EDLD 5389 Assignment 3 Connecting and Communicating Your Ideas

EDLD 5389

Professional Learning Strategy

Week 5 Final Assignment

by

Adam Long

Lamar University

EDLD 5389 E01

Summer II 2020

Introduction

The “why” of the call to action I chose strikes directly at what I feel is the biggest challenge facing teachers on my campus and throughout the district I work in. In this pandemic a fundamental shift has been made from live classroom instruction to distance learning. The small district I work in was not quite prepared for this transition. Many teachers struggle with using the most basic aspects of a computer and feel overwhelmed having to learn so many new tools at once to effectively meet the needs of students. The district was already going through a great deal of transition with a current administration being terminated and an interim administration put in place due to a TEA investigation. This event was followed by the hiring of a new superintendent and the implementation of a reduction in force and closing of one of the elementary campuses. It had looked like the worst was behind the district when the pandemic hit. After attending a month-long series of professional development online classes implemented by the district I started to see a trend and realized what an effective professional learning plan should be focused on. Teachers needed more support in implementing the technology necessary to meet students' needs. It was not going to be enough to just introduce these new tools. Teachers needed recurring and ongoing support and practice in the implementation of the new tools required for effective distance learning to meet the needs of students.

Call to Action

My call to action tells the story of a district struggling to make the transition to distance learning during this pandemic. It focuses it’s story on the teachers crying out for help as they are introduced to new tools to face the challenge of meeting student needs in an online distance learning environment. This call to actions follows the story with a practical effective solution to support teachers in an ongoing year long plan that will build on itself by using teachers on campus that have experience and expertise with the new online teaching tools to support a group of other teachers. As teachers in that group become knowledgeable and reach a level of expertise they then can become another part of the support system and start modeling best practices to other teachers in need. This plan is guided by the 5 principles of effective professional learning presented by (Gulamhussein, 2013) in the Center for Public Education’s Teaching the Teachers Effective Professional Development in an Era of High Stakes Accountability.

https://longaj.wixsite.com/website/post/5389-call-to-action-presentation

Professional Learning Blueprint

My outline starts with the call to action. It then addresses a plan for developing teacher teams with an expert or coach that will model using the new tools teachers are learning. These teams will meet and plan each six weeks. As the school year progresses administrators will provide surveys looking for feedback from teachers and coaches on the effectiveness of the plan as well as learning progress of teachers in the new tools. This system is followed by a team of campus leaders assessing the effectiveness of the year’s plan and what to possibly improve for the next school year.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YCdaEjhR3fGQCR0y4BiKgZEiNKKcWmYPIh3v__OOXL4/edit?usp=sharing

Audience

The target audience of my professional learning plan are the teachers and teacher assistants on campus. They are in need of ongoing support and instruction and modeling of using new tools for online distance learning to meet the needs of their students.

Fostering Collaboration

Collaboration is fostered in this plan through the development of teacher teams with a teacher if that team acts as support in the role of a coach that models and guides teachers through using new tools for effective distance learning while they plan units, themes, and six weeks lessons. As teachers grow in their skills they can then become a coach and support for others in need on campus while still working with their team. I believe this will empower teachers and elevate confidence levels in their abilities to meet student needs.

Fostering Self-Directed Learning

Self directed learning is built into the fabric of this plan. It is unavoidable as teachers must sit down and plan their own lessons for their students after they have been in planning sessions with a team. Teachers will also have to use these tools as they teach their classes live online and perform necessary tasks in implementing lessons and class management in the LMS. As teachers navigate these duties they will identify areas they still need support and will fall back on the help of the team and its coach or mentor.

Professional Learning Instructors

The leaders of the professional learning plan are the identified campus experts that have experience with the LMS and external applications teachers will be using to plan and teach their online classes. These leaders will be the coaches for the teams and perform the modeling teachers need to learn the applications.

5 Key Principles of Effective Professional Learning

1. Ongoing support is provided to teachers through the implementation of teacher planning teams with a mentor as the coach in the professional learning plan. These teacher teams will plan throughout the school year together.

2. The teams and the mentors or coaches act as the support system in this plan. They are helping each other as they plan together through the school year.

3. Teachers exposure is active and not passive in that the teams of teachers are actively working together identifying applications to use and areas of need for support. They provide support for those areas of need while planning together as a team to develop lessons that best meet the needs of students in the community.

4. The team mentors act as coaches and model the use of various applications such as the LMS Schoology, and many other external tools the team finds necessary in their planning process.

5. The content of this professional learning plan is specific to the teachers of the campus. The teachers are learning to implement and navigate the LMS required by the district and necessary external tools and applications each team finds necessary in providing effective lessons for students.

Timeline

• August 2020 Call to Action

• August 2020 Administration Identifies campus tech coaches for each team. In many cases it is the existing team leader.

• Sept. 2020 Plan is presented to staff.

• Set. 8 2020, Teams hold meetings to plan for 1st six weeks

• Oct. 2, 2020 Teams hold meetings to plan for the 2nd six weeks.

• Nov. 13, 2020 Teams hold meetings to plan for the 3rd six weeks.

• Dec. 1, 2020 Administration distributes 1st survey to gauge effectiveness of plan.

• Jan. 4, 2021 Teams hold meetings and plan for the 4th six weeks.

• Feb. 2021 Second survey is distributed to campus by administrators.

• Mar. 1, 2021 Teams hold meetings to plan for 5th six weeks.

• Apr. 12, 2021 Teams meet and plan for 6th six weeks.

• May 1, 2021 Third survey is distributed to campus by administrators.

• May 12, 2021 Campus leaders develop assessment to gauge professional learning growth of teachers.

• May 26, 2021 Campus leaders review plan assessment results realize effectiveness and identify possible areas of improvement for implementing the plan next year.

Resources and Media

• Internet access

• District approved Laptops and devices

• Access to Classlink and district applications launchpad

• LMS Schoology - District required LMS

• Seesaw - https://web.seesaw.me/ - Campus required distance learning app

• Google Tools Including slides, docs, sheets, drive - previously used by the campus only now expanded to be implemented with LMS.

• Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/ - identified by campus as an effective tool for distance learning. Teachers create videos on their own channel for use in LMS.

• Safe youtube - https://safeyoutube.net/ - Identified by campus as a safe way to provide video content from youtube in LMS.

• Iframe generator - https://www.iframe-generator.com/ - free online tool for creating html language to embed materials into LMS. Specifically used to embed student seesaw login into LMS.

• Flipgrid - https://info.flipgrid.com/ - Identified as an effective way to build relationships and interact with students in a distance learning environment.

• Bitmoji - https://www.bitmoji.com/ - Identified by campus as an essential part of building virtual classrooms using google slides and LMS.

• CPE’s Teaching The Teachers Effective - Professional Development in an Era of High Stakes Accountability by Allison GulamHHussein

• 7 Simple Ways to Set Up Your Course With an LMS - https://www.schoology.com/blog/7-simple-ways-set-up-your-courses-with-an-lms - Supportive documentation for reference.

• Getting Started in Schoology for Instructors - https://support.schoology.com/hc/en-us/articles/206621517-Getting-Started-on-Schoology-For-Instructors - Supportive guide for reference.

Summary

The overall goals for this plan are to increase student achievement in the distance learning environment through supporting teacher professional growth in a plan that is ongoing, supportive, and engaging through modeling and collaboration of specific content meaningful and necessary to teacher effectiveness. To foster a stronger culture on campus. Finally, meet the needs of students and the community.

References

Gulamhussein, A. (2013) Teaching The Teachers: Effective Professional Development in an Era of High Stakes Accountability. CPE. Retrieved from. https://www.dropbox.com/s/j13c5mk092kmqv9/Teaching_Effective_Professional_Developmt.pdf?dl=0