing data, and refining common local assessments" (104)

On June 9-11, five classroom teachers and three administrators including myself attended Solution Tree's Professional Learning Communities at Work Institute in St. Charles, Missouri.  Without reservation this is the most beneficial conference I have ever attended for two reasons:

• The entire team commented on the quality of the keynote speakers as well as the break-out sessions.  In general, the hallways were empty and the break-out rooms were full.   This speaks to the quality of the super-majority of the speakers.
• I was amazed by the connectedness among all the keynotes and breakouts.  Too many times, I have experienced conferences that lack a cohesive theme.  This was clearly not the case.  All of the speakers made explicit connections to the "big ideas" of a professional learning community.  

1. What is it we expect kids to learn? (think: standards, alignment)
2. How will we know when they have learned it? (common assessments, when appropriate)
3. How will we respond when they don't learn? (systematic and directive (not voluntary) response by the staff in the building, not merely individuals - think: high school "seminar" time -- "Allowing students to choose to be irresponsible does not teach responsibility")
   
4. How will we respond when kids already know it? (extensions, etc.)

I was recently interviewed by SimpleK12 about our district's use of Google Docs and Sites to motivate staff development.



After viewing the interview again, I am not sure if "motivating staff development" is the most appropriate phrase.  "Glue" might be a better descriptor.  Google Docs allows our learning teams to share notes, documents and data in an organized and confidential way in real-time.  

Google Sites enables our leadership teams to plan purposeful dynamic learning opportunities for our staff.

Looking for that handout from last month's professional learning? 

Not sure about the direction we're going at tomorrow's professional learning?   

Chris Canter posted a great question over at ASCD Inservice related to the role of administrators visiting collaborating teachers:

My role is primarily as observer when I attend such meetings. While I have the ability to offer input, I am so thrilled with the teacher leadership and ownership displayed at such meetings that I rarely share my thoughts or input, unless asked. This is truly a valuable learning experience for me. What I find myself asking is, "What do teachers need of me in order to better collaborate and go about their work?" I often have the ability to serve as a liaison between the teams and school administrators, and offer answers to questions and procedural support.
My desire is to offer key supports, without interfering with teacher work, but also, not becoming so hands-off that teachers do not feel supported. I am wondering what other administrators do to support their teachers in such a collaborative environment. Do you attend every meeting or just a few? What role do you play in the meetings you attend? What do teachers require most of you in this capacity?

Once upon a time, Iowa districts created their own local standards and benchmarks.  While local control seemed like a good idea, it was a potential headache for curriculum directors and teams to agree on what should be taught at each grade level and discipline.  Iowa is a little "behind the times" when it comes to embracing statewide content standards....until recently.

Educators are deeply entrenching themselves in the Iowa Core (that is unless, it's dropped, but that's a different topic of discussion) as a result of a new state mandate that includes both what and how.  In other words, Iowa school districts now have a framework for what essential skills and concepts all students should learn and how the instruction should happen:

Educators implement effective instructional practices to ensure high levels of learning for each and every student.

Educators deepen their understanding of the Iowa Core’s characteristics of effective instruction through collaborative teams.

• 6.a.1 - Educators form and maintain collaborative teams.
• 6.a.2  - Educators acquire awareness of the characteristics of effective instruction.
• 6.a.3  - Educators engage in dialogue about practices that support the characteristics of effective instruction. 
• 6.a.4 - Leadership Team facilitates a process to determine the degree to which practices that align with the characteristics of effective instruction are in place in classroom instruction. 

Educators study and implement instructional practices that support the characteristics of effective instruction.

• 6.b.1 - Leadership Team makes decisions about how to strengthen the district/building professional development plans to address the Iowa Core. (See Outcome 5.)
• 6.b.2 - Educators engage in professional development that follows the Iowa Professional Development Model (IPDM) to implement instructional strategies, models, and/or approaches supportive of the characteristics of effective instruction (see Outcome 5).
• 6.b.3 - Educators implement with fidelity selected instructional strategies, models, or approaches that demonstrate the characteristics of effective instruction.

1. Focus on learning. (What do we want students to learn? How will we know if they have learned? What will we do if they already know it?)
2. Build a collaborative culture. (Teachers working together are more effective when working in isolation)
3. Focus on results. (Results rather than intentions.  Results are based on student learning)

 Have I taught if my students haven't learned?

I'm participating in Bill Ferriter's "Raising the Bar and Closing the Gap" digital conversation and wanted to take a minute and explain why I'm spending some of my time this week participating in it with the idea that you might decide to as well.

First, I believe teachers should model lifelong learning, just as we expect our students to do outside the classroom.  This is ultimately the reason I blog and tweet, but spending some time conversing about a specific topic (professional learning communities and systematic interventions) for a defined amount of time (three days) keeps me focused on an area I would like to learn more about.

Second, in my new role next year, I will be charged with leading our district's professional development and overall vision in the area of teaching and learning.  I've long been an advocate for increased collaboration opportunities for educators.  It is time to put my money where my mouth is, learn even more about professional learning communities so that I can hopefully put theory into practice this fall.  Our district's leadership team has already decided that collaborative learning teams will be our main focus for next year, so it just makes sense to talk with experts Rick and Becky DuFour in this digital format when I have the opportunity to do so.

Third, I need to add a disclaimer that I am being compensated in a very small way to be a part of the conversation, but I would still be participating for free.  Collaboration is THAT important in education.  I'm looking forward to helping my district become more results-oriented.  Any single educator moving forward alone will only be as successful as his/her time and efforts permit.  I can attest from my own experience that I can't do it all by myself.

"Professional learning communities create a systematic process of interventions to ensure students receive additional time and support for learning when they experience difficulty.  The intervention process is timely and students are directed rather than invited to utilize the systems of time and support." Learning by Doing, p. 71

"The two major weaknesses I see with SBG are in diagnosing and prescribing what a student must do between assessments and making the reassessments “optional” by having them done outside of class....but in order for other teachers in my district to jump on board, we are going to have to find a way for this to work “in class.”Question is: How?"

Parry Graham and Bill Ferriter said,

"Lacking any kind of organizational decision-making power, teacher leaders can only change the behavior and commitments of colleagues when they are committed to actively building positive relationships with peers" (39). 

"The truth is, most teacher just don't talk about practice with one another" (50).

"It's not whether teachers are collaborating - it's what they're collaborating about" (51, emphasis mine)

"Unfortunately, many teams get complacent and fail to move beyond the simple sharing of instructional practices, while such conversations are a good beginning, the real work of PLCs is reflective and inquiry oriented, resulting in teacher learning and improved instruction" (73).