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Ongoing professional development supports effective teacher use of technology through the use of instructional technology coaches, teams of teacher leaders, or other systems of support.
All guiding questions are aligned to the element criteria located in the Portfolio Guide. TUPS and TIM (optional for Extension Schools). If you do not use these systems, please include evidence of data around technology integration.
Teacher Technology Surveys
Teacher Technology Surveys
Guiding questions:
Reflect on the Teacher Survey data. How did the data guide the support provided to teachers?
The Teacher Survey data guided the support provided to teachers and the professional development opportunities offered. By understanding what programs teachers are currently comfortable implementing in their classrooms and where teachers see themselves heading when it comes to integrating technology into their instructional practices, the VILS coach is able to tailor their approach to coaching and facilitation in order to best meet teachers' needs and interests.
2. How have the results of the survey impacted student learning?
The results of the survey impacted student learning because the VILS coach is able to further technology integration across classrooms at DHCS through the introduction of new programs or new ways to use existing programs in order to increase student engagement, academic rigor, and retention of content.
dashboard-export-07-39-pm-2023-03-06.pdfVILS Instructional Coaching at DHCS
VILS Instructional Coaching at DHCS
Coach Support
Coach Support
Guiding questions:
How does the VILS coach support teachers individually and in small groups? (coaching menu)
The VILS Coach supports teachers individually and in small groups through coaching meetings. At the beginning of the year, the VILS coach informally observed all VILS teachers and then had introductory meetings to better understand what each teacher wanted to get from the VILS program for the 22-23 school year. Following these observations and meetings, the VILS coach continued to meet with teachers during their planning periods throughout the school year to work on classroom-specific projects and goals.
Also, when DHCS experienced a transition in VILS coaches in October 2022, the incoming VILS coach created this coaching menu and shared it with all 3-8 teachers. This coaching menu outlines all the different ways the VILS coach can support teachers in implementing technology-based instruction.
2. How do your supports align with the transformation plan and campus goals? (coaching artifacts). How are learning experiences implemented in the classrooms?
Teachers are primarily offered professional development through asynchronous training and one-on-one coaching meetings at DHCS. This allows teachers to complete the PDs when they have to time to learn about the different programs and then coaching meetings are tailored more specifically to their needs and goals.
Height VILS Coaching One PagerThe following artifacts all speak to the different ways the VILS coach works to support the DHCS transformation plan and campus goals as well as the different ways in which professional development offerings through the VILS coach has been implemented in classrooms.
Beginning of Year VILS Survey
Beginning of Year VILS Survey
At the beginning of the year, all 5-8 teachers at DHCS completed a Tech Needs Survey. This survey provided the VILS coach insight into each teacher's current comfort level with using technology in the classroom, interest in using technology moving forward, current classroom goals, and interest in being apart of the Teacher Leader Corps.
DHCS VILS Instructional Playbook
DHCS VILS Instructional Playbook
In response to the Beginning of Year VILS survey, the VILS coach created this instructional playbook to form the foundation of their instructional coaching practice.
This Instructional Playbook outlines the different tech tools that DHCS teachers can use in their classrooms. It is separated by the different uses of technology (engagement, assessments, feedback, curriculum, etc.) and offers different tips and tricks for how to incorporate these tools into learning environments.
Height Tech Instructional Playbook.pdfDorothy Height VILS Living Library of Resources
Dorothy Height VILS Living Library of Resources
Height Tech Needs Survey
Height Tech Needs Survey
This Google Form is shared on the weekly Height News email that is sent to all staff at DHCS. It is a way for teachers to express interest in working on a new tech-based initiative or express challenges they are currently facing. The results are sent to the VILS coach who is then able to touch base with teachers and work with them to bring their ideas/visions to life.
The following examples of VILS Coaching in Action. are some of the initiatives/projects/activities the VILS coach has worked on, in partnership with teachers, as a result of their submission on this form.
VILS Coaching in Action: Teacher-Specific Efforts
VILS Coaching in Action: Teacher-Specific Efforts
Food Ethics: 8th Grade Research Project
Food Ethics: 8th Grade Research Project
Throughout January 2023, students learned about food ethics in their 8th Grade ELA Class. After reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, students conducted their own independent research projects and then created a Google Slide presentation to share their research with their classmates.
Students chose to research food deserts, pesticides, organic foods, or a topic of their choosing related to food ethics. Students conducted independent research and then wrote a research paper to communicate their findings. They then turned this paper into their presentations.
The Wakelet includes all the resources I cultivated or co-created with the 8th Grade ELA teacher for this project. We worked closely together to brainstorm ways to best support students during their first independent research project. We also worked together on how to best support students in creating their digital presentations.
To the left is a photo of a student presenting to their classmates. Below are some of the presentations students created. Students were given an outline of what they needed to include in their presentations and then had the freedom to customize the presentations to fit their vision.
Food Ethics: 8th Grade Inforgraphics
Food Ethics: 8th Grade Inforgraphics
For the second half of Module 2, 8th Grade ELA students practiced their argumentative writing skills. They spent two weeks writing argumentative essays that answered the question, "How do we make the right choices about what to eat?" In this essay, students neecded to answer the question with a recommendation for their community to consider when making healthy and sustainable food choices. After finishing these essays, students were tasked with creating infographics to present their arguments. I worked with the 8th Grade ELA teacher on supporting students with this assignment since it was their first time creating infographics. We decided to use Canva and I created several templates for students to use, which are depicted below.
Peer Collaboration in 8th-Grade Science
Peer Collaboration in 8th-Grade Science
Our 8th Grade Science teacher is working to support students in giving each other feedback on their writing. After meeting with the teacher, we decided that students would write their essays using Google Docs, and then their peers would use the T.A.G. Peer Feedback tool to give each other feedback on their writing. The T.A.G. Peer Feedback tool is linked on the left.
Increasing Student Engagement in 3rd Grade
Increasing Student Engagement in 3rd Grade
As part of this year's transformation plan, DHCS is working to expand VILS support to include third and fourth grade teachers. The 3rd grade teachers identified a lack of engagement in reviewing content in their classes as a challenge during the first semester. In respone, the VILS coach ran a third-grade specific professional development on different engaging review platforms, like Quizziz and Blooket. In response, all third-grade teachers began implementing weekly tech-based engaging review activities in all four key content areas (Math, Science, ELA, and Social Studies). Teachers preferred Blooket over all other platforms introduced.
VILS Coaching in Action: School-Wide Professional Development
VILS Coaching in Action: School-Wide Professional Development
Google Forms PD & Google Classroom Sync PD
Google Forms PD & Google Classroom Sync PD
This PD covers syncing Google Classroom grades with our online grade book, Schoolrunner, and using Google Forms to create digital formative assessments. The goal of this PD was to encourage teachers to give digital assessments and leverage the ease and advantages of leverage Google Classroom when assignment classwork, assessments, or homework.
Create a Google Forms Exit Ticket.pdfThis PDF walks teachers through the steps of creating a Google Form exit ticket.
How to Sync Google Classroom Grades with Schoolrunner.pdfThis PDF walks teachers through the steps of synching Google Classroom with Schoolrunner.
Black History Month Resources
Black History Month Resources
Digital Black History Exhibit Hall
Digital Black History Exhibit Hall
This digital Black History Month Exhibit Hall is a resource for students to use to independently explore different key figures in Black History. This Exhibit Hall links Epic! Books, all with read aloud, and YouTube videos to make this accessible to all students at DHCS.
Element Reflection
Element Reflection
Self Reflection on the Element: (Choose one: Emerging, Aligning, or Optimizing)
We are currently aligning in this Element.
Strengths: How did your campus exemplify illustrating this element?
Our campus's strength in illustrating this element is largely tied to our ability to use observation data and create a plan from the data on how to best support teachers' development. Through biweekly meetings with the DHCS school leader, the VILS coach and leader continually used evidence of what was happening in classrooms across DHCS to brainstorm asynchronous training opportunities and shape the focus of coaching cycles.
Next Steps: What could you have done differently to better align with this element?
Next year, creating a more streamlined approach to professional development and coaching would greatly improve DHCS's ability to optimize its alignment with this element. Specifically, DHCS should create a PD calendar at the beginning of the school year to prioritize which sessions are critical for teachers' and VILS' success at DHCS. In addition, a more normed approach to what VILS instructional coaching will look like at DHCS would improve teacher buy-in and increase the impact of the VILS program across grade levels and content areas.
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