Design

Describe your action plan and how each of your four chosen competencies will influence its design and implementation.

I will start by finding an instructor for the class. (interview questions cited as Artifact D.1) Once that is done, I will know I can move forward with the course, and I will reserve my classroom through Facilitron. (Invoice cited as Artifact D.2) Then I will work with the instructor to develop a scope and sequence and a schedule for the class. (Scope and sequence/schedule cited as Artifact D.3) While working on this, I will also raise awareness about the class and start registering students. (Flyer cited as Artifact D.4) This will cover the funding portion of the plan. I will then set up the Google Classroom Course, allowing the instructor to start uploading content to the page.(Screenshot from Google Classroom cited as Artifact D.5) About two weeks before the first day, I will email students the link to the Google Classroom and give them all the details needed. (Email cited as Artifact D.6)

The idea of creating Spanish classes for district employees challenges an inequity that many students are facing. This class will help others and myself identify situations of inequity in our district. It will also provide the district with the opportunity to self-correct this inequity. 

Explore and Challenge Inequity is the foundation of my project. Spanish-speaking students are not receiving the same education as English-speaking students. This is a major inequity for these students and their families. By pursuing this project, I am identifying inequities that exist in our district based on cultural differences, and applying my knowledge of the importance of learning in a language one understands, to plan, implement, and adapt practices to address inequities. 

Continuing Education and Learning and Adult Learning will intertwine the planning process. While designing a course for adult learners, I will be designing learning opportunities for others aligned with professional learning goals, and learning to meet the needs o adult learners to enhance their professional growth. 

Community Awareness, Engagement, and Advocacy is also a major factor in my project. By making a way for the district and families to communicate easier, I am developing a strategic plan to create interest and connect with schools, families, community partners, and other stakeholders. This will also help families feel more connected to the schools their children are attending, and hopefully help them to take a more active role in their children's education. 

How will your leadership leverage the strengths and address the needs of diverse stakeholders to support the action plan, develop capacity, broaden decision-making, and learn collaboratively?

I am working with a graduate student at MSU with the same idea, Paola. With my leadership, we will be able to work together to design and implement this course. I will be able to help organize key components of this project, work with district leadership, and communicate with potential students of the course. Paola is passionate about this project, she works hard, and she has connections with MSU that may help with funding and finding an instructor. She is also a native Spanish speaker, her knowledge will help propel us forward with this project! With our experience and expertise, we will be able to create a Spanish class for district employees and work with diverse stakeholders to learn collaboratively. 

How will you use collaboration, questioning, data, and reflection during the implementation of your action plan?

I will be communicating with my partner weekly while developing this course and once the course is up and running. We will be conducting reflections on the content of the course and how it is being implemented. We will research ideas for adult learners and find best practices for teaching them. At the end of the course, we will conduct a survey of the participants and ask for meaningful feedback for the course. This will help us to fine tune the course and make it better every semester.

How will you address obstacles that you may encounter in implementing your plan?

I am anticipating staff members seeing this class as one more thing they need to do. As educators, we are thrown “solution” after “solution” for our problems, but sometimes these “solutions” are just one more thing we have to do in our limited time. If this becomes PD for the district, I am anticipating staff seeing this as another waste of time PD. Thinking they could be doing prep work during this time. To solve these barriers I am going to make the class optional and express the vast need for staff members to be able to communicate with students. 

Another barrier I anticipate seeing is staff members arguing that these students need to speak English to get jobs and survive the education system in Montana. Why should staff members learn Spanish if all these students need to learn English? Or how many languages are staff members expected to know to communicate with students? We have students from all over the world and with different backgrounds, will staff members be expected to learn every language students speak? For the first question, I will again express that this class is optional and the vast need for staff members to be able to communicate with students. For the second question, I don’t have a great answer. In a perfect world, educators would be able to communicate fluently with all of their students. However, in Bozeman, Montana, we don’t always have all the resources to learn new languages. Yet we do have the resources to learn Spanish and this will help many of our students and their families feel welcome in our school.

How will you know if your action plan is successful?  What evidence would support your claim?

Indicators of a successful class are very simple. Staff members show up and complete the class. (Class Sign in sheet cited as Article D.7) More staff members can communicate with students and their families. As well as Spanish-speaking families feeling more included and comfortable in our school.