Five Minds for the Furture

I've only just begun reading Five Minds for the Future; however, I have read quite a bit today and in the past 5 years about Professional Learning Communities (PLC).  Over the next several years I'll be reading a lot about PLCs, as I have chosen (at least for now) my research purpose: to examine the implementation and use of PLCs. 

Gardner presents the mind in five broad uses: the disciplined mind, the synthesizing mind, the creating mind, the respecting mind, and the ethical mind.  In regard to education, he advocates not only developing young minds for these uses, but also, insists that the educator must mobilize these uses of the mind.  The connection between PLCs and the Five Minds are easy to make.  The 21st century educator must join minds with colleagues to gain the most benefit from collective brains for teaching and for professional growth.  The barrier many teachers state for not collaborating is time.  However, the research is overwhelming that if teachers will develop a discipline for synthesizing with colleagues and creating common assessments and engaging learning opportunities all will benefit.  The teacher will find greater success in student learning and improved morale within the campus.  Students will also benefit from richer learning experiences, formative assessments and mastery of skills and understandings.

As a campus administrator I will work this week to apply my learning.  As the vision keeper I will look for ways to creatively and positively keep our focus on the vision we revised as a faculty at the beginning of this school year.  Teachers will be engaged this week in extended planning.  I'll be sure to protect that planning time for them and follow through on the accountability piece of looking at the responses to the guiding questions they will work on during their planning.  Should be a great week and a step in the right direction for our campus growth in developing ourselves as a PLC.