I thought I'd use my post to reflect on and share a little bit about my thinking about professional learning communities.

To me, a tremendous amount of knowledge about teaching and learning resides in the heads of teachers, but unfortunately, because of the ways schools are set up, teachers don't have the opportunity to share that knowledge with one another, and collaboratively build on what they know to create new knowledge about teaching and learning and make schools better places for those who inhabit them (students), and those who work in them (teachers and administrators). To me, professional learning communities (affectionately referred to as PLCs) are a wonderful way to tap into the knowledge that teachers have, and foster collaboration among professionals so everyone learns and furthers the work of teaching together. PLCs are groups of 6 - 12 individuals that meet on a regular basis to discuss teaching, often using protocols (specific, timed steps for fostering discussions). I have been a member of many learning communities in my professional lifetime, and have enjoyed facilitating them as well!

All of the PLCs I've facilitated to date, however, have met face-to-face. It seems like what I know about PLCs and their faciliatation ougth to be able to be translated into an on-line environment. The on-line space affords "flexiblity" for meeting, as members can check into the community at different times. The on-line space affords a record of the learning community - what's been discussed, what we've discovered, etc., that would seem to valuable to have. The on-line space helps makes the literal distance that separates us geographically less of a hurdle to gathering a group of committed, dynamic educators together. The on-line space connects us to others outside our immediate vacinity, so we get fresh and new perspectives from others. Finally, I'm finding the on-line space to be just plain "cool," as my 11 and 14 year olds might say - it seems to be the wave of the future and it feels to me like when we're using the on-line space we're "on the cutting edge."

Intellectually, I know there are good reasons to be charting new waters and trying to facilitate a PLC on-line, but I find myself vacilating between the thrill of trying something new, and the agony of not knowing how it is working, what I should be doing as a facilitator, and what value it will add to our work together!

When I facilitate a face-to-face learning community, I can read the members' facial expressions and body language, and these often give me good clues as to where to move the group next. When I facilitate an face-to-face learning community, I can pose questions and I get immediate feedback from members of the group, and this helps me determine where to go next. In the on-line community, I am not getting these clues and so I am constantly questioning, "I wonder if members of our community read a post," "I wonder what they're thinking," and "What should I do next?"

This is really hard for me. I guess this is all a part of working through something new, but there are sure plenty of things I am worried about as I attempt to be the facilitator of this group. I'll keep at it though, and with your help, we'll all learn together!

Nanc