What is a professional learning community and why be in one? I’ve had the fortune of being in a positive, growth-focused professional learning community (part of the Quality Enhancement Plan) at UT Arlington since 2012!
Co-Facilitators are: Melanie Mason (Dept. of Communications) and Nila Veerabathina (Dept. of Physics). The project is led by Andrew Clark and supported by the Provost’s office. Justin Dellinger (UTA Link Lab) helps behind the scenes.
At my university, we have a Professional Learning Community comprised of faculty and staff who gather about once or twice a month to collaborate, talk, and work towards learning together on a shared topic. We apply our knowledge towards a spring project which is focused either on best practices or action-research and individual, but around a common theme, in this case, virtual teamwork.
This year I will be facilitating-as part of team-a professional learning community. The goal of the group is multi-faceted: 1) learn together 2) grow together professionally around a shared subject: virtual teamwork in higher education teaching and 3) network. These all go together. PLC’s are an informal way to share ideas, talk outside of the constraints of formal meetings (although we will be gathering together at designated times).
Some of the topics we will be talking about (starter list of broad-based questions to consider):
- What is virtual teamwork? How does it function across various subjects inside and outside of higher education? What frameworks of learning and development inform virtual teamwork (e.g., networked learning, distributed learning).
- Who is doing the teamwork? Examples: instructor-focused virtual teamwork; instructor-staff teamwork; instructor-student teamwork (e.g,. digital mentoring);
- What are the tools of virtual teamwork and what are the “best practices” of connecting, both formally and informally?
- What are useful and practical ways to incorporate virtual teamwork into online and/or face-to-face courses? We will likely take a baby steps approach here and not try to bite off too much right away.
I’m a huge fan of the cross-pollination approach to learning, informally, where we can share ideas across departments and content areas. I love that PLC is a semi-grassroots, yet sanctioned, way to learn together. Looking forward to sharing ideas!
In addition, we’ll likely have some guest speakers and will be reading from three books and some additional readings. The three books from Harvard Business Press are:
Drawing on ideas from Jennifer Thoma, Amy Hutchison and colleagues (Thomas, Hutchison, Johnson, & Stromer, 2017) on facilitating PLC’s we will discuss and do the following in our meet-ups. Some of the meet-ups will take place virtually so we can enact the ideas of virtual teamwork:
- Talk about our aligned mission and aims.
- Regularly reflect on our teaching practice.
- Engage in reflective discussion.
- Provide feedback to one another on application of ideas to teaching, our own professional development, and new learning.
- Maintain a focus on learners.
Looking forward to a great year of learning, networking, and productively hanging out!!!!
Last year’s projects are here and overview video highlights are here!
Reference:
Thoma, J., Hutchison, A., Johnson, D., Johnson, K., & Stromer, E. (2017). Planning for Technology Integration in a Professional Learning Community. The Reading Teacher, 71(2), 167-175.
Whats up are using WordPress for your site platform?
I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started
and set up my own. Do you require any html coding knowledge to make
your own blog? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I was recommended this website by my cousin. I’m not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know
such detailed about my difficulty. You are amazing! Thanks!
стильные горшки http://www.dizaynerskie-kashpo-spb.ru .
Мы предлагаем документы учебных заведений, которые расположены на территории всей России. Купить диплом любого ВУЗа:
vared.flyboard.ru/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1110
Hi my loved one! I want to say that this article
iis amazing, great wrіtten and include ɑlmost aⅼl importɑnt infos.I’d like to see extra posts ⅼike tһis .
Heгe iss my webpage :: cuancash88 slot
Заказать диплом под заказ в Москве можно используя официальный портал компании. orikdok-3v-gorode-omsk-55.ru
Greetings I am so glad I found your site, I really found you
by error, while I was searching on Aol for
something else, Regardless I am here now and would just
like to say thanks a lot for a incredible post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to
read it all at the minute but I have bookmarked it and
also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time
I will be back to read a great deal more, Please do keep up the fantastic work.
Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon on a daily basis.
It will always be useful to read articles from other writers and practice something from other websites.
This website was… how do you say it? Relevant!!
Finally I have found something that helped me. Kudos!
[url=https://www.drenazhnye-raboty-35.ru]дренажные работы ленинградская область[/url] .
Где заказать диплом по актуальной специальности?
Заказать диплом университета по выгодной цене возможно, обратившись к надежной специализированной фирме.: peoplediplom.ru
Мы изготавливаем дипломы любой профессии по приятным тарифам. Дипломы изготавливаются на настоящих бланках государственного образца Приобрести диплом университета kupitediplom0027.ru
First of all I would like to say great blog! I had a
quick question that I’d like to ask if you do not mind. I was interested to find out how you center yourself and clear your mind prior to writing.
I have had a difficult time clearing my thoughts
in getting my thoughts out. I do take pleasure in writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are generally lost just trying to
figure out how to begin. Any recommendations or hints?
Thanks!
I used to be able to find good advice from your content.
drenazhnye-raboty-35.ru .
аттестат о среднем общем образовании купить http://www.diplomandoci.ru .
Wow, incredible blog layout! How long have you been blogging for?
you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your site
is wonderful, as well as the content!
At this time it seems like BlogEngine is the top blogging platform available right now.
(from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?