2. The Learning Community Sociological and Psychological Nature of Groups Sociological and Psychological Nature of Groups Reciprocity Cohort Model Interaction

2. The Learning Community 2. The Learning Community

Sociological Sociological and and Psychological Psychological Nature of Nature of Groups Groups

Reciprocity Reciprocity Cohort Model Cohort Model Interaction Interaction Purpose Purpose Interdependence Interdependence Individual Growth Individual Growth Learning Communities Learning Communities Systems Thinking Systems Thinking Transformational Learning Transformational Learning Empowerment Empowerment Needs Theory Needs Theory Values TheoryValues Theory Thinking Theory Thinking Theory Teacher Empowerment Teacher Empowerment Instructional Leadership Instructional Leadership

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2. The Learning Community2. The Learning Community

High-Performance High-Performance Organizations Organizations

Goal Setting Goal Setting High Expectations, High Expectations,

Praise, and Hoopla: Praise, and Hoopla: The Motivating Work The Motivating Work Environment Environment

A Model for A Model for Instructional Instructional Leadership Leadership

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

IntroductionIntroduction

This lecture defines the notion of This lecture defines the notion of communitycommunity and explores the and explores the interwoven threads that distinguish interwoven threads that distinguish a true community from a mere a true community from a mere collection of individuals.collection of individuals.


Topics of DiscussionTopics of Discussion CommunityCommunity

DefinitionDefinition Psychological and Sociological DimensionsPsychological and Sociological Dimensions CharacteristicsCharacteristics

InteractionInteraction PurposePurpose InterdependenceInterdependence Individual DevelopmentIndividual Development

The Learning CommunityThe Learning Community The Professional Learning CommunityThe Professional Learning Community


Community….Community….

Community celebrates the dignity Community celebrates the dignity and worth of self and others, fosters and worth of self and others, fosters the empowerment of both and the empowerment of both and encourages and supports the encourages and supports the maximum development of human maximum development of human potential for the benefit of the potential for the benefit of the common good.common good.

Norris, C., et. al.Norris, C., et. al.


What is Community?What is Community?

A community is sometimes A community is sometimes labeled:labeled: A settingA setting A groupA group A cohortA cohort

A community is A community is more than:more than: Individuals in close proximityIndividuals in close proximity Individuals with common interestsIndividuals with common interests Individuals grouped for a stated Individuals grouped for a stated

purposepurpose


Characteristics of a True Characteristics of a True CommunityCommunity

InteractionInteraction PurposePurpose InterdependenceInterdependence Individual GrowthIndividual Growth


ReciprocityReciprocity

The The socisociological dimensionological dimension of the group of the group (community) is concerned with the community (community) is concerned with the community as a whole and how it relates to all other as a whole and how it relates to all other communities. How is the community affected communities. How is the community affected by all other communities and how does the by all other communities and how does the community impact other communities?community impact other communities?

The The psychological dimensionpsychological dimension of the group of the group (community) is concerned with the individual (community) is concerned with the individual who is a part of the community. How is that who is a part of the community. How is that individual affected by the community and how individual affected by the community and how does he/she impact the community?does he/she impact the community?


The Learning Community The Learning Community

Systems ThinkingSystems Thinking Personal MasteryPersonal Mastery Team LearningTeam Learning Mental ModelsMental Models Shared VisionShared Vision

Based on Senge’s Based on Senge’s Fifth DisciplineFifth Discipline


Systems ThinkingSystems Thinking

The organization is made up of many The organization is made up of many parts. What happens in any one part parts. What happens in any one part affects all other parts. The uniting affects all other parts. The uniting thread that hold all parts together is thread that hold all parts together is shared vision shared vision or or purpose.purpose.


Application to SchoolsApplication to Schools

Each school has within it many other Each school has within it many other communities joined together by a communities joined together by a common purpose. It is the strength common purpose. It is the strength of commitment to that purpose that of commitment to that purpose that will determine the strength of the will determine the strength of the school as a total community.school as a total community.


Personal MasteryPersonal Mastery

Personal mastery encourages the Personal mastery encourages the collective commitment that gives collective commitment that gives purpose and passion to the work of purpose and passion to the work of the organization. It is its the organization. It is its spiritual spiritual foundation. foundation. This dimension provides This dimension provides the avenue for greater the avenue for greater self-self-awareness and understanding awareness and understanding and and promotes the fullest development of promotes the fullest development of individual potential.individual potential.



Each individual is important to the Each individual is important to the success of the school as a total success of the school as a total learning community. Each individual learning community. Each individual member impacts the success of the member impacts the success of the school and , in turn, is influenced by school and , in turn, is influenced by the various communities intertwined the various communities intertwined within the school. In any collaborative within the school. In any collaborative experience, each individual should experience, each individual should search for greater self-understanding search for greater self-understanding and deeper appreciation of others.and deeper appreciation of others.


Team LearningTeam Learning

The true learning community fosters The true learning community fosters meaningful connections within meaningful connections within learning settings for faculty as well learning settings for faculty as well as students. There is a deliberate as students. There is a deliberate effort to foster effort to foster dialoguedialogue vs. mere vs. mere discussion. discussion. Leaders eliminate a top-Leaders eliminate a top-down perspective and allow for down perspective and allow for individual participation and individual participation and empowerment.empowerment.



Through an exchange of ideas, the Through an exchange of ideas, the most powerful learning experiences most powerful learning experiences are created. Lasting connections are are created. Lasting connections are built between the various built between the various communities that make up the communities that make up the school community. All must all join school community. All must all join together to become an integrated together to become an integrated community.community.


Challenging Challenging Mental Mental ModelsModels

In true learning communities there In true learning communities there is a climate of continual questioning, is a climate of continual questioning, problem finding, and exploration of problem finding, and exploration of possibilities. Questioning becomes possibilities. Questioning becomes the basis for transformation of the basis for transformation of current realities. As assumptions are current realities. As assumptions are questioned, other possibilities are questioned, other possibilities are examined. New designs and models examined. New designs and models are created.are created.



Through discussion and dialogue, Through discussion and dialogue, individuals discover realities they individuals discover realities they had not before encountered. had not before encountered. Individuals learn to appreciate Individuals learn to appreciate others’ viewpoints and pause to others’ viewpoints and pause to question their own assumptions. question their own assumptions. Through questioning, new Through questioning, new possibilities are considered.possibilities are considered.


What This Means… The success of the school as a

learning community depends upon the strength of all the communities that contribute to it. Each community is a vital link in the success of the school; each community either supports or limits the development of all individuals who share membership in the school.


Professional Learning Professional Learning CommunitiesCommunities

A school is a professional learning A school is a professional learning community when all members, community when all members, collectively and individually, strive collectively and individually, strive to continuously insure high levels of to continuously insure high levels of learning. In such a community, the learning. In such a community, the environment fosters mutual environment fosters mutual cooperation, emotional support, and cooperation, emotional support, and personal and collective growth.personal and collective growth.

Collaborative TeamsCollaborative Teams

Teachers and students work Teachers and students work together to construct knowledge and together to construct knowledge and skills and then apply them in skills and then apply them in meaningful ways. The school, in meaningful ways. The school, in turn, actively involves parents and turn, actively involves parents and community in ways that enhance the community in ways that enhance the collective knowledge of the school collective knowledge of the school community and foster life-long community and foster life-long learning.learning.


Action Orientation and Action Orientation and ExperimentationExperimentation

As individuals exchange ideas, As individuals exchange ideas, powerful learning is created. Old powerful learning is created. Old assumptions are challenged, and assumptions are challenged, and new understandings are achieved. new understandings are achieved. Both the individual and the Both the individual and the organization are strengthened.organization are strengthened.


Continuous ImprovementContinuous Improvement

A professional learning community A professional learning community always looks to the future and seeks always looks to the future and seeks new possibilities that will allow the new possibilities that will allow the individual and the organization to individual and the organization to develop maximum potential.develop maximum potential.


Documents

2. The Learning Community Sociological and Psychological Nature of Groups Sociological and Psychological Nature of Groups Reciprocity Cohort Model Interaction