What is a PLC and Can It Help Me? A Time For Change!

YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY FISH IN THE SEA!

There are many teachers and students, if we all work together things get better!

This webquest should take appoximately 1 hour.  Let's get started.

1.  Read the article labeled "What is a PLC" in attachment file #1 below.

2.  Write down the answers to the following questions and save them to put in your review at the end of your webquest.  List 5-6 items for each of the following questions:  I think a PLC is ...?  I think a PLC is not ...?

3.  Read the second attachment below that is labeled Cultural Shifts.  The first page will give you ideas of what a PLC is and is not.  You can compare your answers from the previous question to see how close you were.  The second page is 7 good reasons why you should be in a PLC. 

4.  Time is almost always a big question at this point of your thinking.  Read the third attachment "Time" and answer the "Time to Meet" questionaire at the end to see where you could find some time?

5.  Please reflect on the following questions.  This will help you determine where you and your school are in the PLC model.  You may or may not have formal teams yet, but most likely you do some work with others in your district, so answer the questions the best you can.  Please write down your answers and save them for question # 6.

1=almost never  2=seldom  3= occasionally  4=frequently  5=almost always

1.____ We try to have set procedures to ensure that things run smoothly and orderly.

2.____ We are quick to get on with the task at hand and do not spend too much time in the planning stage.

3.____ Our team feels that we are all in it together and shares responsibilities for the team's success or failure.

4.____ We have thorough procedures for agreeing on our objectives and planning the way we will perform our tasks.

5.____ Team members are afraid or do not like to ask others for help.

6.____ We take our team's goals and objectives literally, and assume a shared understanding.

7.____ The team leader tries to keep order and contributes to the task at hand.

8.____ We do not have fixed procedures, we make them up as the task or project progresses.

9.____ We generate lots of ideas, but we do not use many because we fail to listen to them and reject them without fully understanding them.

10.____ Team members do not fully trust the other members and closely monitor other who are working on a specific task.

11.____ The team leader ensures that we follow the procedures, do not argue, do not interrupt, and keep to the point.

12.____ We enjoy working together; we have a fun and productive time.

13.____ We have accepted each other as members of the team.

14.____ The team leader is democratic and collaborative.

15.____ We are trying to define the goal and what tasks need to be accomplished.

16.____ Many of the team members have their own ideas about the process and personal agendas are rampant.

17.____ We fully accept each other's strengths and weaknesses.

18.____ We assign specific roles to team members.

19.____ We try to achieve harmony by avoiding conflict.

20.____ The tasks are very different from what we imagined and seem very difficult to accomplish.

21.____ There are many abstract discussions of the concepts and issues, which make some members impatient with these discussions.

22.____ We are able to work through group problems.

23.____ We argue a lot even though we agree on the real issues.

24.____ The team is often tempted to go above the original scope of the project.

25.____ We express criticism of others constructively.

26.____ There is a close attachment to the team.

27.____ It seems as if little is being accomplished with the project's goal.

28.____ The goals we have established seem unrealistic.

29.____ Although we are not fully sure of the project's goals and issues, we are excited and proud to be on the team.

30.____ We often share personal problems with each other.

31.____ There is a lot of resisting of the tasks on hand and quality improvement approaches.

32.____ We get a lot of work done.

6.  Now that you have answered each of these questions, you will add the totals of the following numbers to find what stage of teamwork that your team is at.  Add these groups of numbers together:

Row 1 - 1,5,10,15,18,21,27,and 29  =

Row 2 -  2,7,9,16,20,23,28, and 31 =

Row 3 -  4,6,11,13,19,24,25, and 30 =

Row 4 -  3,8,12,14,17,22,26, and 32 =

The row of numbers that has the highest total correlates with the stage of teamwork that your team is at.  The lowest total is the one you are furthest from.  Please comment in your review of this webquest what stage your team is at.

Row 1 = Forming stage - Your team is in the beginning stages of being a PLC.

Row 2 = Storming stage - Your team is trying, but not making headways to a PLC.

Row 3 = Norming stage - Your team is doing quite well, but could still improve.

Row 4 = Performing stage - Your team is clicking on all cylinders. Great Job!

To finish this webquest please respond to the following questions in the review section.  You can also give me ways to improve this webquest and ideas on how to implement a PLC in your school.

       1.  Tell me about 3 key ideas that you learned.

       2.  Tell me if there is anything you intend to try.

       3.  Tell me one thing that this webquest made you think about.

       4.  Tell me what your answers to question #2 of the webquest were (what is and isn't a PLC?).

       5.  Did you find any times to meet that you thought would work for your school in question #4.

       6.  Tell me what stage you think your team is at?

Thanks!