APPLIED DIGITAL LEARNING JOURNEY&BLOG
Innovate, Teach, Iterate
Alternate Professional Learning
The goal of Blended Learning, Meet Project Based Learning professional learning is to provide teachers with the time and support to effectively make changes in order to help students grow and develop their knowledge and ability to think critically. During the process of creating this PL, I have asked, how do teachers want to learn? The answer is simple, they want to learn how students want to learn. They want to be given choices, ownership, a voice, and authentic learning experiences. Teachers also want personalization instead of a one size model of PL that fits all. It is crucial to innovate both learning for students and teachers.
The bottom line is that if we want real change for student learning, it starts with how teachers are supported through training and the implementation phase in their classrooms. In order for my innovation project to be successful, teachers must have a good learning experience and time to successfully implement it. This professional learning will model and immerse teachers in the same experience that they want for their students.
A Call to Action-The Why
Professional learning can be daunting and ineffective for teachers. According to the article, Effective Professional Development in an Era of High Stakes Accountability, most professional development today is ineffective (Gulamhussein, 2013). It doesn’t have to be.
The purpose of this call to action is to inspire change in the way teachers learn which will have an impact on student learning. Let’s invest in our teachers. The return on investment is happy students and happy teachers who are committed to life- long learning.
"When ideas are communicated effectively, people follow and change". -Nancy Duarte
PL Outline
Before creating the professional learning plan, I created an outline focused on implementing the Blended Learning, Meet Project Based Learning professional learning for my campus. The 5 Principles of Effective Professional Development are included in the outline. These principles are used to ensure a successful implementation which will be the key to innovate and incorporate both blended learning and project based learning into classrooms.
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The goal is to support staff, who will in turn support students through this change.
If school districts want teachers to change instruction, the implementation stage must be included and supported more explicitly in professional development offerings, as this is the critical stage where teachers begin to commit to an instructional approach.
Blended Learning, Meet Project Based Learning PL Plan
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By actively engaging teachers into a blending learning environment that incorporates project based learning, teachers will deepen their knowledge and build confidence to implement these practices after the first module of learning. This plan models what the learning will look like in classrooms. Teachers will have a similar experience that their students have. They will also be supported along the way and engaged in a variety of approaches.