5.2 Professional Learning
Candidates develop and implement technology-based professional learning that aligns to state and national professional learning standards, integrates technology to support face-to-face and online components, models principles of adult learning, and promotes best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment. (PSC 5.2/ISTE 4b)
Artifact: One-Hour Technology Workshop
Reflection:
During the fall of 2015, I developed and implemented a one-hour technology based workshop for teachers for the ITEC 7460- Professional Learning and Technology Innovation course. After speaking with my administration, it was determined that there was a strong need for more training on blended learning with our teachers who are currently using 1:1 devices. I created a Canvas course on our LMS to house all of our materials and then met with the fifteen teachers for one hour for the training workshop in addition to informal meetings with teachers after the workshop to conference with them about how this might look in their classrooms with their students. My individual contribution for this artifact was to take the concept of online and blended learning and develop and facilitate a workshop that would be promote best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment for teachers who had the technology to implement this in their classrooms.
This artifact demonstrates my ability to develop and implement a technology-based professional learning experience. It outlines a workshop I developed and implemented that aligns to the state and national professional learning standards regarding online learning and professional learning. The standards met are outlined in the material of the workshop for the participants. I integrated technology through the use of devices and the LMS to support face-to-face and online components. The participants were asked to contribute to face-to-face discussions about the content they read online and then use the links and other online content provided to implement a more effective version of blended learning in their classrooms. By having the teachers experience a blended learning environment for the professional learning sessions, I was modeling principles of adult learning that they could also use with their students. The variation of methods and tailoring the session to the needs of the participants showed my ability to promote best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment.
In the completion of this artifact, I continued to learn through the designing and implementation of this workshop that even those teachers in your building who are innovative and strive to use more technology in their classroom need professional development opportunities. When I mentioned to the teachers that I would be conducting this workshop they seemed shocked and relieved because they typically are left to figure things out on their own and then share what they have learned with others. They enjoyed being able to sit back and be a participant in a workshop that directly impacted their classroom and instructional strategies they practice. If I were to recreate this workshop, I would send out a quick survey to the teachers beforehand to get a clearer feel for where they each stood individually in terms of the content before it was all planned so that I could ensure that everyone would walk away with some piece of new learning regardless of their level. While I had a general idea from informal conversations with many of the teachers what their current skill set was in regards to blended learning, having the results of a survey would be good documentation to justify my design.
This artifact impact faculty development as the teachers were able to experience professional learning that was tailored to their needs. Although there are currently only fifteen teachers that are truly using 1:1 devices in our school, the goal of the school and district is to increase this number dramatically next year. Before we begin asking teachers to use technology, and more specifically blended learning, it is important that we decide as a school what that means and how we think it should look in our classrooms. By working with this core group of teachers, a model will be developed and strengthened so that they can go out and continue spreading this change throughout the building. The impact of this artifact will be assessed through observations and conversations with teachers as the training on blended learning continues and the use of blended learning throughout the school as the 1:1 initiative grows.
During the fall of 2015, I developed and implemented a one-hour technology based workshop for teachers for the ITEC 7460- Professional Learning and Technology Innovation course. After speaking with my administration, it was determined that there was a strong need for more training on blended learning with our teachers who are currently using 1:1 devices. I created a Canvas course on our LMS to house all of our materials and then met with the fifteen teachers for one hour for the training workshop in addition to informal meetings with teachers after the workshop to conference with them about how this might look in their classrooms with their students. My individual contribution for this artifact was to take the concept of online and blended learning and develop and facilitate a workshop that would be promote best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment for teachers who had the technology to implement this in their classrooms.
This artifact demonstrates my ability to develop and implement a technology-based professional learning experience. It outlines a workshop I developed and implemented that aligns to the state and national professional learning standards regarding online learning and professional learning. The standards met are outlined in the material of the workshop for the participants. I integrated technology through the use of devices and the LMS to support face-to-face and online components. The participants were asked to contribute to face-to-face discussions about the content they read online and then use the links and other online content provided to implement a more effective version of blended learning in their classrooms. By having the teachers experience a blended learning environment for the professional learning sessions, I was modeling principles of adult learning that they could also use with their students. The variation of methods and tailoring the session to the needs of the participants showed my ability to promote best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment.
In the completion of this artifact, I continued to learn through the designing and implementation of this workshop that even those teachers in your building who are innovative and strive to use more technology in their classroom need professional development opportunities. When I mentioned to the teachers that I would be conducting this workshop they seemed shocked and relieved because they typically are left to figure things out on their own and then share what they have learned with others. They enjoyed being able to sit back and be a participant in a workshop that directly impacted their classroom and instructional strategies they practice. If I were to recreate this workshop, I would send out a quick survey to the teachers beforehand to get a clearer feel for where they each stood individually in terms of the content before it was all planned so that I could ensure that everyone would walk away with some piece of new learning regardless of their level. While I had a general idea from informal conversations with many of the teachers what their current skill set was in regards to blended learning, having the results of a survey would be good documentation to justify my design.
This artifact impact faculty development as the teachers were able to experience professional learning that was tailored to their needs. Although there are currently only fifteen teachers that are truly using 1:1 devices in our school, the goal of the school and district is to increase this number dramatically next year. Before we begin asking teachers to use technology, and more specifically blended learning, it is important that we decide as a school what that means and how we think it should look in our classrooms. By working with this core group of teachers, a model will be developed and strengthened so that they can go out and continue spreading this change throughout the building. The impact of this artifact will be assessed through observations and conversations with teachers as the training on blended learning continues and the use of blended learning throughout the school as the 1:1 initiative grows.