Impact+of+Change+Expert

Impact of change experts:
Russell Andrea Alexis

Please insert your information here. Please make sure that you cite your sources.

Key points from the article titled [|The post-Modern condition: reformulating adult education pedagogy] by Mark Tennant.
 * 1) Autonomous or self-directed learning
 * 2) Appropriate “adult” teacher- learner relationships – there must be mutual respect. The role of teacher may be reversed any time.
 * 3) Centrality of experience
 * 4) Discuss experience
 * 5) Analyze experiences
 * 6) Identify and act on
 * 7) Reflection is the key to learning by experience.

Tennant, Mark. “The post-Modern condition: reformulating adult education pedagogy.” (1996, May) (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED401412 ) Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED401412.pdf

Here is my findings from the article titled __On-line Professional Learning Communities: Increasing Teacher Learning and__ __Productivity in Isolated Rural Communities__

Abstract: On-line and distance professional learning communities provides teachers with increased access and flexibility as well as the combination of work and education. It also provides a more learner-centered approach, enrichment and new ways of interacting with teachers in isolated rural areas. For educational administrators, on-line learning offers high quality and usually cost-effective professional development for teachers. It allows upgrading of skills, increased productivity and development of a new learning culture. At the same time, it means sharing of costs, of training time, increased portability of training, and the exchange of creativity, information, and dialogue. Keywords: On-line Professional Learning Community, English Language Learners (ELL), Second Language Acquisition, Bilingual Education, Professional Development, Collective Inquiry, Critical Reflection, Digital Resources

I was very interested in this article because our school does not use professional learning communities as much as we should. I find it interesting that professional development is going towards the on-line way. This year our district has set up a few PD's online and I hope that they continue to do this. I believe that if our district gets back into the professional development that our students will benefit from this. As adult learners we grow from learning new things and in the school setting as we learn new things we can use them in our approach to teaching the students.



Salazar, D., Aguirre-Muñoz, Z., Fox, K., & Nuanez-Lucas, L. (2010). On-line Professional Learning Communities: Increasing Teacher Learning and Productivity in Isolated Rural Communities. //Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics & Informatics//, 8(4), 1-7. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//.

Interview with Michael Fullan: Change agent By: Dennis Sparks

I was reading over the articles on the webquest on change and I found some interesting points in the Michael Fullan interview.

I have always heard and believe that professional learning communities are very important in the adult learning process. Without PLC's we can learn more about the different curriculum materials and assessments that are always emerging. I agree with him that in order to teach students we have know and accept and use the culture of the school and the community.

He goes on to say that the research tells us two things. First, we need far more intensive professional learning within a culture of continuous deliberation. Second, it has to be continually tested by external ideas or standards about best practices.

Working in a school that had went away from PLC's and professional development I can understand his points. In order to succeed in trying to bridge the gap between high and low performers teachers must learn and change. They must look at their students and to their students and even look at other schools.

I love this part of the interview: They have to get outside their classrooms, though, both within their schools and to link to what's going on in other schools--to learn from other teachers as well as contribute to them.

The interview goes on to say that we need to invest in leadership and that a key factor to successful change is that relationships improve.

He states that leaders who are effective operate from powerful conceptions, not from a set of techniques. He states their are five concepts to being a leader: 1. Moral purpose 2. relationship building 3. knowledge generation 4. understanding the change process 5. coherence building

The last point that stands out to me is when he says if you don't have a strategy conductive to teacher understanding, you can't get to student understanding.

Sparks, Dennis. //Interview with Michael Fullan: Change agent. National Staff Development Council. 2003// http://www.learningforward.org/news/jsd/fullan241.cfm.