reflection 2

Reflection #2 Chapter 2 1. “The learning organization can be any business work team, big or small, that engages in ongoing, collaborative problem solving focused on making the business better. They learn new patters of thinking, they learn how to capitalize on the wisdom of the group, and, most importantly, they continually learn how to learn together.” Pg. 30. This is what we all strive for,to learn how to learn together. I believe that teachers as well as students need to keep learning in order to stay on top of the newest technology and information available. Teachers need to consult with other teachers in order to get necessary feedback on their teaching and their instruction. 2. Benefits of the learning community start at teachers not being so isolated, which is a good thing. Teachers need help too, if they can learn from other teachers they will be more willing to help others in need. Increased commitment to the mission is another benefit. This is beneficial to all how need that extra help from their colleagues. Shared responsibility and more powerful learning are other benefits of the learning community. We all need to help each other with anything that might come up, in or out of a classroom. The last one is a higher likelihood of fundamental, systemic change. Everything is changing all the time, we have to keep up and keep on top of these changes. It is easier to do this as a group where we will have help and encouragement to change. 3. Learning communities affect teachers in that there is a “shift from looking at what you teach to focusing on what your students learn.” Pg. 32. The learning is relevant and rigorous. Teachers as well as students learn the skills necessary for the real world, from communication to problem solving and motivation. By getting other teachers involved we create a critical mass of dedicated teachers who share the common goal. By doing this we can be the driving force that moves a school forward. 4. A learning community has the same effects on students as it does on teachers. There are more student centered ideas, collaboration is a critical measure for the real world, and project management helps the students in many ways. We must do everything we can as teachers, and as parents, to help our students gain the knowledge of and for the real world. 5. Components of a learning community are as follows: have a clear sense of the mission, share a vision of the conditions teachers must create to achieve the mission, work together in collaborative teams to determine the best practice to achieve the mission, organize into groups headed by teacher-leaders, focus on student learning, are goal-and results-oriented, collaborate with each other, hold shared values and beliefs, commit themselves to continuous improvement, and see themselves as life-long learners. 6. I believe our project relates to the concepts in this chapter in that the project is set for collaboration with others, it will be a project that will use technology as well as a hands on activity, and will help the students gain knowledge of the weather.