Engaging All By Creating High School Learning Communities

"This comprehensive book provides the research-based framework, pedagogy, concepts and strategies that are essential for engaging all by creating high school learning communities. Topics discussed include critical indicators of the very different needs of 21st century youth, voices of students themselves, and a consensus of recommendations from the literature and studies, including the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Readers will explore the most promising strategy for sustained, substantive school improvement that of building the capacity of school personnel the insiders to function as a collegial learning community, in which teachers collaboratively learn together, tailor curricula to ways in which students of today's world best can learn, support each other in implementation, and reflect together continuously on their own enhanced learning as well as that of their students. Readers will understand why and how the research-based developmental process of Tribes Learning Communities, when implemented well, can transform the culture, structures and pedagogy of the whole high school system particularly one committed to preparing today's students for an entirely different era the Era of Learning." - product description.

Reaching All by Creating Tribes Learning Communities blends the fields of group process and cooperative learning; prevention and resiliency; learning theory and school change into a comprehensive, meaningful whole. This readable, useable, wonderful book is not just a set of activities to build community. Jeanne Gibbs and her colleagues incorporate the latest research on teaching and learning. They illustrate specifically how the Tribes process applies to a variety of school and organizational needs. Most importantly, they help the reader to feel hopeful and proud to be working and learning together with children and with each other.

Building Online Learning Communities further explores the development of virtual classroom environments that foster a sense of community and empower students to take charge of their learning to successfully achieve learning outcomes. This is the second edition of the groundbreaking book by Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt and has been completely updated and expanded to include the most current information on effective online course development and delivery. A practical, hands-on guide, this resource is filled with illustrative case studies, vignettes, and examples from a wide variety of successful online courses. The authors offer proven strategies for handling challenges that include: Engaging students in the formation of an online learning community. Establishing a sense of presence online. Maximizing participation. Developing effective courses that include collaboration and reflection. Assessing student performance. Written for faculty in any distance learning environment, this revised edition is based on the authors many years of work in faculty development for online teaching as well as their extensive personal experience as faculty in online distance education. Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt share insights designed to guide readers through the steps of online course design and delivery.

The essential guidebook for educators seeking a practical and effective method for transforming the large comprehensive high school into a successful system of small learning communities.

When it comes to motivating people to learn, disadvantaged urban adolescents are usually perceived as a hard sell. Yet, in a recent MetLife survey, 89 percent of the low-income students claimed "I really want to learn" applied to them. What is it about the school environmentâ€"pedagogy, curriculum, climate, organizationâ€"that encourages or discourages engagement in school activities? How do peers, family, and community affect adolescents' attitudes towards learning? Engaging Schools reviews current research on what shapes adolescents' school engagement and motivation to learnâ€"including new findings on students' sense of belongingâ€"and looks at ways these can be used to reform urban high schools. This book discusses what changes hold the greatest promise for increasing students' motivation to learn in these schools. It looks at various approaches to reform through different methods of instruction and assessment, adjustments in school size, vocational teaching, and other key areas. Examples of innovative schools, classrooms, and out-of-school programs that have proved successful in getting high school kids excited about learning are also included.

CD-ROM contains: 33 planning templates -- data collection and assessment tools -- frequently asked questions.

This action research case study examined the benefits and challenges experienced by social studies teachers when developing new professional learning communities (PLCs). Additionally, the study sought to assess how interventions developed by a school leadership team supported the development of these new PLCs, if at all. The study examined three research questions: 1. What benefits do high school social studies teachers experience when engaging in new professional learning communities? 2. What challenges do high school social studies teachers experience when engaging in new professional learning communities? 3. How do interventions developed by a school leadership team support the development of new professional learning communities, if at all? The results of this study have several implications for school leaders. First, findings indicate that PLCs could be a worthwhile initiative for improving schools in terms of both school culture and student achievement. Second, administrators should not expect teachers to achieve high levels of collaboration immediately. Instead, teachers need to spend their initial time getting to know each other, and calibrating their beliefs and philosophies. Third, administrators should not utilize the PLC framework to mandate identical instruction across classrooms. While consistency was developed through this process, teachers strove to maintain their own individuality as teachers. Finally, if teachers are expected to collaborate, they must receive the structural and relational supports needed to sustain their work. In this study, these supports included time to meet during the school day, common unit assessments and a rapid data analysis tool to collect and analyze student learning data, and the supportive leadership of a department chair and school leadership team.

Get a play-by-play guide to implementing PLC concepts. Each chapter begins with a story focused on a particular challenge. A follow-up analysis of the story identifies the good decisions or common mistakes made in relation to that particular scenario. The authors examine the research behind best practice and wrap up each chapter with recommendations and tools you can use in your school.

Learning communities have been demonstrated to dramatically improve student outcomes by engaging students in their learning. This book constitutes a comprehensive guide for readers who want a broad strategic view of learning communities, enabling them to identify which type of LC best meets the learning needs of their students, and the context and mission of their institution. It also provides the tools for planning, designing and implementing what the authors define as “powerful” LCs, and for understanding the assessment implications of their decisions. The potential power of LCs is realized through effective facilitation, appropriate team-building activities, linkages, planning, and active collaboration that promotes learning of the group and the individual group members – all of which topics are covered in this volume. This book is organized around the three themes of setting the stage, designing an LC, and building or enhancing a powerful LC, and covers three types of learning communities – student, professional (faculty, staff), and institutional LCs concerned with student learning – providing a range of tools and forms to facilitate planning. The authors also address designing and maintaining hybrid and virtual LCs. This book is intended as a practical resource for anyone at any level in higher education who wants to champion, develop or redesign student or professional LCs, or even explore broader initiatives to develop their institution into a “learning organization”. Administrators in academic and student affairs will find guidance for setting appropriate policies and allocating resources. The book may also serve as a textbook for graduate courses in institutional leadership and policy studies, curriculum and instruction, student affairs, or assessment/evaluation.