“We didn’t ban calculators. We taught math differently. We didn’t ban the internet. We taught research differently. So why are we trying to ban AI instead of doing the same?” We’ve been here before. I was a young teacher when the internet showed up in classrooms in the 90s. Educators panicked. Teachers worried it would make students lazy, that it would only be used for cheating, and that memorizing facts and dates would go out the window. They were right. Sort of. The internet did change things. But it didn’t destroy learning. It made us rethink what was worth teaching and how we wanted to spend instructional time. It pushed us away from memorizing trivia and toward analyzing, questioning, creating, and connecting. The same thing happened with calculators decades before. There was real fear that students would lose the ability to compute. But what actually happened was that students stopped getting stuck in multi-digit calculations and started spending more time doing real math. They m...
Embracing Change: The Shift from Professional Learning Communities to Professional Improvement Communities
"Let's move beyond learning to doing, transforming our practice and supporting achievement for ALL students. Together, we craft their success." In my journey through the dynamic landscape of education, I've come to realize the essential nature of continuously evolving teacher practice to meet the ever-changing needs of our students. Reflecting on my own experiences, I've seen firsthand the pivotal role that Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have played in fostering collaborative learning among educators, encouraging the exchange of ideas, and promoting collective growth. Yet, through both my successes and challenges, I've recognized the need to transition towards a more action-oriented approach. Drawing from these experiences, I propose a shift from "learning" to "improvement" in our communities. This shift not only redefines our objectives but also amplifies [what should be] our commitment to not just acquiring knowledge but activel...