Authors

Part 2: Integrating Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and the Lifelong Learning Education (LLE) Framework

Presenter linkElliott Seif
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Categories: Authors, PLC, PLC at Work, School Improvement, Solution Tree

Elliott Seif is the author of Teaching for Lifelong Learning: How to Prepare Students for a Changing World.

As I indicated in part 1 of this series,
Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) “…are designed to counter the separateness of school teaching and learning by creating collaborative teams of teachers who work together to improve learning”. Or, as Dufour et al. (2006) write: PLC’s focus on creating “…an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve.” The PLC process should lead to new and improved classroom practices that reinforce relevant and meaningful learning across content areas and grade levels, and are likely to get better results for students. Read more

Image of Tom Schimmer on multicolored background

Q&A with Tom Schimmer

Presenter linkTom Schimmer
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Categories: Bookmark, Solution Tree

From the cabin in the woods to educational airwaves, Canadian education expert and author Tom Schimmer sits down with us to discuss how The Tom Schimmer Podcast began and grew. Learn how Tom developed the idea for his podcast in 2020, and follow his journey as he discusses how he solidified his format, the importance of his special guests, and the ways he promotes his platform. Read more

Five Ways to Develop an Online Presence

Presenter linkSolution Tree
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Categories: Bookmark

In marketing, you need to reach people where they are—and in today’s world, that means having an online presence. While you should certainly get to know all of the more popular online platforms, you have to start somewhere. 

Here are five ways to develop an online presence.

 

1. Engage with Fellow Educators on Social Media

Routinely sharing content about your work on social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, etc.) can be an easy and fun way to connect with the community. 

Hot Tips! When sharing on social media, remember to:

  • Focus on delivering bite-size, helpful content
  • Use related hashtags to further your reach
  • Actively engage with followers and other authors

Read more

Integrating Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and the Lifelong Learning Education (LLE) Framework

Presenter linkElliott Seif
Post date
Categories: PLC, PLC at Work, Student Engagement

Elliott Seif is the author of Teaching for Lifelong Learning: How to Prepare Students for a Changing World.

 

What are the essential features of professional learning communities (PLCs)?

In many schools today, teachers shut their doors and essentially work alone, providing what they consider to be the best learning possible for their students. While this often gives them the opportunity to provide their students with decent education, it also often gets in the way of creating a collaborative culture in which all teachers work together and each contributes to the larger goal of improving learning for all students. Learning becomes fragmented and segmented when teachers work on their own.

Professional learning communities (PLCs) are designed to counter the separateness of school teaching and learning by creating collaborative teams of teachers who work together to improve learning. The formation of a PLC creates “an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. Professional learning communities operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators” (DuFour et al., 2016, p. 10). Read more

Secure Our Schools (SOS) 101

Presenter linkDan FlynnPresenter linkLeigh Colburn
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Categories: Authors, Guest Posts

Authors’ note: As a police chief and a high school principal, we worked together with the support of Dr. Emily Lembeck, a visionary superintendent, for nine years to ensure our school’s safety in an urban-suburban Georgia town. In the wake of the most recent school shootings, we feel compelled to share some essential best practices for immediate consideration as schools move forward into the 2022–2023 school year.

Over the last two years in America, we have experienced the COVID pandemic, extensive and divisive political turmoil, and widespread violence. In totality, these events have caused various degrees of apathy and distraction in communities and schools. As we were preoccupied with the overarching issues dominating the headlines, the unthinkable massacre in Uvalde, Texas, shook us from our malaise and created calls for action. We must now accept that responsible school and police leaders need to regroup, set aside any lingering ideological or political differences, and acknowledge that securing our schools is not only crucial but also transcends political discourse. School and police leaders must, in good spirit, collaborate to create and nurture an ecosystem capable of saving our schools from future atrocities. In this blog post, we will start with the essentials that you can act upon immediately. Read more