Standard 5 - Professional Learning Facilitator

Impact

Conducting an educator technology use survey was beneficial as it provided valuable input from educators on the needs analysis which supported the technology professional development plan. Its impact was the development of a purposeful plan for our session. In the survey, educators reflected on engagement and technology integration within their learning environments. They were able to evaluate and identify successful experiences with technology integration and concerns and needs. It impacted the synchronous professional development session because it gave me a better idea of what topics would be useful and it created a voice and platform to address educators’ concerns. This input allowed me to address their needs and incorporate components to the session that addressed their concerns. Conducting a needs analysis survey to design professional learning that meets educators' cultural, social-emotional needs and learning needs helps me meet indicator 5a and is an essential component of planning meaningful professional development.

Reflection

Needs analysis surveys are an integral component when planning professional development and are a must when considering and identifying the needs of educators. Knowing what is working and what is challenging in learning environments as they relate to overall goals for an academic program is an important step in the process of designing professional development that has a long-lasting impact because it connects to the desired outcomes by meeting the needs of educators and the overall program goals.

Implementation

This professional development was a portion of a 2-hour live professional development that addressed the need to create highly engaging learning experiences using meaningful technology integration to connect with scholars and motivate them to engage with their learning. I met with the academic coaching team over a series of planning sessions where we outlined some top goals and topics for the session on engagement. I took their requests and built an engaging session that provided ample opportunity for educators to interact with the topics, look over new resources, and share their experiences, questions, and ideas. Teachers were given multiple ways to express their learning and showcase their ideas which also created an opportunity for them to take the role of a student as they considered what works best for their learning environments.

Topics covered during this session included building classroom communities through meaningful connections with scholars, increasing engagement through powerful lesson design and purposeful integration of technology tools, and exploring a project-based approach to learning that emphasizes student choice and authenticity. This session provided time for breakout sessions to explore resources and create experiences. It also provided time for feedback and collaboration.

Impact

This professional development session served to realign us with our overarching goal of engaging every scholar through meaningful authentic experiences and purposeful connections. We were able to consider tools and resources and share successes and challenges as we actively engaged in the experience and learning. This provided an excellent opportunity for us to share and provide collaborative input and feedback and gave us purpose for our overall focus. At the end of the session, participants were invited to provide further feedback which we will review and consider in our next sessions. This experience shows my competency for indicator 5b, as this professional development helped build the capacity of educators, leaders, and instructional teams to put the ISTE Standards into practice by facilitating active learning and providing meaningful feedback. It also shows my development towards meeting indicator 5c, evaluating the impact of professional learning, and continually making improvements in order to meet the schoolwide vision for using technology for high-impact teaching and learning.

Reflection

Professional development that is meaningful is driven by the needs and goals of educators and academic programs and provides valuable resources that can be adopted and implemented. It supports purposeful growth and fosters the adoption of common goals as it brings stakeholders together in worthwhile ways that truly meet their needs and allow them an opportunity to share their experiences, reflect on their success and challenges, and receive support through collaboration, active learning, feedback, and resources. Well-planned professional development ignites passions and recalibrates plans for the overarching organizational goals and creates healthy educational environments that are supportive and student-focused.