Plc's Competence In Professional Learning Communities

Professional learning communities, PLCs, what are they? This question was the focus of Chapter 1, Clarity Precedes Competence. The chapter clearly states the characteristics, assumptions, challenges, and the needs of a PLC.
According to Dufour and Fullan (2013), there are three big ideas that are essential to the PLC:
1. A relentless focus on learning for all students
2. A collaborative culture and collective effort to support students and adult learning
3. A results orientation to improve practice and drive continuous improvement (p.14-15) PLC members must ask questions throughout the process to keep their focus on educating all students. These questions are in regards to what students need to learn, how learning will be assessed, response
A sense of collective efficacy is important when sharing the responsibility for student learning. Employees will feel a sense of empowerment when supporting one another, making crucial decisions and growing in their knowledge and skill. Through this shift in culture, there will be a commitment to continuous improvement. Continuous improvement is based on data and results. Schools must systematically monitor and analyze student data consistently. The results and feedback should be used to help with student improvement as well as improved teaching
How will we respond when some of our students do not learn?
4. How will we enrich and extend the learning for students who are already proficient? (p.15) If educators can address these questions and collaborate and share ideas then that is part of the learning together process of PLCs. Decisions regarding curriculum and pacing are made together and then individually design and plan instructional strategies that will be most effective for student learning. Dufour and Fullan (2013), “Define systemness as the degree to which people identify and are committed to an entity larger than themselves- is not about letting others work to get the system right so that you will be better off” (p.18). Everyone has a role to play. There is no difference between the individual and the system; they are both needed to create. There are many challenges and issues to changing the culture. Educators must be aware that everyone needs to make a contribution to improving the larger system. A culture needs to be both loose and tight. Feedback needs to be established in an ongoing method so people can make instructional adjustments. There must be shared knowledge, trust, collective capacity, and collective responsibility. PLCs are the path to systematic school reform. It is important to work with others in overcoming the issues educators face. A clear understanding of the principles and implications of the PLC needs to be