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Planning the Alternative Professional Learning

Incorporating the 5 key principles of Effective PD

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Exposure: Just as students benefit from consistent feedback and varied learning opportunities, teachers will also receive continuous support. Not only will they have the chance to collaborate with other teachers, but each team will also have access to a technology lead and a curriculum coach. These experts provide exposure to the latest tools and resources, assisting with both technical and content-specific aspects. By having this targeted support, teachers will be better equipped to implement new strategies, which ultimately creates a culture of collaboration and sustained growth for both educators and students.

Duration: Ongoing professional development sessions are crucial for success because they provide continuous growth and sustained support. Unlike one-time workshops, which often lack follow-up, ongoing sessions allow teachers to apply, reflect, and refine what they’ve learned. This helps ensure that new strategies are not only introduced but also integrated into practice. With multiple opportunities for engagement over time, teachers can build on previous knowledge, ask questions, and receive feedback, leading to long-term improvements in their teaching. By offering ongoing learning, we create a supportive environment where teachers feel empowered and equipped to make lasting changes in their classrooms, ultimately benefiting student success.

Support: The support provided in our professional development model mirrors the support our students need to be successful and master content in the classroom. Just as students thrive when they receive consistent guidance and feedback, teachers will benefit from ongoing, collaborative support. In addition to learning alongside other teachers, each team will have access to a technology lead and a curriculum coach. These experts will assist with both the technical and content-specific aspects of teaching, ensuring that all educators have the tools and resources they need to succeed. This approach fosters a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, helping teachers feel supported and empowered to implement what they’ve learned in a meaningful way.

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Modeling: Helps teachers learn how to use technology in their classrooms by showing them how it works and why it’s helpful. When we model teachers see how to use technology in real lessons, which helps them feel more confident. It shows how technology fits into teaching goals and makes lessons better. Teachers learn how to use technology for things like personalizing lessons, making lessons fun, and tracking student progress. Teachers can ask questions, get support, and learn from each other. It helps teachers feel less worried about using new technology. In short, modeling helps teachers gain the skills they need to use technology in ways that help students learn more effectively.

Content:The curriculum you experience in professional development will be the same one you’ll use with your students in the classroom. This approach ensures that what you learn is directly applicable to your teaching. Real-world application: You’ll practice using the same materials and strategies you’ll implement with your students.Personalized learning: No one-size-fits-all professional development is tailored to show how you can adapt the curriculum to fit your students’ needs. Immediate impact: You can start using the tools and methods right away in your own classroom, making the transition smooth and effective. This connection helps you feel more confident and prepared to teach, knowing you're practicing with the same content that will be used in your classroom.

How will you foster collaboration?

  • Collaborative Planning Teams:

    • Teachers will work in grade-level teams to design and refine their tech-enhanced lessons. These teams will meet between sessions to plan lessons using tools introduced in the PD and share ideas, challenges, and successes.

    • Online collaboration (via Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, or another LMS) will continue beyond the face-to-face sessions, allowing teachers to share resources and troubleshoot together.

  • Peer Observations & Feedback:

    • After each session, teachers will be encouraged to observe each other’s lessons in person or virtually and provide constructive feedback on technology integration.

Who will lead what components?​​
  • Lead Facilitator
    • The primary facilitator will be responsible for leading all six sessions, ensuring alignment with 6th-grade Language Arts standards, and offering ongoing support throughout the year.
    • The lead will model the use of technology and facilitate reflection activities, troubleshooting, and feedback sessions.
  • Tech Integration Specialists:
    • These experts will lead specific workshops on digital tools, such as:
      • Google Docs & Google Slides for collaborative writing and assessment.
      • Schoology Discussion  for interactive reading and book discussions.
      • Schoology Assessment, Performance Matters & Kahoot for creating engaging, formative assessments.
  • Subject-Matter Experts (Experienced Language Arts Teachers):
    • These teachers will co-lead subject-specific workshops focused on how technology can enhance reading comprehension, literary analysis, creative writing, and vocabulary instruction in Language Arts.
  • Peer Leaders:
    • Experienced tech users in the group will act as mentors, offering additional support to teachers who need it and sharing best practices from their own classrooms.​
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Audience and Their Needs:

  • Audience:
    The PD is designed for 6th-grade Language Arts teachers across diverse experience levels with technology.

  • Needs:

    • Hands-on strategies for embedding technology into reading and writing instruction.

    • Support with differentiating assignments using tech tools to meet the varied needs of students (e.g., using audiobooks, offering grammar checkers, facilitating peer editing).

    • Ongoing feedback and coaching to build confidence in integrating technology effectively and without stress.

    • Collaborative opportunities to exchange ideas and resources.

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Instructional Design
The Three-Column Table is an instructional design tool that helps you clearly organize and map out your professional development sessions. It’s a helpful way to break down the objectives, teaching methods, and assessments for each session in a clear and actionable way. Here's a breakdown of how you can use the Three-Column Table for your year-long PD program for 6th-grade Language Arts teachers, focused on integrating technology into their teaching

Schedule/Timeline

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Types of Resoures Needed

  • Technology Tools:

    • Google Docs, Google Classroom, Padlet, Kahoot, Quizlet, Edpuzzle, Schoololgy, Performance Matters, 

  • Curriculum Guides:

    • Language Arts curriculum guides, with a focus on 6th-grade standards for reading, writing, and vocabulary.

  • Professional Readings:

    • Research articles, case studies, and resources on the benefits of technology in literacy instruction.

  • Facilitators and Coaches:

    • Each session will be facilitated by myself and include a variety of small groups and rotation led by other teachers, instructional coaches, and team tech leads and Language Arts experts to lead each session.

  • Online Platform:

    • Schoology will serve as the online platform to host resources, share lessons, and facilitate collaboration.

References

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