Creating Learning Communities: A Practical Guide to Winning Support, Organizing for Change, and Implementing Programs

MAJOR THEMES: Definition of a Learning Community; Types and Models of Learning Communities; Example of Learning Community and how the institution implemented: The most interesting idea to me was the discussion of creating a learning community on a college campus and the fact that it took all aspects of the campus 'community' to really be able to create that learning community. From the Admissions office to Facility Services. The major portion of the book was dedicated the discussion of "Creating a Campus Culture for Learning Communities" based upon the case study of College Park Scholars at the University of Maryland, College Park. The chapter discussed the fact that your committee would need to evaluate your mission statement. Your mission statement might need to include characteristics of learning communities. Discussion of strategic planning for a learning community. The authors stated that you would need to evaluate and determine the key players in the process of creating the learning community, as well as the need to determine what the priorities might be for the learning community. Excellent example of a grid for helping a campus create the culture. The authors furthered discussed the need for a planning calendar, financial concerns of creating a learning community. The book went on to discuss developing the curricula for a learning community. The examples and case studies were excellent. It was very helpful to me to see what other institutions have done to create a learning community. I would like to be able to take this one step further and create the online learning community. Very enjoyable read and an excellent resource for the institution that is working on creating a learning environment.