RSA#4

RSA#4

Module 7’s reading focuses on a few key topics that will create success in an online learning community.  The first chapter focuses on the promotion of collaborative learning.  In this chapter, readers learn about the importance of learning interdependence through collaboration in the online learning community.  Although this is only effective if the students participate in the collaboration, it is also the instructors responsibility to monitor collaboration and build opportunities for this to take place.  One the instructor has created collaboration opportunities, it is the students’ responsibility to become a transformative learner.  The final chapter in this module focuses on the transformative learning process.  This is something that will occur regardless of whether or not the instructor promotes it; however, chances of student success within this process can be greatly aided by the assistance of promotion on the part of the instructor. “When students are empowered to become experts at their own learning, they cannot help but he transformed people” (Palloff & Pratt, p. 202, 2007).  Essentially, a student becomes a transformative learning by taking the reigns of the highest potential of their education and advocating for him or herself.

“Social Networks and Performance in Distributed Learning Communities” discusses an experiment based on 3 hypotheses to test the correlation between social networks and student performance.  Two online learning communities were monitored and data was collected to see if the hypotheses were indeed correct.  They note that it is clear that high learning comes from collaboration and essentially, the researchers wanted to see the impact that social networks had.  Their results showed that “Social networks play an essential role in learning environments as a key channel for knowledge and sharing and as a source of social support” (Cadima, Ojeda, & Monguet, p. 296, 2012).  Their results showed a significant correlation.

I chose this article because one of the main topics was collaboration and the importance in a learning community to have collaboration.  I wanted to find an article that had specific research to support this theory.  The results have shown that this hypothesis is correct.  Although I felt confident in my own experience with social networks within a learning community, research-based data proves for a more effective argument when supporting the importance of social interaction and collaborations within a learning community. 

Cadima, R., Ojeda, J., & Monguet, J. M. (2012). Social Networks and Performance in Distributed Learning Communities. Journal Of Educational Technology & Society, 15(4), 296-304. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED505959.pdf

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K.  (2007). Building Online Learning Communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom, (2nd ed.). San Franciso: Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 978-0-7879-8825-8, pages 157-204.

RSA #3

Module 5: RSA #3

Module 5 gives an in-depth introduction to an online learning community.  Palloff and Pratt give the readers a description of what an online community is composed of and how all aspects of online distance learning function.  Readers learn the roles and responsibilities of not only an online learning community facilitator, but also the participants.  As all students are different in the classroom, PalLoff and Pratt suggest that there are multiple “online” student personas as well.  Introverted students and extroverted students will come into different challenges in an online learning community, but can also flourish in different ways than as compared to face-to-face learning.  Clear planning and guidelines are a must for an online learning community in order to ensure that students feel safe and are learning.  The final chapter discusses some major issues that could arise in an online learning community and ways to cope and deal with these issues. 

The article that I chose discusses social presence’s effect on online-distance learning.  People questions and therefore did research on how social presence would effect higher-order thinking.  The article states that almost all the research found that social presence was not the redeeming factor in higher-order thinking, but in fact, independent work that gave timely instructor feedback produced the best results in the online learning classroom.  

I chose the article, “Social Presence within the Community of Inquiry Framework” because the required reading for module 5 discusses building an online personality and the importance of creating a social presence before the start of an online course.  In a sense this article states that the creation of social presence does not make or break an online learning experience.  Through my own person experience in the online learning community, I think that creating social presence in important, but for my personal preference, I agree that social presence, or lack thereof does not directly effect my level of thinking and therefore, learning.  

Annand, D. (2011). Social Presence within the Community of Inquiry Framework. International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 12(5), 40-56.

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K.  (2007). Building Online Learning Communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom, (2nd ed.). San Franciso: Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 978-0-7879-8825-8, pages 3-65.

Direct Link for Resource:  http://web.ebscohost.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=9542ef44-b063-4263-8249-8f793405bee3%40sessionmgr113&vid=8&hid=123

RSA#2

RSA#2: Module 3 and "Urban Education and Professional Learning Communities"

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The reading of Module 3 focuses a lot on creating outcomes, SMART goals, student progress and how to monitor it.  SMART goals give a clearly defined method for creating goals for a PLC.  Dufour, Dufour, Eaker, and Many advise to great goals that are attainable and not a goal that is so far out of reach, that it is impossible (2006).  “If the only goals educators pursue are stretch goals, teachers are principals are prone to give up in hopelessness” (Dufour, Dufour, Eaker, and Many, 2006, p. 137).  Teachers need to be realistic when creating common assessments that they will use to judge students success when monitoring and redesigning curriculum.  

My second article that I would like to share discusses the implementation of PLC in under-performing, urban communities.  This article discusses the success that they experiences in the reading scores once a PLC was implemented effectively and on  small scale, throughout the urban schools.  The teachers worked together to create common assessments, used monitoring to collect data, and ended with a rise in performance from the students. “Teachers outlined several reading skills and teaching strategies they discussed during PLCs to address students' needs collectively” (Williams, 2012). 

I chose this article because I have a lot of students who have moved from under-performing, urban schools.  The majority of these students come to my classes lacking the necessarily skills needed to function as a successful 8th grader.  Every case for the student entering our district is different.  I always seek advice from my team members on how to better assist the student.  There are too many students in need of a PLC implementation in our school.  A PLC is for our students, not for our personal gain.  This article gives realistic proof that PLCs can help in some of the most hopeless situations.  As a reading teacher, it gives me so much pleasure to see students make substantial gains in their reading scores.  A PLC seems to be the answer to this epidemic. 

Direct Link to Article 

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T. (2010).  Learning by doing: A handbook for professional learning communities at work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Williams, D. J. (2012). Urban Education and Professional Learning Communities. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 79(2), 31-39.

RSA#1

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T. (2010).  Learning by doing: A handbook for professional learning communities at work (2^nd ed., pp. 59-154). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press. (Chapter 3, 4, and 5)

DuFour, R. (2007). Professional Learning Communities: A Bandwagon, an Idea Worth Considering, or Our Best Hope for High Levels of Learning?. Middle School Journal, 39(1), 4-8.

http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ775771.pdf

RSA#1, Module Two: Creating a Focus on Learning

Module Two focuses on student learning and how to improve this through a PLC.  The importance of team collaboration to assist in creating common assessments is highly stressed in this section.  “...high quality teaching and learning began when teachers developed a common vision of the academic standards their students were to achieve” (Dufour, Dufour, Eaker and Many, 2006, p. 50).  Not only does it suggest how a successful PLC would go about creating collaboration among teachers for the better education of students, but it also explains why--a very important aspect when suggesting a new method to professionals.  It is important for schools to always improve and the suggestions in this module’s reading highlight important methods for creating a PLC to benefit our students.

“Professional Learning Communities: A Bandwagon, an Idea Worth Considering, or Our Best Hope for High Levels of Learning?” written by Richard DuFour in the September 2007 issue of Middle School Learning.  This article was in response to people uneducated formed opinions about PLCs.  Article were written about PLCs claiming that they are another bandwagon that schools will jump on, but allegedly did nothing.  “If educators in these schools are confused about the term, ‘professional learning community,’ then they are not alone.” (DuFour, 2006, p. 5).  DuFour goes on to state that the true definition of PLC is hard to define and thats why many are confused by what it means to really create a PLC, instead of labeling something that one believes to be a PLC.  DuFour also talks about specific common misconceptions.  Calling a group a teacher a “team” is one that he focuses a lot on.  Just because a group focuses their work as a team, doesn’t mean that are necessarily answering the right questions or following actual PLC guidelines.  The creation of PLC is not an easy transition, especially for teachers, but in his closing marks, DuFour gives the three key ingredients of PLC creating, “collective capacity, commitment, and persistence of the educators within it” (DuFour, 2006, p.8).

I chose this article to accompany module two reading because when I first read the introductory pages of Learning by Doing, I felt a mix of emotions, including apprehension, fear, uneasiness, and skeptical (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many, 2006).  I enjoyed reading the article because it gave realistic information about criticism, common problems, and solutions to those who are unsure about PLCs.  I thought it was also interesting that Richard DuFour was the author of the article, one of the authors of the book. I learned a lot more about PLCs through my chosen resource and I find it more credible that DuFour reacted to criticism in a way that was helpful and encouraging.  

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