A Model for Project Collaboration:

Learning Circles Teacher's Guide

A basic model developed early on by Margaret Riel, when she was at the AT&T Learning Network, and now used by many of the projects in iEARN, is that of "Learning Circles." A Learning Circle is created by a team of teachers and their classes joined in the virtual space of an electronic classroom. The groups remains together over a period of months working on projects drawn from the curriculum of each of the classrooms organized around a selected theme. At the end of the term the group collects and publishes its work. Learning Circles promote theme-based project work integrated with the classroom curriculum. Learning Circles also encourage interactions among teachers providing a very different model of professional development. The Learning Circle Teacher's Guide is organized around the six phases of Circle interaction:

• Getting Ready for Learning Circles
• Opening the Learning Circle
• Planning the Learning Circle Projects
• Exchanging Student Work on Learning Circle Projects
• Organizing the Circle Publication Closing the Learning Circle

Because the Learning Circle model offers a helpful structure for involvement in any existing iEARN project, or even starting a new project, the "Learning Circles Teacher's Guide" can serve as a helpful resource, not only for classrooms involved in Learning Circles, but also for involvement in any iEARN project. Ready to enter the Learning Circles Teacher’s Guide? Click here