Team Up for 21st Century Teaching and Learning: What Research and Practice Reveal About Professional Learning « Whole Child Education

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Team Up for 21st Century Teaching and Learning: What Research and Practice Reveal About Professional Learning

October 11th, 2011 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers

Studies show that many teachers want to work collaboratively and that they actually teach better when they do. But just cobbling together a group of teachers and calling it a “professional learning community” doesn’t lead to results. So what are the elements of an effective professional learning community?

A book by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, Team Up for 21st Century Teaching and Learning, offers case studies and a synthesis of research about how “learning teams can positively affect school culture, teacher retention, teacher effectiveness, and student achievement.”

The report puts forth six principles of successful professional learning teams:

• Shared Values and Goals: “The team should have a shared vision of the capabilities of students and