Reading Reflection #2

     The focus of Learning Communities is to give teachers time outside of teaching to collaborate with one another. One of the objectives of this is to focus on giving one another critical feedback on their future plans or projects with their students so the teacher can see things he or she may have overlooked in the planning. Learning Communities focus on three main things; ensure that students are learning, create a culture of collaboration, and focus on the results.
     The benefits of Learning Communities are that learning becomes very relevant while still being challenging for both teachers and students. They are both gaining necessary skills that are used in the real world such as communication, motivation, and problem solving.
     For teachers, Learning Communities allow them to communicate with one another. They lose the sense of isolation and feel like they are part of a collaborative whole. There also becomes a shared responsibility for teachers to gain the results that they desire. So, their commitment to the students, each other, and learning as a whole improves making them more motivated and more powerful learners. I think it may be difficult if teachers cannot agree on how they should be collaborating, or if teachers differ in their ways of teaching. Closed mindedness would be a huge issue in this type of teaching.
     For students, Learning Communities provide for a more rigorous way of learning. They will be involved in more projects that can greatly benefit them in the future. Students must be more open to change and  more willing to participate in groups. Students may be more motivated to succeed in this type of learning due to the teacher's obvious passion and dedication to their education.
     The shared vision in Learning Communities is to shift the way of teaching by focusing on what the students learn, rather than looking at what you teach. Teachers are focusing on the results of their project, allowing them to see the bigger picture. Since they are focusing on the end result, they can better communicate with one another and work together to reach this common goal. When a group has a shared vision, they must have conditions they create to achieve their end mission.
     The concepts in the chapter relate to my topic, gardening, because of our overall end goal for our students. The main goal of our topic is allowing students to collaborate with one another on each aspect of the project. Students must also collaborate with professionals in the field. They will be constantly put in situations that will allow them to learn important skills needed in the real world. Handling money, preparing food, building with wood, counting, advertising by means of technology, a commitment to a greater goal, etc. All of these qualities can be seen in Learning Communities, and the rigorous approach that it has to learning and collaboration.