Online Professional Development
Online professional development experiences provide teachers with personalized learning experiences that are specific to their needs. When districts provide teachers with online learning opportunities, they give their educators professional autonomy to pick classes that meet their professional needs. Special education teachers can take classes that are related to serving students with special needs, while physical education teachers can take classes related to fitness, nutrition, and health education.
Traditional PD experiences are often presented in lecture form to all the teachers in a building or district, regardless of their specialization or instructional needs. Veteran teachers are asked to sit through trainings they have completed before. Tech-savvy teachers are asked to sit through "Introductory to Google" trainings. These type of professional development experiences are not relevant to those teachers. To keep education relevant for students, teacher learning must also be relevant.
Online learning opens up a world of possibilities for learners of all types. The Professional Learning Board, along with many other organizations and universities provide classes for educators that cover a variety of topics.
How can we integrate technology into PD?
(Schrock,2012)
(edSurge,2014)
"When surveyed, 0% of teachers said they felt their PD experiences were extremely relevant to their students' future success."
WACO CSD Survey, 2016
Types of Online PD
Synchronous
-
Webinars occur at the same time for all participants. They can look similar to lecture style professional development.
-
Collaborative Web Seminars- Participants interact with one another
Asynchronous
-
Online learning activities happen at different times for different people. This type of learning includes “social networks, discussion boards, self-paced online courses, and resource-sharing websites” (Bates, Meg S., Phalen, Lena, Moran, Cheryl, 2016 ). Websites could include video lessons that are watched on the learner’s own time.
Hybrid
-
Includes in-person learning activities as well as online tasks and assignments.
Online learning is not the next big thing, it is the now big thing."
-Donna J. Abernathy
How can we personalize teacher professional development?
Image retrieved from TPACK.org.
Mishra & Koehler (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054
TPACK in PD
When trying to address the wicked problem of keeping education relevant, our group decided that addressing teacher learning was an integral part of the solution.
Incorporating TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) theory into PD experiences will help ensure that teachers are experiencing relevant lessons.
It is common to see pedagogical and content knowledge cross over during PD experiences, but professionals who organize, plan, and teach PDs should not forget to incorporate technological knowledge into their lessons.
This can be accomplished in-person, but is also achievable through online classes.
“Learning with technology is more important than learning about technology” (Hanover Research, 2014). Teachers can be engaged through breakout sessions, small groups, collaboration, and use of multimedia tools.
Teachers Pay Teachers- An open marketplace for educators to purchase and share work created by others in their field ( Teachers Pay Teachers, 2016).
SimpleK12- A free education based social network that allows teachers to communicate with each other, take part in online courses and webinars, and receive certificates towards continuing education credits (SimpleK12: Professional Development in your Pajamas,” 2000).
Engage
Learn
Support
Measure
Professional development has long been considered an outdated form of teacher training. A typical session is constructed with teachers sitting around a table, with their paper handouts, staring at the clock, waiting for the time to expire. A 2014 survey of 1,300 teachers found that only 29% were satisfied with their current professional development offerings. (Boston Consulting Group, 2014). Educators have long called for professional development to be relevant and directly related to their teaching right now. Personalized professional development is the answer to those concerns, allowing teachers to be involved in multi-module, data-driven learning, directly related to their teaching.
A 2014 study by EdSurge broke personalized professional development down into four categories: engage, learn, support and measure. Personalized PD allows educators, through technology and collaboration, to make the most of their professional development time.
Positive traits of personalized Professional Development
-
Demonstrate mastery
-
Allow teachers to have time
-
Allow opportunity for informal learning
-
Pick technology that you believe in, and meets a need
(EdSurge,2014)
In the content portion of the professional development cycle, teachers can participate in modules and webinars to provide support towards best practice and skill development.
Annenberg Learner- Annenberg Learner strives to,"Advance Excellent Teaching in American Schools." The site focuses on teachers as learners through multimodal learning designed to allow teachers to stay up to date in the field. While providing continuing education and graduate school credit (Foundation, 2016).
Teaching Channel- A free online resource that allows teachers to watch teaching experts in the classroom, ask questions, and provide comments (Teaching Channel, 2016).
The support portion allows teachers to receive coaching and immediate feedback from an expert in their field through video.
Edthena: Edthena allows teachers to upload videos of them teaching and receiving direct feedback from an experienced classroom teacher (Edthena, 2016).
Teaching Channel Teams- This site allows schools or districts to share videos and information with teachers within their districts ( Teaching Channel, 2016).
The measurement portion collects data on what teachers have learned and how they are implementing these skills into their teaching. Resources used to measure teacher progress are most effectively used by building and district administrators.
Performance Matters: A licenced database that allows administrators to track professional development data and skills learned (Performance Matters, 2016).
Connection to Berger's Theory of Questioning
Throughout the process of our wicked problem, our group looked extensively at Berger’s Why, What If, and How stages of questioning, as they pertain to keeping education relevant. Berger’s theory begins by becoming aware of a problem, then understanding the problem, before finally thinking of solutions. Our group used research, as well as professional experiences to identify a problem of relevance, then found potential solutions. Our solutions were centered around teacher development and coaching in a professional setting (Berger,2014).