1. Pinterest, 2017
The ABC’s of Professional Learning Communities and Project-Based Learning
By Tammy Lance and Shelly Ramseur
Gardner-Webb University CILD Conference

2. Meet your “super teacher” presenters:
Tammy Lance is a 6th Grade ELA Teacher for Gaston County Schools
Shelly Ramseur is a K-5 AIG Teacher for Charlotte - Mecklenburg Schools
OnlyGFX, 2017

3. TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
Super Teacher Worksheets, 2015
Pinterest, 2017

4. The purpose of this presentation is to explore the:
AGENDA
The purpose of this presentation is to explore the:
ttributes of PLC’s and PBL’s A
uilding blocks of PLC’s and PBL’s B C
ommon vision of PLC’s and PBL’s

5. DuFour, DuFour, Eaker & Many, 2017
“Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) - An ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. Professional learning communities operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators”.
Super Teacher Worksheets, 2015
DuFour, DuFour, Eaker & Many, 2017

6. “In Project Based Learning [PBL], students are pulled through the curriculum by a meaningful question to explore, an engaging real-world problem to solve, or a challenge to design or create something. Before they can accomplish this, students need to inquire into the topic by asking questions and developing their own answers. To demonstrate what they learn, students create high-quality products and present their work to other people. Students often do project work collaboratively in small teams, guided by the teacher”.
Shutterstock, 2017

7. Ultimateadsrevenue, 2014
ATTRIBUTES
The ATTRIBUTES of Professional Learning Communities and Project-Based Learning

8. PLC - Must be intentionally inviting
Teachers:
PLC - Must be intentionally inviting
PBL - Must be organized and prepared
Students:
PLC - Benefit from Differentiated Instruction
PBL - Benefit from a rigorous learning experience
Administrator:
PLC - Must allow teacher flexibility
PBL - Must be open minded and results oriented
(Powmanagement, 2017)

9. TABLET TIP#1: PLC’S and PBL’S 101
“PLC’s are the ideal environment for developing PBL lesson plans and allow for better leveraging of resources and learning scaffolding. Group brainstorming is a very effective way of generating ideas in a short amount of time and teamwork allows for the workload to be shared by several teachers. While Type I PLCs (teachers of the same discipline) can share ideas about the best ways to convey certain content; Type II PLCs (teachers in different disciplines) can generate projects that bridge across subject boundaries and as such are better at developing both problem-solving and critical-thinking skills”.
(Morgan, Barroso & Huggins, 2009)

10. “Children are the Priority. Change is the Reality.
Collaboration is the Strategy”.
- Judith Billings

11. BUILDING BLOCKS
Pixabay, 2017
The BUILDING BLOCKS of Professional Learning Communities and Project-Based Learning

12. (Unix Administration Guide, 2017)
Teachers:
PLC - Must establish relationships with students and be open minded
PBL - Must allow the gradual release of control
Students
PLC - Must be encouraged to set goals
PBL - Must be encouraged to try challenging activities
Administrators
PLC - Must foster team relationships
PBL - Must provide relevant professional development

13. TABLET TIP#2: PLC’S and PBL’S 101
“PLCs are necessary to any reform effort like PBL because peer colleagues can provide non-evaluative feedback as well as socially supportive and positively pressuring environments. This kind of feedback within these environments allows teachers to challenge themselves pedagogically without fear of being evaluated while being supported to be responsible for changing their practice for student success, which is necessary within in the current data-driven decision making educational culture. However, PLCs provide a network for teachers to rely upon to change their practice to meet those reform efforts. In fact, research shows that through a PLC environment teachers are able to be more innovative and experimental pedagogically”.
(Morgan, Barroso & Huggins, 2009)

14. ANY QUESTIONS?
(Pixabay, 2017)

15. “If you don’t know where you are going, you probably aren’t going to get there”.
-Yogi Berra

16. DHD Films, 2017
COMMON VISION
The COMMON VISION of Professional Learning Communities and Project-Based Learning

17. PLC - Must ensure the success of ALL students
(123RF, 2014)
Teachers:
PLC - Must ensure the success of ALL students
PBL - Must ensure students have 21st century skills
Students:
PLC - Prepare students to learn from curriculum that is relevant, rigorous and relational
PBL - Must be motivated and engaged
Administrators
PLC - Must guide staff and encourage opportunities for growth.
PBL - Must ensure sound curriculum for student growth

18. TABLET TIP #3: PLC’S and PBL’S 101
“While PLCs can assist with any reform effort, when implementing PBL, they are especially significant due to the amount of time and resources needed to create projects, both within a discipline and even more so, between disciplines. The most effective projects are cross-disciplinary and without teachers coming together in a PLC to create projects and then reflect on the process, rigor, and effectiveness of those projects in providing student academic success once they are completed, PBL will be difficult at best to implement. Additionally, in schools that are simply trying to create within subject PBLs, the riskiness of the teacher paradigm shift in not only his or her teacher role, but the whole process of creating and implementing the PBL requires the assistance of his or her colleagues. Thus, PLCs are significantly important in the implementation of PBL”.
(Morgan, Barroso & Huggins, 2009)

19. “Tell Me Show me, Involve me, And I’ll forget. And I may remember.
And I’ll understand”
-Chinese Proverb

20. Let’s play! Log on to this link:
Kahoot!
PLCs and PBLs
Let’s play! Log on to this link:
Swimming Into Second, 2014

21. ANY QUESTIONS?
(Pixabay, 2017)

22. Share your thoughts with us! Log on to this link:
Padlet!
Share your thoughts with us! Log on to this link:
(Insegnanti 2.0, 2014)

23. THANKS!
Any questions?
You can contact us at the following addresses:
Tammy Lance -
Shelly Ramseur -
(Etsy, 2017)

24. References 123RF. (2017). Whap [Web Image]. Retrieved from
Boss, S., Larmer, J., Mergendoller, J. R., & Buck Institute for Education. (2013). PBL For 21st Century
Success: Teaching Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity (1st ed.). Novato, CA: Buck Institute for Education.
DHD Films. (2017). Bang [Web Image]. Retrieved from
DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2017 June 21). Learning by Doing: A Handbook
for Professional Learning Communities at Work™. Retrieved from
Etsy. (2017). Thank You [Web Image]. Retrieved from
Hallermann, S., Larmer, J., Mergendoller, J. R., & Buck Institute for Education. (2011). PBL In The
Elementary Grades: Step-by-Step Guidance, Tools and Tips for Standards-Focused K-5 Projects. Novato, CA: Buck Institute for Education.

25. References
Insegnanti 2.0. (2014, July 31). Padlet [Web Image]. Retrieved from
Morgan, J. R., Barroso, L. R., Huggins, K. S. (2009). Helping Teachers Use Professional Learning
Communities to Infuse Project Based Learning into the K-12 Curriculum. Retrieved June 23, 2017,
from
OnlyGFX.com. (2017). Comic Explosion Bubble [Web Image]. Retrieved from
Pinterest. (2017). POW [Web Image]. Retrieved from
Pinterest. (2017). Classroom Posters [Web Image]. Retrieved from
Pixabay. (2017). Zap [Web Image]. Retrieved from

26. References Powmanagement. (2017). Pow [Web Image]. Retrieved from
Shutterstock. (2017). Super Teacher [Web Image]. Retrieved from
Smith, D., Fisher, D., Frey, N. (2015). Better Than Carrots or Sticks Restorative Practices for
Positive Classroom Management. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
Super Teacher Worksheets. (2015, August 7). Super Teacher Blog [Web Image]. Retrieved from
Swimming Into Second. (2014, July 8). Kahoot [Web Image]. Retrieved from

27. References
Ultimateadsrevenue. (2014, August 7). Kaboom [Web Image]. Retrieved from
Unix Administration Guide. (2017). Snap [Web Image]. Retrieved from