Professional Learning Communities

Question: Discuss about the Professional Learning Communities. Answer: Introduction Professional learning community (PLC) is group of educational enthusiast gathering on a regular basis where expertise are shared, collaboration of work takes place for improvement of teaching skills and enhance students academic performance. This assignment briefs differences and similarities of PLC definition and highlights the most important characteristic of the PLC concept. It also provides a reflection of PLC at schools, workplace and cultural context. According to the unit readings, professional learning cycle is an ongoing, intensive and connected to practice that focuses on learning and teaching of a particularly specific content of academics. It is also connected to various school initiatives and helps in creating a very strong relationship of working within teachers. PLC is usually managed, sustained and created using four major process of operation that are resource and structure optimization, promotion of collective and individual learning. Sustaining and promotion of explicit EPLC as well as management and leadership are also created. However, as per lecture a PLC is defined as the sharing and critical interrogation of teaching practice through a learning-oriented, inclusive, collaborative, ongoing, reflective and a growth promoting process. PLZ focus on the enhancement of learning of pupils through a collective purpose promoting and sustaining professional learning within community of school. According to DuFour (2013), the most important characteristics of PLC are shared values, vision in which professionals share their personal values, and vision regarding teaching. Collective responsibility for creating learning of pupils is also important for proving enough learning opportunity to students. Professional inquiry in a reflective manner gives a scope to introspect in ones own competency, reflect and reminisce to enhance and improve teaching skills. Other important characteristics involves respect, trust and support building. Creation of networking, partnership and openness beyond boundaries of school staffs are another characteristics of PLCs (Huffman 2014). Core characteristics of PLC are reflected through responsibility and leadership for students that are shared through focusing on learning and inquiry in a reflective manner with an opportunity for learning improvement of student. As per Owen (2014), commitment of continuous improvement is also found as teachers collect current student levels and assess them using various tests and assignments. Strategies for building strengths and weakness addressing are also done using numerous notes and lectures. Shared purpose of values, goals, mission and vision are also seen in organization where employees together fulfill the objectives using PLC models. Watson (2014) stated that in countries like Australia, educators work in a team for collaboratively achieving common objectives ensuring the goals are achieved through mutual processes. For example if companies work together in problem solving, respect earning and mutual trust building the professional learning acts as a catalyst within the org anization for improvement and change. Conclusion It can be concluded that administrators share supportive leaderships through sharing powers, decision-making, authority and nurturing as well as promotion of leadership. The staffs within organization also shares visions and focus on the support and learning decision guidance. Learning and application collectively are used for solving problems and learning opportunities improvement. Finally, personal practices are shared for constant feedback and assistance to students for learning purpose and increment of human capacity. Reference List DuFour, R. and DuFour, R., 2013.Learning by doing: A handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work TM. Solution Tree Press. Huffman, J.B., Hipp, K.A., Pankake, A.M. and Moller, G., 2014. Professional learning communities: Leadership, purposeful decision making, and job-embedded staff development.Jsl, 11(11), pp.448-452. Owen, S., 2014. Teacher professional learning communities: Going beyond contrived collegiality toward challenging debate and collegial learning and professional growth.Australian Journal of Adult Learning,54(2), pp.54-62. Watson, C., 2014. Effective professional learning communities? The possibilities for teachers as agents of change in schools.British Educational Research Journal,40(1), pp.18-29.