Professional Learning

Professional Learning is something that has become second nature for me. This was not always the case, however. Things changed in 2013 when I was given the opportunity to attend the Annual CUE conference in Palm Springs because our (at the time) BTSA coach was Diana Paradise, who was also a CUE Board Member. That conference changed my life as an educator and I haven't looked back. Since then I have attended, on average, five conferences a year and presented at many of those same conferences. I honestly can't imagine being an educator and not interacting with other educators as well as challenging myself and my staff to grow their practice through learning, collaborating, testing, and sharing. I have a site that is shared with two of my colleagues where we curate our conference presentations. Had you told me a few years ago that I would be presenting in front of educators on a regular basis I would have laughed in disbelief and terror. Now I find that this is one of the most enriching aspects of my job.

Specifically during the two years of this program I have attended the following conferences (an * indicates those conferences that I have also presented at):

Every conference has been an absolutely phenomenal experience. Not only do I have the chance to interact with other educators, but I have the chance to connect with colleagues from around the state and country that I interact with via social media. When I present, I find that I learn more than I share. These conferences have exposed me to countless ideas and practices which I have brought back to my site to varying degrees. With so many conferences, I don't think it is effective to talk about each one individually. Instead, I would prefer to provide a more holistic look at how all of this professional learning has informed and impacted my practice.

During my three years as an administrator, I have introduced key initiatives, along with a variety of new practices as related to my office. These initiatives and practices have been the direct result of attending conferences and continuing the conversations via social media. I want to pause here for just a moment to state that without my involvement on Twitter and Voxer I would not have pushed forward as adamantly as I have with each initiative and practice. Social media has provided me with a strong PLN that pushes me, cheers me, and calls me out when necessary. The group of educators that I connect with regularly have been as integral to the changes that are underway on our campus as any conference that I have attended. But back to how all of my learning has changed me as an educator and leader.

These three initiatives are topics that I have actively sought out at every conference I attend. As a result:

• our Innovation Lab has jumped in usage (as discussed in CPSEL 1)

• students are engaging in more meaningful learning through PBL

• we have monthly Tech Awards given to faculty and staff for their innovative use of technology

• our entire senior religious studies curriculum is currently going through a major re-design that is focused around PBL and Design Thinking

• our students have participated in several Design Thinking challenges

• close to half of our students are now maintaining blogs and about 1/3 of those are receiving feedback from people other than just their teachers on their learning because they are engaging with a global audience

• we have several teachers who actively incorporate the KQED DoNow prompts into their teaching

This is not a comprehensive list, but it is a list that is reflective of the changes that are occurring on our campus. And while I would like to say that this is all because of me, I know that is a foolish and incorrect conclusion. In reality, what my conference attendance and PLN connections have done for me is given me the freedom to encourage others to stretch their learning. I am blessed to work with a group of adults who are courageous and adventurous. Most have moved themselves leaps and bounds from their starting points three years ago. Many are getting off campus at least once a year to attend a conference of their choosing.

This year, my colleague and I who have attended Annual CUE together since 2013 FINALLY expanded our group: we took two colleagues with us. Doubling our attendance has been a goal since we returned in March of 2013. Three years later, we achieved that goal! Some adults have stepped forward as leaders who have self-identified as knowledgeable about software, apps, or best practices and are coaching their peers in everything from GAFE tools to Schoology to Kahoot!, exit tickets and PBL. Those that aren't comfortable calling themselves "experts" are still willing to push themselves to learn one new skill.

I am pleased to say that the goals of ePortfolios and project/passion based learning are coming into focus for us. We have a number of students across grade levels curating ePortfolios. This was an initiative that I was able to implement this year on a fairly broad scale because I had the opportunity to step back into the classroom. Since I am collaborating with a team of teachers, we have implemented ePortfolios at the 10th grade level. In addition, students in a few upper-division science classes also are creating ePortfolios. The goal is that by the time the current 10th-graders are Seniors, they will have created strong ePortfolios that will greatly enhance their college applications. Each year we will add another grade level until it is standard practice for all four levels to have a well-curated ePortfolio. The 12th grade religion curriculum is actively tackling passion-based learning so another action item is moving forward as well.

The final post I wish to share is this one from CUE Admin Rockstar. I set a bigger goal for myself with this one: create space for adults to reflect, push back, learn, grow, be still. This is a long-term action item as I am working hard now to begin re-examining the school calendar and find more time for adults to collaborate with each other. To see where this initiative goes, keep an eye on my blog. I promise there will be updates along the way.