On-site professional learning communities:

One center’s experiencewith site-directed learning

Our setting

Winnemucca Adult Learning Center

o Small, rural site, 113 studentso Seven part-time staff memberso 200-plus miles for professional

developmento Limited time for improvements

Where we are

Winnemucca, Nevada

Our students and staff

Our problem:

How can we: Make professional development

relevant to OUR needs? Find time for improvements? Do this without burdening staff?

Our answer: learning communities

Combine study with action… Focus on our specific needs Spend extended time on topic Collaborative Credits earned decided by each

instructor

Our format

Meet monthly Examine research Share lesson plans Support each other Develop improvements

Our topics…first semester

Nevada Content Standards…

How can we: Become familiar with standards? Use our new textbooks? Include standards in lesson plans?

What we did:

Studied the standards Created monthly lesson plans Shared experiences with peers Made it a habit Built in social time

Our topics…current semester

Student goal-setting, achievement:

o Integrate goal work into classroomo Encourage student ownership of

goal process

Student goals

What we’re doing now…

Reading what research says Assessing our current program Creating monthly questions Creating lesson plans to try-- then

share

Student goals

Learning communities are: Site specific Flexible Staff-friendly Practical

Conclusion

Site specific

Focus on Winnemucca Use materials we already have Solutions work with OUR students

Flexible

Respond quickly to changes. Snowstorm stopped technology LC Goal-setting quickly took its place!

Staff-friendly

Puts teachers in the driver’s seat Topics generated by instructorso Builds in time for study, reflection Gives “excuse” to get together

Challenging

Deeper learning over period of time Instructors as collaborators Active process “feels” like more

work Actually, time spent is same

Who benefits?