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Facilitator: Lori Gracey (@lgracey)
Session Description
Session Description
Discover the essentials of effective professional learning and how to engage adults in change.
Discover the essentials of effective professional learning and how to engage adults in change.
Learning Intentions (0.75)
Learning Intentions (0.75)
What am I learning?
What am I learning?
Necessary components for effective and engaging professional learning that sticks
Necessary components for effective and engaging professional learning that sticks
Why am I learning it?
Why am I learning it?
To offer more effective and engaging professional learning opportunities to those I work with
To offer more effective and engaging professional learning opportunities to those I work with
How will I know when I have learned it?
How will I know when I have learned it?
I can implement at least one improvement in my role as a professional learning provider.
I can implement at least one improvement in my role as a professional learning provider.
Think About
Think About
What's the state of the professional development you currently offer? Is it effective? Is it engaging? Is it changing behavior in the classroom?
What's the state of the professional development you currently offer? Is it effective? Is it engaging? Is it changing behavior in the classroom?
It Shouldn't be About the Technology
It Shouldn't be About the Technology
The Current State of Professional learning
The Current State of Professional learning
What We Should Be Doing
What We Should Be Doing
Is the technology linked to a specific learning goal?
Is the technology linked to a specific learning goal?
Does the technology follow/empower research-proven methods of how we learn?
Does the technology follow/empower research-proven methods of how we learn?
What It Should Look Like
What It Should Look Like
Example 1
Example 1
The Learning Issue: Your teachers are still not comfortable having their students use Google Docs for their "real" writing.
The Learning Issue: Your teachers are still not comfortable having their students use Google Docs for their "real" writing.
The Learning Goal: Participants will practice a process their students can use with Google Docs for peer editing and review of their writing.
The Learning Goal: Participants will practice a process their students can use with Google Docs for peer editing and review of their writing.
Key Understandings:
Key Understandings:
- The writing process
- Basics of Google Docs
- Round robin process for digital peer editing of documents
Structured Learning Activities:
Structured Learning Activities:
- Quick review of the writing process and when editing and revision can be used
- Participants are asked to individually quick write a response to a prompt using Google Docs. They then get with a partner to share the document so that others can view and comment on it. (Provide online tips for doing this for those who have questions.)
- In "teacher" role, explain to the "class" that they will be helping their peers to edit their writing today looking for strong openings and overall word choice. They will use the round robin process and leave comments about these two areas on the document in Google Docs.
- Show how to leave a comment and then have participants move through the round robin editing process, allowing just three minutes per piece of writing. Run this as many times as needed to get a good selection of comments.
- Participants return to their own writing and review the comments. They may want to follow up with a reviewer for clarification.
- Discuss how to structure this same process for student success.
- Ask participants to work together to create "comment cues" for students to use in providing feedback on the writing.
Product(s) to Be Created:
Product(s) to Be Created:
- Quick write on a prompt in Google Docs
- Comment cue cards in Google Docs
Reflection and Feedback on the Learning and the Process:
Reflection and Feedback on the Learning and the Process:
- What type of problems may come up when students use this process?
- How might they be overcome?
- Should there be a limit to how many comments are provided?
- How do you help students develop a specific vocabulary to use in providing feedback?
Planned Follow-Up: Email one week later with two or three more tips on the digital editing process and an offer to help them, if they need it.
Planned Follow-Up: Email one week later with two or three more tips on the digital editing process and an offer to help them, if they need it.
Example 2
Example 2
The Learning Issue: Your teachers need structured ways to provide "choice and voice" to students in their learning activities.
The Learning Issue: Your teachers need structured ways to provide "choice and voice" to students in their learning activities.
The Learning Goal: Participants will practice using a choice board to create "choice and voice" activities for students.
The Learning Goal: Participants will practice using a choice board to create "choice and voice" activities for students.
Key Understandings:
Key Understandings:
- The need for student choice and voice
- Basics of a choice board
- How to create a choice board using a Google Sheet, Wakelet, or a Google Site for one of their lessons
Structured Learning Activities:
Structured Learning Activities:
- Jigsaw in groups of four on the research about student choice and voice, the necessary parts of a choice board, how to use a choice board with students, and tips and tricks for best use. (Four chunks of content so four people per group)
- Individually or in pairs, participants think through the required and "elective" content to be learned in a particular unit of study. After defining the content, they select one of the three tools (Google Sheet, Wakelet, or Google Site) to create a choice board.
- Digital gallery walk of products with feedback comments
Product(s) to Be Created:
Product(s) to Be Created:
- 1 choice board per participant
Reflection and Feedback on the Learning and the Process:
Reflection and Feedback on the Learning and the Process:
How does the use of a choice board empower students?
How does it free up the teacher?
What are possible downsides to using a choice board?
Planned Follow-Up: Create a Wakelet of online choice board examples to share with them.
Planned Follow-Up: Create a Wakelet of online choice board examples to share with them.
To be both effective and engaging, professional learning must:
To be both effective and engaging, professional learning must:
Be content focused (not tech focused)
Be content focused (not tech focused)
Be active (not passive listening)
Be active (not passive listening)
Be collaborative (participants are working together in pairs, trios, and small groups)
Be collaborative (participants are working together in pairs, trios, and small groups)
Be based on models of effective practice
Be based on models of effective practice
Offer feedback and reflection
Offer feedback and reflection
Provide coaching and expert support afterwards
Provide coaching and expert support afterwards
Be of sustained duration (not a "one and done" session)
Be of sustained duration (not a "one and done" session)
Making It work
Making It work
Setting the Stage
Setting the Stage
A Powerful Tool: The Capacity Matrix or Capacity Matrices: Examples and Overview
Conducting an Environmental Scan
Conference Session Descriptions That Whet the Appetite
Four Steps to Creating a Shared Vision That Will Energize Your Team
Classroom Icebreakers or Even More Classroom Icebreakers or Personality Tests for Professional Development or STEAM Learning with the Paper Chain Challenge or Innovative Professional Learning Models
Crafting the Experience
Crafting the Experience
John Hattie: Learning Intentions and Success Criteria or Learning Intentions with Success Criteria
Three Ways to Plan for Diverse Learners
A Project-Based Approach to Professional Development
Nine Fun Ways to Spice Up Your Workshop and Engage Your Audience
Google Sites or OneNote or Wakelet
Keeping the Learning Going
Keeping the Learning Going
Eight Critical Learning Reflections That Promote Deeper Thinking or The Importance of Self Reflection for Learning or Professional Development Reflections
Strategies and Tools for Group Processing
Seven Brain-Based Ways to Make Learning Stick or Making Learning Stick: One Idea, Three Facts, Five Tips
Additional Tips
Additional Tips
Tips from Lori
Tips from Lori
- Design the experience around a clear learning objective, not around the tech.
- Allow participants some choice in the learning, either through the content that is learned or in the product that is created to showcase their learning.
- As people enter the room, encourage them to sit based on their comfort level with the topic of the day: Beginner, Experienced, and Expert. Consider putting table tents out with these group names and explaining the level of skill for each one. Tell participants they can move to another group as the learning goes on if they want to.
- Form a relationship with your participants by sharing relevant, short, personal stories about the content they are learning.
- Model what you want the teachers to do in their classrooms in every detail.
- Talk as little as you can. You already know the content! Encourage your participants to talk and talk and talk some more.
- The average adult has an attention span of just eight minutes. Although deep learning typically takes longer than that, you should still be cognizant of the fact that your participants may wander off task occasionally. Be sure to spice up the activities and get them moving periodically.
- Chunk your content into short, manageable pieces that allow for thinking in between and the transfer and organization of new knowledge. Shorter is better!
- All learning should end with reflection and a short "next steps" action plan. Otherwise, their time has been wasted and the learning won't "stick."
- Connect the learners with each other for future support and encouragement. You can't do it all by yourself.
Tips from the TCEA PD Staff
Tips from the TCEA PD Staff
- Make it interactive: a collaborative activity, a game, get them up and doing something. No sitting for long periods of time. (Peggy)
- I like to embed Padlet for a backchannel and Flipgrid for quick sharing, etc. (Miguel)
- Make sure your attendees can leave with at least one thing they can use tomorrow. (Jennifer)
- Have a strong opening. Think about the first thing you say. You want to make an impact. Begin with a short impact statement. (Diana)
- Have your stuff ready so that you can start warming up the audience at least ten minutes before you start. Mingle, remember names/places, connect participants to other participants, be involved with them. (Bruce)
- I like to use the PBL approach when possible, blending tech into it. How you teach the PD is often more important than what you teach since educators are on the hunt for new methods. (Miguel)
- Google Sites is perfect because you can change it up on the fly. (Peggy)
- Listen to and acknowledge participants. This helps them feel safe to speak and they feel understood when you listen. You don't need to agree, but you need to listen. (Diana)
- PD is all about marketing. If you don't believe in your product, why should they? Like a good salesman (but not a sleazy one), help them establish their need so they'll want your solution. (Bruce)
- Wakelet-embedded links are neat because they only take up one space on your Google Sites page, but are a wealth of links. (Miguel)
- Be passionate about the topic (even when you're not). (Diana)
- Vary the way you have them interact...no one likes "death by turn and talk." (Bruce)
Reflection and Sharing
Reflection and Sharing
What was one new learning for you today? Why was it significant?
What was one new learning for you today? Why was it significant?
What is your next step to apply this new learning?
What is your next step to apply this new learning?
You may wish to use this simple Professional Learning Plan template to help ensure the learning is translated into action.
You may wish to use this simple Professional Learning Plan template to help ensure the learning is translated into action.
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