Set up an online PLC for your school or group
Many Baldwin County teachers use Moodle to create activities that allow students to collaborate on projects and share ideas anytime and anywhere Internet access is available. These same tools can help your group build an online professional learning community that’s available any time, any place.
What can you do with an online PLC?
Discussion Forums – Forums allow PLC members to easily communicate with each other to post questions, share ideas, and discuss strategies. The ideas and topics discussed aren’t locked in an email message but are available to everyone in the PLC.
Document Sharing – Easily upload files and forms to share with others in the group. There’s no need to email a file to everyone when you can post it in the PLC so it’s easily accessible when you need it.
Wikis – Build shared web pages that everyone in the group can collaborate on. These are great for brainstorming a list of solutions to a problem or gathering information about a topic.
Share Resources – Share links to websites, online articles, teaching videos and anything else with everyone in the group. Having these resources in an online PLC makes them easily accessible when you need them.
Collect Paperwork – Forms and documents that must be submitted within schools or to other personnel can be gathered electronically through the PLC to avoid printing or emailing them as attachments. The forms are collected in one place and can easily be marked as “approved” so the sender knows it was received.
What types of groups could use an online PLC?
- Departments and grade levels- For example, all science teachers or all 4th grade teachers could collaborate and share resources via a PLC.
- School Clubs – Stay connected and continue to work on projects between meetings
- Teams – Use forumsto discuss workouts, plays, practice schedules, etc. Stay connected during the off-season
- Yearbook Staff – submit articles online, brainstorm ideas for new stories
How can I learn more about using an online PLC?
Contact Mike Johnson to get a PLC set up for your group (e.g. school, department, club, etc.). Then you can explore the Moodle tools and features on your own or schedule training.
You can also invite teachers and students at your school or across the district to participate in your PLC. Many teachers have set up online PLCs for their classrooms where students share and collaborate as well as complete assessments and submit files for grading.
How are teachers at your school using Moodle for class projects or PLCs?
Share your ideas by posting a comment below.
