McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY Maria Edgerton | December 28, 2015

This document may be printed, photocopied, and disseminated freely with attribution. All content is the property of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.

“You cannot make people learn. You can only provide the right conditions for learning to happen.”


– Vince Growmon


It makes sense to me that peer learning teams are also referred to as “communities of practice.” Individuals who frequently come together can develop a sense of “community.” As the number of individuals and organizations focusing on communities of practice as a way to improve performance continues to grow, let me share with you how communities of practice have made an impact in Delaware.


First, let me clarify what I mean by “communities of practice.” Communities of practice (CoP) offer an alternative to traditional professional development. These are groups who interact regularly and have corresponding concerns or mutual passions. They engage in joint activities and discussions, offer a variety of types of support, and exchange information. Communities of practice are a great way to network with others, share best practices, and strengthen professional skills. And, CoPs aren’t limited to colleagues outside your organization. They can be formed inside your organization, too.


“I had no idea how beneficial the ELLI meetings would be. I enjoyed listening and talking to other professionals about the modules and discussing what was going on within each of our programs. It was so nice to be with people who could relate and truly understand the same daily challenges I face. The interactions with other directors were priceless. These meetings impacted me so much that I asked if anyone else in the group wished to continue our monthly meetings. Thankfully… 100% of the class agreed to continue to meet. I am looking forward to continuing my relationships with my professional peers!”


– Heather Wilson, Director, Brandywine Valley Christian Preschool and Kindergarten


During the last 18 months, I have facilitated more than 20 communities of practice. Delaware was one of 20 states that benefitted from Race to the Top/Early Learning Challenge Grant funding. The state formed the Early Learning Leadership Initiative (ELLI), which uses communities of practice as a framework. In partnership with the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership, ELLI provides Delaware professionals with access to Aim4Excellence, an online National Director Credential. Participants complete their Aim4Excellence coursework online and then submit it for scoring. Cohorts throughout the state meet monthly and face-to-face for nine months to enhance the learning experience and achieve the credential, which is a requirement to reach the highest quality rating in Delaware’s quality rating and improvement system.


In their evaluations of the program, many ELLI graduates say their favorite part of participating in the cohort was the monthly CoP gatherings. I have been privileged to witness professionals across the state share powerful professional experiences and meaningful personal stories. Many of the individuals in the 20 communities of practice have the same challenges. They brainstorm, strategize, and problem solve together. They share useful tools and resources. Their confidence grows, and they learn to stop second guessing their daily decisions. They celebrate together. They create connections with colleagues that will likely continue even after the group stops meeting.

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The results of McCormick Center research suggest that an informal low-intensity model, like a facilitated peer learning team, may be a cost-effective means for yielding moderate positive outcomes in the administrative practices in early care and education programs.

One of the most important facilitative strategies I have used to help enable successful CoPs is establishing “Common Courtesies” for the meetings. Many of these were derived from the ground rules found in Inspiring Peak Performance: Commitment, Competence, Collaboration:


  • Be on time.
  • Silence your cell phone, and step out if you must take a call.
  • Listen to others and be fully present.
  • Respect each other and their opinion without judgment.
  • Do not interrupt.
  • Participate without monopolizing.
  • Maintain confidentiality and when discussing situations, do not use names.
  • Keep your questions and comments relevant to the topic.
  • Be open, honest, and encouraging.


It’s worth the time investment to create a cohesive, cohort-style learning opportunity. How do you know whether you’re ready to form a community of practice? Check out Ann Hentschel’s blog post “Peer Learning Teams: Where to Begin” to learn more about the first three steps she recommends: Determine team readiness, articulate a rationale, and decide on structure.


I’ve gained a number of insights from my experience facilitating the Delaware CoP teams. First, it takes time to build rapport and trust. You cannot force cohesiveness. A facilitator can, however, provide opportunities and activities to encourage relationship building. Second, every group has its own chemistry. There is nothing that can predict the climate of a unique group of professionals. Building a sense of community happens when participants hear from colleagues that they are not the only ones facing specific challenges. They realize that the challenges are not personal but universal, and it is OK to not have all of the answers. Finally, participants should feel like the meetings are productive. Keep the group on topic and focused on solutions.


If you’re interested in learning more about communities of practice, check out these resources:


Maria Edgerton works for the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University and is the Aim4Excellence Program Coordinator in Delaware. Over the past 18 months, she has facilitated 20 communities of practice groups with an average of 15 people in each cohort group. Maria has worked in the education field for more than 20 years. She holds a master’s degree in education and bachelor’s degree in phycology/sociology.

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The AI-Enabled Administrator: Reclaim Valuable Time

By Dr. Neal Green • February 8, 2026
Tools: Gemini Gems, NotebookLM, Perplexity Spaces Overview The evidence is clear that early childhood professionals' most significant challenge is a lack of time. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, when used strategically, can give administrators some of the time they desperately need, allowing them to focus more on their staff and the children and families in their care. This approach aligns with the foundational goal of strengthening leadership effectiveness and program impact (Abel, Talan, & Masterson, 2023). When I scan the AI landscape of available products and platforms, it becomes overwhelming. There are so many options that it is impossible to keep up with every new development. Focusing on a limited number of AI tools backed by organizations with strong infrastructure and fiscal stability is a wise place to start your AI journey. McCormick Institute for Early Childhood’s (MIEC’s) upcoming professional development sessions will focus on three AI tools. These include Gemini Gems, NotebookLM, and Perplexity Spaces. Think of Gemini Gems as your customized AI assistant that you "train" to follow your rules and meet your goals. Gemini Gems are the right tool to tackle Internal Operations . NotebookLM is perfect for creating Family Support resources that stick. NotebookLM is a powerful AI tool that uses only the documents or other resources you add to generate specific, focused output. Perplexity Spaces is a fantastic choice to address Marketing demands. Like many AI tools, you can toggle back and forth between open web searches and focused documents that are specific to your work. Gemini Gems: The “Specialist Teammate” Gemini Gems allow you to create templates you can use repeatedly for agendas, HR policies, and more. If you have used AI in the past, you know that writing an effective prompt takes time, and they can easily get "lost" if you use AI often. Gems removes that challenge and lets you save your most effective prompts without having to rewrite them every time you use Gemini. It is up to you to decide if you want to create several smaller Gems to tackle common challenges you face or create larger Gems that encompass large swaths of your work. For our purposes, we will focus our Gem work on Internal Operations, addressing Program Administration Scale (PAS) Item 9: Internal Communications (Talan & Bloom, 2011). Imagine using a Gem to turn messy staff meeting notes into professional minutes with clear action plans in minutes or less! NotebookLM: The "Walled Garden" NotebookLM is an excellent tool for Family Support for your center, addressing PAS Item 17: Family Support and Involvement (Talan & Bloom, 2011). After uploading documents and resources, such as your parent handbook or community referral lists, to your Notebook, you can create several resources that parents/guardians of your center students will love. Just a few of the impressive features available with NotebookLM include audio (podcast) summaries, video summaries, and reporting functions with templates or the option to create your own report with metrics that matter most to you. Perplexity Spaces: The "Research Librarian" Perplexity Spaces is a perfect AI partner for Marketing your early childhood education (ECE) program, addressing PAS Item 18: External Communications (Talan & Bloom, 2011). You can build your own centralized repository, with control over branding to ensure consistency and present a professional, current image. Adding specific instructions to your space eliminates the need to format documents constantly and saves valuable time. The consistency that a Perplexity Space offers in this regard allows you to upload messages that are the "voice” of your brand. Your marketing efforts are not only more aesthetically pleasing but also enable you to track trends at similar centers in your area, helping you assess the competition. Strategies for Success: Audit your Internal Communications: Identify one repetitive task, such as creating staff meeting agendas (PAS Item 9), and automate it with a Gemini Gem. Curate your Family Resources: Gather three to five existing documents to "feed" a NotebookLM project for more responsive family support (PAS Item 17). Standardize your Brand: Use a Perplexity Space to ensure all public relations tools project a consistent, professional image (PAS Item 18). Reflection Questions: Which administrative task takes the most time away from your interactions with staff and families? How might centralizing marketing materials (branding) impact the professional image to prospective families? Table 1: AI Tools for ECE Professionals
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