Moving From the PLC to the PNLC: 6 Key Drivers of Change- Part 1

There are six “key drivers” that I see pushing Professional Learning Communities to evolve into Professional Networked Learning Collaboratives. They are Technology, Wisdom Stewardship, Cultural, Accountability, External Approach, and Continuous Change, Choice, and Disruption. These six “key drivers” are having a major impact on education and make the Professional Networked Learning Collaborative uniquely suited to handle the impact effectively.

Lets examine “key driver” numbers one and two.

1. Technological: convergence of video, voice and data over Internet Protocol (IP) and other collaborative technology platforms.

According to Evan Rosen, author of The Culture of Collaboration, “The convergence combined with broadband to homes, remote offices and wireless devices creates an environment in which more people can collaborate and communicate more effectively regardless of geography”

The advantage to the Professional Networked Learning Collaborative Collaborative is the ability to leverage “Converged Networking”, the ability to carry data, voice, and video over a single network, which changes how, where, and with whom Professional Learning Communities can collaborate.

The convergence combined with broadband to school sites, district offices, and wireless devices will create an environment in which PLCs communicate and collaborate regardless of geography.

Converged networking will allow Professional Learning Communities to easily share data, communicate, and collaborate with people in different classrooms, at different schools, with experts at the district office, or with consultants from across the globe.Location independent, or location non-dependent collaboration will not only be possible, but in many cases will allow PNLCs to have greater access to a wider range expertise more frequently. Imagine PNLCs meeting with teachers at other schools to share instructional strategies, or with district personnel to discuss data or potential Special Education issues, or even with consultants via various collaborative technology platforms.

PNLCs will be able to leverage talent, expertise, and knowledge independent of geographic restrictions.

2. Wisdom Stewardship: exploiting the best expertise, talent, and knowledge regardless of geography.

The ability for PNLCs to have access to the best expertise, knowledge, and information through collaborative technology platforms is now possible. PNLCs can leverage others around the school, the district, the state, or the globe, saving money and time. This allows anyone, anywhere to become a valuable resource to the PNLC and is fiscally and economically advantageous. The technology can bring people together. This allows for better use of “people” resources, time, and fiscal resources.

So today, and increasingly in the future, it is the Professional Networked Learning Collaborative that will be able to handle these drivers of change. The Professional Networked Learning Collaborative embraces and seeks to leverage the technological changes because in so doing, they are better able to utilize the resources of time and talent because they have accepted the cultural shift toward immediacy of real-time interaction, and therefore is better able to handle the increasing compliance issues facing education. With both and internal focus and external approach members are better able to handle, and in fact embrace, the continuous change, new disruptions, and increases in choices and options.