June 1, 2015

 
Professional Learning News

It is getting to be that time of the year when pencils are being put down and books are put away as the school year draws to a close. A sincere thank you to all learners for a job well done! 

 

WHAT IS AN AUTHENTIC PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY? 

Shirley Hord, Learning Forward's scholar laureate, has focused her career on research about and practice of effective professional learning communities. Here she answers an educator's question about professional learning communities.
 

 

WHERE WILL YOU BE ON JULY 28, 2015? 

Join your colleagues from across Virginia on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, at the Chesterfield County Public Schools Thomas Fulghum Conference Center for Designing Inquiring Minds. This five-hour workshop is led by Ron Nash and Jenny Sue Flannagan, well-known educators across Virginia. Register TODAY! Group discounts available.  Go to Learning Forward Virginia's web site for more information about this outstanding workshop.
 

 

GETTING SMART

From Getting Smart, a paper on exploring the shift to deeper learning: " Preparing Leaders for Deeper Learning".The interactive guide explores 2 fundamental questions:
- Roles: What should deeper learning leaders know and be able to do?  The research reveals 10 roles required to lead toward deeper learning.
- Recommendations: What would a system of preparation and development need to include in order to prepare deeper learning leaders? The co-authors provide 7 recommendations for the preparation and development of deeper learning leaders.




There is buzz online about Twitter replacing professional development. Is it a good idea, or problematic to focus all professional learning time on hashtags and tweets? A total replacement would be tragic, but using Twitter to enhance professional learning has serious potential. Read Tonya Ward Singer's blog on this subject.


BEYOND THE SILVER BULLET
Asking whether blended learning "works" is just the wrong question, notes Michael B. Horn, executive director of education at the Clayton Christensen Institute and EdSurge columnist.  Here's why-and what evidence is beginning to stack up.


COLLABORATIVE LEARNING FOR IMPROVED PERFORMANCE
According to Peter Senge's Leading Learning Organizations, collaborative or team learning is a discipline of group interaction. Through techniques like dialogue and skillful discussion, teams transform their collective thinking, learning to mobilize their energies and abilities greater than the sum of individual members' talents.
Collaborative learning can enhance employee engagement and spark innovation that can lead to improved performance and outcomes. Explore these resources:

6 Reasons Your Employees Will Love Collaborative Learning

 

Barriers to Professional Development Infographic


What Kind of Collaborator Are You?

 


A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO DESIGNING TEACHER-LED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING 

The Teacher-Led Professional Learning goal is to help teachers, their schools, unions, and districts implement collaborative, job-embedded professional learning that leads to better student learning by developing and using the skills of involved teacher leaders. Access the guide here.
 

 
SIX QUESTIONS ABOUT TEACHER EVALUATION

Nancy Flanagan asks if we are granting teacher-evaluation protocols a lot more power and veracity than they deserve. Read more.

 

Learning Opportunities

UPCOMING EVENTS:

 

Learning Forward Virginia proudly presents:  Designing Inquiring Minds

 

Whether you are a new teacher or a teacher with experience, Designing Inquirng Minds will bring you up-to-date on best practices for actively engaging students. Please join colleagues from across Virginia on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, at the Chesterfield County Public Schools Thomas Fulghum Conference Center for Designing Inquiring Minds. This five-hour workshop is led by Ron Nash and Jenny Sue Flannagan, well-known educators across Virginia.

Lace up your sneakers, grab a pen, and join Jenny Sue and Ron for a down-to-earth and highly practical day of learning. Register TODAY!  Go to Learning Forward Virginia's web site for more information about this workshop.

 

 

Time is running out for early bird savings on Learning Forward's 2015 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. Dec. 5-9!  Register by May 31 to save $75 on a 3-, 4-, or 5-day registration. 


 

 

We need you!!! There are several ways you can help. Volunteer for Learning Forward's Annual Conference to be held Dec 5-9, 2015, at the Gaylord Conference and Convention Center, National Harbor. Click here.



  

 

 

Should you have questions or need additional information, please contact me or any member of our LFVA Board. Contact information is also listed on the LFVA web site. (www.learningforwardvirginia.org)

 

 

Sincerely,
Judy Newhouse
Executive Director
Learning Forward Virginia

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