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Learning is a lifelong pursuit. Teachers are faced with new challenges and opportunities each year. Change can range from adjusting to new content area, implementing new instructional strategies, accommodating to diverse student learning needs, and adapting to rapid advancements in technology. Change is inevitable. We don't have to make a decision for change to happen. It happens with or without our consent. Growth is what is optional, it only happens with our consent and when we make the decision to grow (Stoner, 2019). In every dynamic classroom, teachers must be flexible and adaptive to the needs and changes of the classroom environment and choose to continuously learn to evolve in their craft. According to the GSC Standards of Practice for Personalized Learning, educators can do this by valuing and participating in professional learning communities and networks for ongoing growth with personalized learning, keep abreast of innovative strategies and technologies that support personalized learning, and seek and create opportunities as a teacher leader, mentor, coach or content expert within the school, district or state to promote personalized learning.
A professional learning community, or PLC, is a group of educators that meets regularly, shares expertise, and works collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students (EdGlossary, 2014). Professional learning should be continuous, job-embedded, and collaborative. Through continuous growth in knowledge, teachers can provide the best learning experiences for diverse learners with the latest innovations and emerging technologies. PLCs—which harness “an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve”—are a common and proven practice to promote teacher collaboration that increases student achievement (Miller, 2020). This allows teams to constantly implement, adjust, and learn together. More than ever, we need to connect with others who can help us find the innovative solutions and opportunities hidden within this disruption of education-as-usual (Pattenhouse, 2021).
Participation in Professional Learning Communities
As an empowered educator and technology leader, my mission is to continuously seek and participate in professional learning communities. By engaging in PLC, I am building strong, powerful networks for ongoing growth in professional learning.
Engaging and contributing in Professional Learning Communities allows me to find content and accounts that will enhance and develop my practice and benefit my students. Professional Learning Communities are vital for professionals because they allow us to partake in continuous personalized professional development. Collaboration is critical to our success in education. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) equip educators with current and relevant strategies and ideas. Within grade levels, schools, districts, nationally, and worldwide, professionals and educators can share ideas with one another. This customized approach to professional development, I believe, will enhance our work as educators because we will be able to communicate worldwide, seek out different viewpoints, and improve our impact on student learning. Below are four professional learning communities and networks that I engage in for ongoing growth in professional learning.
Twitter is a microblogging platform. It is a unique platform with only 280 characters per post and relies on hashtags to group conversations or events (Fitzpatrick, 2015). As a creator, your posts must be concise and articulate thoughts clearly. You can also retweet information to people in very short clips of information including websites, blog posts, news articles, and video links. Twitter allows me to explore new content quickly and easily. This environment allows teachers and educators to share content easily and instantaneously.
To seek and promote personalized learning, follow the Twitter hashtag #KSUPLE.
Collaborative Learning Teams
Another form of professional learning communities that I participate in weekly is Collaborative Learning Teams. In collaborative learning teams, student achievement data is analyzed to inform and impact instruction. Collaborative Learning Teams work to determine areas of strengths and potential areas of growth. A learning team constantly engages in a cycle of learning: analyzing data, setting goals, and learning individually and collaboratively, as well as implementing and adjusting practices to meet the needs of all learners (Miller, 2020). In my opinion, the most impactful form of professional learning provided at schools is effective Collaborative Learning Teams because it is job-embedded, continuous, and meaningful.
Facebook and LinkedIn Groups
Facebook and LinkedIn are networking platforms that allows people with similar interests to stay connected and updated. These platforms allow educators to curate and participate in professional learning with educators across the nation. In these groups, I can share innovative ideas and my experiences with personalized learning.
Promoting Personalized Learning
As an empowered educator and technology leader, my goal is to continuously seek and create opportunities to promote personalized learning in my local school and district.
Personalized Learning Portfolio
This portfolio allows me to promote personalized learning standards. The purpose of this electronic portfolio is to share a series of artifacts and reflections that demonstrate my mastery of the GSC Standards of Practice for PL (PL Standards). The tabs allows teachers and leaders to read about each standard and see concrete examples of the standards in action.
Lead Innovators
As a lead innovator, I get the incredible opportunity to engage in professional learning with members from my district to build my educational toolbox. My role as an innovator is to expand my sphere of influence and share my learning with my local school after each of these sessions. This work allows me to learn and design personalized learning opportunities that support the growth of students on my grade level and support teachers on my team.
Coaching Sessions
As a technology facilitator, I support teachers through coaching sessions. I implemented the Impact Cycle and co-planned with teachers in my local school. The coaching strategies used follow best coaching practices shared by Jim Knight. This experience allows me to promote personalized learning strategies for not only the students, but with the teacher. I designed a specific learning pathway to support the teacher towards her goals. Coaching is a beneficial experience because it fosters true improvement.
Twitter allows me to interact, engage, promote, and share my learning about personalized learning. This is a post where I promoted technology tools to use in a personalized learning environment. I can continue to post and seek innovative resources, ideas, and strategies that promote personalized learning.
References
All4Ed. (2022). Personalized professional learning. https://futureready.org/ourwork/future-ready-frameworks/personalized-professional-learning/
EdGlossary. (2014). Professional learning community. https://www.edglossary.org/professional-learning-community/
Fitzpatrick, E. (2015, August 14). Building your PLN with Twitter: A Beginner's Guide. https://learningbird.com/building-your-pln-with-twitter-a-beginners-guide/.
Fluirse. (2015, May 14). Lifelong learning is a crucial educational mindset. https://www.fluirse.com/lifelong-learning-is-a-crucial-educational-mindset/
Hanover. (2013, November). Professional development for personalized learning practices. https://www.hanoverresearch.com/media/Professional-Development-for-Personalized-Learning-Practices.pdf
Miller, A. (2020, January 3). Creating effective professional learning communities. https://www.edutopia.org/article/creating-effective-professional-learning-communities
Pattenhouse. (2021). 4 Ways to build a strong professional learning network for innovation and growth. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2021-02-16-4-ways-to-build-a-strong-professional-learning-network-for-innovation-and-growth
Stoner. (2019). Change is inevitable. Growth is optional. https://www.livingcompass.org/wwow/change-is-inevitable-growth-is-optional
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