Learning Circles: Creating Conditions for Professional Development

Learning Circles was designed for teachers in the elementary and secondary schools and those individuals involved with teacher professional development. "Learning circles", as defined by the authors, are small groups of learners who come together to support each other in learning. The authors discuss the six key conditions needed to create a "learning circle." These conditions are: Building Community "...building community means making sure members get to know won another, their work histories, their life stories, and their areas of interest." (pg. 9)"...is a basic condition necessary for empowered learning by individuals and for the group as a whole." (pg. 9) 4 stages of building community -- initialing maintaining sustaining transformingConstructing Knowledge -- "Teaching cannot be based on telling learners what we think they should know but must be done by engaging them through active learning experiences so they form their own conclusions about situations presented to them." (pg. 10) Should be a constructivist learning environment--engage the learnerSupporting Learners -- the participants should share a common goal, this goal is created together and made explicit, participants must feel valued by other group membersDocumenting Reflection -- keeping journals, analyzing student learning, videotaping teaching sessions for peer review, summarizing learning circle gatherings "Metaphors are mirrors in which we observe ourselves and windows through which our colleagues can gaze." (pg. 69)Assessing Expectations -- group determines expectations collectively, group agrees on a process for assessing, individual progress, create and maintain portfolios to demonstrate personal growth and professional change, Approaches to Assessment -- Self-Assessment, Peer-Assessment, Portfolio AssessmentChanging Cultures -- cultures are constantly changing--members of "learning circles" should engage in "thinking about how the culture of their classroom and students or their businesses, churches, or organizations could be changed by their individual or collective efforts." (pg. 11) Ways to learn about cultures -- artifacts, dance, actingYou may be wondering what all of this has to do with Mentoring. ""Learning circles" are based on the earliest understanding of how people learn--through mentorship." (pg. 106) The learning circle offers possibilities of "group mentorship", where several people work closely together for the good of the group.(pg. 107) A group, that I'm working with at this time is a "learning circle". We have all the conditions required to have a "learning circle." We are also mentoring each other. The authors say that mentoring plays a critical role in the transformation of an organization. They give 3 roles for the mentor in any group:Mentors must be competent and qualified in their own right Mentors accept responsibility for the culture Mentors identify ways they c