One of the most pivotal pieces of successful remote learning is teachers who have access to training materials. Whether training is live or on-demand, teachers need the opportunity to review or learn new tools, practice new skills or gain new ideas from others. When considering how you will provide this to teachers, determine a flow that will be efficient and easy to access.
Remote Learning Skills Checklist
Identifying where teachers fall on the the Skills Roadmap checklist is a great starting point for providing relevant training opportunities. It will allow for a more targeted and efficient approach to learning.
Provide Virtual PD Opportunities
By hosting "short and sweet" virtual PD, teachers will be able to learn new skills or tools to enhance their distance learning practices. Make sure to record these and put them in a central location for access later.
Focus Your Digital Tools
Knowing which tech tools to use can be a huge headache for teachers. By focusing in and creating a list of district-recommended tools (based on the Skills Roadmap), teachers will save time in the search. Having a dedicated space for this list will also help streamline use!
Set Clear Expectations
Communicating to teachers how much and what kind of training they should be completing is extremely important. Make sure the expectations are realistic to what a teacher can accomplish in the time frame given.
Feel free to use any of these resources to help your school/district in creating a schedule for training that best suits your needs of your teachers before or during a period of distance learning. Each template, document, or presentation you find below can be copied and used for your own purposes with original credit attributed:
Check out the free training we offer to prepare your staff for distance learning:
These 30-minute sessions were created in response to frequently asked questions and areas of need. They are a great way to learn new skills or ideas in a short amount of time. To watch these on demand, use the bit.ly links!
Connect with other educators worldwide through Social Media. This is a great time to build your PLN and collect ideas and resources for remote learning.
Tune in to some educational or tech-related podcasts to get ideas and focus on professional growth. Check out some of our favorites:
The Google Teacher Tribe, Cult of Pedagogy or The Creative Classroom
Take some time to read up on best practices (or listen to an audio book)! There are great resources on flipped and blended learning that would be a huge help during distance learning.
Sign up to watch our On-Demand webinars! Once you get registered using the links listed above, you can tune in from any device.
Consider offering sessions that are about a half hour in length. These 30-minute sessions fit in most schedules, are easy to digest and leave the door open to further exploration.
If you are hosting live training sessions, odds are not all teachers will be able to attend. Think about offering "on-demand" training using recorded live sessions. Store these recordings in one central location (website, Schoology group, etc.)
Utilize teacher training to fill gaps after completing the skills checklist. Prioritize by what will be most beneficial for the majority. Consider offering sessions that maximize the use of your LMS or build new skills rather than introducing one new tool after another!
West Clermont Local School District created an entire website dedicated to training their teachers during digital learning. This website was organized by grade band to give a comprehensive list of the tools available to teachers, as well as the resources need to learn more. In addition, the district offered a variety of Appy Hour webinars and digital open office hours. This website was a one stop shop for teachers to find what they needed to promote professional growth!
Purcell Marian High School hosted their professional development day virtually. Teachers participated in several all-staff sessions as well as some choice sessions.
Three Rivers Local School District offered live Power PDs three times a week to give teachers quick overviews of the tools they would need most. The recording have been posted for teachers to access later. The best part? They have chosen tools that require little to no learning curve for both parents and students.