K-12 Learning Communities

The Help M.A.R.C. Project realizes the classroom is really a community governed by a facilitator (the teacher) and in order for each community to reach potential teachers must have access to resources such as lesson plan development, educational law, mentoring, expert advice, goals, objectives, and professional learning communities (PLC's). Join the Help M.A.R.C. Project to develop a PLC that gives to and supports the classroom.

Author Mike Schmoker followed up his two other "Results" books with the best and most motivating yet.

This book pleads with educators and administrators to assist in the immediate transformation of American schools. He describes in detail the "buffers" that American schools have created which have led to the illusion that a high percentage of American schools are actually effective (which he points out in detail, actually are not). This "buffer" that Schmoker describes has led to teacher isolation, lack of quality instruction, and to the reality that administrators are virtually devoid of influence when trying to effect the quality of instruction. This is a sample of some of the startling statistics Schmoker presents, (page 18):

"Classrooms in which there was evidence of a clear learning objective: 4 percent"

"Classrooms in which there was evidence of higher-order thinking: 3 percent"

"Classrooms in which non-instructional activities were occurring" 35 percent"

(Note: to get specifics on this research-based study, visit his book)
One of the most motivating features of this book is that the author reminds educators of how much they already know about effective teaching practices, especially as a collaborative group. Often educators are fixated on new programs, more materials, more workshops and the need for more money. This quote is an example of this idea, "We have relied far too much, with miserable results, on a failed model for improving instructional practice: training, in the form of workshops or staff development."

Chapter 8 of this book entitled, "Professional Learning Communities" is a pro-active approach to reforming schools and demonstrates Schmoker's true value of educators.
As for administrators, don't feel left out because Schmoker is fully aware of your limitations, boundaries and lack of support. Again keeping pro-activity in mind, Schmoker suggests several solutions which will change educational leadership and its effect on instructional quality.

This is one of the very few books that doesn't try to state the issues with a politically correct point of view. His writing style is blunt yet lacks negativity. In fact, this book has the effect of challenging educators to make some simple and high effective changes TOMORROW, that can produce immediate results.

This ending quote from Results Now demonstrates why I give this book 5 stars (on a 5 point scale) for educators and educational leaders and as guessed, is suggested as a MUST READ.

(From Page163's CONCLUSION, "WHY NOT US WHY NOT NOW"): "With so much at stake, is there any decent reason to postpone what could be education's greatest moment?"

Note from me : This book is startling when you first read it mainly because of the statistics he shares and what was found inside our American classrooms, but these startling revelations are what truly should provoke all educators, leaders, and parents too, to make serious changes in the American school system.

I love two very simple, but POWERful quotes by Dr. David Thornburg, "The key, quite simply, is to create an environment in which rigor and relevance are treated with equal respect, not as tradeoffs." Then going a step futher he states, "I think the challenge is not to change what we teach as much as it is to change how we teach."

The idea of Power standards as introduced by Larry Ainsworth rockets education and the way teachers teach into a brand new era. An era marked by No Child Left Behind laws and driven by school reform in terms of accountability.

The progression of education has been vast, in terms of knowledge taught verses depth. I would compare it to the kiddie pool--current standards are shallow and run very little risk of drowning. Power standards take teachers methodology and knowledge and progressively moves them to the deep end of the pool were students can take risk and jump off the high dive without fear of failure. As educators the Help M.A.R.C. Project hopes to provide resources to teachers based on Power Standards for their subject to students will learn and have no fear to take a risk.

Blogging is becoming increasingly popular among pop culture. No other communication skill can mix the personal opinion of one with the facts of the world. Its this connection with world and ability to journal the daily activites of the classroom that makes blogging useful for every teacher.

Use services such as Squidoo to create collaborative effects among the students. How powerful is that statement? Students can now post their opinion in terms of classroom lectures via a class blog. Students can share photos of classroom activities, reflect on their learning, create a virtual scrapebook of their learning, and bring parents into the learning community with a blogging service.

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