Cobb Chapter 2 R.R

New opportunities for teachers to work together are created when new context for learning are developed; teachers are then able to overcome the traditional isolation of the profession. It is hard to change something alone but change happens when an individual takes the initiative to do something different. The best way to accomplish the change that you want is to work with others when exploring and implementing project based learning. In order to work with others you have to evaluate your own readiness for teamwork; consider how you interact with your colleagues. Respect is essential for teamwork. You have to have trust, appreciation and display honesty with your team.  Having like-minded colleagues is essential when working with a group of teachers. Also, the desire to bring in cutting edge technologies is key when preparing students to become contributing citizens.

The school should be considered a ‘Learning Organization.” This means that it engages in ongoing, collaborative problem solving focused on making the organization better.  This concept was started in the business community and migrated to the schools. Schools often don’t foster a collaborative examination of the fundamental acts of teaching. They often focus on “housekeeping;” scheduling, program coordination, planning school events, etc.  

Traditional professional development activities make up approximately 5% of a teachers non-student contact time each year! It is you duty as a teacher to intentionally redesign your interactions with other teachers because this will help build your skills.

·         Watch and reflect on each others classroom interactions.

·         Give critical feedback to each other.

·         Benefit from the wisdom of the group.

·         Engage in new patterns of thinking.

·         Continually learn together.

By doing so you become a part of a community and belonging to a community of practice makes your teaching career more productive and satisfying. Main three benefits of belonging to a teaching community is: it ensures that students learn, creates a culture of collaboration for school improvement, and focus is on results. 

A project based learning program delivered by a high functioning professional learning community of teachers can be the engine of “improvement” that drives a school forward. Some benefits include:

·         Decreased teacher isolation.

·         Increased commitment to the mission.

·         Shared responsibility.

·         More powerful learning.

·         A higher likelihood of fundamental, systematic change.

 It is important to remember that whether you start as two teachers, a department or an entire faculty, you should always have these components when starting a digital age project:

·         Clear sense of mission.

·         Shared vision.

·         Work together in collaborative teams.

·         Collaborate with each other.

·         Organize in groups headed by teacher-leaders.

·         Focus on student learning.

·         Goal and results orientated.

·         Shared values and beliefs.

·         Commitment to continuous improvement.

·         See themselves as life- long learners. 

Step one…join a well-designed project that is already underway. Practice makes perfect!