Professional Learning Environments

Portfolio Assignment from Professional Learning Environments Module.

According to the course debrief, in Professional Learning Environments, we examined the role of the professional learning leader as one who facilitates learning for professional adults in a face to face learning environment. This module was intended for those who host professional learning at a school, district office, or county office where we control the learning space environment. WE explored how we can begin to consider our professional learning space as a model of what classrooms can be to meet the needs for specific learning activities. We also explored how space plays a vital role in collaborative and creative learning and the connection between pedagogy and teaching strategies demand that spaces for professional learning be redesigned.

My Project

For this activity I will look back at one of our training rooms at the county office of education. We usually use a training room and a computer lab. I will focus on the training room where we spend quite a few hours offering presentations. Here is the link to the design document for "Before" and "After".

Reflection

Prompt: After going through the discussion, planning activity, and the portfolio assignment reflect on how your professional learning space has transformed your thinking about delivering professional learning courses.

Response: It took me longer to complete this unit because it presents such an exciting concept. I watched many YouTube videos about how schools and individual teachers approach the idea of changing up the way their classroom looks. I explored in more depth the resources by the Third Teacher, the Stanford dschool project, and IDEO toolkit for educators. After I learned about the design thinking processes I enjoyed creating my re-design for a training room we have been using for 10 years. I now have something on paper, based in research and promising practices to present to our CTO and our facilities department, to argue and advocate for spaces more conducive to active, engaged learning. Thank you, LEC PLL, for this module.