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Archive for April, 2011

Queinnise Miller & William Allan Kritsonis, PhD

 

Introduction

Unprecedented change is taking place in schools all over the world. Schools are increasingly being managed like businesses. Without effective strategic planning principals will be involved in crisis management (Van der Linde, 2001).  As schools engage in strategic planning, professional learning communities should be heavily depended on to help districts move from infancy to maturity in their quality of instructional and overall educational success.  By using the Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning (Kritsonis, 2003) as a guide for professional learning communities this will increase the success of professional learning communities and their impact on strategic planning.

Purpose of the Article

The purpose of this article is to explore professional learning communities while taking a look at how they impact school improvement and their place in strategic planning in education.  This article will address how the Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning (Kritsonis, 2003) is implemented in the core of professional learning communities.  By utilizing the six realms in professional learning communities, leaders and teachers will be able to achieve the highest excellence possible in educational achievement.

Professional Learning Communities

Professional Learning Communities (PLC) has over the last few years been almost a house hold name among educators of all levels.  In fact, the term has been used so ubiquitously that it is in danger of losing all meaning (DuFour, 2004).  Each word of the phrase “professional learning community” has been chosen purposefully. 

Dufour and Eaker state:

A “professional” is someone with expertise in a specialized field………. “Learning” suggests ongoing action and perpetual curiosity….. In a professional learning community, educators create an environment that fosters mutual cooperation, emotional support, personal growth as they work together to achieve what they cannot accomplish alone (as cited in Thomas, Gregg, &  Niska, 2004).

Most all professional learning communities follow the same protocol.  Within each community the teacher as well as leaders is encouraged to pursue personal and professional development, integrating it as part of their regular job responsibilities.  For example, the Alief ISD implements PLC time into the school week by creating a weekly early release day for students and utilizing that extra hour for mandated sessions for teachers to be in their specified professional learning community. Within professional learning communities, leaders have incorporated professional development by asking teachers to discuss and share differing classroom applications.

From those interactions, teachers are enhancing their professional knowledge in a more informal approach to professional development.  True professional learning communities follow different protocols to evoke dialogue between team members.  In some professional development settings, teachers are asked to read books or educational articles as a catalyst to encourage reflection, inquiry, and sharing. Individual and team judgment is valued more than rules, policies, forms, and procedures. Most importantly, everyone is encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and development and this is considered to be a norm of the school’s culture (Thompson, 2004).

These concepts of professional leaning communities may sound simple to implement, this is not always the case.   Implementing professional learning communities is  challenging.   For  starters,  they  require a  deep  cultural  change  within  the  school  ( Honawar, 2008).

How Professional Learning Communities Impact School Improvement

There are cascades of strategies, theories, district initiatives, and many other ideas to improve student learning.  Teacher collaboration is hailed as one of the most effective ways to improve student learning (Honawar, 2008).  This can be debatable like most issues.  According to Thomas, Gregg, and Niska (2004), many K-12 school are working to become  professional learning communities in the hope that student learning will improve when adults commit themselves to talking collaboratively about teaching and learning and then take action that will improve student learning and achievement.  Other leaders in the field such as Mike Schmoker (2004) believe that “…the most promising strategy for sustained, substantive school improvement is building the capacity of school personnel to function as a professional learning community” (pg. 424).

For former superintendent Richard DuFour (2004) in Educational Leadership, attributes the successes and record gains in his near Chicago school district to goal oriented collaborative teams.  DuFour believed that collaborative teams were the engine behind each schools improvement efforts.   Mike Schmoker said:

In the nearby but less advantaged Chicago Public Schools, those with strong professional learning communities were four times more likely to be improving academically than schools with weaker professional communities.  We can no longer afford to be innocent of the fact that “collaboration” improves performance. (pg. 431)

Such simple effort, teachers teaching one another the practice of teaching, leads to what has to be one of the most salient lists of benefits in educational literature:

Higher-quality solutions to instructional problems,

Increased confidence among faculty, Increased ability to support one another’s strengths and to accommodate  weaknesses,

More systematic assistance to beginning teachers, and

The ability to examine an expanded pool of ideas, methods, and materials (pg. 430).

We believe that an unknown author said it best, “I cannot improve my craft in isolation from others.”

The Role Professional Learning Communities Have in Strategic Planning

For some people, the term strategic planning brings to mind a disciplined and thoughtful process that links the values, mission, and goals of a school system with a set of coherent strategies and tasks designed to achieve those goals (Reeves, 2007). According to Weindling (1997) strategic planning “is a means for establishing and maintaining a sense of direction when the future has become more and more difficult to predict” (as sited in Van der Linde, 2001, pg. 536). 

Professional learning communities embodies this process and allows for a triangulation of planning, goal setting, and result evaluation.  Communication is the element that makes strategic planning such a success.  Through professional leaning communities, this element of communication is evident as teachers begin to talk and create communities that focus on the specific needs of a campus, department, or classroom.

Implementing “Symbolics” in Professional Learning Communities

The first realm of meaning is symbolics. “These meanings are contained in arbitrary symbolic structures, with socially accepted rules of formation and transformation, created as instruments for the expression and communication of any meaning whatsoever (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 11).

Professional Learning Communities use communication as the backbone in which its purpose is fulfilled.  Within professional learning communities this first realm is evident with the “ordinary language” that is required for effective communication to take place.  In all professional learning communities, there is a discourse employed in the everyday speech and writing of education.  Without the knowledge of this language and the knowledge of its meaning, educators within these communities cannot make progress in their journey to student improvement.  “A person knows a language only if he understands its meanings” (Kritsonis, 2003, p.109).  Gamble (2008) postulates that teachers must learn the vocabulary and apply the concepts of a PLC.  They must talk the talk and walk the walk in lesson preparation and lesson presentations. Teachers must model the dynamics by stating clearly the objectives to the students, and make frequent use of formative assessments, using graphic organizers whenever possible. The use of graphic organizers is the implementation of symbols, which according to Kritsonis comprise another of the outer faces of language.  These symbols are spoken sounds or written marks that convey the meaning to be communicated (Kritsonis, 2007).

The realm of symbolics expresses that different languages reflect multiple ways of organizing experiences.  This is implemented in professional learning communities,  by the collaboration  effort between  teachers as they share experiences

The Implementation of “Empirics” in Professional Learning Communities

The second realm empirics, includes the sciences of the physical world, of living things, and of man. These sciences provide factual descriptions, generalizations, and theoretical formulations and explanations that are based upon observation and experimentation in the world of matter, life, mind, and society. (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 12)

As educators collect and analyze data from students to produce better results they are functioning in the empirical realm.

The educators involved in professional learning communities essentially become scientific researcher for what is effective and what is not effective in the instructional setting.  By becoming researchers their scientific inquiry is aimed at bringing some order and intelligibility out of what appears to be a miscellaneous and unrelated profusion of phenomena (Kritsonis, 2007). Gamble (2004) suggest that schools develop a professional library by researching the great “movers” in the field (i.e., Dufour, Hord, Martin-Kniep, Sergiovanni, and others). Acquire materials by these authors and get them into circulation.

As teachers gather data, it is important for them to remember that principles, generalizations, and laws are not directly inferred from data of observation and observations do not test the truth or falsity of hypotheses, but rather their scope and limitations.  By being aware of these limitations identified by observation, educators are able to put in place future interventions for those students affected by those limitations.

The Implementation of “Esthetics” in Professional Learning Communities

“The third realm, esthetics, contains the various arts, such as music, the visual arts, the arts of movement, and literature” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 12).  Esthetics looks at not only knowledge in a mathematical and empirical manner, but explores understanding that may be used for the arts and other non-empirical fields.  Often students cannot be calculated in a scientific manner.  Kritsonis continues,

There are beauties that occur in the learning of all students that can only be understood in the wholeness of the student both empirically and non-empirically.  Each individual student is like a fragile art piece.  Each work of art contains its own meaning and speaks for itself. (2007, p.279)

By understanding the whole student and the varieties present in each student, professional learning communities can have a more holistic view and dialogue on what is working for different pieces of beautiful artwork.

It is important for educators to consistently take into consideration the differences and beauty that every student processes.  Professional learning communities are a good platform for this to occur being that they are able to share experiences and assess students from differing paradigms.

The Implementation of “Synnoetics” in Professional Learning Communities

The fourth realm is synnoetics.  Synnoetics refers to meanings in which a person has direct insight into other beings (or oneself) as concrete wholes existing in relation (Kritsonis, 2007).  Engagement is a crucial part in having an effective professional learning community.  It is the engagement between team members within the professional learning community as well as the engagement between the teacher and the student that drives the collaboration effort that in turn promotes student achievement.  Kritsonis (2007) says that synnoetics meaning requires engagement and that there is no such thing as absolutely solitary existence. The very concept of isolation has significance only against a background of other from whom one is separated (Kritsonis, 2007).  People may differ about how to ensure “quality,” but most would agree that quality teachers know how to craft engaging and effective learning experiences, despite constant changes in student populations. They need to be knowledgeable and they need to know how to use their knowledge. Ongoing  professional learning  simply must  be integral to their work (Wood, 2007).  Educators are charged with not only educating students academically, yet also, helping them gain self knowledge and guide them in how to use both their academic knowledge as well as their self knowledge.  One goal of professional learning communities is to help teachers also gain knowledge of teaching practices as well as a personal knowledge about who they are and the roles they play as educators in a school.  While professional developments are great avenues for this task, most time smaller professional learning communities can be more effective.  Kritsonis (2007) posits that personal knowledge is not always developed though formal instruction.

The Implementation of “Ethics” in Professional Learning Communities

Ethics, according to Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, is that which “includes moral meanings that express obligation rather than fact, perceptual form, or awareness of relation” (Kritsonis, 2007, pg. 13). Morality, according to Kritsonis, is simply that “which reflects inter-subjective understanding.  Morality has to do with personal conduct that is based on free, responsible, deliberate decision” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 13).  As educators ethics and morality should be the ordinary language and the business of everyone.  Each day parents entrust us with the lives and futures of their children.  Any act or decision made for our students from the smallest of them such as school materials used to the biggest such as assessment choices should be the most moral and ethical one.  Gamble (2008) suggest that one should become an instructional leader in your school by advocating, in theory and practice, one of the “best practices” models called a professional learning community.

According to Kritsonis, ethical considerations enter into every department of ordinary life.  Therefore, education cannot and will not escape the responsibility of ethics, or right actions, against students.  By forming professional learning communities, teachers should ensure and hold each other accountable for ethical behavior toward students.  The improvement of conduct depends upon the habit, in making each decision, of bringing into consciousness a range of different possibilities from among which a selection can be made (Kritsonis, 2007).  This is the essence of what a professional learning community should do.

The Implementation of “Synoptics” in Professional Learning Communities

Synoptics refers “to meanings that are comprehensively integrative” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 13).  Synoptics covers the realms of “history, philosophy, and religion” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 13).  Professional learning communities implement this realm of meaning with its integrative characteristics of guiding, teaching, and learning as educators.

In  professional learning  communities, educators must  also look at the history of what has been successful in obtaining student achievement for all students.  By looking at the past, educators are able to better chart their path to the future.  Along with looking at the past, professional learning communities should frequently  reference the vision the school is attempting to bring to realization.  At the very least, faith refers to an ideal and a hope for maximum completeness, depth, and integrity of vision (Kritsonis, 2008).

The synoptic view addresses the entire range of all that is encompassed in the expressible education experiences.  Fidelity must be given to a data-driven curriculum, to clear and specific objectives, and to a mindset of deep purpose for meaningful planning and collaboration.  The focus must be to move students, as well  as faculty, into truly becoming lifelong learners (Gamble, 2007).

Concluding Remarks

In conclusion strategic planning is imperative for school leaders to obtain gains in student achievement.  Doug Reeves (2007) stated:

School leaders should embrace the importance of strategy by developing  plans that are  focused and brief  and that  provide consistent monitoring and evaluation. Most important, the teachers and leaders who implement strategic plans should begin the process with the confidence that their professional practices truly influence student achievement. (pg. 87)

This process can and will be enhanced through quality professional learning communities where teachers and leaders can begin effective and action oriented dialogue about student achievement and what works and what is not working in classrooms all across the nation.  The continued implementation of the Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning by Dr. William Allan Kritsonis will produce more coherent results when seeking holistic achievement of students.

REFERENCES

Bonstingl, J. (2009, January). Strategic planning during tough times. Leadership, 38(3), 8-10. Retrieved July 8, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.

DuFour, R. (2004, May). What Is a Professional Learning Community? Educational Leadership, 61(6), 6. Retrieved July 7, 2009, from MAS Ultra – School Edition database.

Gamble, J. (2008, March). Professional learning communities. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 24(7), 17-17. Retrieved July 8, 2009, from MasterFILE Premier database.

Honawar, V. (2008, April 2). Working smarter by working together. Education Week, 27(31), 25-27. Retrieved July 8, 2009, from MasterFILE Premier database.

Kritsonis, W. (2007). Ways of knowing through the realms of meaning. Houston, TX:

National FORUM Journals.

Nebgen, M. (1991, April). The key to success in strategic planning is communication. Educational Leadership, 48(7), 26. Retrieved July 8, 2009, from Middle Search Plus database.

Reeves, D. (2007, December). Making strategic planning work. Educational Leadership, 65(4), 86. Retrieved July 8, 2009, from Middle Search Plus database.

Schmoker, M. (2004, February 1). Tipping point: From feckless reform to substantive instructional improvement. Phi Delta Kappan, 85(6), 424. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ700581) Retrieved July 7, 2009, from ERIC database.

Thompson, S., Gregg, L., & Niska, J. (2004, November). Professional learning communities, leadership, and student learning. Research in Middle Level

Education Online, 28(1), 35-54. Retrieved July 8, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.

Van der Linde, D. (2001, Spring2001). Strategic quality planning for teachers in the new millennium. Education, 121(3), 535. Retrieved July 8, 2009, from MasterFILE Premier database.

Wood, D. (2007, September). Professional learning communities: Teachers, knowledge, and knowing. Theory Into Practice, 46(4), 281-290. Retrieved July 8, 2009, from doi:10.1080/00405840701593865

Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Professor and Mentor

 

 

www.nationalforum.com

National FORUM Journals Worldwide Website

The world of fashion is one that has the eyes and ears of a vast amount of people; we watch television, read magazines, and stay tuned to see what the rich and famous are wearing from day to day – and we follow suit. Fashion can change perceptions, impact an entire retail economy, and influence a generation. It’s no wonder that more and more people are interested in joining the world of fashion design.

Fashion design entails the creation and manufacturing of clothing styles. Fashion designers work based on seasons – they design, create, and then introduce their line of clothing on the fashion runways. The clothing that is well-received suddenly makes its way to Hollywood where actors and actresses come decked out in the latest fashion to the latest movie premiers. And what happens on that carpet trickles down to the masses making its way to retail outlets all over the country in more affordable forms.

Fashion design can be a fantastic career journey but it requires a vast amount of skill, education, and hard work. Those interested in fashion design should already possess an innate ability to create beautiful design and effectively communicate them on paper. Such creative fashion enthusiasts should be sure to supplement their skill with formalized education. A fashion design school will teach the fundamentals of design, drawing to scale, textiles, fabrics, sewing, and manufacturing. An education such as this can open up many doors in fashion design.

Following a school program – or even in conjunction with a school program – those pursuing a career in fashion design should be sure to involve themselves in an internship or apprenticeship with a reputable design house. The experience gained in this capacity is unmatched and will begin building your portfolio – your most important tool in a fashion design career.

Fashion design can be a wonderful career filled with adventure, creativity, and a chance to influence clothing choices all across the nation and even around the world.

The explosive growth of the Internet, media-rich resources available online, and the large number of users accessing the Web bring with them multiple threats. These threats are designed to exploit the smallest possible vulnerability in a company’s network, be it for illegal profit or simply for malicious attacks.

SMEs have always been at a disadvantage when it comes to leveraging the latest technology innovations as most of these solutions come with a steep price tag, implementation and maintenance costs and technical expertise to deploy and utilize them. As a result, most SMEs don’t adopt these applications, as they can’t afford the upfront license fees, additional hardware costs, dedicated staff or consultants to implement and monitor these complex enterprise applications.

“Nevales Networks offers SME a solution with a difference. We offer Unified Threat Management (UTM) based network security services that are free of maintenance, licensing and scalability issues” said Ravishankar, Co-founder and CEO of Nevales Networks. “We understand that SMEs typically don’t have the same technical resources or expertise as larger enterprises do, so we have ensured that our services are easy to deploy and fully managed by us. Once the initial installation is complete, the all-in-one appliance allows SMEs to have a ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ security system in place and we also provide free 24/7 support. At a very nominal subscription fee ,SMEs can ensure data security, reduce IT investments, increase employee productivity, ensure compliance and minimize business risk.” Ravishankar added.

 

Nevales’s data protection services are offered through the Software as a Service (SaaS) model, which translates into Security as a Service. Nevales manages all the configuration, deployment, hardware and software maintenance. The customer gets comprehensive network security as a service. Multiple levels and types of security features are delivered through a single, easy to install, plug-and-play device – N300. Nevales N300 integrates several crucial security features such as Firewall, VPN, Intrusion Detection Service, Anti-Virus, Anti-Spam, Surf Protection, Spyware Guarding, Access Management, Bandwidth Management, Traffic Monitoring and Efficient Reporting in a single management platform.

 

The Nevales solution anticipates and protects the SME network and business-critical data from various threats. This always-available secure service-delivery platform is delivered over the Internet with free 24/7 support making it ideally suited for small and medium-sized businesses that do not have to make the considerable back-end investment to obtain the same level of network security that a big corporation enjoys.

 

Companies that subscribe to this model get multiple payment options, the flexibility to evaluate their service contract more frequently, and pay only for what they use. They also gain anytime access to security experts and the process efficiencies realized by a single-point contact for IT security.

Man has always strived for improvements in every field. Some discoveries were made thousands of years ago, and some have only been made recently. The use of Hematite, for instance, in jewelry dates back to the ancient Egyptians. They found this relatively common mineral and polished it by very primitive means and used it in ornaments and other decorations. Red Ochre, the red colored clay is based on this same mineral.

Hematite (sometimes spelled Heamatite) is a mineral form of Iron(III) Oxide. Its color varies from reddish brown to almost black. It received its name from the Greek word for blood “hema”, because the early discoveries of this mineral were red. Hematite is harder than pure iron but more brittle. Large deposits of hematite are found in banded iron formations, where water has stood for a long time and the minerals have precipitated out of the water and collected at the at the bottom of the waterway. It can also be found where volcanic activity has occurred.

High quality hematite is found in large quantities in England, Australia, Canada, Brazil and the Lake Superior region of the United States.

Currently, Hematite has two very different uses. Firstly it is the major source of iron in the world, making it a very important mineral in our society, and secondly it is used to produce a wide variety of both men’s and women’s jewelry.

Items include necklaces, bracelets, anklets, rings and almost anything that is worn as jewelry. There is also a magnetic series of jewelry, which are worn by people who believe they provide health benefits. This is largely unproven scientifically, but over 100 million people around the world believe the therapeutic properties of magnets.

Hematite has two characteristics that make it ideal for the manufacture of jewelry. Firstly, when polished it takes on a shiny surface and secondly it is relatively easy to work. (it is not very hard).

The quality of jewelry available varies greatly. Make sure that you are getting the quality that you expect.

Hematite jewelry is produced by many manufacturers throughout the world and the finished products does vary, due to the color variations. There is even a rainbow hematite found in Brazil.

It is fair to say that the majority of women love fashion and wearing beautiful clothing. It is probably equally fair to say, that only a minority of women choose to wear dresses as part of their clothing. There are many reasons for this, but mostly it is due to a lack in confidence in their ability to carry-off a casual and natural air when wearing dresses.

However, there is nothing more simple, or easy, to wear than a casual dress. Here, we will offer some advice on the types of dresses available today, in the hope that by understanding a little, a lot of confidence can be gained and that perhaps a few more women will experiment with their clothing and begin to wear dresses with poise and self-assurance. If just one woman changes her mind, and decides to experiment with dresses, then this article has done its job Read the rest of this entry »

It’s festival time, and we thought you might enjoy some tips on how to look fantastic and be prepared for some festival fun.

Celebs like Katy Perry and Alexa Chung have already been working some key trends at festivals this year and there are loads of options, from playsuits to wellie boots.

We think your festival fashion kit for 2010 should include:

· Hunters Wellingtons (we love their short studded ‘festival 2010′ boots)
· Denim shorts
· Tie dye/fringed scarf
· Playsuit
· Tie dye/retro tee
· Panama hat
· Retro shades
· Mini-dress
· Waterproof poncho
· Over-the-knee socks

Don’t be tempted by flip-flops or anything that you aren’t prepared to sacrifice in the name of fun! Don’t forget to take something warm to wear later on; a comfy sweatshirt will be very welcome at 3am.

Once you’ve created your look, you need to preserve it, so take a handy bag with items such as a compact mirror, miniature deodorant, hand sanitiser, dry shampoo and the all-important wet wipes. These items will be worth their weight in gold.

Makeup wise, keep it low-maintenance after the first day and night. By all means arrive in full makeup but accept that the best way forward from day two is to make use of your wipes and stick with the basics. We would recommend taking: mascara, concealer, a small compact bronzer and some lip balm/gloss.
Your hat and sunglasses may well become your best friends at a festival. Not only do they keep the sun off, they are simplest way to deal with unruly hair and smudged eye makeup.

Finally, please don’t forget your sunscreen – harmful UV rays will age your skin even more quickly than all those late nights!

If you have ever watched any part of the fashion shows that go on each year, you see clothes that will never make it to your local store. In fact, you may never see these things again. As the average consumer, you could never afford any of those things, even if you want to get them. What you can learn from these shows, however, is what may be indeed trickling down in the stores.

You may never find anything that looks remotely like what you see on the runway, or at least that is what you might think. The elements of those designs, however, are going to be everywhere. They take parts and pieces, and usually the general feel of an item from high fashion and then they turn them into clothes that most of us can wear. Things like the line of a skirt, a type of hat, and even a color will dictate the latest fashion trends.

You don’t have to look to the runways to find out about the latest fashion trends, however. All you have to do is watch television. What you see on your favorite actors and actresses is what will be coming along very soon. Those who choose the wardrobes for various shows are keeping up with the latest fashion trends, and at times, setting them. You can find a lot of information and inspiration when you watch soap operas, as they always dress nicely, and they are aired very shortly after the episodes are shot.

You can also find out more about the latest fashion trends by looking around the stores. When you see something you have never seen before, it is likely that someone designed this hoping it would catch on. New colors and shapes are often signs that new things are coming around. You only have to decide what you like and what you want to skip. You are going to find that many of the latest fashion trends are not to your liking, but there will always be something there that you do like. This is why we follow the trends, but we all look good in a different way. There are plenty of options, all you have to do is go with what you like and what looks good on you.