What is a learning community?

 

"The children look to us to set the tone for caring and learning, and they copy what we do. If we listen to them, they listen to each other. If we

value them and support, encourage, and celebrate what they do, they will do the same for each other. If we encourage risk taking and accept approximations, they do the same for themselves and for others. If we are learners in the classroom, they become learners, too.”

Bobbi Fisher

 

The concept of learning community involves many new terms or terms used in different ways.

 

 

Learning communities have been organized and explained in many ways. A school can be a learning community. The community around the

school can be included in some definitions of a learning community. A professional learning community is used to describe a group of professionals (experts in a field such as teachers) who are committed to learning and growing together to accomplish a mission. All of these types of learning communities are important to a school.

 

Classroom management focuses on the people who are sharing a classroom. The students are engaged in the very personal activity of making

sense of the many concepts found in their lives. The teachers are facilitators that foster the students’ growth. The diagram shows that the more

focused you become, the group gets smaller. That small group belongs to larger groups that may help or hinder what is happening in the classroom.

Levels of Learning Communities

 

The classroom learning community consists of the students and you, as the teacher, committed to learning and growing together. This is a very

different perspective from the traditional classroom with the teacher, as the person with all the knowledge, designing ways to share his/her

knowledge with students. This model no longer works because of the information explosion, especially in science, requires constant use of

technology to stay informed. Many students, even in the lower grades, have computer and Internet skills so that they can locate the latest findings

on any topic. It is not unusual in classrooms for a student to explain something new he/she learned watching a documentary or searching the Internet.

Any teacher who relies on his/her knowledge or the textbook for content will be proven wrong at some point. In today’s world, you along with the

students, literally learn together.

Some classrooms may include aides or assistant teachers, but generally, a classroom learning community includes the students and teacher.

If you are a primary or elementary teacher, your community stays the same all day. If you are a middle or high school teacher that is departmentalized, your learning community changes several times a day. It becomes a challenge for you to create and maintain four to five learning communities

each day.

 

What two elements of a learning community have been discussed?

 

You have already begun the process of changing your classroom into a learning community. By organizing your classroom so that it fosters the many forms of learning, you planned the foundation. By establishing rules, routines, and procedures that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of learning, you designed guidelines for behavior. These are two of the five elements that are crucial to a learning community.

A Community has a Physical Environment that Fosters Learning:

 

The environment has flexible arrangements that accommodate a variety of learning situations.

• Members can move furniture into pairs, tables, or push it all to the side depending on the learning situation.

The environment is a reflection of all members.

• Members’ success is prominently displayed.

• Different types of products that show student learning are displayed.

The environment is complete for the needs of the members.

• All resources are available in the room.

The environment is warm and inviting.

• Effective use of color stimulates the imagination.

• Learning areas and bulletin boards create and interest in learning.

• Furniture creates a welcoming, less institutional atmosphere.

 

A Community is Founded on Democratic Principles:

 

All members of the community help establish rules and procedures.

• Rules are fair and just.

• All members know and can explain the rules.

• Every member knows consequences of inappropriate behavior.

Procedures are predictable and comfortable.

• All members can successfully follow procedures.

• Consistent use of procedures creates welcome routines.

Voices of all members are heard.

• All members contribute to important decisions.

• Many issues are explored by members as learners.

Rights and responsibilities of members are understood by all.

• Members share in the responsibility of learning.

• Members share accepted principles

 

 

A learning community is a place where there is enthusiasm for learning

 

“Real learning gets to the heart of what it means to be human. Through learning we re-create ourselves. Through learning we become able to do something we never were able to do. Through learning we re-perceive the world and our relationship to it. Through learning we extend our

capacity to create, to be part of the generative process of life. There is within each of us a deep hunger for this type of learning.”

Peter Senge

“The best discipline is a good curriculum”

The curriculum is the reason students are in school. The important topics and concepts are considered the heart of what happens in a classroom. Instruction includes all the techniques and strategies that you use to interest students in creating their own knowledge. Everything that happens

in the classroom should be interesting, critical, intellectual, purposeful, and creative. This means that when learning the alphabet and handwriting, students must do more than just practice writing the same letters over and over. In history class, students must do more than identify the many sites

of battles of a war. In mathematics class, students need to understand why the calculations are important and how they relate to their present and

future worlds.

Questioning is key to effective instruction. Questions that result in fact-based answers are considered lower level but often are the type that teachers

use most.

Socrates was one of the greatest educators who taught by asking questions and thus drawing out (as 'ex duco', meaning to 'lead out', which is the

root of 'education') answers from his pupils.

There are six types of questions that Socrates asked his pupils, probably often to their initial annoyance, but more often to their ultimate delight.

He was a man of remarkable integrity and his story makes for marvelous reading.

A Community is a Place Where There is Enthusiasm for Learning:

 

Learning is the creation of knowledge and skills.

• Curriculum focuses on important concepts.

• The curriculum is connected to students’ lives.

• The curriculum is connected to today’s world.

• The curriculum is culturally relevant to the students and community.

 

Learning is nurtured in many ways.

• Members celebrate all achievements of others.

• All members participate in the nurturing process.

• All members give feedback that is genuine and meaningful.

 

Members take pride in achievements of self and others.

• Members’ achievements are acknowledged publicly.

• Members show work to others.

• Members work is displayed prominently.

 

Members have visible signs of enthusiasm.

• Members have happy faces.

• Members laugh and enjoy each learning together.

• Members are in physical proximity to one another.

 

Members are willing to take risks.

• Learning is expanded beyond the walls of the classroom.

• All members pursue individualized learning.

• Members experiment with new and challenging things.