TurningSchoolsIntoEffective LearningCommunities
Theideathatschoolsshouldbebuiltonourunderstandingoflearningmayseem oversimplified,buttherealityisthatfartoomanyofthemcontinuetousean outdatedapproachtoteachingthatignoreswhatwenowknowabouthuman learningfromresearch.Alearner-centeredfocus,asolidknowledgebasis,an emphasisonevaluation,andasenseofcommunityarethefourkeycomponents ofeducationalenvironmentscreatedtoenhancelearning (source: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/9853/chapter/10).
Thesefourcomponentsareallnecessaryforeffectivelearning,whichisthemain goalofschoolsdesignedforsuccess.Bothstudentlearningandteachers'ongoing professionaldevelopmentcanbenefitfromtheseelements.Schoolsthatareset upforsuccessattractandretaintop-notchteachers.Goodstudentachievement iswhatweallwantintheend.
Sincewethinkthatthesefourprinciplesareessentialtotransformingschoolsinto productivelearningcommunities,welookatwhatisknownabouthuman learningbelow.
Teachersinlearner-centeredschoolsareawareofandresponsivetothe backgrounds,beliefs,abilities,andinformationthateachstudentbringstothe classroom.Eachchildlearnsinadifferentway,andsodoestheamountoftimeit takesthemtograspnewinformation.Achild'sbackgroundknowledgeand preferredlearningmethodsarealsoinfluencedbyculturaldifferences.When thesedifferencesarerespected,eachchildistaughttotheirstrengthsatapace andstylethatistailoredtotheirevolvingknowledgeandabilities.
The"onesizefitsall"factorymodelofeducationthatdominatesmostoftoday's educationissignificantlydifferentfromthisapproachtolearning (source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottwhite/2025/03/04/the-factory-model-ofeducation-why-high-school-needs-a-radical-overhaul/). Accordingtothat approach,allstudentsinaclasswilllearnessentiallythesamematerialatthe samerateifthesametopicispresentedtothematthesametimeandatthe samepace.Additionally,thatmodelmakestheassumptionthateverystudentin aclasswillbeginatthesametimeandendatthesametime,havingacquiredthe necessaryknowledge180dayslater.Despitebeingadministrativelyefficient,this assemblylineapproachtoeducationisunproductiveandultimatelyunfair.Why? Becauseitdemandsthatallkids,regardlessoftheirlearningstyles,needs, histories,orabilities,adjusttothemean.Whileindividualswhocouldlearnmore arehamperedbyasystemthatultimatelyfailstopushthem,thosewhodonot studyatthenecessarypaceloseoutordiscontinuetheireducation.
One-size-fits-allprofessionaldevelopmentisaninefficientwaytosupportteacher growthbecausethisnotionalsorelatestohowteacherslearn.Schoolsthatare organizedaslearningcommunitiesinvolveinstructorsincreatingtheirown learningopportunitiesbasedontheirindividualtalentsandknowledgeaswellas theneedsofthechildrentheydealwith,ratherthanaskingallteacherstoattend seminars.
Prioritizingthelearnerdoesnotimplyignoringthecontent.Masteringthe materialistheprimaryfocusofknowledge-centeredteachingandlearning. Learningfocusesonthesubjectmatter,themethodofinstruction,theunique abilitiesrequiredtoachieveit,andthedefinitionofmastery.Eachacademic subjecthasitsowncontentstandards,resources,andabilitiesthatserveasthe
foundationforhigh-qualityinstruction,whetheritisthemasteryofalgebra, fractions,andratiosasfundamentalideasfordevelopingmathematical understanding,anawarenessofecologicalsystemsinbiology,ortheappropriate useofgrammar,diction,andtoneinwriting.Today'scontentstandards,which weredevelopedbydistrictsandstatestoformalizethisfundamental understanding,outlinethesekeycomponents.
Teachinginknowledge-centeredschoolsrequiresmorethanjustknowing numbersandfacts.Developingeachstudent'scapacitytointerpretexisting knowledgeinatopicofstudyispartofit.Helpingstudentsdevelopandapply theirdevelopinganalyticalskills—thatis,theircapacitytoexaminetheirown reasoning—isthemaingoalhere.Studentswilllearnhowtorecognizewhennew materialmakessense,howitconnectstotheirpriorknowledge,andhowtoapply it.Intheinformationera,whenstudentsareexposedtoknowledgefromsources farbeyondthe textbooks andteacher,theseanalyticalabilitiesarebecoming moreandmorecrucial.Inthetwenty-firstcentury,informationliteracy—the capacitytolocate,analyze,andassessinformationaswellasproduceand disseminateittoothers—hasemergedasacrucialcomponentofknowledgecenterededucation.
Forteacherprofessionaldevelopment,knowledge-centeredlearningentails concentratingonthewhatandwhyofteachingtopics.Alltoofrequently, concepts(includingtechnology-assistedinstruction,cooperativelearning,and writingthroughoutthecurriculum)arepresentedaspartofreforminitiatives withoutprovidingteacherswiththechancetocomprehendtheneedforthese abilitiesandhowtheymaybeusedintheclassroom.However,knowledgegains authenticityandrelevancewhenitisconnectedtothecurriculumforwhich educatorsareheldresponsible,whichinspiresthemtoenhancetheirteaching.
Learner-centeredinstructionismadefeasibleinschoolsthataresuccessful learningcommunitiesbyinstructorswhoareskilledinusingwell-designed assessmenttoolsandprocedures.Goodassessmenttechniquesgiveongoing feedbackonlearningsothatinstructionalactivitiescanbemodifiedasnecessary. Asformativeassessmentsrevealstudents'progressandhighlightareasof understandinganddifficulty, "justintimelearning" becomesthestandard. Theseresourcesassisteducatorsandlearnersintrackingtheirdevelopmentso thatmoreworkornovelapproachescanbeexploredbeforeit'stoolate. Summativeassessmentslikeend-of-courseorend-of-yeartestshaveaplace,but theycouldoccurtoolateintheschoolyearfortheinstructortomakethe
necessaryinstructionaladjustmentstoguaranteethestudentislearningthe requiredmaterialandgainingthedesiredskills.Althoughbothformativeand summativeelementsarecrucialtoanassessment-centeredlearningenvironment, theformerhavethegreatestinfluenceoverhowinstructionistailoredtothe individualstudent.However,schoolsfrequentlyoverlooktheusefulnessof formativeevaluation.
Forteacherstolearn,feedbackisjustasvital.Tobenefitthelearningcommunity asawhole,teachersmusthavethechancetoobserve,document,andreflecton theirteachingandhowitaffectsthekidstheyworkwith.Whennecessary,they shouldalsosolicitfeedbackfrompeersandprincipals.
Teachersandstudentsdonothavetolearnandworkaloneinalearner-centered learningenvironment.Instead,reflection—whichresultsfromconversation, teamwork,sharing,andknowledgebuildinginacommunityoflearners—is essentialtolearningandeffectiveteaching.Peercollaborationandknowledge sharingareessentialforstudents.Teachersrequiretimeandopportunitiesto collaboratewithmentors,othermembersofthelearningcommunity,andother schoolcolleagues.Everysuccessfulschoolhasestablisheditsownsetofnorms andsupportsystemsforthelearningcommunity.Theschool'scapacitytomeet itslearningobjectivesforstudentswillbesignificantlyimpactedbythecoherence ofthesenormsandthecaliberofitslearningcommunity.Thoughsocially encouraged,knowledgeisprocessedonanindividualbasis.
Beyondtheconfinesoftheschool,community-centeredlearninghasenormous potential.Onlyaround14percentofastudent'stimeisspentinschoolduringa calendaryear;theremaining53percentisspentathomeandinthecommunity, and33percentisspentsleeping (source: https://www.educationnext.org/timefor-school-assessing-inequality-access-instructional-time-united-states/). Itis obviousthatanyattempttoimprovestudentlearningmustalsotakeadvantage oftimespentoutsideoftheclassroom.Studentstodayspendmoreandmore timeonline,forexample,chattingwithfriendsorbrowsingtheInternetwhen they'renotinclass.Effective,community-focusedschoolswilllookforwaysto makesurethatextracurricularlearningenhancesclassroominstruction.There aremorechancestocreatelearningconnectionsthemoretheschoolis connectedtothecommunityandthehome.Forinstance,alotofschoolsare usingtheirwebsitestoencourageparentstobemoreinvolvedintheirchildren's dailyeducation.
Similartothis,professionaldevelopmentandteacherlearningshouldnotbe carriedoutinavacuum;rather,theyshouldflourishandexpandviaongoing interactionwiththecommunityoffellowstudentsbothwithinandoutsideofthe classroom.Whethertheytakeonlinecoursesandmaintainconnectionswith classmatesvirtuallyorcollaboratewithcolleaguesonlineforinformallearning, technologygivesinstructorsthechancetobuildnewkindsofcommunities.
KennethLeithwoodidentifiedcommoncharacteristicsofschoolsthathavebeen successfulinclosingstudentachievementgaps (source: https://www.readingrockets.org/resources/resource-library/characteristicsschool-districts-are-exceptionally-effective-closing). Thesecharacteristicsclosely alignwiththelearningcommunitycharacteristicsdescribedabove.Schoolsthat createlearningcommunitiesbasedontheseprinciplesareoutperforming demographicandsocioeconomicoddsthatalltoooftenpredictlowachievement andhighteacherturnover.Thelistofgovernorsconsistsof:
-Anunwaveringemphasisoneachstudent'sacademicachievement;
-Acommonbeliefamongstaffandinstructorsthattheyshareresponsibilityfor eachstudent'seducation;
-Regularandfrequentevaluationofstudents'progresstowarddiagnostic objectives;
-Principalswhoworkwithteacherleaderstobecomeeffectiveinstructional leaders;and
-Theabilitytoadjustandprolongtheschooldayandyearasnecessary.
Below,weoutlinefiveessentialcomponentsforchange.Wethinkthatstatesand schooldistrictswillsupportthetypesoflearningcommunitieswereferredtoas "schoolsbuiltforsuccess"iftheyimplementthesemethods.Wethinkthatthese schoolsimprovestudentachievementandoverallsuccess,strengthenteaching quality,andpromoteteacherretention.Weadvise:
-Promoting differentiatedstaffing andteachercooperation;
-Teachersandprincipalssharinginstructionalleadership;
-Restructuringschoolsintosmalllearningcommunitiesbyredesigningand reducingtheirsize;
-Usingtechnologytosupportthenewvision;and
-Inclosecoordinationwiththeseschools,newteachersareprepared,andtheir ongoingprofessionaldevelopmentissupported.
Below,welookatthefirstfourofthesecomponents;inthepartsthatfollow,we gointogreaterdetailonprofessionaldevelopmentandteacherpreparation.
Promotingdifferentiatedstaffingandteachercooperation
It'stimetodiscontinuethepracticeofteachingaloneinremoteclassrooms (source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9769479/). Ifweareaware thatcommunity-centeredlearningismoreeffective,weshouldimplementthis ideabyestablishingencouraginglearningsettingswheregroupsofeducatorsand schooladministratorscollaboratetoachieveit.Inordertoevaluatestudent achievementandtheeffectivenessoftheirindividualandschool-wide educationalactivitiesandapproaches,teachersmusthavefrequentopportunity tocollaboratewiththeirpeers.Thisskill-buildingactivityissupportedby professionallearningcommunities,whereeveryonehasavoiceandcollegial interactiontakestheplaceofisolation.Wemusttransformourschoolsinto professionalworkplacesifwewantprofessionalteachersworkingthere.
Changingtheoneteacher/oneclassmodelofschoolstaffingisknownas differentiatedstaffing.Itentailsassigningteachersvaryingdegreesandtypesof tasksaccordingtotheirbackgroundandspecialization.Itisimportanttosupport thetopeducatorsinthedistrictorschooltotakeontheroleofleadteachers, whocanguideandcounselnewinstructorsthroughouttheircrucialfirstfew yearsofemployment.Schoolsshouldprovideitstopinstructorswithopportunity tosharetheirknowledgeandreachawideraudiencesincetheyknowwhothey are.Theseleadinstructorscanmoreeffectivelyguaranteethattheirschool's professionaldevelopmentmethodscenteronpromptlyaddressingeachstudent's uniquelearningdemandsbycollaboratingwithcolleaguesinteams.Thismeans thatprofessionaldevelopmentshouldbebasedonresearchoneffectivepractice.
Inordertoconnecttheuniversity'sacademicresourcesandknowledgewiththe practicalskillstheyhaveacquiredintheclassroom,teachersshouldalsobeable
toworktogetherwiththeirpeersinhighereducation.Butgeographyisnolonger abarriertotheknowledgethateducatorsmayaccess.Telecommunicationsand informationtechnologiesallowteacherstoshareandexpandtheirexpertise throughregular,onlineinteractionwithmentors,colleagues,andleadersinthe fieldanywhere,eveniftheirschoolistoosmalltosupportitsownmentorsoris locatedfarfromotherschoolsorhighereducationinstitutions.Supportedbythis community,educatorscansolvecurrentissuesandimagineafuturecareerpath whereavarietyofrolemodelsenhancetheirowndevelopment.
Teachersandprincipalssharinginstructional leadership
Thedaysoftheprincipalactingasthe"LoneRanger"ofschoolreformarecoming toanend,alongwiththeeraofsoloteaching.Traditionaltop-downleadership, whichwascreatedforschoolsinthemanufacturingera,clasheswiththe demandsof21st-centurylearningenvironments.Teachers'leadershipabilities arehiddenandeventuallywastedunderone-personleadership.More significantly,ifteacherleadershipisnotcreated,reformswillstallifthehighwattageprincipaldeparts,andteacherturnoverwillworsenaseducatorsbecome wearyofseeingthesameoldparadeofnewleadersbringingtheirownreforms.
Ontheotherhand,schoolsaresuccessfulwhentheprincipalcollaborateswith themembersoftheschoolcommunitytocreateandpromoteacommongoal. Thelearningcommunitycomestogetherunderdistributedleadershipwitha sharedcommitmentandaccountabilityformaintainingprogress.Inthefinest situations,aschoollearningcommunitymaywork,learn,andflourishonastrong foundationcreatedbygoodinstructionalleadership.
Tocoordinatelearningcommunities,today'sprincipalsmustbecomeproficientin awiderangeoftechnologyandabilities.Assessmentliteracy,ortheabilityto deriveinstructionalmeaningfromstudentandschoolperformancedata,isakey componentofthese.Thesedataareessentialfordirectingschoolteamsasthey reexaminefundamentalaspectsofschoolorganization,includingtimeand resourceutilization,staffrolesandinteractions,instructionalapproachesand measurements,interactionswithparentsandthecommunity,andoverallschool culture.Asophisticated,student-focusedinformationsystembuiltonfrequent andnumerousassessmentsoftestingandotherassessmentdatacannowbe supportedbyinternet-basedassessmentandinstructionaldatabases.School leadershipteamscanhaveabetterunderstandingofwherestudentlearning
begins,whereitsucceeds,andhowtocollaborateinimplementingeffective initiativesbyusingtheseassessmentdatabases.
Restructuringschoolsintosmalllearningcommunitiesbyredesigningand reducingtheirsize
Theissuesofscalemustbeaddressedvialearningcommunities.Manyschools havebeenpermittedtogrowwellbeyondthestudentpopulationsforwhichthey wereinitiallyintended,particularlymiddleandhighschools.Withbigger combineddistricts,someruralareasattractstudentsfromfarlocations.Onthe otherhand,someschoolsaresolittlethattheyareunabletoofferthekindsof assistancethatbothinstructorsandchildrenrequire.Themostimportantthingis toorganizeonascalethatincludeseducators,parents,andcommunitymembers inongoingdiscussionsaboutwhattheywanttheirkidstolearnandgrowupto be,aswellaswhattheywanttheirschoolstobeabletodotohelpthemachieve theseobjectives.
Parentalworriesaboutmeetingstudents'emotionalanddevelopmentalneedsin ordertohelpthemreachtheirmaximumacademicandsocialpotentialare frequentlyattheheartofthesediscussions.Theyalsopromptreflectiononhow torethinkandredistributestaffing,curriculum,time,space,andresourcesto meettheseobjectives.Thesedays,socialandemotionalsupportareseenas crucialbuildingblocksforacademicdevelopment (source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3482624/).
Inordertosupporteachchild'sfullestsocial,emotional,andacademic development,the"Comermethod"or ComerSchoolDevelopmentProgram, placesastrongemphasisonthewholechild.Weknowthatschoolsshouldgive childrenstabilityandsecurityintheirlivesandthatasafeschoolcommunityis crucialforallchildren,especiallythosewhohavebeenidentifiedas"atrisk."
Asocietalmisunderstandingregardingtheaptitudeofkidsinchallenging socioeconomicsituationsisaddressedbytheComerprinciples.Whentheentire schoolisstructuredtosupporteachchild'ssuccess,whererespectandteamwork arevaluedaboveallelse,andwherescientificknowledgeaboutchildand adolescentdevelopmentisappliedinamethodical,practicalmanner,childrenin low-incomedistricts—eventhosewherethemajorityofstudentsaremovingin andoutofhomelessshelters—canachievesignificantlyacademically.
Teenagers'developmentalrequirementscannotbeadequatelymetbybig, impersonalhighschools.ThemajorityofhighschoolstudentsinAmericaattend largeschools;roughly70%attendinstitutionswith1,000ormorestudents,and 50%attendinstitutionswithmorethan1,500students.Thenationalaverage publichighschoolsizeisapproximately850students.Thisfigureisnearlydouble theidealsizebuthalfofthestereotypicalsuburbanhighschool (source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanderark/2021/06/04/whats-the-righthigh-school-size-and-structure/). Over50%ofAmericanhighschoolsenroll between500and2,500students.Someofthelargesthighschoolshavestudent populationsrangingfrom3,000to5,000 (source: https://in.nau.edu/wpcontent/uploads/sites/135/2018/08/School-Size-in-Support-of-Large-HighSchools-or-Not-ek.pdf).
ThetrendtowardslargerhighschoolsintheU.S.isinfluencedbyvariousfactors, includingurbanization,districtconsolidation,andthedesiretoprovidediverse educationalopportunities.Whilesmallerschoolsstillexist,especiallyinrural areas,themajorityofhighschoolstudentsattendschoolswithenrollments exceeding500students.
Toofrequently,teachersintheseinstitutionsseetheirstudentsinbriefburstsand havelittleopportunitytogettoknowthempersonallyorengageinmeaningful, long-terminteractions.Thisintellectualandsocialanomiemostoftenaffectsthe mostvulnerablepupils;fartoomanysilentlyleaveschooltobecomepartofthe country'sschooldropoutrate.
Sports,thearts,extracurricularactivities,andsociallifearemorelikelytoengage pupilsandkeepthemreturning,evenforthosewhostayinschool.Studentsare increasinglycomplainingthatschoolispointless,dull,andnotworththemental strain.Approximately40%ofhighschoolstudentswerejustgoingthroughthe motionsinschool (source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesmarshallcrotty/2013/03/13/motivationmatters-40-of-high-school-students-chronically-disengaged-from-school/).
Smallerlearningcentersinlargeschoolsorcompletelyrenovatedsmallschools arealternativesthateducatorsandlegislatorshavedevelopedinresponseto theseworries.Moreflexiblestaffing,timemanagement,andinstructional strategiescanbeimplementedinsmallerschools(usuallywith300–600students) toguaranteethateducatorsandadministratorsgettoknowtheirstudentswell andactastheiradvocatesthroughouttheiracademiccareers.
Agrowingnumberofdistricts,particularlyinurbanareas,havedecidedtoturn overcrowded,failingorganizationsinto"smallschools."Whiletheschoolbuilding itselfoftenstaysthesame,severalnewdynamicschoolsandacademiesareborn withinit.Thisisevidentwhenwelookateffortsacrossthe UnitedStates to reorganizemiddleschoolsandhighschoolsinwaysthatfostersuccess.Although aschool'ssizebyitselfdoesnotguaranteesuccess,itdoesseemtoplaya significantroleinbuildingmoreproductiveinstitutions.Itisfeasibletoestablish proceduresandpoliciesthatsupportstudentachievementinsmallschools. Theseelementssupportourpriordiscussionofsuccessfullearningcommunitiesin thischapter:
-Adult-studentrelationshipsarecontinuousandshowconcernandcompassion;
-Parentalrelationshipsaresolidandcontinuous;
-Theleadershipoftheinstitutioniswidelydispersedandtheorganizational structureisflat;
-Themajorityofsmallschoolsprioritizeimportantlearningobjectivesovertrying tobeall-inclusive;
-Professionaldevelopmentissite-specific,entrenched,andcontinuous;
-Theschoolcultivatesitsownculture.
-Thecommunityisactivelyinvolvedintheeducationofitsyouth.
Smallschoolsimprovestudentachievementandallowteacherstoachievemany oftheotherobjectivesofschoolreform(e.g.,higherattendanceandgraduation rates,highergrades,andhigherratesofcoursecompletion),accordingtoa numberofstudies,someofwhichinvolvehundredsofschoolsandthousandsof students.
Usingtechnologytosupportthenewvision
Wehavediscussedinthischaptersomeofthewaysthattechnologyenhances currentteachingandlearningmethodsbysupportingcommunitiesoflearners, offeringnewprofessionaldevelopmentopportunitiesforteachers,andoffering learningoptionsforstudents.Justastechnologyincreasesoureffectivenessin
almosteveryareaofsociety,italsooffersopportunitiestodrasticallyimproveour meansofeducatingeverychild.However,justastechnology'simpactand influenceoneveryfacetofcontemporarylifecontinuestogrowtremendously,so toowillitsinfluenceoneducation.
Whatimplicationsdoesthishaveforeducation?Technologyismorethanjusta meansofcompletingtasksmorequickly,moreaffordably,ormoreeffectively. Everydecisiontouseatechnologicalsolutionhastheabilitytodrasticallyalter theeducationalprocess.Maintainingfocus—stickingtoourvisionofthe academic,social,emotional,anddevelopmentalbenefitsweseek—isthe technologychallenge.Effective"e-learning"solutionsenableeducatorsto expandonthebodyofknowledgeregardinghumanlearning.Teachingand learningaresuccessful(assessment-centered),empowering(learner-centered), andengaging(knowledge-centered)whentheytakeplaceinnetworked environments(communities).
Studentsmustpossessacomprehensivesetof21stcenturyabilitiesand proficiencies,including"digitalage"literacy,creativethinking,effective communication,andhighproductivity,inordertosucceedinthetechnological age.Teachingpupilsabouttechnologyisnolongersufficient;theynowneedto learnusingit.Furthermore,wemustshiftfromacurriculumthatis"amilewide andaninchdeep"toonethatemphasizeslearningfordeepercomprehension, whichservesasastrongfoundationforfuturelearning.
Technologycanassiststudentsgetbeyondintellectualroadblocksandgodeeper intoasubject,oritcanhelpthemcomprehendandapplydifficultideasmore effectively.Studentscanlearntoseepatterns,thinkqualitativelyaboutphysical processes,translatebetweenframesofreference,andimaginedynamicmodels withtheuseofsimulationandvisualizationtechnologies.Avarietyofmediacan addressdifferentlearningstyles(e.g.,visual,auditory,orkinesthetic)toengage theonesthatworkbestforagivenstudentorsubject.Thesecurricular approachesimprovesuccessforalltypesoflearnersandmaydifferentially enhancetheperformanceofat-riskstudents.Interactivity'sstimulatingelements cansignificantlybooststudents'attentionandeffort.
ArtificialIntelligence(AI)isprofoundlyinfluencingeducation,offeringboth transformativeopportunitiesandsignificantchallenges (source: https://education.illinois.edu/about/news-events/news/article/2024/10/24/aiin-schools--pros-and-cons). AIenablestailorededucationalexperiencesby
adaptingcontenttoindividualstudentneeds,enhancingengagementand learningoutcomes.EducatorscanleverageAItoautomategrading,scheduling, andcommunication,allowingmoretimefordirectstudentinteraction.AIpoweredinteractivewhiteboardsandreal-timetranscriptiontoolsfacilitate dynamicandinclusiveclassroomenvironments.ExcessiverelianceonAItoolslike ChatGPTforassignmentsmaydiminishstudents'analyticalandproblem-solving abilities.AIadoptionisuneven,withmoreaffluentschooldistrictsbenefiting disproportionately,potentiallywideningeducationalinequalities.Asignificant gapexistsinAIproficiencyamongeducators,withmanylackingthenecessary skillstoeffectivelyintegrateAIintoteaching.Expertsemphasizetheneedfor ethicalAIimplementationineducation,advocatingfortransparency,dataprivacy, andthepreservationofhumanagencyinlearningprocesses.
Aspreviouslysaid,technologycanassistinfosteringlearner-centeredand assessment-centeredlearningenvironmentsbyenablingthecontinuous collectionandanalysisofdataregardingstudentdevelopmentinrealtime.This datacanbemergedintoastudent'slong-termfileorreorganizedintoformats thatallowforclass-wideprogressreviews.Teacherscanlocatelessons, resources,assessments,andotherinstructionalaidsthatassistthemintailoring their education totherealrequirementsoftheirstudentswhenpairedwith Internet-basedinstructionalsupervisors.
Today'sschoolsalsobenefitgreatlyfromtechnology,whichmakesitpossibleto establishandsupportlearningcommunitiesforinstructors.Thesecommunities canbecenteredsolelyinaschool,givingeducatorsa"space"toreflectandtalk withpeerstheymightnototherwisehavemuchtimetomeetwithduringthe hecticschoolday.Alternatively,theycanspanschools,districts,states,oreven countriestooffermuchmoreexpansivecommunitiesofpractice.These communitiesareespeciallybeneficialtonewteacherswhostruggletogetthe helptheyrequireintheirlocalschools.
Wesuggesttakingthefollowingactionstoturneveryschoolintoalearning community:
-Manageeducationalinstitutionsinaccordancewiththefindingsofresearchon humanlearning;
-Fundsshouldbereallocatedandappropriatelyallocatedtogiveeducatorsand otherschooladministratorsthetime,freedom,andtoolstheyrequiretoestablish
andmaintainthesmall,targetedprofessionallearningcommunitiesnecessaryto guaranteeschoolsuccess;
-Reallocatefundsfrombig,underperformingschoolstohelpestablishtiny learningcommunitiesthatwilleliminatestudentanonymityandinstructor isolation;
-Superintendents,principals,teachers,andotherschoolleaderswhoexhibitthe visionandabilitytobuildschoolsthatcanmeetthedemandsofthetwenty-first centuryshouldbechosen,trained,retained,andrewarded;
-Adoptcontemporarytechnologyandutilizeresearchresultstohelpteachers identifythelearningneedsoftheirstudentsandimplementeffectiveteaching techniquesthatallowforproperlessoncustomization;
-Makeuseofonlinelearningcommunitiesthatalloweducatorsandlearnersto engageinhigh-qualityinstructionatanytimeandfromanylocation;and
-Employavarietyofevaluationsandaccountabilitymetricstoprovidea continuousandtransparentviewofstudents'progresstowardtheirlearning objectives.
JeffPalmer isateacher,successcoach,trainer,CertifiedMasterofWeb
Copywritingandfounderof https://EbookACE.com.Jeffisaprolificwriter,Senior ResearchAssociateandInfopreneurhavingwrittenmanyeBooks,articlesand specialreports.
Source: https://ebookace.com/turning-schools-into-effective-learningcommunities/