Planning Professional Learning

The first step in any learning is, “know thy learner.” Just because you’re excited about a new strategy or resource that you learned at an engaging workshop or conference, it doesn’t mean your colleagues will share the same enthusiasm. When professional development includes the teachers you routinely coach, you will have great insight to their needs and preferences. When it includes all faculty, including those you do not routinely work with, you should take some additional steps to ensure what you are offering and how you are offering it is relevant to the needs of the entire group. Promoting literacy skills with strategies for building content-specific academic vocabulary is important in most classrooms, but many teachers may need more background than those who are trained in language acquisition. And while you may be the King or Queen of Twitter and leverage social media for your own professional learning, some of your colleagues may be reluctant to even get online.

Sometimes you may be asked to plan and deliver school-wide or even team-based professional development based on data or situations beyond your control, such as the purchase of a new program or resource at the district level determined by trends in student performance across various populations. In this case, while presenting the information with fidelity, also consider the needs and preferences of your staff, perhaps developing a storehouse of activities and resources they prefer to use, or even differentiating how staff obtain professional development.

Explore this text from Thomas Guskey with colleagues. Read Planning Professional Learning by Guskey with a small group of colleagues. Guskey applies the well-known backward design approach to professional learning. Use the three levels of texts protocol to dig into the content of the article and its implications for the next Professional Development you plan. What are your takeaways from the text? How might you implement suggestions from the article?

Create personas that reflect the attitudes and needs of the learners you support as a coach. Creating personas or scenarios is a common design thinking strategy that helps you better empathize with the needs of those who will participate in the professional learning opportunities you provide.  How might increased understanding help you match support and professional learning in the most impactful way possible?

Develop your PD checklist. Review the checklists provided for new learning. Consider points gleaned from other articles and resources you have explored. Create a list that includes items that are specific to the PD you coordinate/facilitate. Share the list with a colleague when you collaborate on the design of your next PD session. Reflect on the usefulness of the list and make adjustments.

Create a Needs Assessment. Creating needs assessments allows technology coaches to identify the specific learning needs, topics, and preferences of their participants. By gathering this information prior to sessions, coaches can design targeted, relevant, and effective professional learning sessions that address the diverse needs and skill levels of the educators they serve. Read Using Pre-Needs Assessment for Effective PD. Personalize your PD by using tools like Google Forms, Padlet, and Nearpod to learn what teachers already know and what they need to know by Lisa Johnson for Edutopia or Needs Assessments for Professional Learning which is a brief by Joellen Killion of Learning Forward (formerly NSDC) on considerations for conducting a needs assessment.

Examples of clear objectives for a technology coaching session could include:

• By the end of this session, participants will be able to create and manage a Google Classroom, including setting up a class, creating assignments, and communicating with students effectively.

• After completing this workshop, educators will understand how to design and implement collaborative activities using Padlet, and will be able to integrate these activities into their lesson plans.

• Upon completing this training, teachers will be able to use various features of Zoom, such as breakout rooms and polls, to facilitate engaging and interactive virtual learning experiences for their students.

Technology coaches, just like educators, should recognize and address the diverse needs and learning preferences of their participants to create a more inclusive and effective professional learning experience. Differentiating instruction in professional learning sessions can help technology coaches cater to various skill levels, learning styles, and prior knowledge, ensuring that all participants benefit from the session.

Ways to differentiate for participants include:

• Content differentiation: Provide various resources and materials that cater to different learning preferences and skill levels. For example, offer step-by-step guides, video tutorials, and hands-on activities to ensure that participants can access information in a format that suits their learning style.

• Process differentiation: Employ a range of instructional strategies and activities to engage different learning styles. For instance, use direct instruction for auditory learners, incorporate visuals for visual learners, and provide opportunities for hands-on practice for kinesthetic learners.

• Choice differentiation: Offer choices in learning activities or assessment methods, empowering participants to select the option that best aligns with their strengths or interests. For example, when exploring a new edtech tool, allow participants to choose between creating a lesson plan, a tutorial video, or a sample project using the tool.

• Pace differentiation: Recognize that participants may need different amounts of time to grasp new concepts or practice new skills. Offer self-paced activities, provide additional resources for further exploration, or designate time for individual consultation and support.

• Grouping differentiation: Use flexible grouping strategies, such as heterogeneous or homogeneous groups, to foster collaboration and maximize learning opportunities. For example, pair experienced teachers with those who are new to a particular technology to facilitate peer support and mentoring.

5 Emerging PD Technologies. Feature: The Future of Professional Learning by Mary Burns for ISTE.

5 Ways to Drive Professional Learning the UDL Way. By Kendra Grant for ISTE.

10 Tips for Delivering Awesome Professional Development, blog post by Elena Aguilar via Edutopia

Aligning Professional Learning with Student Learning Outcomes, Learning Forward

Creating Innovative Professional Development Models in Your District. By Rich Czyz for ISTE Connect.

Online Professional Development: Beyond PLCs and PLNs by Gerard Dawson for Edutopia

Personalizing Professional Learning, Article by John Ross

Show & Tell: A Video Column/Leading PD That Works. Description of a 10-week learning cycle implemented by education professors Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey. For Educational Leadership by ASCD.