Currently, the impression of improving schools by initiating professional learning activities is in trend. Brown et al. (2018) state that professional learning communities (PLCs) are a group of terms used to define a combination of people interested in education. It could be a high school department, an entire school district, or a national professional organization. In this regard, it is necessary to understand the ground rules for team collaboration, merits, and demerits for cooperation while reflecting on effective team-building strategies essential in school or workplace.
Collaborative acquisition of knowledge from the PLCs has improved problem-solving skills and encouraged peer education. These are constructive characteristics required in professional learning communities and societies globally. Again, there could be a leader in control who encourages learners to socialize. People also have diverse education capabilities and speeds; hence those with low labor skills will struggle to catch up, making collaborative learning hard to achieve. PLCs should employ various strategies to promote team building.
Collaborative learning is accompanied by some advantages: improved critical thinking, advanced communication skills, problem-solving skills, and cultural awareness. Some disadvantages of this kind of learning include that some groups may struggle if they do not have group work skills. People also learn at different speeds, making the process slow, or some will be left behind. With good communication skills, customer support will be improved in the business sector and create a good rapport between workers.
Ideally, hosting appealing team-building events, for instance, having online gaming competition improves interactions among employees in PLCs (Brown, 2018). Additionally, hosting annual summits and taking the employees on an educational vacation away from the daily surroundings can improve their view on how they tackle situations. Conclusively, this essay illuminates that ground rules are fundamental in successful PLC collaborations. Therefore, diverse teams can merge to facilitate the creation of achievable guidelines. Moreover, PLCs can line up a team on a given vision and implement the strategies to make the dream a reality.
Reference
Brown, B. D., Horn, R. S., & King, G. (2018). The effective implementation of professional learning communities. Alabama Journal of Educational Leadership, 5, 53-59. Web.