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Alternative Professional Learning

Building out this course has given me a new perspective of what Professional Learning (PL) should be and how its design should be approached. I've learned that PL should not only support educators in its beginning stages, but throughout the implementation process as they learn new teaching methodologies and learning skills. Additionally, I've learned the effective PL encompasses 5 key principles of which help to create not only productive, but efficient professional learning ( Gulamhussein, 2013). With that information handy, I've been able to design a PL plan that will be shared with my organization, and utilized during the upcoming begin of the year PL sessions. To begin my plan I first created a "call to action" video and backstory for why I believe PL should be done in a new way. Next, I created my outline plan to highlight how I will use each 5 key principles of effective PL to provide support for educators learning new ideas. The last thing I did is complete a final plan that details everything my organization will do doing our PL, which is a process that will be ongoing. My goal with this plan is to really hun in on how PL can and will be more effective with a new design.

5 Key Principles to Effective PL

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1. Significant & Ongoing

  • Should encompass more than just a one time workshop to allow for time to understand and implement new ideas through practice and coaching.

2. Support During Implementation

  • There must be support provided during the implementation stage; consider using a mentor or support person.

3. Engaging

  • Teach the teachers, as they are expected to teach their students. Participation should be engaging, collaborative and active.

4. Modeling

  •  Rather than telling Educators what to do, show them! Show the new concepts so they can be understood and adopted into practice.t

5. Specific to Discipline

  • The PL should be specific to their grade level or subject that they teach (ex. SPED, high school, etc.)

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Graphic: By Naima Bagot (via Canvas)

Professional Learning Call to Action

WHY?

Professional development has long since been delivered in a “Sit & Get'' format, where too often individuals find themselves leaving with no more information than what they came in with. Sessions are usually crammed into just a few days, filled with information, so much so that learners find themselves overloaded, with little to no follow-up on the strategies presented after the ‘developmental’ workshop. On a district level, it is not uncommon to see multiple contents placed within the same professional development course, despite the fact that much of the course material will be geared towards one core group. The outcome; a waste of time and money that could be allocated in other areas of teacher development. 

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Educators strive to provide engaging and collaborative lessons, yet much of the PD attended does not follow that framework. As a result, the professional development that consumes countless Educator hours, should not only enhance but replicate the learning practices that they themselves are being asked to utilize. Moreover, accountability has to be a key component to the developmental process; asking Educators to sit through hours of training, only to have them tackle the hardest task of implementation alone. Instead, professional development needs to be effective and meaningful, while also having levels of accountability that build up the skills being taught to the learner. As Gulamhussein (2013) outlines in the article Effective Professional Development in an Era of High Stakes Accountability, school leaders who are looking to provide meaningful learning experiences should follow five key principles. The goal of this alternative professional development is to enhance teacher training in a way that aligns with the goal of helping to grow learners.

WHAT?

HOW?

For this PD, we will utilize clear and specific presentation tools (such as the Canva and Google Slide presentations provided), collaborative break out sessions, and engaging application based activities that enhance the learning. Additionally, added support measures will be put into place in the form of professional learning communities to ensure that support goes beyond the initial PD session. 

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Effective PD Presentation: Download Here

Professional Learning Outline

Significant & Ongoing:The course follows a hybrid model with both online and in-person components. The course itself follows a 5 week schedule, to take place during the Fall semester. The initial 3 modules will be introduced during the beginning of the year in-person PL sessions, with the remaining components/ activities in the modules being completed asynchronous and reviewed during department PLC sessions with the support of the Digital Learning (DL) Masters. After the 5 week course, in-person refresher sessions will be available, as well as individual in-person or online meetings.

 

Support During Implementation: Throughout the course collaboration will take place consistently between instructors and learners. During the initial PD sessions, instructors will be hands-on, allowing for guided levels of support to be available. During weekly discussions and through the open discussion forum, learners will be able to interact with one another and the instructor. Beyond the PL, learners will have access to refresher courses, and content to help improve their ePortfolios, and support implementation. Content will be updated quarterly, designed around any issues, tips and resources. The course and its material will remain open for learners as long as they remain within the organization.

 

Engaging: Both during and after the course, learners will actively engaging in building out their ePortfolio. Each week's task will help with the build out and development process, requiring active participation and creativity.

 

Modeling: Every other week, in-person sessions will be held during Wednesday PLC to address the content presented in the online course.  Instructors will model activities from the modules in person and serve as added support where needed.

 

Specific: This course is designed for teachers, administrators, faculty and other staff who desire to create an ePortfolio to use within the secondary education setting. After creating their own eP, these individuals will be able to take the information back to their classrooms and departments to implement with their students.The course utilizes a Fink's 3 column table as its instructional design. The primary instructor serves as the Learning Specialist on campus and will use Digital Learning Masters for assistance.

 

Resources Needed:

  • Personal or school issued laptop for online & in-person sessions

  • Stable WiFi

  • Access to Canvas (LMS)

  • Innovation Plan and resources 

  • Alternative Professional Learning Resources 

  • Technology Support

  • Canvas Resources 

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Fostering Collaboration: My course plan includes weekly discussion boards to help foster consistent and on-going collaboration, as well as instructor interaction. Additionally, there will be both in-person and online meetings to  allow for continuous communication between classmates and the instructor.


Leaders: I will be the primary instructor of the course and will lead group discussions. Other Technology Specialists on campus will assist with mentoring and the implementation process upon the conclusion of the course.

Audience and their needs: The audience of the course will be secondary teachers who will serve as pilots for the ePortfolio implementation process. I have started with the Entrepreneurship Department, and will be moving on to core content teachers. Teachers will need materials such as laptops, and any previously created content to create their ePortfolios. Extra time for collaboration during the school day or PLC time.

COURSE TIMELINE:

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GETTING STARTED

  • Welcome & Introduction

  • Course Calendar

  • Online Resources

  • Zoom-Weekly Meetings

  • Introductions (Learners)

 

WEEK 1-The What & Why 

  • Intro Video

    • Call to action video & benefits of ePortfolios

      • Supplemental reading material will be provided along

                          with examples from different platforms

  • Lesson 1- Adding Pages (About Me)

  • Discussion 1: What is beneficial about an ePortfolio?

                         How is it beneficial to you in your role? 

  • Weekly Task- choose an eP platform 

    • Resource: short video that previews a few different platforms

 

WEEK 2- Taking Ownership

  • Intro Video 

    • Video about how using eP will increase ownership of learning

  • Lesson 2- The Ins & Outs of Blogging

  • Discussion-In what ways can you help your students take ownership of their learning through the use of ePortfolios?

  • Weekly Task- Publish your first blog entry on your ePortfolio (Topic of your choice!)

 

WEEK 3 - Feedforward

  • Intro Video 

    • Video, supporting resources

  • Lesson 3-Feedforward

  • Discussion - share eP with group + give feedforward to 2 different classmates

  • Weekly Task- share eP link as ‘assignment’ and receive video feedback from instructor 

 

WEEK 4- Building out Content

  • Intro Video 

    • Video lesson on creating versus adding content to ePs

  • Lesson 

    • What to add to your eP

  • Discussion-What content tells the story of your professional, academic or personal journey? How do those artifacts added to your ePortfolio assist your students?

  • Weekly Task

    • Upload the link to a piece of original content added to your ePortfolio

 

WEEK 5- Growth & Reflection

  • Intro Video 

    • Video, supporting resources

  • Lessons 

    • Content Creation-choosing artifacts that showcase growth & development over time

  • Discussion-How would you utilize your experience with developing an eP to better support your students?

  • Weekly Task 

    • Reflection/Self-evaluation of participation in course (like our contributions to learning) 

  • Weekly Task

    • Final submission of eP

 

Beyond the PD

  • Online Course will be introduced in the beginning of the year PD sessions and remain open for on-going communication and collaboration.

  • Refresher courses will take place in-person twice every other month for assistance with production or implementation of ePortfolios. 

    • Refresher courses will address challenges during implementation and differentiation of classroom practices.

  • Teachers may  sign up for one-on-one assistance with  instructors when needed.

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Professional Learning Plan (Session 1--> Modules 1 & 2)

For more information on the instructional design and functionality of the course check it out HERE

Need to view the Alternative PL Plan from above: Click HERE 

References

Gulamhussein, A. (2013).Teaching effective professional development in an era of high stakes accountability read the Report Center for Public Education. Academia.edu. Retrieved April 9, 2022, from https://www.academia.edu/28440314/Teaching_Effective_Professional_Development_in_an_Era_of_High_Stakes_Accountability_READ_THE_REPORT_Center_for_Public_Education

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