Setting Goals for Professional Learning

I tried something new this year in my school for professional learning goals. Instead of administering the "usual" professional learning survey, I decided to put the ownership of goal setting on the teachers' "plates".  My teachers set goals, and now I will help support, promote and document their achievements toward their goals. Part of being a leader/teacher is setting goals, getting feedback and figuring out how to continue growing professionally.  I'm anxious to see how this unfolds throughout the year.

I was recently asked by an administrator:  What do you think the differences are between an instructional coach and a leader?  Anyone want to guess my answer.... :)

In Response to Rafe's Visual: Building Student Relationships

A must watch...

https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion?language=en#t-6437

While reading Rafe's Module 3 post, it brought to mind this TedTalk by Rita Pierson. Ms. Pierson passed away in 2013.

I presented this TedTalk to a large group of teachers, some clapped, some cried, and many were speechless. Most of us sat in silent reflection.

Module 3: Leaders are Learners Too

This module asks for my thoughts on leadership. I'll start with WVPTS and ISTE because Standard #1 in both of these is the one that speaks the most to me: It may seem an odd choice to begin with because both standards deal with curriculum design and planning, but this is where leadership and pioneering new technology and learning strategies can and are modeled. My philosophy can be best explain using a standard 12 inch rule as a visual representation... to me the ruler looks like this...

 This is Not to imply that content knowledge is not important it is vitally important, but rather the idea that content knowledge is useless without the other two components. Leaders find ways to create learning opportunities that focus on student achievement by integrating technology and engaging lessons to me this speaks more to the qualities of leadership. The ISTE standard 3 speaks to modeling and I would agree that this was a very close second to the creativity and inspiration talked about in ISTE standard 1... because to me the ideas of inspiring students through well thought out and creative lessons and activities seek to engage the student beyond learning or mimicking to thinking and rethinking, even innovating something new. Piaget said, “The principle goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done....” which speaks to the shift from learning how to learn... to learning how to think. The Five Core Principles were a little harder to find the leadership ideology that suits my way of thinking, in fact I am always a little disappointed whenever I read these core principles because the principles are what every teacher should be doing. Number 5 says, "teachers are members of learning communities" doesn't really speak to leadership unless you add... teachers are always helping teachers be better teachers... teachers are always learning from other teachers... teachers can learn from students... If that's what they mean then yes #5 speaks to me about leadership.

Pathways (Ironic maybe... However, I teach in the Option Pathway Program) and there are many (see the previous use of the TEAM acronym) for teachers to choose when thoughts of leadership come to mind. The traditional role of school administrator is probably the one most talked about, yet many of those were leader teachers before they became the leader of the school... team leader, department chair, class sponsor, club sponsor...etc. Some teachers are even cultivated by current leaders to become a future leader or dare I say... replacement. This lay the foundation to answer the question: What does my leadership development program entail... if its generic or one size fits all (like what the system currently models) then it is by pure luck (the leader was already in the person) to produce good leaders. I think the leadership development must target the position: example Principal... elementary, middle, or secondary? rural, suburban, or urban? cultural diversity demographics, ethnicity, ESL? private or public? affluent or low SES?  The answers to these questions would drive the types of experiences and curriculum for future administrators. I would offer a book study as the first assignment to assess potential candidates; Please Read, Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner "Teaching as a Subversive Activity"  (complete pdf) lively debate should ensue. Of course, other positions would fall under a similar type of candidate selection... should the department chairperson simply be the teacher with the most seniority? highest degree? most popular? It should be the person determined to help all students achieve. 

My technology needs exist around something I have very little control over... internet reliability. I'm very fortunate in my position, we have 1 to 1 26" desktops, 1 to 1 iPads, Elmo document camera, 2-Elmo remote projection tablets, USB microscope eye piece, Mac Airbook, HP laptop,  Elmo projector w/ dvd player, 2 - 65" TVs, 1 - 32" TV, external speakers, Xbox 360, Wii, and dvd/vhs player. I am trying to access more online tools and resources.

Many innovative administrators are utilizing social media sites and tools as a way to engage the changing community, with virtual classrooms and telecommuting meetings can be more accessible. Because many social media websites are offered free there seems to be few reasons not to be using them to engage the community, it also offers a way for the school system to model positive uses of the social media networks.

While the program I work in is housed at the Harrison County ALC (Alternative Learning Center) it is not technically part of the ALC, but we still participate in the school's mission and initiatives. The ALC has a link on the HARCOBOE website: ALC, which provides information about the staff and programs offered as well as Parent resources located in school. The school also uses "LiveGrades" as a tool to communicate with students and parents.

Module 3: Brianna Jones

 ◦Where do the ISTE, NBPTS, and WVPTS "speak" to or promote teacher leadership, particularly leadership for technology integration?

ISTE, NBPTS, and WVPTS all promote teacher leadership for technology integration by using standards that teachers should follow in their classrooms.

ISTE is geared toward providing teachers, administrators, coaches, and etc. standards to help them become better leaders in the 21^st century. Right on the front page it says that the standards are helping “transform education with the guidance of the global standards for learning, teaching, and leasing in the digital age.” The website provides resources for teacher that can help them become leaders in the digital age.

NBPTS is national board certification standards for teachers that are national board certified. Teachers are aware of their students learning patterns and have multiple ways of teaching the same concept. They are leaders by collaborating with their fellow teachers and working together with the community. Teachers are finding new and creative ways to teach students today and that goes along with using technology. They are able to reflect on their lessons and make changes when needed.

WVPTS gives teachers standards that are using when being evaluated by the administration. These standards are what teachers should go by when reflecting on their teaching and finding new ways to engage their students in the classroom.  There are five different standards that are in the WVPTS. Standard 4A is the best example of teachers being digital leaders. The standard states that” the teacher engages in professional learning to critically examine his/her professional practice and to engage in a continuous cycle of self-improvement focused on how to learn, teacher and work in a global, digital society.”

◦There are typically three pathways to teacher leadership for practicing teachers: a pathway for teachers who leave their classrooms to move into formal administrative positions as school leaders, a pathway for teachers who remain in their classrooms to develop and share a deeper knowledge base about teaching with their students and colleagues, and a pathway that bridges the two previously mentioned paths, that is for teachers who spend part of their time in a classroom and part of their time taking on additional administrative and professional development responsibilities. If you were designing a program or professional development intended to prepare teacher leaders to take advantage of these multiple pathways, what would it look like? What learning experiences would you include?

I would have a professional development session that included past and present administrators. They would be the guest speakers and would talk to the teachers about their jobs and what they should be aware of when they are going into that pathway. The administrators would be able to work independently with an educator and enlighten them on various topics that they cover throughout their day on the job. The educators would be able to ask them questions and get some helpful tips and information on becoming an administrator and what to expect in the responsibility department.  Administrators would also talk, in depth, about the responsibilities of decision-making and how there are a lot of decisions that need to be made on the run. The topics that would be covered would also serve as an understanding as to what administrators go through throughout the course of a day, week, and year and this will allow teachers to understand just how tedious the job could be. The difference between being a classroom teacher and administrator can prove to be extremely different and those in the teaching profession may want to understand that before making that move.

◦Share at least one strategy you will use/are using to assess the technology needs of your context (how will you document needs, what kind of data will you use, etc.).

I think that the best way to actually see the needs of technology in our school is to take a survey like Amanda said. In order to see what our school needs when it comes to accessing technology what better way than to ask those that need to use it?  By having teachers in my building take a survey to see what needs to improve and what our school needs in the technology department. I take responsibility in my school for helping get teachers and students more resources and that includes technology. We have been working on getting more iPads or Macs, but the board is yet to approve them.

 

Digital Leadership:  Changing Paradigms for Changing Times (Chapters 5-6)

Chapter 5 Communication

Describe how leaders can harness the power of free resources to improve communication and ultimately improve their overall effectiveness and efficiency.

There are so many resources available to us and a lot of them are free. Our county has made an app for apple and android cell phones. This app is for students, parents, teachers, and community members. Once you have installed the app on your phone you are able to choose which schools you need to view. You can also choose more than one, which is great for parents that have kids at different schools. Each school is responsible for updating their school page and making sure that everything is on there for parents and everyone to view for that week. It has helped a lot of people become more involved with our school and our students. Our school also has a webpage online, which is ran by our technology teacher.  Our school also has several Facebook pages for different sports and clubs that are active in our school. By utilizing all of these free resources our leaders have the power to enlighten our parents, students, and community members on what is happening at our school.  On our school webpage each teacher has their own page as well and they must keep it updated throughout the school year. We include office hours and a phone number where a parent can always reach us. Implementing all of these resources has really helped everyone that is involved with our school. It is also improving participation in our school when it comes to parent volunteers and needing help for sporting events or anything academic.

Chapter 6 Public Relations

Describe your current position (workplace, student, etc…) and how social media efforts are used to promote transparency and engage stakeholders.

I am the library media specialist for Robert C. Byrd High School. I not only keep our library updated and get students and classes to utilize our wonderful collection, but I also am responsible for two laptop carts, an iPad cart, and a computer lab that is located in the library.  At RCB we have a news channel and it’s called Byrd’s Eye View. On this new channel our students are the reporters and report different types of news and events for our school. At the beginning of the year, I wanted to promote our library for our students to be able to come down and utilize all of the resources that it has to offer. There was a newsletter sent to the parents about our Back to School Bash, which had a tour of the library for parents and students. I also went on Byrd’s Eye View to show our students what our library has to offer. When I need to make an announcement I can send an email that gets forwarded to all of the staff in our building or I can put it on the School App page that everyone can see. Eventually, I would really like to create a blog for students and parents to view and post different events and new happenings that are going on in the library. Since this is my first year in the media center I am trying to get use to my new surroundings and work on getting more students to use the library more than they have before. I talk to teachers and students on what they would like to see. I would also like to create an online book club that way students and parents could join. Students and parents are busy when it comes to working and extracurricular activities. I think that if the book club were online then more people would be interested in participating.

Module 3 - Amanda Smith

1) Where do the ISTE, NBPTS, and WVPTS "speak" to or promote teacher leadership, particularly leadership for technology integration?

ISTE-
The ISTE standards require teachers to meet several leadership and technology geared standards. Some of which include design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments, promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility, and engage in professional growth and leadership.

NBPTS-
Out of the Five Core Propositions, the one that I think speaks more toward teacher leadership is number four, Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience. I think this because it goes on to say that "Striving to strengthen their teaching, accomplished teachers critically examine their practice, seek to expand their repertoire, deepen their knowledge, sharpen their judgment and adapt their teaching to new findings, ideas and theories". To me, this is an excellent idea of who a teacher leader is and what they do.

WVPTS-
I think the best  line that speaks on leadership is found in Standard 4: Professional Responsibilities for Self-Renewal. It states "The teacher is actively engaged in learning with colleagues in a way that models collaboration and collegiality to improve his/her practice, addressing questions and issues related to the school and student achievement". A good teacher leader should be working together and helping others as part of a group; not just their students, but their fellow teachers and administrators as well. And as a teacher leader, this is something they should WANT to do, not just something they do because it is required.



2) If you were designing a program or professional development intended to prepare teacher leaders to take advantage of these multiple pathways, what would it look like? What learning experiences would you include?

If I were designing a program for professional development for teacher leaders. I would take the "mix it up" approach, which engages teacher leaders in a variety of experiences to build necessary knowledge and skills. I agree that "one size fits few teacher leaders", and because of that, and the fact that there is more than one way to actually BE a leader, there should be more than just a lecture about how to be a teacher leader. I would follow the approach by 'using a variety of strategies to address the needs of teacher leaders' prior knowledge and experience, diverse learning styles, interests, areas of strength, needs, and levels of engagement'. I like the idea of teachers getting to choose which pathway they would like to follow, so in order for them to make that decision, they need to be informed and have an idea of what each pathway actually entails. I would use lecture/Q&A, hands on activities, mock lesson plans, as well as having veteran teacher leaders from all pathways making appearances, speaking, and answering questions. This would allow teachers a better hands-on learning experience. The better they are informed, the more likely they are to make a good decision based on how involved they want to be in teacher leadership.



3) Share at least one strategy you will use/are using to assess the technology needs of your context (how will you document needs, what kind of data will you use, etc.).

One strategy that I will definitely use to determine the technology needs for my department is to conduct interviews with some of the math department staff. Full time professors, as well as adjuncts. Sometimes, I feel adjuncts don't necessarily get all the tools and training and options that full time folks do. Thinking along this line, I could poll adjuncts to see where they stand on certain topics, for example, office space. There are a lot of adjuncts particular this semester and something there is no room in the inn. Another need that I can think off right away is simple more full time people to teach these new, ever growing math support classes.

Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms and Changing Times

Chapter 5 - Communication:

Describe how leaders can harness the power of free resources to improve communication and ultimately improve their overall effectiveness and efficiency.

The Internet offers many different social media that schools and teachers can use for free! I feel that if leaders really want to harness the power of these free tools to improve communication, they need to do a few things. First of all, they need to realize that they need to make a change. They need to have a nice mix of traditional communication as well as use of social media to have an effective two-way communication system with their stakeholders. Next, I think that they need to use more than just one social media. There are social media tools that complement one another and allow for more people to see the information. Twitter and Facebook are excellent examples of such tools. Lastly, but not necessarily the ONLY other thing leaders need to do, is to make sure to meet their stakeholders where they are. For example, if only half parents that you are trying to reach has a Facebook, then maybe try another type of social media in an attempt to reach more people. Never stop trying to better your ways of communication. Always keep thinking of new, faster, better ideas.

Chapter 6 - Public Relations:
Describe your current position and how social media efforts are used to promote transparency and engage stakeholders.

In my role of grad student, I use blogger a lot (and not just for this class). I have created several YouTube videos as well. In addition to being a graduate student, my current position is a graduate assistant here at FSU in the Math department. I teach a Math 1107 lecture class and two math 1007 support labs. Honestly, I don't use social media in any of the classes that I teach, and I never have. I do, however, use the discussion board on Blackboard. Currently my class is reading a book about personal finance, which includes information about debit and credit cards, personal health and car insurance, FICO credit score, paying bills on time, baking information, etc. After every two chapters, my students are required to create an original post discussing their thoughts and personal experiences. They are then required to comment on two other posts from their classmates. This is the first semester that I have done this assignment and so far, I am very pleased with the results. Students are really opening up and talking to each other, something that I don't see a lot of during class.

Worth Your Time to Read - What's on the Five Year Horizon for K-12 Schools?

http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2015-nmc-horizon-report-k12-EN.pdf

Which trends and technologies will drive educational change?

Module 3 - Laura Funk

1.  Where do the ISTE, NBPTS, and WVPTS "speak" to or promote teacher leadership, particularly leadership for technology integration?

This question has multiple ways of being answered, but for me, when looking into each page more closely, I began to notice how the web page and group kept linking “leaders” to specific areas.  For example, ISTE immediately offers options on their page to connect, advocate, lead, explore, search resources, and look specifically at the standards or learn more about them as an organization. 

They break down the standards for teachers, coaches and administrators.    One can look into their “leadership team” and other global collaborations.  Perhaps most engaging is the spot on the main page that links you to their “standards in action” where you can see how these technology standards are being successfully implemented.  Every page has an “about” section where they explain their purpose, but for me it is more engaging to see the standards activated and being utilized in productive ways. 

NBPTS focuses on advancing teachers into leadership paths and making them a part of the more “elite” in their schools.  The process of becoming a National Board certified teacher has been compared to me in the past as that of one seeking approval for one’s thesis in a Masters Program.  It is not easy or immediate.  It is a process worked on and built up over time and preparation.  For this group, I think the area they reference where it “speaks” to leadership more specifically is in the “spreading the NBCT expertise.”  They mention teachers taking up leadership roles in their schools and being more actively involved in the running of the school and content.  They mention “technological facility” as an overarching competency in their goals, so they advocate it with their teachers, but as more of a collective part of the whole. 

WVPTS site shares the what and why very well.  I was interested particularly in the “Why are the WVPTS important?” – this section does a nice job explaining the importance of aligning ones curriculum to the overarching goals of the WV standards.  It references the 21^st century teacher, not technology specifically, but in this modern teaching age it is implied that teachers integrate technology frequently to enhance instruction.  Links are also provided for additional research and resources, which will eventually link you up to technology integration strategies and methods.  I liked this page the best of them all because it is straight-forward, and all the relevant information is there.  The page is focused and simple and easy to maneuver, which I appreciate. 

2. There are typically three pathways to teacher leadership for practicing teachers: a pathway for teachers who leave their classrooms to move into formal administrative positions as school leaders, a pathway for teachers who remain in their classrooms to develop and share a deeper knowledge base about teaching with their students and colleagues, and a pathway that bridges the two previously mentioned paths, that is for teachers who spend part of their time in a classroom and part of their time taking on additional administrative and professional development responsibilities. If you were designing a program or professional development intended to prepare teacher leaders to take advantage of these multiple pathways, what would it look like? What learning experiences would you include?

I immediately began thinking on the same lines as Sean.  I would want teachers currently in those various pathways with firsthand experience to share their stories.  I rather think I would create an introductory video of each pathway, that could be shared with groups in the future considering which path would best suite them.  I think creating a film would make it much easier to share with groups instead of always bringing in those teachers when needed.  Perhaps one real body would do well to function as a question and answer portion towards the conclusion of the training day, but it would depend heavily on availability of everyone involved.  I think I would also have teachers currently working in those pathways posting to a public blog that is centered around giving teachers additional questions to think about before pursuing a pathway and also being a sound board for potential questions or concerns from my teachers considering their path.  I would also establish the new teacher with a mentor in the path of their choosing to help guide and inspire them along their journey.  The mentors would facilitate communication through email correspondence, phone calls, web-chats, or face-to-face meetings.  Whatever method of checking in and collaborating that the two involved decides is best suited for them and their needs.  The mentorship would last for one academic year.

The learning experiences would come from the firsthand experience teacher stories, the blog reflection posts and the other various resources shared on the blog intended as preparatory measures for my teachers in the course.  I think all of these methods along with the mentorship program would prepare a teacher sufficiently for their desired pathway. 

3.    Share at least one strategy you will use/are using to assess the technology needs of your context (how will you document needs, what kind of data will you use, etc.).

A survey is a concise way of gathering information based on what a group of participants feels proficient in or where they need more work and training.  A survey also helps you narrow down the focus of training topics and skill proficiencies.  I think it is always helpful to also survey after the integration has be completed to assess the level of comfort that is now placed on the participants.  Surveying before and after can give you a good range of growth of the participants and to gauge how meaningful and impactful the training or plan was in retrospect.   

Chapter 5 Communication

4. Describe how leaders can harness the power of free resources to improve communication and ultimately improve their overall effectiveness and efficiency.

Remind is an app used in communication between teachers and students, or administration and teachers – really between anyone.  Remind is a free messaging app platform where numbers remain confidential, and basic information is exchanged.  An example of the effectiveness of this tool is that my school is utilizing it as a means of communication throughout the school to inform teachers if a “lockdown” is in fact a drill or the real thing.  This helps the efficiency of the school immensely because it leaves no cause for speculation.  We are communicated the facts directly and can plan accordingly and remain calm.  Remind could also be used to inform the school of schedule adjustments, cancelations, meeting locations, etc.  If everyone opts to sign up it is an invaluable tool for efficiency and clarification. 

Group pages and profiles can be used to communicate functions in the school and encourage participation.  Facebook is a great tool because of the sheer mass of people active on it and twitter is very quick and to the point.  Many of these free services are functional and can be efficient, depending on the desired goal or outcome. 

Chapter 6 Public Relations

6. Describe your current position (workplace, student, etc…) and how social media efforts are used to promote transparency and engage stakeholders.

I work at South Middle School in Morgantown WV.  Our student population is constantly growing – we are bursting at the seams.  Every classroom is utilized during almost all periods of the day.  We have many teachers without classrooms, who must travel room-to-room all day to utilize other teacher’s classrooms during their planning periods. 

South Middle School has several informative pages on Facebook.  Primarily teams or clubs in the school utilize facebook groups as a means of communicating events, times and other pertinent information.  The cross-country team utilizes instagram to post student photos congratulating successes at various events throughout the season.   The basketball team is active on twitter in the same fashion.  Celebrating successes and communicating game information. 

As far as I am aware there is not one generic page for all South Middle specific information besides our actual school webpage.  I know teachers active on facebook that use it as an active source for communication, the exchanging of ideas and networking, though it is not a school-wide endeavor, just case-by-case involvement for those of us proactive in our use of social media.  I do think we could benefit from having facebook, twitter and instagram, but it really boils down to the question of who is going to manage the content.  It is a big job that would require constant monitoring.  Because of that I do not see it being unanimously used.