This paper examines the concept of learning communities as defined in the literature. An existing case study is described, and the issues that facilitated and constrained the development of this learning community are considered and discussed. Strategies to address threats to the ongoing viability and usefulness of a learning community to support…

All across California, educators are finding that creating strong and effective Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) at every grade level or in every subject area is not easy. It may be tempting to conclude that PLCs are one more idea that did not work. But there is solid research to support the core concepts of PLCs: (1) a focus on learning;…

This paper describes a strategy, designed by a faculty of education in a regional Australian university, to induct pre-service educators into the education profession. It then focuses on one component of the strategy, an initiative called Education Commons. This initiative uses a model of critical reflection to engage pre-service educators in…

When expectations for scholarly productivity increase at comprehensive universities, faculty writing groups can provide the tools, motivation, and support necessary to achieve both administrative and faculty goals. Narratives from members of a faculty writing group experiencing a shift in institutional expectations for scholarship reveal tangible…

The Teacher Learning and Leadership Program (TLLP) has given us an excellent example of what happens when the conditions for learning are created for teachers, rather than teaching them in the traditional professional development way from the "outside" in. For 7 years, the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ontario Teachers Federation…

The aim of this article is to give an account of a self-help "bottom-up" continuing professional development (CPD) facility for SENCos which has been built up over the last 16 years. This CPD was originally intended to supplement any substantive training that might have been provided by local authorities (LAs) and by further and higher…

The Circle of Trust[R] approach (www.couragerenewal.org) is dedicated to principles and practices that support exploration of the inner landscape of one's life. Participants share time in a trustworthy environment, connect with inner wisdom, and seek harmony in their personal and professional selves. In this chapter, the author describes her…

Faculty development is a critical process, enabling instructors to remain abreast of new discipline specific content and innovations in the scholarship of teaching and learning. The explosion of online higher education and advances in technology provide examples and rationale for why faculty development for e-learning is needed. Literature on…

In this paper we describe an evaluation training program sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and led by Duquesne University and OMG Center for Collaborative Learning designed to meet the challenge of developing a cadre of diverse evaluation professionals, specifically those from traditionally underrepresented or underserved…

Purpose: This paper aims to: extend the concept of "The learning organization" to "The learning community," especially disadvantaged communities; demonstrate how leaders in a migrant community can achieve positive change at the personal, professional, team and community learning levels through participatory action learning and…

The Educational Leadership Project (ELP) is a professional development programme attuned to the curriculum and assessment approaches of Te Whariki, New Zealand's early childhood curriculum framework. ELP encourages and supports early childhood teachers to adapt of Te Whariki to their situations. This article links the author's community…

This monograph describes and analyzes the particular processes and structures that the New York City Writing Project (NYCWP) directors and on-site teacher-consultants have developed that enable them to support and learn from each other and to reflect critically upon the work they do with teachers, students, and administrators. Over time the…

This paper demonstrates how case stories can be used to disseminate the findings of several case studies on negotiating accommodations in the workplace. It highlights the power of interactive technology and of the partnership between the researchers and the Canadian Council for Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW). The paper describes the process of…

Due to the dearth of qualified professional teachers, policymakers and professional development programs need to focus on improving the quality of high school mathematics teaching in order to diffuse this crisis. In the middle of this crisis, the demand for new teachers is predicted to rise significantly in the next ten years. Based on the…