PLC+Information

= = =It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something."= //--Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd U.S. president// = = =Welcome to your PLC online home! =



Teachers need a place to communicate with their peers; especially those within your PLC. Use this wiki as that tool. Once you have set up an account with the administrator you can post teaching strategies, instructional ideas, or other bits of information that will be beneficial to the teaching practices of APHS faculty.

Remember, the PLC is a place of collaborative action. Working together can increase teaching effectiveness and student achievement.

The wiki administrator will post information that will help you build a successful professional learning community. Every faculty member of APHS through their active participation in their PLC can “signify interest not only in discrete acts of teacher sharing, but in the establishment of a school-wide culture that makes collaboration expected, inclusive, genuine, ongoing, and focued on critically examining practice to improve student outcomes” (Seashore, Anderson, & Reidel, 2003, p. 3).

The PLC groups are located on the left side of the page. Each PLC has a homepage and subsequent pages to house data such as meeting minutes, reflection pieces, action plans, etc. In addition, the PLC will have a page for "Teacher Talk" where you can write about your learning and application of strategies discussed in the PLC groups.

Reference Seashore, K. S., Anderson, A. R., & Riedel, E. (2003). //Implementing arts for academic achievement.// Minneapolis, MN: Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement.

So, How Does This Wiki Thing Work?
It's easy! As a member of this wiki you have "creator" privileges. That means you can edit pages and upload files to ANY page on the wiki. As members of the wiki we do ask that you only //edit YOUR PLC pages// and __view the pages of other PLCs__. The exception is a DISCUSSION. If a PLC posts a discussion and invites everyone to participate, then please do so!

There is a RESOURCE section on the HOME page. Feel free to add to it.

If your PLC creates a fantastic document, then share it with the entire PLC community by uploading the document to the HOME page in the FILES section.

Document what goes on in your PLC by keeping your homepage up to date. Post meeting minutes under DISCUSSIONS (seeDay2Block1 example).

Generally, treat your PLC wiki as the artifact portfolio of what goes on.

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**Why Establish Team Norms?**

Team norms are not intended to serve as rules, but rather as commitments; public agreements shared among the members. Effective teams do not settle for “sorta agreements’; they identify the very specific commitments members have made to each other. Explicit norms do not ensure each member will observe the agreement, but they do offer a powerful tool for addressing violations, which can then lead to team learning. When done well, norms can help establish the trust, openness, commitment, and accountability that move teams from the trivial to the substantive.

source: http://www.plcwashington.org/necessary-conditions.html

Files for PLCs @ APHS
Note: For PC users download the [|Office Compatibility Pack] if you do not have Office 2007. If you have Office 2008 for Mac or Office 2004 for Mac, here is the Mac version of the [|XML Convertor] (click link on upper right linked to bottom of page, choose the English.dmg file to download).

General files [|Professional Learning Communities.ppt] [|PLCbyDuFour.pdf] [|Sept15FacultyMeetinghandout_studentsupportprocess.docx] [|PLCCharter.doc]

Meeting specific files

[|PLCActionPlanGuide.pdf] [|Meeting Notes.doc] [|This Week's Best Ideas.pdf] [|SMARTGoalWorksheet.pdf] [|Meeting in Progress.pdf] [|PLCReflection.doc] [|PLCAgendaSchedule.docx] [|PLCComponentStatements.docx] [|PLCNormStatement.docx] [|PLCVisionMissionStatement.docx]

How To:

 * Upload a file** - Click the file from above that you would like to modify. It will open in Word (you may need the compatibility pack installed). Make changes to the document and save it to your computer. MAKE SURE you add your PLC name to the end of the file, i.e. PLCNormStatement_D1B1. By renaming the file to align with the author of it, the members of this wiki will be able to quickly identify their files in the file manager window. After you have saved your renamed document, come back to the wiki and EDIT the page (upper right hand side) you want to put the file into. Place your cursor where you want the file to go, click the INSERT IMAGES/FILES icon. Click the UPLOAD FILE tab. Click UPLOAD and browse for the file. Click the file name and the OPEN button. The file will then upload into the wiki file manager. Click the INSERT FILE tab. Find your file and click it. Voila!

Resources
[|Reproducibles] from Building a PLC at Work, by Graham and Ferriter. Books about Professional Learning Communities from Solution Tree

[|Whatever It Takes.pdf] [|The Collaborative Teacher.pdf] [|PLC at Work.pdf] [|On Common Ground.pdf] [|Learning by Doing.pdf] [|Building a Professional Learning Community at Work(TM).pdf]