Professional Learning Plan

Reflection on PLP Learning

• Upon completing each activity in my professional learning plan, I have come to the conclusion that PLPs and PLNs are invaluable tools for supporting teacher learning and development. I was able to create a plan based on my personal interests and the direction I want my teaching to take me. I have been curious about learning more about AI withthe recent surge in technology as well as wanting to understand the extent of Google Classroom. My school is planning on switching from Canvas to Google Classroom next year, and creating a PLP was the push I needed to jumpstart my education on the tools that I can utilize when I make the switch. Through this PLP, I was able to set goals for myself as well as share resources and information with my coworkers to help better our school as a whole. 

Google Classroom: Google Tools for In-Person Learning

• The first course I completed in my PLP was Google Classroom: Google Tools for In-Person Learning. I was initially interested in this for the classroom management aspect. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that, through exploration on my own, I actually knew about a lot of the tools that were discussed in this course. My biggest takeaway from this was the idea of using Google Slides in three different ways in the classroom to increase student focus. As a middle school teacher with 1:1 chromebooks, this is something that I need. 

  1. Classroom Agenda/Instruction Slide: Have a visual display of instructions for students to reference. Include a timer on the slide to help students stay on track. 

  2. Shared Google Slides File: Students individually answer a prompt on their own slide. It is easy to see who is working and who is off task. You can check in on students that are off task. 

  3. Google Slides with Google Meet: Present slides directly to student devices using Google Meet. Great option for visual impairments as well as helping students remain focused while using chromebooks. If you have the upgraded version of Google, you can create polls and Q&A as a part of the Google Meet lesson as well. 

• Another idea that was discussed in this course was the idea to connect with people from other places. For my classroom, this could be authors, experts, or other students from different locations. This tool would also create an authentic learning experience that would get the "green light" from the Triple E Framework. 

Google Certified Educator Course: 

• I am officially a Level 1 Google Certified Educator. This was a great way to explore a lot of the things that Google Workspace and Google Classroom has to offer. It was very hands-on and I was able to play around with a lot of tools that I could potentially incorporate in the classroom. It was also a good way for me to prepare a bit more for the switchover from Cavnas to Google Classroom next year. After taking this course, I set up my Google Classroom with my students and we discussed a lot about Digital Citizenship and being a responsible user of the internet. The course encouraged me to dive-in and take the first step. 

Google: Practice Sets

• This was a resource that I immediately shared with our math teacher. Practice sets are a new feature in Google and they allow for a more personal path for learning. Certain skills need to be practiced continuously in order to master the skill. These could be math skills, grammar skills, or vocabulary skills. Teachers put in problems to work on and students get real-time feedback as they complete their practice sets. They also get hints and support if they are struggling. This is a way to differentiate and give immediate feedback to students, while also helping teachers cut down on grading time. I will definitely be finding a way to utilize this in my classroom. 

AI for Inclusion: Using Artificial Intelligence to Support Student Learning. 

• This was a fantastic webinar presented by ISTE focusing on how to use AI in the classroom. I took extensive notes and also immediately sent this to my principal. Dr. Katie Nieves Licwinko presented this webinar. Her three goals were to focus on UDL, to discover strategies for bring AI tools into instructional design, and finally to discuss the implications and how to use them in the classroom. She reminded the viewers that UDL should focus on multiple means of representation, engagement, and action and expression. These can all be accomplished using AI tools. She would also use both Chat GPT and Google Bard to cross reference and help her generate ideas for her classroom and students. 

Strategies for Incorporating AI:

• Create Materials at Varied Levels of Support (ask AI how to teach certain targets in different ways - brainstorming tool)

• Brainstorm Authentic Assessments (ask what are the real life applications of this skill)

• Break Down Abstract Skills (scaffolding)

• Provide Different Approaches to a Concept (example: how can I teach rational and irrational numbers to a student who lokes football)

• Simplify or Extend (rewrite a piece of writing to a specific grade level)

• Reformat a Text (add tabels, key points, and vocabulary)

• Generate a vocabulary list

• Create Questions for Monitoring Understanding (self-monitoring while reading)

• Plan Personalized Pathways (alternative ways to reach an end goal)

• Write Leveled Passages About Interest Topics 

• Add to Your Supply Strategy Toolbox (ask for strategies to support different learning needs)

• Create Sentences for Vocabulary Words

• Generate a Choice Board or Project Options

• Create Problems or Generate Examples

• Build Essay Outlines or Organziers

Overall, the ways in which AI can be utilized in the classroom are endless. The main takeaway from this webinar is to use AI as a brainstorming tool. Utilize it to help differentiate and reach all learners. Cross reference ideas with both Google Bard and Chat GPT. I have been using Chat GPT quite a bit this semester in the classroom, but hearing all of these ideas was amazing and I can't wait to utilize it more to differentiate and generate more ideas to support my students and their learning.