Hopes and beyond

By: Lani Ritter-Hall

2 kick offs, 1 cohort–

A geographical distance of over 1000 miles separating, coming together in one online community—

PLPers from Ohio, Texas, Louisiana, getting to know each other in the Ohio Consortium–

Some more comfortable, encouraging others more reticent to transparent online learning—

Expressing fears and best hopes, oh those hopes:

My biggest hope is that I can bring about the change in myself as a learner, bring the excitement to the classroom for my students, and work with my team to bring these exciting changes to our district. Kevin Braaten, Berea School District, Ohio

The hope is that the journey will be greater than the destination. Bob Beach, Gilmour Academy, Ohio

Drilling down intentionally while going serendipitously tangential.
Wanting to help inspire change/evolution at our school while also wanting to honor what is already true/traditional. Christian Long, team leader, The Oakridge School, Texas

Hopes that provide some direction for our journey together, hopes that will sustain all in the meaningful, hard learning ahead.

And then moving beyond hopes to the work of growing a community, one contribution among many in a discussion on community norms:

I have a motto in my kitchen. It says, “Eat good food. Be kind. Tell the truth.”
Eat good food: let us digest here the best of what everyone can bring to the table. Let us break bread together, metaphorically speaking, by sharing ideas in a congenial way.
Be kind: be courteous and empathetic; listen; consider multiple perspectives.
Tell the truth: Though there is no need to be brutal in one’s truth-telling, we need to not shy away from difficult subjects.

All of this comes down to …: Own your own words. You do this when you do these things: Be yourself, be real, be courageous, be responsible, be aware of others. Susan Davis, team leader, The Chinquapin School, Texas

With a growing consensus around norms such as these suggested, even now in these early stages, passioned conversations on the focus– understanding and embracing “shifts” in learning afforded by current technologies—arise in other Ning conversations.

At this computer, alone in NE Ohio – yet surrounded by and engaged in community– sharing the same hopes, attempting to assuage some fears of those still uncomfortable with the messiness and openness of the online community environment, and so delighted to be going beyond hopes to the undertaking ahead, sensing we are on the cusp of extraordinary learning—together.

6 Days into PLP

By Dean Shareski

Entering year two as a Community Leader working with the Tri-State PLP, I’ve noticed a striking difference in the level of conversations that are already beginning.

Sheryl and Will kicked off part of this group of teachers on Sept 22nd and in just under a week, it’s evident that people are anxious and willing to step out and learn. For those unfamiliar with the format and process, PLP uses a closed NING as an initial starting point for discussion and conversations. The intent is allow people to experiment, ask question, develop relationships and get comfortable before possibly venturing out to a global community.

My take was that last year fewer teachers were engaged early on and the level of discussion focused on skill development. While this will also be a component, there is a much greater desire by participants to understand shifts. I’m not entirely sure why this is the case but I’ll speculate on some possible reasons:

• Robin Ellis. Robin is now supporting all Community Leaders and has helped take the load off Will and Sheryl in working with several cohorts. Robin is a wonderful person to work with.
• Experience. I can’t speak for Will and Sheryl and the others but I since we all have the philosophy that we are learners, it should follow that we’d get better at what we do.
• Community. Having been privileged to spend time this summer with many contributors to PLP, it was a great opportunity to develop relationships with great people. This in turn helps me understand the work that many do and roles become more clear.
• The World. I’m finding that the impact of shifts and change on the rest of the world is becoming more visible and mainstream and thus conversations about how this matters in education is more apparent.

There are likely more reasons and this indeed is my perspective and experience. But what this means is that we can get closer, more quickly to seeing changes in our schools that will ultimately help students. That’s the reason we do any of this.

cc licensed flickr photo shared by shareski