Professional Learning Community

I was talking to Edulicious the other day and he mentioned that he had been reading my blog. However, he said I should share what I am learning rather than just talking about it. I got to thinking about it tonight as I sit here and write about Constructivist classrooms and decided that yet again, he is right. One of the most exciting things to me in Constructivist theory is the ideal of the classroom as a small learning community where the individuals are unique and appreciated. We talk about Professional Learning Communities all of the time as teachers and administrators, but maybe don't always think about the classroom in the same way. When I read the PLC book by Richard DuFour I realized the great importance of each person's part of the learning community. Each individual is unique and brings different talents, perspectives, and experiences to the table. It is important to recognize that when we are constructing our lessons, whether they are for those under the age of 14, or for a staff of 80, that as many people as there are in front of you, there are that many different ideas and perceptions. In order to foster that learning community and make it meaningful, the teacher/facilitator, must recognize those differences and provide opportunities that allow those people to construct their own ideas and test their theories.