Keynote+-+The+Foundation+of+ALL+True+Professional+Learning+Communities

1. What ideas/concepts/new learning did you acquire from this session? Tim A.: People go back and forth between the 4 stages of community. Each building will experience community differently. Our task will be to regularly diagnose what stage we are in and identify ways to improve. We can help each other. Sue B. I think it is always helpful when teams have a common language base. The keynote provided that for me as the 4 phases were defined. I have exchanged the term "chaos" several times with others who attended the workshop. Each of us immediately resonated with the word and had a common understanding. Angie S: I too liked the 4 stages of community and also the reassurance that if we "ride out the chaos" we can get to a stage of getting to the real work of a community. I also liked that they stressed that the strength of a community is in the diversity, not in the sameness. I think we forget to have dialogue and LISTEN to others and respect the diversity and wisdom of the group.

2. How do you plan to use this information a) in your work life, b) in your building committee, c) with your staff? Tim A.: I plan to ask my teams to consider ways they can operationalize this in their day to day work. Sue B.: I work with several groups and an introduction to the 4 phases would be very helpful for committee members. Angie S: I would like to do some sort of teaching of this to the staff at WW, so that we get to the actual community and don't get stuck in "Nice Nice"

3. How do you suggest the district proceed, given what you learned? I do think it should be reviewed at the first DSAC meeting of the next year to inform everyone and practice what was learned with each other. Angie S: I think some education could be done about communities - we often assume that because people are "professionals" they know how to work with people, but this isn't really the case - we need to be taught how to work in groups and as communities if we truly want people to use them.

4. What questions do you have for the group?