Steps to highly effective next generation

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Eight Steps to Highly Effective ‘Next Generation’

Professional Development for Learning and Technology

The chart on the following pages includes:

A range of effective professional development strategies commonly used in K-12 schools

‘Next generation’ professional development that results from intelligently combining these strategies with 21st century technologies

The potential of each ‘next generation’ strategy for preparing educators to advance student learning through technology

Combined with 21st century thinking and contemporary technologies, this range of strategies for professional development can be used to enhance the growth of teachers and administrators in all aspects of teaching and learning

Who has a role to play?

Transforming the Strategy into

‘Next Generation’

How can technology be used to support and

enhance this strategy?

Strategy’s Impact on Effective Uses of Technology by Teachers

How does the strategy support

technology-based teaching and learning?

Action Research Educators conduct semi-formal studies with their classes to collect baseline

data, track the impact of innovations on students, and report results

Technology can play a major role in the collection, analysis, and reporting of data It can also support the collaborative processes that characterize action research

The practice of using technology in teaching and learning is relatively new Action research can make the impact of effective technology use relevant as it increases a teacher’s knowledge base Teachers learn to speak authoritatively about what is happening in their own classrooms based on the data they collect

Examining

Student Work

Together

Small groups of teachers look carefully

at student products, identifying content knowledge, analyzing the work in the context of standards, developing and improving rubrics, and gaining common understandings of desired student outcomes

The Internet offers many resources for teachers on standards and rubrics Videoconferencing can bring in an outside expert

or foster collaboration over time and distance Online discussion boards provide a means of supporting individual teachers in their efforts to apply what they learn

Some of the student work examined may be based or contain technology elements This provides opportunities for teacher dialogue and reflection about effective and appropriate uses of technology

technology-Immersion Teachers are placed in an extended, intensive experience where they are

immersed in content and skill development Internships, temporary jobs, and six-week workshops are just a few examples

The actual immersion experience may be technology-rich, providing teachers with valuable field experiences (e.g., in well-equipped laboratories or with engineering or publishing technologies) Follow-up communication through e-mail and discussion boards can extend these experiences and assist teachers in applying newly learned skills to their classroom practice

The intensity of immersion provides opportunities for developing and honing technology skills in an authentic environment Field experiences provide teachers with insights into practical applications of digital age thinking and

technology tools within academic disciplines

Individualized

Learning

Using school improvement goals and student learning data, individualized learning allows teachers to personalize their professional development activities

to meet their own needs, schedules, and interests

Technology use in individualized learning can extend beyond merely enrolling teachers in online workshops E-mail and discussion groups provide forums for mentoring and collegial dialogue The Internet offers access to research and best practices, new teaching strategies, and curriculum development and delivery Video and audio conferences can link teachers to distant experts and colleagues, allowing them

to meet their self-identified learning needs

Not only are many teachers seeking to develop their own technology proficiency, they are looking for opportunities to develop their students’ proficiency in this area as well One way to accomplish this is for teachers to incorporate technology into their individualized learning goals, applying technology and digital age thinking to their classroom practice

Mentoring Teachers receive special support from a colleague who has particular expertise

to share This usually occurs over time and with direct application to classroom activities

Both synchronous and asynchronous communication can extend conventional, face-to-face mentor/teacher dialogue

Electronic journaling and e-mail can support reflective practice between mentoring sessions and, in some cases, replace face-to-face sessions

Teachers often have technology skills but need assistance with integrating them into classroom practice A mentor can help Technology is one area in which younger teachers (or even students) are often seen mentoring their veteran colleagues

STRATEGY: What are the key components

of this strategy?

Who has a role to play?

‘Next Generation’

How can technology be used to support and

enhance this strategy?

Uses of Technology by Teachers

How does the strategy support

technology-based teaching and learning?

Networking Professionals with common interests and concerns actively seek out each

other’s company to share insights and seek new solutions to problems of practice Local interest groups and professional organizations offer opportunities for networking beyond the school walls

Technology allows networks to expand to state, national, and global levels Collaborative communications technologies (e- mail, Web sites with discussion forums, video

teleconferencing, etc.) allow for more convenient and frequent communications within the network

The keys to effective technology professional development are the establishment and ongoing evaluation of new practices Networks can support this process, even for those teachers in remote locations

Peer Coaching The goal of peer coaching is to provide school-based support for teachers as

they begin to implement skills and strategies learned in training

Audio and visual technologies, in particular, can facilitate the frequent observations at the heart of peer coaching

Communications technologies enable ongoing conversation and feedback

Peer coaching was designed to support complex teaching behaviors, including the new instructional practices required for powerful use of technology

Reflective

Practice

Reflective practice is actually a variety

of practices involving contemplation of one’s own teaching and learning, as well as the teaching and learning of others

Technology can support reflective practice in ways that vary from the mundane to the complex, from document processing

to sophisticated “mental mapping” tools such as Inspiration™

Reflections can be shared through e-mail, discussion boards, videoconferencing, and more

Reflection is critical for achieving proficiency in new classroom practices associated with effective uses of technology It helps teachers focus on what is actually happening in their classrooms and how that aligns with school improvement goals

Study Groups Groups of teachers are organized around a common interest—usually

improving student learning

Asynchronous collaboration tools (e-mail, discussion boards, and listservs) allow for broader involvement in what can be a time-consuming process Many of these tools also

automatically archive, enabling group members to share their efforts with others

Study groups are a good way to continually investigate the latest research and best practices related to the use of technology in teaching and learning The professional collegiality and common understandings that come out of study groups make it easier for teachers to identify and initiate new instructional practices

Train the Trainer Train the Trainer creates teacher trainers who serve as resources for

others in their schools and districts

Collaborative technologies (audio and video conferencing, mail, discussion forums, etc.) can keep novices and master trainers in contact This helps participants avoid the most common problem associated with Train the Trainer models - the isolation of the novice trainer

e-Train the e-Trainer works best for the transmission of simple skills related to new technologies In situations where the expertise of skilled staff developers is tapped, the complexities of effective uses in curriculum, instruction, and assessment can be addressed successfully

Workshops Workshops are traditionally face-to-face sessions lasting a few hours or a few

days They are generally focused on the transfer of specific knowledge or skills

E-mail and discussion boards extend the workshop experience and provide a means for follow-up

Videoconferencing can bring in outside expertise for a portion

of the workshop Online workshops allow individuals or small groups of teachers to “attend” workshops not available locally

Workshops can help teachers learn basic technology skills When combined with follow-up sessions, mentoring, or peer coaching, they provide a powerful tool for effective technology use in teaching and learning

Action Research:

Emily Calhoun describes action research as “…a

fancy way of saying let’s study what’s happening at

our school (in my class) and decide how to make it a

better place” (Calhoun, 1994, p.1)

Mary Nicolini, an Indian Writing Project leader, says,

“Action research involves turning a puzzlement into a

question to explore.”

In action research, we begin by investigating a

“wondering” rather than testing a hypothesis This

investigation may be done: by individual educators, in

small groups, or by the entire school faculty The

team approach is often referred to as collaborative

inquiry

There are a variety of action research/inquiry models,

but all agree that it involves a recursive cycle rather

than a linear sequence The steps in this cycle

include identifying a problem or issue to investigate,

formulating a research question, developing a plan

(which often includes an intervention), collecting

data, analyzing and interpreting the data, and

drawing conclusions that lead to the development of

an action plan Data collection and analysis are

integral to every stage of this process In fact, data

collected and analyzed throughout may help

investigators modify their interventions, pose new

questions, and collect additional data

Reflection and dialogue with colleagues are also

important in action research This is reflective

practice in action; it connects professional

Why use action research?

According to NCREL, “Action research has the potential to generate genuine and sustained improvements in schools.” It allows educators to reflect on and assess their teaching, to explore and test new ideas, methods, and materials, and to determine the effectiveness of each new approach Action research keeps teachers focused on student learning, as well as on instructional practice, materials, and resources from the perspective of their impact on student performance Collaborative action research, whether in small groups or as whole faculty inquiry, facilitates deep professional dialogue and a sense of direction and purpose This reflects truly learner-centered professional development in which the educator designs and takes responsibility for his/her own learning As a result, educators change their practices and beliefs according to data and student learning results

Action research works when…

Teachers are focused on improved student learning Teachers have specific concerns and questions about their own classroom practice and student learning

Participants take time for reflection Teacher-researchers have the support of a “critical friend” or are part of a study group, collaborative inquiry group, or a whole-faculty research effort The culture of the school supports collegiality, experimentation, and professional growth

Technology and action research:

Action research is an effective strategy for investigating the impact of technology use on student learning, as well as for linking professional development to student learning Through the use of collaboration tools such as discussion forums, e-mail, and Blackboard.com, teacher-researchers can develop collegial networks and link

to experts in action research In addition, a variety of software tools assist in the collection, analysis, and synthesis of data Researchers can share what they learn

The principal and faculty of Thomas Jefferson Middle School decided to implement a school-wide

action research inquiry as a strategy for addressing and evaluating the attainment of their goal:

increased student performance in reading and writing

The principal used spreadsheets and graphs to organize student test scores from ISTEP,

TerraNova, and NWEA so that faculty could identify specific areas for improvement at each grade

level Faculty members then met in small groups to identify the specific problems that students were

having with reading and writing Using standardized test scores and teachers’ classroom

assessment data, they identified comprehension as the school’s main reading problem Identifying a

specific problem for writing proved to be more difficult, since fall 6th and 8th grade ISTEP scores were

the only measure of students’ writing performance Faculty members decided instead to focus on

two related aspects of reading and writing: 1) improving students’ ability to understand what they

read and 2) improving students’ ability to express and organize ideas in writing

Together, they investigated possible interventions and selected the 6+1 Traits of Writing and Traits

of Effective Readers from the Northwest Regional Educational Lab’s (NWREL) Website A

school-wide writing assessment was administered to collect baseline data Teachers also used the Effective

Readers scoring guide to gather baseline data of students’ reading performance

Three teachers who were familiar with the NWREL programs served as grade level mentors The

computer resource teacher and two other colleagues who were familiar with technology teamed with

the writing mentors to coach teachers in the use of technology to support student learning in reading

and writing Inspiration software was used to help students organize their ideas, identify main ideas,

and connect supporting details The Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word was used to facilitate

peer editing Students used an electronic “Learning Journal” to set goals, develop individual learning

plans, reflect, and add documents or projects as evidence of goal attainment Teachers met

regularly in grade level groups to review student work, to share observations and strategies, to

reflect on instructional practices, and to coach one another Throughout the year, they kept

anecdotal records, reviewed student journals and portfolios, and kept a teaching and learning

journal to document their own instructional practices and observations Near the end of each grading

period, teachers analyzed students’ classroom performance data using the two scoring guides

In May, a school-wide post-assessment writing sample and reading inventory were administered

The principal arranged for release time so that grade level teams could review and analyze data,

draw conclusions, and plan next steps for the following year Each team’s focused, collaborative

efforts had already helped the school make strides toward its improvement goals, and the faculty

was looking forward to another year of progress using action research

Hints for successful action research:

Clearly identify and articulate the problem or issue

Use data to confirm the problem or clarify the issue

Select problems or issues that have

a high probability of impacting student learning

Formulate the research question carefully and allow it to drive the inquiry process

Continue to reflect, analyze data, and revisit the research question

Links and Resources:

Action Research: Creating Communities

of Inquiry, Discovery, Learning The Center of Excellence, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN:

http://crlt.indiana.edu/cee_archive/actre search/title.html

Calhoun, Emily F.; How to Use Action Research in the self Renewing School;

ASCD; 1994

NCREL: Pathways to School Improvement: Action Research:

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/e nvrnmnt/drugfree/sa3act.htm

Examining Student Work Together:

Examining student work collaboratively is a powerful

strategy for professional development, as well as an

effective way to gather data about student learning

In this strategy, a team that may include teachers,

administrators, and/or specialists meets regularly to

examine and discuss student work Several different

protocols (structured procedures) have been

developed for examining and discussing student

work The Tuning Protocol (developed for the

Coalition of Essential Schools) and the Collaborative

Assessment Conference (developed at Harvard’s

Project Zero) are well-defined and proven protocols

that can be found online and in current literature A

team selects the most appropriate protocol for

addressing their purpose and questions about

student learning when they examine student work

Although structured protocols may seem stilted and

difficult to follow at first, it is important to follow the

selected protocol carefully They are designed to

keep observations and comments objective—focused

on students’ work rather than veering off-track with

conversations about personalities, behaviors, and

perceptions The protocols also ensure that the

team’s original purpose and questions are

addressed Thus, dialogue becomes richer and more

insightful It may be helpful to appoint one group

member as the leader to ensure that a selected

protocol is followed and to keep the discussion

focused on student work

Why examine student work together?

Examining student work together helps teachers, administrators, and specialists develop a common understanding of standards and expectations for student work When teams of educators examine and discuss student work, the team generates more ideas for effective instructional strategies and resources than any teacher can when working alone The team’s analysis of student work provides data for measuring progress toward individual and school-wide learning goals, as well as for identifying effective instructional practices Collaboration around student work fosters collegiality and builds a learning community When teams meet during staff meeting times, prep periods, or during short blocks of release time using rotating substitutes, professional learning is embedded into the daily lives of teachers and administrators

Examining student work together works when…

There are common goals for student learning There is a need for collaborative problem solving There is a range of experience and expertise among teachers There is time during the school day for collaboration

There is a sense of trust and collegiality among teachers

Technology and student work:

When educators examine technology-based student work, they can investigate how technology impacts student learning and identify ways that new technology tools might add value to teaching and learning New technology tools such as Yahoo Groups or Blackboard.com can provide anytime, anywhere collaboration around student work Videoconferences can connect classroom teachers, pre-service teachers and university professors, or experts from business, industry, and the arts

to examine and discuss student portfolios or videotaped demonstrations and performances

Every 3-4 weeks, a team of Valley Creek Middle School teachers meets during a prep period to

examine and discuss student work Prior to the meeting described below, team members identified

writing skills in the content areas as a learning goal for the school year

This session beings with the selection of a discussion facilitator who will make sure that the protocol

is followed and that conversation remains focused on student work For this particular session, the

group chooses to use the Collaborative Assessment Conference protocol to review a paper from

one of the students in Mr Jones’ social studies class Following the selected protocol, Mr Jones

does not talk about the assignment, the student, or the context of the lesson as he hands each team

member a copy of a student’s paper Team members read and jot brief notes on their individual

copies of the paper

The facilitator, Ms Thompson, opens the discussion by reminding the group that its purpose is to

help Mr Jones think about important issues found in the paper and plan appropriate instructional

strategies She adds, “By examining this work, we will all learn more about our own teaching.”

Throughout the subsequent discussion, Mr Jones sits silently at a laptop that is connected to a

projector, listens intently to the conversation, and uses Inspiration to web and cluster his teammates’

comments The group begins to describe the work by responding to the facilitator’s questions—

“What do you see in the work?” and “Can you be more specific?” During the next step, team

members ask questions about the work

Finally, it is time to hear from Mr Jones He switches places with a teammate, who begins to add

Mr Jones’ comments to the Inspiration clusters Mr Jones explains that the student’s assignment

was to summarize the key ideas from an online news article about rising oil prices He responds to

earlier comments and questions from team members and adds his own observations Soon the

facilitator prompts the entire group, including Mr Jones, to reflect on the discussion and to look for

patterns in the Inspiration clusters The team concludes that this student has difficulty identifying

key points and summarizing them Team members agree that many students at this grade level

have the same difficulty The team brainstorms ways to help students improve in this area Before

the session adjourns and teachers go to their classes, Mr Jones decides to try the following activity

that the team developed Working in pairs, students will read another article and use Inspiration to

take notes Next, they will convert the webs into an outline, making sure it is sequenced logically

Finally, the students will paste the outline into a word processing document and use it as a

framework for helping them draft a summary of the article Two other teachers also decide to try this

activity with their students The three teachers plan to bring sample papers to the next session so

that the team can score them together using the Six Traits Writing rubric Teachers are eager to

investigate the effectiveness of the approach they designed

Hints for successfully examining student work together:

Establish group norms and expectations for work sessions Plan sufficient time for thorough analysis and dialogue

Identify the purpose and desired results for examining student work Select the most appropriate protocol for the identified purpose Stick to the protocol and don’t let the conversation wander

Discuss the work—not the student, the lesson, the assignment, or the teacher’s expertise

Links and Resources:

The Annenberg Institute for School Reform: http://www.lasw.org National Council of Staff Development:

http://www.nsdc.org/library/studentwork htm

Coalition of Essential Schools:

http://www.essentialschools.org/pubs/h orace/13/v13n02.html#3

Blythe, Allen, Powell Looking Together

at Student Work Teachers’ College Press; New York, NY: 1999

Immersion:

Immersion emphasizes shifting the structure of a

teacher's educational perspective and belief system

While other, more traditional professional

development focuses on making changes in specific

teaching behaviors and strategies, immersion

involves teachers in learning and adjusting new

strategies as they practice them in their classrooms

Teachers are immersed in a series of activities that

directly engage them in these new strategies,

processes, and practices An important aspect of

immersion is the opportunity teachers have to

participate in and reflect upon how these experiences

are different from what currently occurs in their

classrooms In order to provide the appropriate

guidance, insight, and perspective for the immersion

experience, it is necessary to use educators

experienced in teaching the new strategies as

facilitators for small peer groups

In 1980, Sprinthall and Sprinthall proposed a model

for professional development that promotes teachers’

developmental growth through a blend of immersion

and reflection The model stresses the importance of

learning through active involvement in real situations,

careful and continuous guided reflection, a balance

between action and reflection, the extension of the

program over a significant period of time (two to three

years), the provision of personal support for the

learner, and a reasonable level of challenge

Why use immersion?

Immersion can be very successful in moving large numbers of teachers forward in their thinking about teaching and learning It provides the techniques and strategies teachers need to successfully implement innovation, giving them first hand knowledge of what their classroom practice should look like

Immersion supports the kinds of adult learning that will bring educators enthusiastically to the cutting edge of practice Staff actually see and experience new ways of teaching and learning, and complex issues that would require too many workshops can be adequately addressed in context

Immersion works when…

It is necessary for staff to actually see and experience new ways of teaching and learning

The issues are complex and it would take too many workshops to cover the same material

An entire team, grade level, or school is trying to move forward There are high quality, experienced teachers available to lead your staff through the immersion experience

Technology and immersion:

Technology can overcome barriers of time and location Videoconferences, e-mail, online collaboration tools (such as CentraNow and NetMeeting), and e-mail can provide teachers with access to mentors, coaches, professionals in the field, and teachers who are experts in a desired instructional approach Through immersion, teachers learn how technology tools are used by professionals in the field When teachers use technology for learning and authentic work, they are better prepared to provide authentic, technology-based, 21st century learning opportunities to their students

Speakman Middle School had been working on its school improvement plan Staff members were

struggling with how to align curriculum to state standards, improve the learning environment for their

students, create interdisciplinary projects, and use technology more effectively as an integral part of

instruction Every staff member knew that these goals would mean an immense undertaking, but

they truly believed it was necessary to establish a 21st century curriculum that met the needs of their

students The first step was to go on some “field trips” to a few successful businesses, industries,

and service organizations in the area to see what these 21st century skills looked like in the

workplace They discovered that most employees worked in teams to solve specific problems or to

develop products After brainstorming about ways to prepare students for work in similar teams, the

staff settled on a Project-Based Learning approach based on immersion and reflection

Unfortunately, only a few Speakman teachers had ever used PBL, so it would be difficult to actively

involve the entire staff in a school-wide implementation process One group of teachers was sent to

Proctor Middle School to observe how they implemented PBL; another group attended PBL-related

conferences Both groups soon realized that traditional professional development (in this case,

incremental skill-building) was not going to satisfy their needs: moving to a PBL based environment

would require a significant change in teacher attitudes, skills, and strategies Teachers at

Speakman needed to get the “big picture” and learn from peer experts how PBL could work in their

school and with their students

Speakman’s principal arranged to hire several of Proctor’s teachers Together, they developed an

immersion experience in which Speakman’s teachers spent two weeks during the summer During

that time, the novice teachers were involved in numerous activities that not only immersed them in

project-based learning experiences, but which demonstrated, concretely, how PBL strategies could

work in their school A major part of the two weeks involved individual and group reflection,

answering the why, how, what, and when questions Time was also spent developing projects

among teams of teachers, with the Proctor teachers serving as mentors Those two weeks were just

the beginning, but they served as the boost the staff needed to move from a more traditional style of

teaching and learning to a more holistic approach that relied on a standards-based curriculum

Thanks, in part, to the immersion experience, teachers at Speakman and Proctor have developed

an ongoing relationship; they now routinely communicate via e-mail, and Speakman teachers

periodically invite their mentors to observe their lessons via videoconference While some

handholding is still necessary, Speakman has moved significantly forward in its effort to improve

teaching and learning Immersion is not the answer for everyone, but it does hold promise for those

schools that are eager to move a large number of people in a fairly short amount of time

Hints for successful immersion:

Establish a clear idea of the vision and long-term goals for the school Have teachers identify what they want to know and be able to do Have teachers set short- and long-term goals for their own

professional development Provide opportunities for field experiences, such as summer work

in related fields, professionals serving as mentors, or observation and coaching from teachers currently using the desired instructional approach Provide opportunities for follow-up and ongoing support

Monitor progress towards goals, celebrate successes, and modify strategies as appropriate

Links and Resources:

Sprinthall and Sprinthall (1980)

Individualized Learning:

Individualized learning allows teachers to personalize

their professional development activities to meet their

own needs, schedules, and interests When teachers

create this type of personalized professional

development, they take into consideration the

strengths and weaknesses of their teaching strategy

repertoire based on student learning data from their

classrooms and their schools

Using school improvement goals and student learning

data, teachers can decide what workshops will best

meet their needs, what books they should read, what

colleagues they might observe or collaborate with,

what conferences they should attend, and how they

will evaluate their own resulting professional growth

In other words, individual (or small groups of)

teachers, in collaboration with a professional

development coordinator or a principal, can identify

specific needs and ways to address those needs by

drawing on a variety of professional development

activities as they are appropriate and available

Why use individualized learning?

We know that nearly everyone learns best when they see an authentic need for content and skills Just as students differ in their development and readiness, so do teachers A generic, one-size-fits-all approach to professional development is doomed to failure for a significant part of any faculty, as some teachers need more basic work and others are ready to move on When teachers play a lead role in identifying their students’ needs, and when they pursue opportunities for their own learning to better meet their student needs, they assume ownership and responsibility for their professional growth They learn because they want to – not because they are required to attend so many in-service hours whether they need them or not

Individualized learning works when…

There is guidance and on-going support for planning individualized learning Individual learning coordinates with and supports school improvement and student learning goals

There are opportunities for collaboration Both teacher learning and student learning are evaluated

Technology and individualized learning:

More effective student use of technology for learning is a need many teachers can identify Yet a major barrier to meeting this need is often lack of teacher knowledge about technology use One way to overcome this barrier is for teachers to incorporate technology into their individualized learning goals Technology can also play a critical role in helping teachers address their individual needs Online professional development workshops are offered by a number of reputable organizations E-mail and online discussion groups provide a forum for mentoring and collegial dialogue The Internet offers access to research findings and other information about best practices, teaching strategies, and curriculum development and delivery Video and audio conferences can link small groups of teachers to distant experts and colleagues

Water Valley High School teachers see professional development as a continuous growth

opportunity for themselves and for their students Each year, they meet with the professional

development coordinator and the technology director (both members of the School Improvement

Team) to discuss their goals and the professional development resources currently available

Individual teachers, as well as department teams, examine current student data and identify

departmental objectives that align school improvement goals to student needs They also revisit the

personal needs assessments each completed the year before Depending on the progress each

teacher made during the past year, he or she either: has enough useable data; takes the

assessment again; or uses a new assessment tool focused on different skills Then, armed with an

understanding of school and district goals, departmental objectives, student needs, and their own

knowledge and skill needs, each teacher uses the template provided by the district to design a

year-long plan for individualized learning

Ms Domberg’s data reveals that her students need to better analyze and interpret information when

solving problems At a conference last spring, she saw a presentation on spreadsheets and

graphing utilities that would be useful, but she is not comfortable using them Because school and

district plans emphasize problem-based learning, she believes this will be a good focus for part of

her individualized learning and discusses it with her colleagues at a departmental planning meeting

A fellow teacher, Mr Bloom, has identified a similar goal, and the two decide to team up Another

teacher refers them to a Website she found that gives instructions and ideas for classroom

implementation of problem-based learning and suggests that they confer with the technology

director about training

Each department member receives similar support in creating his or her individual plan for the year

After a few weeks, teachers electronically submit their goals and strategies to the professional

development coordinator, who reviews them and identifies additional resources, makes

suggestions, and helps make connections with teachers in other departments with similar goals and

strategies Ms Domberg finds a colleague in the middle school who wants to join her and Mr

Bloom in observing each others’ classes and examining student work They plan to develop rubrics

together

Throughout the year, teachers pursue learning opportunities and share what they learn with

department teams and teachers in other departments with similar goals The latter is done primarily

through listservs and discussion boards set up by the technology director Data collection, analysis,

self-reflection, and dialogue with colleagues help these teachers establish new goals and design

individualized learning for the next school year

Hints for successful individualized learning:

Provide structure for individualized learning through templates, help sessions, or individual conferences Plan sufficient time for thorough needs assessment, data collection, analysis and dialogue Encourage and support small group collaboration

Provide plenty of information and resources about available professional development opportunities, as well as school and district initiatives

Schedule regular checkpoints for examining progress of both student and teacher learning Continually monitor and align individual teachers’ learning to student learning and school improvement goals

Links and Resources:

NSDC Standards for Staff Development:

https://www.nsdc.org/standards.htm NSDC Library: Online Learning https://www.nsdc.org/library/online-learning.htm

Professional Development Portfolio Project: http://etc.iupui.edu/pdp Concept to Classroom (online workshops):

http://www.thirteen.org/teach

Mentoring is an effective strategy for assisting

teachers in adapting to new roles, new schools, new

tools, and/or different teaching assignments While

traditionally reserved for novice teachers, it is

important to look at mentoring as a possibility when

experienced teachers change schools or are given

new teaching assignments Mentoring can be part of

a strong support system that provides opportunities

for veterans to assist fellow teachers in learning new

instructional strategies, classroom management, and

effective technology integration techniques

The mentor experience is important in developing a

relationship between the mentee and his or her new

school situation For mentoring to be effective,

mentors should be role models and leaders They

convey aspirations, school and community goals, and

share knowledge, skills and attitudes with their

mentees They must be interested, respectful, have

good communication skills, and be willing to support

a mentee for at least one full year It is important to

note that the personality traits of either party are not

as important as the quality of their interactions In

other words, successful mentoring can be learned

Not all teachers need the same mentoring program,

so mentors must be flexible and set realistic

expectations with their mentees, keeping in mind the

training, teaching readiness, and support mentees

need to become an effective part of the school

community Mentors are men and women driven by a

positive spirit to inspire and guide

Mentoring:

Both mentors and mentees have discovered the following benefits to this type of relationship:

The school provides frequent and open interactions among individuals at different career stages and hierarchical levels

The school culture is one of collaboration and trust that values and encourages mentoring relationships

Individuals are willing to cultivate and support mentoring relationships The mentor has expertise, is willing to guide (not dictate), and has good communication and interpersonal skills

The knowledge and skills of the mentee are recognized and honored

Technology and mentoring:

Not all teachers have the necessary skills or knowledge to effectively integrate technology into the curriculum to support and expand learning opportunities for their students Mentors can play an integral role in supporting both new and veteran teachers as they explore the role of technology in teaching and learning and investigate ways to incorporate new technology tools into their classroom practice Mentors may want to invite mentees to their classrooms to either observe or co-teach model lessons using technology, and they may wish to provide the name(s) of