1. Create an online environment
PLCs can serve various purposes, but the first thing you must consider when starting this with your staff is the online environment where this learning will take place. My suggestion and what has worked well for us is to use the learning management system (LMS) that you use with students. This provides two key benefits. First, it is an easy way to model good online and blended learning. Our teachers have shared on several occasions that participating in an online community helps them better understand how they could create similar environments for their students. Second, many LMSs provide tools that make communication, sharing, and collaboration successful for groups of learners. When we set up groups for our staff, we create a centralized location for learning to take place. The LMS provides us with a place to make announcements, share and store resources, deliver digital content for online professional development, and have asynchronous discussions online. Through the use of digital badges in our LMS, we are able to showcase skills and mastery of concepts learned through various professional development opportunities.
2. Use it for informal learning
After creating the online space, your online community can be used for lots of different types of professional development. It is a wonderful place for informal learning to happen. Teachers can share ideas, post questions, and collaborate through this online environment in many of the same ways that they might share through social networks.
3. Try structured opportunities, too
Structuring opportunities for peer support in an online format has been successful in our district. For example, at one of our high schools, teachers self-select to participate in blended professional development courses called “Innovation Centers” led by their peers. While they have scheduled face-to-face learning time, the teachers leading each course creates a space for online work and learning as well. Additionally, our technology lead teachers in all of our buildings collaborate in a PLC with study groups on self-selected topics of interest. Providing these online opportunities allow our teachers to work on meaningful tasks and connect with others outside of their own building or department.
4. Flip the model
PLCs also provide a space and opportunities for professional developers to “flip” their PD. In the same way that you might flip your class, staff developers and administrators can provide the direct instruction they are planning in a digital format beforehand and save the limited face-to-face time for true collaboration and planning.
(Next page: instructing teachers on how to use PLCs)
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