Professional Learning Communities in South African Schools and Teacher Education Programmes


Book Description

This book draws together research on professional learning communities in schools and teacher education in diverse contexts in South Africa. Each chapter captures the rich and complex nature of professional learning communities, the challenges in developing and maintaining them, and the extent to which they promote successful learning for teachers and changes in teaching practices. The book shows that professional learning communities can promote continuous learning in response to local school and classroom realities and work against 'quick-fix', fragmented workshops for teachers, where learning tends to dissipate. This book should be of interest to teachers, school-leaders, teacher-educators, policymakers and researchers.




Professional Learning Communities at Work


Book Description

Provides specific information on how to transform schools into results-oriented professional learning communities, describing the best practices that have been used by schools nationwide.




Professional Learning Communities at Work®and High-Reliability Schools


Book Description

Dramatically improve schooling by harnessing the collective power of the High Reliability SchoolsTM (HRS) model and the PLC at Work® process. Featuring some of America's best educators, this anthology includes information, insights, and practical suggestions for both PLCs and HRS. The overarching purpose is to demonstrate how these two approaches, taken together, complement each other and support educators in their efforts to create a culture of continuous improvement. Use this resource to ensure a guaranteed and viable curriculum: Study the HRS and PLC practices with guidance from numerous practitioners and experts, developing good teachers into great teachers through a culture of accountability. Learn how to keep your school focused on the right work in order to achieve learning for all through a continuous improvement process. Understand how the HRS model can improve success with the PLC process and how the PLC at Work process is the cornerstone of a high reliability school. Explore the ways in which strong leaders can model and improve the why and how of PLC at Work through a collaborative culture. Explore the five levels of the HRS model, and then learn how to relate each level to PLC at Work process to improve education in your school or district. Contents: Introduction: Professional Learning Communities at Work and High Reliability Schools—Merging Best Practices for School Improvement by Robert J. Marzano and Robert Eaker Part I: The Five Levels A Safe, Supportive, and Collaborative Culture 1. Culture Building in a High Reliability School by Mario Acosta 2. Frames of Mind and Tools for Success: Organizational Culture in a PLC by Anthony Muhammad Effective Teaching in Every Classroom 3. Six Steps for Effective Teaching in Every Classroom by Toby Boss 4. Effective Teaching in a Professional Learning Community by William M. Ferriter A Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum 5. Six Action Steps for a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum by Jan K. Hoegh 6. PLC, HRS, and a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum by Heather Friziellie and Julie A. Schmidt Standards-Referenced Reporting 7. A Multiyear Plan for Standards-Referenced Reporting by Tammy Heflebower 8. Grading and Reporting for Learning in a PLC by Eric Twadell Competency-Based Education 9. Personalized, Competency-Based Education by Mike Ruyle 10. Preparation for Tomorrow: A Competency-Based Focus and PLCs by Mike Mattos Part II: Professional Learning Communities, High Reliability Organizations, and School Leadership 11. High Reliability Leadership by Philip B. Warrick 12. Leadership in a PLC: Coherence and Culture by Timothy D. Kanold Part III: Professional Learning Communities, High Reliability Organizations, and District Leadership 13. Leadership in High Reliability School Districts by Cameron L. Rains 14. Leadership in a High Performing PLC by Marc Johnson







Professional Learning Communities for Science Teaching


Book Description

What would it take to move your school closer toward a culture that supports and sustains professional learning communities (PLCs)? This thought-provoking collection of stories will inspire you to find answers to this question and others. It begins with the argument that in a PLC environment, teachers receive continuous professional development. Later chapters recount the origins of schools as professional learning communities, define the characteristics of professional learning communities, and review research on the subject.




Transforming School Culture


Book Description

Busy administrators will appreciate this quick read packed with immediate, accessible strategies. This book provides the framework for understanding dynamic relationships within a school culture and ensuring a positive environment that supports the changes necessary to improve learning for all students. The author explores many aspects of human behavior, social conditions, and history to reveal best practices for building healthy school cultures.




Learning Together, Leading Together


Book Description

Increasingly the education world is recognizing that the development of learning communities is an effective means for improving schools without increasing the budget or adding new programs. This indispensible volume offers practical advice gathered from 22 schools (elementary, middle, and high schools) that have successfully modeled or are creating professional learning communities.




Continuing Professional Teacher Development in Sub-Saharan Africa


Book Description

Continuing Professional Teacher Development in Sub-Saharan Africa explores the prospects that the on-going continuous professional development (CPD) of teachers working in schools offers for meaningful change, particularly towards improving the quality of educational provision for the majority of the continent's children. By reflecting on teacher professional development efforts and their place in broader education reforms, the book highlights the challenges of teacher CPD in these education contexts - contexts strongly shaped by endemic poverty, under-development and social upheaval. The collection draws together examples of innovation and resilience, and the valuing of teachers as critical role players, enabled and empowered through their on-going development as education professionals. Drawing together a wealth of experience, the volume identifies the policy and research implications for the future of CPD across the continent, providing important lessons that can be integrated into a post-2015 development agenda for Africa.




Virtual Plcs: A Guide to Effectively Implementing Online and Hybrid Teaching and Learning (Tools, Tips, and Best Practices for Virtu


Book Description

Virtual teaming and virtual learning have been practiced for decades but never to the level required today. As the educational landscape continues to evolve, ensure your PLC evolves right along with it. With this resource from Paul C. Farmer and Dennis King as your guide, you'll explore an abundance of tools and tips for maintaining your PLC structures along with proven best practices to help instruction and learning thrive beyond the four walls of your school. A book on implementing online professional learning communities for teachers and administrators: Receive an overview of the PLC process and understand how all educators fit into it. Learn how to implement each step of the PLC process virtually. Address the four pillars of a PLC--mission, vision, values, and goals--in a virtual context. Develop and maintain an ideal school culture in a virtual environment with online teacher communities. Acquire strategies to strengthen every student's virtual or blended learning experience with the PLC process.




TALIS Teaching Practices and Pedagogical Innovations Evidence from TALIS


Book Description

This new informative publication clearly identifies and arranges profiles in relation to two connected areas of professional teacher practices: classroom teaching practices and participation in professional learning communities.