Professional Learning

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ON THE BLOG

5 Principles of Effective PL Infographic

What is

Professional Learning?

Professional learning is what professionals do, particularly educators, to learn more about their field in order to succeed and meet goals.

Professional learning is not just a new term for professional development as some people may say. Can you use these terms interchangeably? You can, but professional learning recognizes that teachers are learning and growing just like their students. The term development indicates a process that has an end point because after the session, the teacher is "developed." Professional learning, on the other hand, recognizes that professional growth is a never-ending, lifelong process in which educators are constantly improving through a constructivist perspective that involves application and reflection.

Learning never ends. Educators tell their students that often, but it is also true for them as educational professionals. Professional learning needs to be about the learning, just like it should be for students in the classroom.

To learn more about professional learning, please see the following resources.

Promoting Alternative Professional Learning

THE WHY – Professional learning changes student learning, so more effective professional learning leads to more student achievement. My “why” (Sinek, 2009) is always my students and children in general. I want to make a difference in the present and future by instilling a love of learning. I can widen the students I reach by reaching the teachers through “go and show” professional learning. If we can change teachers to change students to meet the needs of the twenty-first century, our future will be bright. Many teachers, including those in my district, are currently working with a “sit and get” model of professional learning that does not effectively change behavior and increase student achievement (Harapnuik, 2018). I have been part of successful professional learning through Discovery Education Digital Ambassadors, and I want to bring that effective framework to more teachers. My presentation on professional learning is the first step in this change.

Tap the gas pedal…take the linked survey to evaluate where we are and where we would like to be. Don’t worry, we’re all on the road together.

Professional Learning Feedback Survey Im

THE WHAT - “Professional Learning: Teaching the Teachers of 21st Century Learners” is a dynamic and interactive presentation to convince the administration of my district that teachers need an alternative method of professional learning. The presentation itself has two variations – a Prezi or video. My administration would require an in-person presentation to make changes to the professional learning system, so I created a Prezi that I would present to them in real-time. I also created a video of the presentation so anyone that was unable to attend the meeting would be able to grasp the main ideas. The video goes through the Prezi with a voiceover using Screencastify. Viewers will hear my voice explain the ideas, just as they would if they were there for the presentation. I have also included the video transcript so viewers can read while they watch, if needed or desired. Additionally, I have included a link to a feedback survey regarding the professional development that we currently have. School employees of all titles will take this survey as the first step in the right direction to new professional learning.

PREZI PRESENTATION

VIDEO PRESENTATION

VIDEO SCRIPT

THE HOW – The process of creating this professional learning presentation was extensive. I first looked into SlideDeck. The program looked like a great way to design and share presentations. After trying to install the plug-in, I realized that SlideDeck only works with WordPress, but I use Wix for my ePortfolio. I was then on a mission to find another program that aides in the creation of dynamic presentations. Prezi was my next stop.

Over the course of several days, I built a Prezi that first focuses on telling a story (Duarte, 2013). Once I figured out my story to connect with the audience, I then started working through my message in a way that was efficient, clear, and made an impact (Duarte, 2013). Each point in the presentation has minimal text, as the goal is not to be reading from a slide. I worked on “presentation zen” and chose powerful graphics that would help emphasize my points with the goal of designing instead of decorating (Gonzalez, 2013). All of my graphics were found within the Prezi platform or Bitmoji. Once I completed the visual component of the presentation, I was ready to add audio. When I clicked to add a voiceover in Prezi, I was presented with a problem – that feature costs money. Instead of paying $84 to add audio to this presentation, I began to look at other options. I considered doing a screen recording and then adding voice clips in iMovie and uploading to YouTube, but I knew that would require lengthy editing as I have done something similar previously. Then, I decided to look into Screencastify that I’ve heard so much about. It can record the screen and audio at the same time, so it seemed like a perfect solution. I downloaded the Google Chrome extension, adjusted the settings to meet my needs, and started recording. Upon completion, the video uploaded to my Google Drive. In the end, I had a Prezi and a video to share with my audience.

References

Duarte, N. [Stanford Graduate School of Business]. (2013a, March 21). Nancy Duarte: How to tell a story [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JrRQ1oQWQk

Duarte, N. [Stanford Graduate School of Business]. (2013b, February 19). Nancy Duarte: How to create better visual presentations [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so9EJoQJc-0

Gonzalez, J. [Cult of Pedagogy]. (2013, September 16). How presentation zen fixed my bad PowerPoints [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=vkrl1j0IW-c

Harapnuik, D. (2018, March 7). EDLD 5388 module 2 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X57MQ0y7T_s

Sinek, S. [TEDx Talks]. (2009, September 28). Start with why: How great leaders inspire action [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA&t=164s

Credit: Prezi, Screencastify, Google Chrome, Google Drive, Wix, Bitmoji

IN

PROGRESS

Professional Learning Plan: Ditch the Basement Box

EXPLANATION OF PLANS

Ditch the Basement Box is an ePortfolio innovation plan that empowers learners in grades 4-12 (and beyond) to take ownership of their learning as they reflect, connect, and learn through the use of ePortfolios. I would like to share this professional learning opportunity with the administration and teachers of FRSD. At FRSD, we have the opportunity to use our recently acquired Chromebooks and iPads to transform our teaching and learning. The use of ePortfolios (electronic portfolios) gives students the opportunity to take ownership of their learning and teachers the guidance to use the technology with a focus on learning. The ePortfolios will connect students, teachers, administration, and families throughout the district and beyond. Through ePortfolios, FRSD will empower learners to reflect, connect, and learn.

In our current professional learning system at FRSD, only administrators and outside companies present to teachers. Teachers are given a menu to choose from and select what sessions they would like to attend on scheduled days, needing to total at least twenty-eight hours. These sessions are typically a once and done, “sit and get” presentation, although some options are online or take several weeks over the summer. I would like to change this by offering to lead professional learning as a teacher, to teachers. My PL course would be put on the menu for teachers, and being a leader of PL would count as my needed hours for the year. Teachers that sign up for my PL course would receive their twenty-eight hours as needed, but their commitment would be more time consuming because coaching days will occur between the scheduled sessions. On coaching days, I, as the PL Facilitator, would be given a substitute in my classroom so that I can enter the classrooms of the teachers of my PL. The goal is to create a learning environment that follows standards and is based on the effective principles of PL.

The ePortfolio has numerous benefits for students, and my goal is to have as many students as possible using technology to create authentic displays of their learning. Starting with fourth grade, the ePortfolio could be carried by the student through high school graduation. Across the district, the goals at each grade level would be:

Elementary School (grades K-3): Practice self-reflection and making connections to learning. Save or take pictures of several student work samples.
Elementary School (grades 4-5): Develop an ePortfolio using Google Sites. Post to the ePortfolio regularly (at least after each major unit of study to give students practice). Connect teachers, classmates, families. Panther Power is used for ePortfolio development a minimum of once per week. Encourage development at home. The ePortfolio can be used to assess content mastery.
Middle School (grades 6-8): Continue ePortfolio development. Post to the ePortfolio regularly (at least weekly would be ideal for practice). Connect teachers, classmates, families. Study hall is used for ePortfolio development a minimum of twice per week. Encourage development at home. The ePortfolio can be used to monitor student progress for admittance into courses (acts as a prerequisite) and for content mastery.
High School (grades 9-12): Continue ePortfolio development. Post to the ePortfolio regularly. Connect teachers, classmates, families. Study hall is used for ePortfolio development a minimum of twice per week. Encourage development at home. The ePortfolio can be used to monitor student progress for admittance into courses (acts as a prerequisite) and for content mastery. The ePortfolio is shared with colleges as part of the application/interview process and acts as a high school graduation project.

In order for the ePortfolio implementation to be successful, teachers must receive proper training that includes collaboration, modeling, and application. This must be done over a period of time to allow for deeper learning, and must be provided in a way that is relevant to their grade level and content. Over the course of the one year professional learning course, teachers will become familiar with ePortfolios and their possibilities, create their own ePortfolios, and learn how to use ePortfolios as a tool with their students to assist students in creating their own ePortfolios. Classroom implementation has already begun in the PL Facilitator’s classroom and will continue in this fourth grade classroom as well as in the classrooms of the teachers that register for the ePortfolio PL course. The ePortfolios will be online and shared with parents and other community members at a televised board meeting.

hyperlinks in outline

EFFECTIVE PRINCIPLES OF PL FOR DtBB Throughout the Phases

(Gulamhussein, 2013)

DURATION

Ditch the Basement Box PL is a series of 6 sessions that span across 8 months (1 school year) for a total of 28 hours. Between these 6 sessions, teachers participate in coaching with the PL Facilitator 1 time per month for 8 months. Throughout the entire school year, not including implementation/application without the PL Facilitator present, teachers will participate in approximately 50 hours of professional learning.

SUPPORT

This will be a long and challenging journey, but I will be there as the PL Facilitator for all participants, whether it is a scheduled PL day or not. Teachers can call, email, or come down the hall at any time. My students can also offer support, as we can travel as a class to help a teacher and students with a task. The main component of support is the coaching days which will occur once per month, and participants will also be part of a Google Classroom where they can support each other and collaborate.

ENGAGEMENT

Teachers will be creating their own ePortfolios and then applying their knowledge from that experience as well as the PL sessions and coaching days to assist their students in creating ePortfolios. The PL sessions will be heavily based on collaboration, and teachers will be encouraged to take risks and fail forward.

MODELING

Sharing my ePortfolio and my students’ ePortfolios will show participants what the possibilities are and what success could look like. Additionally, as teachers create their ePortfolios, they will be asked to share them with each other. As teachers have students create their ePortfolios, they will be asked to share student examples as well. Modeling is meant to show the teachers what could be, not what must be. It should not create pressure or added stress, as this is a learning process.

SPECIFIC CONTENT

Content will be tailored to the participants of the PL course based on grade level and content. The specifics of this will be determined upon seeing which teachers register for the course. Coaching will be even more specific, as teachers will have the opportunity to tell the PL Facilitator what exactly they would like to achieve or would like support in on coaching days.

Google Classroom for Teachers

LOGISTICS

Session 1 – ePortfolio Intro
Session 2 – ePortfolios and COVA
Session 3 – ePortfolios and CSLE
Session 4 – ePortfolios and Blended Learning
Session 5 – ePortfolios and Growth Mindset
Session 6 – ePortfolio Review and Celebration

Audience - Teachers that sign up from the district menu. No prior technology experience is required.

Collaboration - Teachers will work together during PL sessions through a variety of discussions and activities. Teachers can also use the Google Classroom to ask questions and communicate ideas.

Self-Directed Learning - All PL session materials will be available on the Google Classroom in advance so teachers can look ahead as they desire and as applicable during coaching.

Modeling - I, the PL Facilitator, will share my ePortfolio and student ePortfolios. As teachers continue to grow, they can serve as models for their colleagues.