Journal #1

Journal #1: “Taking Laptops Worldwide: A Professional Learning Community Approach” (NETS-T #: III)

Green, T., Donovan, L., & Bass, k. (2010). Taking Laptops Schoolwide: A Professional Learning Community Approach. Learning & Leading with Technology, 38(1), Retrieved from http://iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-august-2010.aspx

Summary:
This article talks about the increase of laptop use in the classroom. In addition, the authors sought to find out why some classes and/or schools within the same school district integrated the use of laptops into their classroom for educational purposes and why some did not use laptops at all. That said for the teachers who were to implement the use of laptops into their lessons and/or curriculums had a well thought out plan for accomplishing this task, and also the teachers collaborated with their colleagues to come up with even more effective and innovative ideas for their lessons. For instance, instead of using the same lessons year after year, the teachers work together to make sure that their students are prepared to enter the next grade level with the skills and knowledge that they have previously gained from the last grade level that they were just in. In other words, ones students will learn how to use basic programs and/or applications throughout first and fifth grades, then they can use the knowledge that they have acquired from these programs and thus adapt them and build on to more complex applications. In addition, the authors discuss the PLC approach to planning. In the article the PLC approach is described as a focus on learning rather than teaching, working collaboratively, and holding one’s self-accountable for results. That said teacher collaboration is once again an important component of this approach. Some of the ways that teachers use the PLC approach is by teachers meet weekly with their same grade level colleagues to share a number of things. For instance, they meet every week to share student data, reflect on their student’s progress, and plan learning experiences. In addition, some teachers meet weekly with their colleagues to decide how they can improve their students learning and instruction. As a result of these collaborating PLC approaches the teachers set up schedules to make sure that they stay on track and as well as to make sure that they stay up to date with their students needs when it comes to technology with laptops. In addition, to these PLC approaches, the authors of the article explain in detail how an educator can start a collaborative program by considering four factors. That said, these four factors include ones; school climate, communication, collaboration, and progression of use.

Q1: As a future teacher how would you go about learning how to start a PLC group and/or approaches with your colleagues that teach the same grade level? Also, what is the significance of joining a PLC group?
A: As a future teacher I would start a PLC group and/or approaches with my colleagues by considering my schools climate, communication, collaboration efforts, and progression of use of laptops in classrooms. By doing this, I would be able to meet up with my colleagues every week to discuss and share my student’s progress and/or data, also during this time we can work together to map out new lesson plans. That said, the significance of joining a PLC group is that one will have the chance to collaborate with their colleagues every week to determine what teaching methods work for their students and which that do not work as well with their students. Furthermore, I find the PLC approach to be effective and beneficial in which the teachers can work as a team to discover what exactly their education philosophies are.

Q2: As a future teacher, do you see yourself using the PLC method and/or approach?
A: As I future teacher I find that I would use the PLC approach and/or method. I say this because I believe that it is important to work collaboratively with ones colleagues. This way, in regards to teaching approaches in the classroom, educators can work as a team to determine which methods they have recently used were successful and which ones were not. Furthermore, I would definitely use the PLC approach. In other words, I believe that in order for one to successfully advance in ones position in educating children teachers must learn that by collaborating among colleagues on a weekly basis is vital to ones success. Thus by one adopting the PLC approach educators can achieve this task.