Ongoing Learning and Collaborative Teaching

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 a number of different ways, including face-to-face communication, mentoring programs, seminars and lectures, and also through the use of new technologies. 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 each other and with their students, conscientiously transforming their educational practices.
Rationale
One of the main rationales for shared and collaborative learning is that the model is results-driven, focused both on improving the organizational culture of the school and also on improving student outcomes. Student achievement is a shared or mutual outcome, and the methods used to enhance student outcomes can also be shared to prevent biases and assumptions. Pooling knowledge and resources helps to reduce achievement gaps, create an inclusive learning environment that takes into account students with special needs, and reduces the potential for discriminatory practices in the educational setting (Lambert, 2002). Research supports the use of the collaborative learning model for promoting student results. “Collaborative professional learning engages teachers in job-embedded, results-driven, and standards based learning,” (National Staff Development Council, n.d., p. 27). Furthermore, the collaborative learning environment enhances teacher performance, which ultimately leads to improved student outcomes.
Second, the rationale of the shared learning plan is based on the notion that “teacher learning comes first...with the firm belief that students cannot raise their level of achievement until teachers become more effective in their own practice,” (Morrissey, 2000, p. 3). By supporting and empowering teachers, the model of collaborative learning minimizes the problems associated with the hierarchical form of leadership and organizational culture. “The old model of formal, one-person leadership leaves the substantial talents of teachers largely untapped. Improvements achieved under this model are not easily sustainable,” (Lambert, 2002). Teachers take responsibility for their actions, and are mutually accountable (National Staff Development Council, n.d.). The use of methods like mentoring, peer groups, and collaborative software helps teachers to learn, grow, and develop professionally through their actions each day.
Third, continual professional learning needs to become normative. Teachers cannot stagnate in their career and still expect their students to reach educational objectives. Student performance is directly connected with teacher performance, which is linked to overall job satisfaction but also to access to new learning and knowledge. Technologies can help with collaboration among educators, but ultimately the culture of the school is what needs to change. This plan is based on the assumption that the entire school’s organizational culture and its organizational structure change to reflect the principles of collaborative learning. Knowledge is not proprietary or private, but shared, as it benefits all teachers to participate in an organic and vibrant learning organization.
Finally, the shared learning plan reflects educational theory and best practices. “Contemporary learning theories identify collaboration among students and teachers as a key enabler of better educational outcomes,” (Carroll, Rosson, Dunlap & Isenhour, 2005, p. 162). Within the framework of contemporary theories of educational leadership and management, the shared learning model makes sense in promoting both teacher and student outcomes. The goals and mission of the school can also be fulfilled more fruitfully and sustainably over the long run. Technological tools need to be more robustly used in the educational environment, helping both students and teachers realize their potential in creating desired results. Collaborating with other community organizations can also help ensure the school becomes a learning organization (Carroll, Rosson, Dunlap & Isenhour, 2005). Naturally, a school is the ultimate learning organization that grows and develops as it responds to both internal and external changes.









References

Carroll, J. M., Rosson, M. B., Dunlap, D., & Isenhour, P. (2005). Frameworks for Sharing Teaching Practices. Educational Technology & Society, 8 (3), 162-175
Lambert, L. (2002). A framework for shared leadership. Educational Leadership 59(8): 37-40.
Morrissey, M.S. (2000). Professional learning communities: an ongoing exploration. http://www.sedl.org/pubs/change45/plc-ongoing.pdf
National Staff Development Council (n.d.). Collaborative professional learning. Chapter 2. https://learningforward.org/docs/default-source/chapter-preview/learning-school-chapter-2.pdf