Angélica Padrón
ALTERNATIVE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
ALTERNATIVE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
Professional learning is a crucial element of the work of all educators throughout their entire careers. The education profession is grounded in a rich professional knowledge base, and education professionals must be well-versed in this knowledge base, as well. In addition, an understanding of the theory and research behind the knowledge base is crucial to guide the thousands of decisions educators make each day. And educators must engage in intentional practice to refine their skills and professional judgment.
Why does our educational system need to establish and develop meaningful learning environments?
My team and I have been synchronizing outcomes, evaluations, and activities to develop a new teaching strategy for innovative alternative Professional Learning sessions.
We intend to conduct professional development sessions by structuring the learning activities according to the five Principles of Professional Development: Duration, Support, Engagement, Modeling, and Content Specific. Learning activities serve as the means through which educators will accomplish their learning objectives; therefore, it is crucial to offer support and adhere to a well-structured timeline through effective modeling.
To establish effective professional development within my grade level, I want to provide our educators with a learner-centered active learning method called COVA. This method gives students "Choice, Ownership, and Voice through Authentic Learning" opportunities (Harapnuik, 2018).
The design of a professional learning course focused on the integration of significant learning environments(CSLE) through the implementation of Blended Learning ( a pedagogical approach that integrates in-person and digital learning activities to provide a cohesive and unified educational experience )into the curriculum is intended to empower teachers to foster a meaningful learning environment for their students. This approach is comprehensive, addressing skill development holistically. It equips educators with the necessary knowledge and abilities to transform the educational methodology into a more dynamic model that allows students to become co-creators of their projects, engaging actively in research activities.
Teachers must acquire the skills and knowledge required to successfully implement the strategies for integrating technology in the classroom to enhance student's learning experiences, making instruction training crucial.
INTEGRATING THE 5 KEY PRINCIPLES IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
According to Allison Gulamhussein (2013), innovative approaches must replace outdated professional development techniques to enhance student learning results. I have modified her five essential suggestions to fulfill the demands of my educational community and my professional learning needs to achieve this goal.
As part of a new alternative Professional Learning, my team and I have been integrating activities, evaluations, and outcomes to build a new teaching method, transforming the dynamic of the PL.
DURATION: Professional development should take place throughout several sessions. The longer duration increases practice chances and the likelihood of it occurring in a classroom.
The objective of PL is to allocate a minimum of fifty hours to planning, preparation, monitoring, and training before and during the academic year.
SUPPORT: Professional Development should offer follow-up and support. Support is a critical piece of the puzzle when implementing new classroom practices or content. Coaching and being available to provide feedback is essential during the first stages.
The Instructional Coach and Staff must assist by delivering resources, answering questions, and supervising implementation before, during, and after PL.
ENGAGEMENT: Professional development must actively engage participants when introducing new ideas. Adults, like students, require interactive, non-seat experiences.
Provide teachers access to resources tailored to their needs and ability levels to foster classroom dynamics, curiosity, and a love of learning new and improved teaching techniques.
MODELING: The classroom implementation strategies should be modeled in professional development sessions. Through modeling, a teacher can take on the role of a student and see the material from their point of view.
Throughout the designated PL duration, the teacher must receive multiple hours of modeling from the School District trainers and the instructional coach.
SPECIFIC CONTENT: Development ought to be grade-level or content-specific.Focusing on particular grade levels and subjects while providing time for peer engagement significantly impacts the classroom.
The primary training content must be broken down into each teacher's discipline and adapted to their teaching level, offering specialized instruction already validated in the classroom with the students.
FOSTER COLLABORATION
Prioritizing administrative workers before teachers is crucial for the successful implementation of a move to a digital ecosystem. The administrative team should be enthusiastic about this shift and recognize its potential benefits.
Instructors should receive information that fosters collaborative situations and allows for the experimental construction of digital ecosystems, ultimately benefiting instructors and students.
WHO WILL LEAD WHAT COMPONENTS?
Monitoring the data and objectives is the responsibility of the administrative Staff Principals and AP.
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Instructional coaches should assist teachers in guiding and monitoring project
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planning and execution.Planning, self-study, self-assessment, and implementation are the teacher's responsibilities.
AUDIENCE AND THEIR NEEDS
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Digital environments must be explained, along with their functions and effects on the community, to principals and APs to understand how they might boost data and help schools meet their goals.
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Depending on the grade and assignment level, instructional coaches must be knowledgeable about digital, teaching, and leadership tactics, as well as activities and support materials.
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Tutoring, modeling, year-round training with targeted curriculum, and resource access are all necessities for teachers.
BHAG Goal:
Implement blended learning, promote student-centered environments, update teaching strategies to enhance student learning, and help students and teachers adopt a growth mindset.
THREE COLUMN TABLE BHAG
PL OUTLINE
*The dates listed in the Outline are subject to change based on institution or school district events.
References
Fink, L. (2003). A Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for Significant Learning Designing Courses for Significant Learning.
https://www.bu.edu/sph/files/2014/03/www.deefinkandassociates.com_GuidetoCourseDesignAug05.pdf
Gulamhussein, A. (2013, September). Teaching the teachers: Effective professional development an era of high stakes accountability. Retrieved from The Center for Public Education website: https://www.dropbox.com/s/j13c5mk092kmqv9/Teaching_Effective_Professional_Developmt.pdf?dl=0
Harapnuik, D. (2016, June 13). Why you need a BHAG to design learning environments.
Harapnuik.org. https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=6414
Harapnuik, D. (2021, February 26). Aligning Outcomes, Activities & Assessments.
Harapnuik.org. https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=8732
McGraw-Hill PreK-12. (2016, April 5). How and why to integrate station rotation
in your classroom [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=oY5iXxqe_WU
McGraw-Hill PreK-12. (2016, April 19). Catlin Tucker talks about blendedlearning with station rotation [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J80MQd60UZc
National Education Association (2024) Teacher Professional Growth https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/professional-learning/teachers