Professional Learning Communities at Work and Virtual Collaboration: On the Tipping Point of Transformation (Foster a Learner-Focused Culture with Technology)

Now is the time to transform school culture! By combining the capacities of the PLC at WorkTM process and powerful technology tools, teams of educators can meaningfully modify teaching and learning. Realize the potential of virtual collaboration to support the PLC process, and discover research-based strategies that teams of educators can implement to meet contemporary challenges in collaboration. Using technology, create conditions that foster constant teacher learning. Educators will enhance their own and their virtual teams capabilities in the learner-focused culture that PLCs promote.

Benefits

• Learn about the three strategic levels for organizing virtual teams, and consider the 10 dimensions for engineering a strategic e-connection.


• Gain insights on how to organize virtual and face-to-face teaming in order to bolster the success of your professional learning community.


• Examine an example case scenario in which a high school successfully uses technology to implement the PLC at WorkTM process.
• Study the elements of PLC leadership in collaborative teams and approaches that can help ensure effective teaching in all classrooms.
• Reference a comprehensive glossary of PLC and virtual collaboration terms and a list of websites to help support virtual teamwork.

Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Examining the Past to Understand the Present
Chapter 2: Focusing on the Right Work
Chapter 3: Organizing Virtual Connections
Chapter 4: Strategizing for e-Collaboration
Chapter 5: Enhancing Learning With e-Acceleration
Chapter 6: Improving School-Based Teams With Virtual Teams
Chapter 7: Virtual Teaming: A Case Scenario
Chapter 8: Leading School-Based and Virtual Teams
Chapter 9: Reaching the Tipping Point
Appendix: Reproducibles
References and Resources
Index