We had our last Project Based Learning discussion with our staff last Wednesday so we could reflect on our past year and look forward to the new year ahead. (
Link to slides) Our final question was "What do you need to move forward with PBL?" because with the success of our Showcase, the expectation is that ALL students will have these kinds of learning opportunities.
Teachers shared their ideas on post-its, and our next step is to have grade level and resource teachers look over all the responses from their colleagues and come up with ideas on how to move forward. Rather than the PBL Leadership Team making decisions (top-down), we will be getting input and feedback from those who will be impacted. We want to hear their voices about how best to address the needs of ALL teachers at ALL stages of PBL - those who were part of the cohort or are the "experts" (compared to their colleagues), those who have received training and are ready to give it a try, and those who are newbies who will probably need more support. I'm excited to see what ideas our teachers come up with.
This past year, we decided to give teachers time to explore a topic of their own choosing as part of our Wednesday meeting schedule. For want of a better descriptor, we called it "Professional Learning Communities." The first step was to ask teachers what they wanted to explore as part of their professional growth. We collected all the responses, categorized them, and had teachers select their top three choices (
Link to document). We then divided staff up into manageable PLC groups. Groups were diverse. The number in each group varied, and different grade levels were represented. Teachers were able to work with those they might not usually collaborate with.
One of the most important assignments was to agree on a driving question that would answer the question, "Why are we doing this?" This would help the PLC focus on what to explore and discover. Examples of the driving questions:
- How can we impact student achievement through play?
- How can I as a teacher integrate technology in my classroom to support 21st century learning?
- How can we create the best and most effective model for co-teaching at DKIES?
- Why do we want students to be empowered and how do we get them there?
- How can a focus on STEM (or STEAM) impact student achievement?
- How will learning and trying out new strategies improve student reading and writing achievement?
Teachers had opportunities to work individually or in their group. They shared ideas with each other and had rich conversations about what they learned. They collaborated to complete tasks and share resources that were then shared with the rest of the teachers through a shared presentation. We gave teachers time to review and comment on what other PLCs shared. Most of the teachers used their PLC explorations as their Individualized Professional Development Plan for the Educator Effectiveness System. As we meet with teachers for their end-of-the-year summary, administrators are having more meaningful and reflective discussions with teachers about their IPDP.
Our last PLC meeting will be a Showcase, an opportunity for teachers to share what they learned and tried out in their classrooms as well as any evidences of their personal learning. We believe that giving teachers opportunities to share and learn from their colleagues builds community and breaks down barriers within our school. Unfortunately, with nearly 70 teachers spread out over a large campus, finding the time to share and learn from each other can be challenging.
Our teachers may not realize it, but they participated in their PLCs using PBL processes. We started with a driving question and they decided what they needed to know. They asked relevant questions and used 21st century skills (collaboration, communication, critical thinking) to research and learn from each other. Teachers had voice and choice in what they wanted to explore and discover with their PLC, and colleagues in other PLCs asked questions or added comments on the PLC slides. These led to discussions as well as validation of the direction the group was going in. Finally, there will be a publicly presented product although it will be just within our school at this time.
As we reflect with teachers on their IPDP, they are sharing concerns with the PLC process. We continue to believe it is an effective way for teachers to explore an area they would like to know more about; however, only one extended PLC Wednesday meeting time per quarter meant that the learning process was not as effective as it could be. As one teacher reflected, "I was hoping that we could spend more time sharing and discussing ways to implement some of the things we researched. I felt like we spent more time researching and talking about what we were learning. We didn’t give ourselves time to discuss what we could implement in class. And with the time in between, I don’t think we remembered our previous discussions and often spent time looking at what we talked about."
I believe that professional development for teachers needs to be differentiated. Just as every student in a classroom has different strengths, needs, and interests, so do teachers at a school. We realize that time to collaborate and to look at student work/data is essential, so next year, we are building in that time during the school day. That will free up more Wednesdays when teachers can meet in PLCs as well as to be more actively engaged in PBL PD that is relevant and/or tailored to their needs.
We realize that time will always be a challenge, but if we believe that something is important, we need to make effective use of the time we have available to us. This was our first year implementing PLCs in this way; next year, we will make adjustments so that the time is structured to maximize collaboration that positively impacts student learning.
