Plan for Shared Learning The goal of this shared learning plan is to create a culture of continual learning and sustainable, supportive professional development. A professional learning community “provides a context of collegiality, which supports teachers and administrators in improving their practice through learning new curriculum and instructional strategies,” (Morrissey, 2000, p. 3). This plan is aligned with the core mission and vision of the school: to create meaningful and lasting learning experiences that promote the growth and educational attainment of all students. Moreover, the plan supports the school’s philosophy of teacher engagement, which envisions each staff member as contributing fully to the improvement of the entire school. Rather than be based on a strict hierarchy of leadership, the plan for shared learning empowers all teachers to contribute their background, wisdom, knowledge, and ideals.

To improve the capacity of staff to improve teaching and learning, this plan will include conferences, workshops, training, and formal coursework designed to enhance teacher performance and promote professional development. However, the learning model will be implemented within the context of sharing and collaboration. Instead of a “catalogue-driven model of professional development,” the teachers work together to share their knowledge, experience, and creative visions (National Staff Development Council, n.d., p. 27). The workshops, conferences, and other shared learning opportunities take place within a collegial environment. Leaders contribute knowledge to empower others and solicit input and new ideas. The professional development programs evolve with the changing needs and perspectives of teachers, students, and the community.

The plan for shared learning reflects the principles of knowledge management. Professional learning will be shared in...

Carroll, Rosson, Dunlap & Isenhour (2005) identify the tangible resources teachers can leverage to construct shared knowledge and learning experiences, including access to school laboratories and other resources. Additionally, teachers can engage in the process of shared learning via cloud-based collaborative software. Collaborative software allows all participants to construct knowledge and engage in meaningful dialogue. Specific uses of the collaborative technologies, tools, and practices include lesson plan sharing and development, resource pooling to enhance the efficacy of pedagogical methods, and sharing materials used in the classroom. Thus, the shared learning is directly embedded into classroom practices. All teachers can instantly access the pool of shared information, while also participating regularly in collaborative knowledge generation during workshops and other formal professional development opportunities.
Teachers can also provide reflective feedback on their implementation and outcomes they achieved. Even if comments and feedbacks are anonymous, they help the learning community to grow and learn from what works and what does not work. Doing this minimizes the tendency to blame leadership, as leadership is shared among all members of the learning community. Lambert (2002) also suggests that staff meetings and parent-teacher conferences become more directly aligned with the principles of shared learning. The appropriate timeline for sharing information, implementing concepts, and monitoring outcomes begins with short-term intervals. After several weeks, the shared learning community begins to become embedded in the school. Within a year, the new collaborative learning environment has already changed the ways teachers work with…