PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES
1 . What are we trying to accomplish ? 2 . How will we know that a change is an improvement ?
3 . What change can we make that will result in an improvement ? ( Lewis , 2015 ; Miller , 2020 )
PLCs can provide educators with the needed scaffolding for meaningful and productive meeting times without dictating the content inside those meetings .
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I suspect our PLC program will continue to evolve , topic-wise , with our community needs ; the response from faculty and staff has been positive .
While variety in the types of PLCs a school offers is considered a good thing , there may be times when the school might need to pause the smorgasbord of offerings to address community-wide topics . Recently , our school community has prioritized two extremely important issues , student social and emotional well-being and all-school diversity , equity , and inclusion . While these issues have been priorities for our school before the global pandemic , the administrative team decided we needed to elevate the attention given to both topics , and enroll all adults in our community in PLCs designed around these specific PD topics . I suspect our PLC program will continue to evolve , topic-wise , with our community needs ; the response from faculty and staff has been positive . Morning meetings can be challenging for all of us , but I know one thing for certain : my time with my PLC colleagues is one of those cup-filling memories that I will continue to cherish . Do PLCs have to change the world ? No , but can they provide meaningful learning experiences for faculty and staff in your school communities .
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They certainly have the ability to do so should you choose to implement them in meaningful ways . •
Mission Statement of The Kent Denver
School ’ s empowHERment Initiative : The goal of Kent Denver Women ’ s empow- HERment Initiative is to provide girls and gender non-conforming students with avenues to pursue passions , explore opportunities , and create connections with other women who empower them . By providing access to knowledge , resources , and experience that women can share with our community , we hope to build relationships among our students , between students and their mentors , and with alumni as they make their way through their college years and beyond . One specific goal of empow- HERment is to connect Kent Denver students with volunteer opportunities and Career Internship Experiences ( CIE ) that are
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CSEE Connections Summer 2022 Page 21