Communities of Learning and Professional Development

Communities of Learning and
Professional Development
INTO Education Conference
20-11-2010
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Overview
Who we are
 Mary: children and teacher - learning community
in a classroom
 Caitriona: child, teacher and school – learning
community moving from the class to the school
 Bernie: features of professional learning
communities for teachers
 Mairin: professional development as it is externalist perspective – what’s the difference
between that and our proposal?
 Discussion time
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Mary
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I developed pedagogies that encourage
children to think critically and creatively.
My pupils and I participated together in
a learning community
Here are some examples:
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A community of learners in Cork
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A community of learning
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The skills of discussion link with
features of learning community
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The skills we associate with discussion —listening
closely, speaking cogently, and maintaining civility—
shape us as self-aware, self-governing, self-inspiring,
and self-supporting adults.
The skills that students develop in discussion will be
with them all their lives.
But we also converse because it’s pleasurable. It’s
exciting to exchange ideas, understand another’s
viewpoint, or persuade someone to see things
differently.
In discussion, we are not simply consumers or
decoders of information. We connect.
In reading a text in common, we find common
ground.
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Community of learning through
dialogue
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A dialogical pedagogical process
whereby children sit in a circle with
their teacher as a participant, and
observing rules that they have
negotiated collaboratively, they discuss,
philosophise, argue, debate, and create
meaning together using a picture book
as a stimulus.
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contd
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The concept of is grounded in values of
reciprocal care, courtesy and respect for
others’ views.
No conclusions are sought; children are
expected to listen to each other with
attention, contribute to the discussion if they
wish to do so, contribute their meanings if
they wish and provide reasons for agreeing
or disagreeing with others.
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A flavour of dialogue
Agreeing and disagreeing
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Power of learning in a community- Ideas about
freedom 07-02-06
 P: I disagree with some
people and I agree with
others who said that freedom
is doing whatever you want,
but only in a way. You can
only have freedom if you’re
alone. Because if you were
really free to think what you
like and say what you like and
do what you like it and there
were other people around, it
could be the baddest thing
ever for them because you
might want to do all bad
things with your freedom...
Freedom could be
sometimes good but
sometimes it could be the
baddest thing ever.
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Critical engagement with gender roles: clothes and rescue in
The Paper Bag Princess (3rd class March 2006)
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Clothes and heroes 3rd class
 C: Well I think I know why
princes were always the
hero! Its clothes! Girls had
to wear tight tops that you
pulled laces on and big
huge skirts and their shoes
were high heels and even
glass!!! You can’t run or
climb trees or escape or
nothin! But princes wore
leggings and flat boots and
stuff!
 A: Like what about Barbie
now like, and Bratz an
things like them …like, are
they trying to get.. small
kids to go back to those
times? .. dollied up all the
time. Like….you’d have to
be wonderin about stuff like
that..
May 2005
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Disagreeing with teacher
But ... He’s a toad!
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Influences of Learning Communities
Dialogue
Decisive
encounters
Valued experts
Freedom
Motivation
Validation
Bernie: Features of learning
community
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Capacity for intercommunication
Dialogue, listen, respect
Sharing of values, ideals
Methodology
Consideration for others
Desire for freedom
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Learning – social activity
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Social beings
Conversations/communications
Exchange of ideas
Individuality/fellowship of equals
Freedom – lack of boundaries
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Benefits of conversation
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We can know who a person is, as
distinct from what a person is, only
through conversation. (Arendt, 1958)
Need to understand/be understood –
inserting ourselves into world through
speech/actions
Web of meaning – reveal ourselves to
others
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Conversation among pupils
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Students in a discussion become aware
of the personalities, interests, values,
beliefs and biases of their classmates –
they become aware of the ‘who’ of their
classmates. (Lipman et al, 1980)
Conversation is the process that brings
an idea, a feeling or an impression into
the space between the speaker and the
audience. (Marzano et al, 19880
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Speaking
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Shape ideas
Impose order on randomness of
perceptions
Make sense of ourselves/world
Meaning must be created, not given
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Interest/Understanding
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Interest – prerequisite
Personal connection to topic, provided
by conversation
Whole created from parts – unity
Dialogue creates comm-unity out of
individuals
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Our community
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Common interest – improvement
Different perspectives
Dialogue – action plans
Reflection – critical feedback –
evaluation
Collaboration/cooperation
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Outcomes
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Not predetermined, emerged from
reflection/action/evaluation
Indeterminacy – creation of knowledge
Spirit of inquiry – liberating, enhancing
Conceptual framework – openness,
uncertainty contributed to search for
meaning
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If you think you already know all the
answers, if you think you have a direct line to
the truth, then it will be rather hard for you
to respect opinions that differ from your own.
However, if you realise you are still searching
for more comprehensive answers in all of the
educational disciplines, as well as in your own
personal life, and further if you realise that
knowledge itself is endlessly being created by
human beings to explain the world they live
in, then you might lead to more
comprehensive and meaningful explanations
than you possess.
(Lipman
et
al,
1980)
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•
What does this all mean?
•Educational change by
remote control becomes
history
• Teachers can think for
themsleves
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Compare the lived reality with the externalist’s
perspective.
•What is happening and how
do we share it?
•One-size-fits-all models of
professional development are
not appropriate
•Nor are fly-by models of
educational change
http://www.slate.com/id/214957
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Collaboration is about sharing our
lived realities; inviting others to
listen and respond to our stories
and to engage with others in
professional conversations about
our lived experiences.
Contact us at www.eari.ie
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Topics for discussion
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Discuss how teachers might influence future
educational change.
Where and when did you last learn something
that changed, in any way, how you teach?
Did it happen over coffee or was it part of
professional development programme...or
both?
Discuss one aspect of your teaching that you
are proud of and explain why it is important
to you.
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Thank you!
www.eari.ie
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