Adais All In

adidas, all in from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

commercial

CANON Commercial - Freeze Tag from Saman Keshavarz on Vimeo.

Born to Learn

Pic Monkey - Photoshop Free Alternative

Whittier Whispers - Episode 1

Please join us as we listen to "Frog and Toad Are Friends" by Arnold Lobel. Whittier's very first podcast! Mrs. McEvoy is reading the story to us. Listen for the frog croaking so you know when to turn the page.

click here for the story

The 5 Senses

This is from a presentation at the ICE conference by Susan Oxnevad.

Walls in Halls - Whittier Work

RSA #4 Engaging Online Learners

I thought that this would make a fitting final post for this course. As we have spent our time discussing and reading about online learning. I don't dispute any of the ten ideas presented in the video. It is surprising to me the lack of any mention of the idea of community. The interaction in an online course is so much more than the interaction between the student and the instructor. Communities have been emphasized throughout the readings.

Students in the online learning environment are not expected to undertake this process alone. The failing of many online distance learning programs has been the inability or unwillingness to facilitate a collaborative learning process. In this environment students should be expected to work together to generate deeper levels of understanding and critical evaluation of the material under study. In the process of seeking out additional materials for this purpose, students should be expected to share resources they are finding with out members of the group. (Palloff: Pratt 2007)

At our first meeting how we would put the courses that we currently teach online. How it is different than in a classroom setting. Just as I have found it very valuable to interact with my classmates during this course, this would be an integral part of any online course I would create.

RSA#3 Teachers Making Connections: Online Communities as a Source of Professional Learning

Teachers Making Connections: Online Communities as a Source of Professional Learning
http://cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s8419239&db=eric&AN=EJ872748&site=ehost-live

This article presents the findings of a study of three different online professional learning communities. As discussed in our reading this week, the widespread Internet accessibility has made online learning of all kinds much more prevalent in society.

The teaching profession is constantly adjusting to accommodate change. Teachers are under constant pressure to learn new skills, update their knowledge and change classroom practices, and as new knowledge or skills are learned, they need to be absorbed and included in classroom practice. Many researchers perceive teaching to be in a constant state of change as new ideas or developments are disseminated. (Duncan Howell)

The traditional models of one-day workshops haven't had much of an impact on exacting change in classroom activities and student learning. Enter online professional development. The best practices of student learning tend to be centered on active learning. The online option incorporates several elements of active learning through postings, projects and discussion boards.

Chapter three addresses the human side of learning. When we discuss community building online, we are really concerned with humanizing a “nonhuman” technological environment and creating a learning community in the process. (Palloff Keith; 2007) This is both a real and anticipated concern for teachers before starting any online professional learning. The study found that initially teachers ranked face-to-face workshop as their first preference in professional learning.

The results from this study has shown that membership to online communities provides teachers with a rich source of professional learning. It would appear to satisfy all the suggestions rose by research in this field and, more importantly, would appear to satisfy the members of those communities themselves. Perhaps the most significant result collected form the survey was the result that 86.7% of members considered it to be a meaningful form of PD. Hence, we can conclude that online communities present as a worthwhile form of professional learning for teachers. (Duncan Howell)

References

Duncan-Howell, J. (2010). Teachers Making Connections: Online Communities as a Source of Professional Learning. British Journal Of Educational Technology, 41(2), 324-340.

RSA# Module 3 Supporting the Growth of Effective Professional Learning Communities

http://cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s8419239&db=aph&AN=59241616&site=ehost-live

Supporting the Growth of Effective Professional Learning Communities

Critical to the success of any PLC is the ability of its members to work as a team. Both the article and the readings place a deserved high value the importance of a cohesive team that understands why they are meeting and what they are to accomplish.

This article emphasizes that just "providing teachers with time to collaborate, they are also realizing that learning how to work in teams does not just magically happen. Districts much be deliberate in their efforts to teach teachers how to collaborate. (Thessin & Starr, 2011) After realizing that the teams weren’t using their time effectively, the Stamford district decided to change their focus. They asked for volunteers and provided successful. The volunteer team leaders became more invested in the PLC and were able to guide their groups to achieve greater effectiveness. These team leaders also brought a perspective ot the central office that was previously lacking.

The biggest factor in the ineffectiveness of formal strategic planning rests on its faulty underlying assumption: some people in organizations (the leaders) are responsible for thinking and planning, while others (the workers) are responsible for carrying out those plans. This separation of thought and action is the antithesis of a learning community, which requires widely dispersed leadership and strategic thinkers throughout the organization. (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2010).

Effective PLCs are years in the making. It was refreshing to read about the Stamford PLC. The administrators clearly had it wrong at the beginning, but made modifications, giving up a little of the control, and were much more satisfied with the results. Big egos and successful collaboration in a PLC don’t mix.

References

Thessin, R. A., & Starr, J. P. (2011). Supporting the GROWTH of Effective Professional Learning Communities Districtwide. Phi Delta Kappan, 92(6), 48-54.

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T. (2010). Learning by doing: A handbook for

professional learning communities at work (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

RSA#1 Module 2

This posting is a video summary of Learning By Doing. It does a good a job of summarizing the four pillars. This would be an effective reinforcement for schools in the early stages of the PLC. Possibly something that could be shown at a beginning of the school year meeting. This information reinforces and quotes the text. Module One readings dealt with the what and why of the Professional Learning Community. The second module focused with more precision on the all important aspect of student learning, asking the difficult question “How do we know if our students are learning?” (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker and Many 2010)

Formative assessments and corresponding interventions are necessary for students to achieve at high levels.

“The response that occurs after the test has been given will truly determine whether or not it is being used as a formative assessment. If it is used to ensure students who experience difficulty are given additional time and support as well as additional opportunities to demonstrate their learning, it is formative; if additional support is not forthcoming, it is summative.” (DuFour, DuFour, EAker and Many 2010) An emphasis on making interventions swift and easily available to all students was contrasted with the putting the onus on the students to make the time to get extra help or on the classroom teacher.

Building a vision is an ongoing, never-ending, daily challenge confronting all those who hope to transform their schools.(Strauss 2007) Though I am sure this quote was created to inspire, I find it to be in stark contrast to the timeline exercises filling our textbook.

References

DuFour, Richard, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker, and Thomas

Many. Learning By Doing: A Handbook for Professional

Learning Communities at Work. Bloomington, Ind.: Solution

Tree, 2010

Strauss, B. Welsh, D. [BrianLeeStrauss]. (2007, November 19). Four Blocks of a Professional Learning Community [Video file]. Retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_KukVC2gXs