Happy week 4
Lit Ladies!
I hope
everyone had a fantastic week 3!
This week,
our readings really hone in on the varieties and differences in professional
developments and professional learning opportunities. In Bean’s “The reading Specialist” (pg. 113)
she differentiates these two growth opportunities for us. Professional Development is described as a “top-down”
approach to learning mandated by the state or district. These might be workshops presented by a
literacy coach and later implemented in the classroom with continued guidance and
direction from coaches or leaders within the building. Conversely, professional learning is based on
meaningful collaboration, peer problem solving, and promotes lifelong learning
for educators.
I am
currently in a school where professional developments are not required by the
school but are always funded if a teacher would like to go to a development opportunity
during the year. The majority of our
teachers attend at least one professional development opportunity throughout
the year and many together in the summer months. For me, this is an ideal situation. Our article for this week “Professional Development:
What the Research Says” states that development opportunities may be better received
when teachers have the freedom to choose PD based on the interest and
motivation of their students—I believe this filters into learning and teaching
styles as well.
Professional
Learning, or PL are a Wednesday staple for our teachers. This seems to be the most productive part of
our week; when teachers can come together, bounce ideas around, discuss some
success and how they can be implemented in other classrooms. This supportive discussion is exchange of
ideas is positively received in our school! It is mentioned on pg. 20 of our
article that “student learning is a function, in part, of adult expectation. When educators work in schools where
expectations are highly differentiated, a consensus professional development
plan may only institutionalize mediocrity and low performance.” This is where I think PL’s come in. I know for me, I am inspired to implement the
great ideas, grow as an educator, and take what works from others who have had
my kids in their classrooms! It is
clear, these two types of developments have their differences and effect
teachers drive in various ways, and yet both have helped me to grow and
learn. What do you guys think?
What type of
PD have you participated in—school mandated, volunteer, group, or individual
effort? Which were most useful to you
and why? Would you define these opportunities
as promoting you as a learner? Finally, have you participated in PLC and if so,
what are your responses to that type of learning?
Other things to think about this week are: Other things to think about this week are: What is your understanding about adult learning theory mentioned in Bean chapter figure 5.1 (page 117), and alluded to in WSQ p. 131, and Bean page 122? Don't forget to turn in your Professional Learning Plan and do the virtual check in. Have a great work ladies!
Other things to think about this week are: Other things to think about this week are: What is your understanding about adult learning theory mentioned in Bean chapter figure 5.1 (page 117), and alluded to in WSQ p. 131, and Bean page 122? Don't forget to turn in your Professional Learning Plan and do the virtual check in. Have a great work ladies!
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ReplyDeleteIn my district we are very lucky to have many opportunities for PD! Twice a year a PD day is built into our calendars - one in the fall and one in the spring. Some of the PD is already chosen for us but some of the PD they let us chose. In the fall we had a group PD where our principals and our reading specialist gave us a small talk about certain things. This is how most of our PD days go. However our district changed it up this spring and it was completely different! Every elementary school met one morning and we collectively came up with a list of topics people would like to discuss. From that list you were able to pick what topic you wanted to go to. You were able to pick four different topics because they were broken down into different sessions. This was great because not only could you pick your topic but we were able to talk to different people in our district we normally wouldn't be able to collaborate with. I believe the second PD I mentioned was more effective due to being able to chose our topic and collaborating with others. The first type of PD can be mundane and not applicable to your classroom. I have gone to other PD in my district to learn about things I want to such as this past fall I went to a conference about the Phonics Dance! It was very hands on and effective because it was what I wanted to learn. These opportunities did promote me as a learner because I was able to learn new things through lecture and collaboration that I was able to apply to my own classroom.
ReplyDeleteMy school recently implemented PLC's. I love this type of learning because it allows my team to be on the same page about certain issues and also get help from other coworkers. Often when a teacher on my team needs help or an idea another teammate has a great idea from a different perspective. I believe that PLC's allow my team to flow better and get along. However we never really talk about articles we've read or any actual PD.
My understanding about adult learning theory is that what they talk about in figure 5.1 (pg 117) in Bean describes every person in our program and anyone who is continually learning about their field. Those qualities need to be in a person for them to fully get something out of PD!
Bre,
DeleteI completely agree with your two descriptions of PD. Allowing for that choice piece, which Bean describes as an important trait of adult learning, makes all the difference. By letting us choice what we want to learn, we are already that much more engaged. I find myself looking into research based on PDs I've attended that I was able to choose my topic. For instance, we attended a PD over STEM activities and the use of those in the classroom. Because of it, I was able to feel more comfortable implementing in my classroom, and have now conducted outside research as to how it helps my students. The PD and research have better prepared me to defend STEM when talking to parents who assume it's just "playing", but if I didn't have the choice, I never would have implemented it or been able to defend it.
The idea of PLCs as your school uses them is similar to what we have. It is an opportunity for us to talk to our administration about issues that are happening, and get ideas outside of our team. It is usually just used for data, but can be beneficial. I wonder if that's how most PLCs are, or if most are similar to how the book describes it.
Bre,
DeleteI am glad to hear that other districts besides mine host district wide PD of exclusively elementary teachers. I have always enjoyed being able to discuss and share with others who are outside of my building. This type of PD usually leads to building new relationships and valuable resources. It is nice to know that I can reach out to other grade-level teachers who can support me with the sharing of ideas and offer different perspectives. I wonder how your district (and mine for that matter) thought of the idea switch up the PD to be teacher-directed. Do you think they did a needs assessment with the elementary schools to determine how they would like to attend a PD day? I wonder what type of feedback they received that led to the decision to change up the PD day. I know following our district wide PD days, there are surveys to complete in order to provide feedback on the sessions attended and about the presenters. There are also short answer questions about what we would like to see in future PD days. I wonder did they sit down and look at past feedback about district PD days or did they read about research of what an effective PD day should consist of. Do you think the district receives PD on the adult learning theory and took this into consideration when trying to develop a new spin on the PD day? Lots of questions; not necessarily asked to receive answers, but to think about. It’s interesting to read about the behind the scenes of what it take to have a successful, effective PD day.
Michelle,
DeleteI have wondered so many of the same things when completing those surveys. Who is looking at them? And, Do they take the answers into consideration? Im not even sure how you could chart responses like that in order to better accommodate teacher needs. This goes back to "Sense of Recognition" in Bean pg. 119. I do think it needs to be addressed that PD feedback is really the only way teachers can feel acknowledged for what they are learning, contributing, and taking away from a course.
I also thought it was funny when she states, "Teachers participate in PD for monetary incentives on occasion but more often because they hope to gain concrete, practical ideas that will enhance the learning outcomes of their students"...I say a stipend WOULD enhance my hope to gain concrete, practical ideas! :)
Paige, a very comprehensive blog entry--thanks for the connections and good questions. Nice start to the discussion. I'm looking forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteIn my district, we have two scheduled "PD" opportunities, one in the fall and one in the spring. Our one in the fall is called Get FIT and we get to choose which sessions we would like to attend. I love the choice we have in that, because it allows me as an individual to decide what I would like to get out of the opportunity. Along with those two PD opportunities, we have different professional development sessions at our faculty meetings. These range from the EL teachers talking with us, our counselor, or our technology committee talking. These PDs are very much so just us being talked at; they aren't very interactive and engaging. Personally, I would much rather attend professional development opportunities like the Get FIT or something similar. It gives the teacher the ability to target specifically what they need. It allows us to target what we feel may be lacking form our classroom, and get opinions and ideas from an outside source. The Get FIT training further my love of learning in so many ways. I was able to connect with teachers in other schools that have similar problems that I did, and was able to get fresh ideas about those issues. It also allowed me to engage in things that I found interesting to me, such as movement in the classroom and STEM. It has helped me become a better teacher and has given me so many ideas to implement in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteLike you said Paige, I love the opportunity to talk with other teachers to talk through my ideas or personal struggles in classrooms. I also love getting to hear what worked for them for certain students, or what didn't work. I think that it gives you a starting ground, so you are trying to build from the ground up. However, in some instances, what worked for them last year no longer works, but I think it's important to be able to have conversations and dialogues with other teachers in our school.
My school has PLCs every Friday, but I feel like they are much different than they are described in the text. Our PLCs are opportunities for us to discuss data and talk with our administrators, but I don't feel like it's focused around teachers talking with other teachers. It feels very much like our administrators talking to us, and we are listening to what they say. In some PLCs, we get professional development from our counselor or different things like that, but most often it is used as a time to discuss data. My team meets outside of PLCs to discuss what is going on for the week, and any other things that may come up.
Adult learning, to me, is very similar to what Bean describes in the chapter. I feel that it is very much about choice. Once you move past school age where someone else tells you what to learn, you are able to decide if you want to continue learning about certain things, or if you would like to learn about something else. I also found myself really agreeing with the part about adults placing a high value on self-efficacy, and learning in a risk-free environment. I think that's what makes working with young kids so great is that they aren't afraid to fail. They try again and again without fear.
Kaitlyn,
DeleteI agree with you and your opinion towards PLCs. We meet weekly. The PLC is made up of our grade level team, the principal, sometimes her director (if she is in our building), and sometimes our instructional coach. We look at data; however, majority of the talking is at us. We chime in here or there, but it is like a mini-staff meeting. We are simply the recipients of what is being stated. Our agenda and goals are decided upon beforehand by the administration. I wish our PLCs could be more like what is described in Bean’s book, where members of the PLC learn from each other through reflective dialogue among teachers and collaboration among the educators at the school. I feel like we all want the ultimate goal of student achievement, but there is little input from the teachers on ways to accomplish it. There is also not a motivation amongst grade level teachers to sit and discuss data or student strategies or student achievement outside of the PLC. Bean states, “…the focus should be on helping teachers work together toward a common vision, achieving their goals.”
Kaitlyn, our PLC's are so different! I never have administration at mine. Ours are just the six of us talking about what's coming up and any problems we're having. We have separate meetings with our admin to talk about data and things. Is it me or so far it seems like no one is really doing PLC's like they should :)
DeleteKaitlyn,
DeleteI LOVE and miss the GetFIT conference. To me, those are good quality PD that is district wide (so that means that the ideas presented will be supported by others in your building) AND they are also presented by fellow colleagues. To me, this is a win-win scenario. However, I could understand how this kind of PD might get in the way of focus. "Bean mentions on pg. 118, "Too often schools have multiple PL efforts going on at one time and teachers have difficulty determining what it is they should emphasize in their teaching." I know all of these workshops are standards based and goal driven, but it can be a lot to take in at one conference. I always walk away wanting to do All.The.Activities and better my student success using my newly learned strategies, but then I realize that i get overwhelmed very quickly. I think many teachers have this particular personality trait...:)
My district has always provided various options for participating in PD. Due to our continuous school year calendar, our district hosts two day PDs during the fall, winter, and summer breaks. As the Lead ELA for my school, I also attend monthly Lead ELA meetings in our district. Through the years, I have noticed the PD become less top-down district initiatives and more towards teacher input about what PD they would like to see offered. Many times teachers have been offered the opportunity to be presenters to showcase what has worked with their students. I have participated in book studies, presenters (district personnel or nationally known speakers), half-day or full day workshops, hands-on participation and PD where I just sat for hours and listen to an expert in that area talk. Our district within the last few years has incorporated safeschoolonline.com where teachers receive PD electronically, on their own time, outside of school. I have been in grade level PD at my school and with teachers of the same grade level from across the district. I have participated in large group, small group, district wide and school site PD. I have attended PD with other educational organizations outside of my district such as Great Expectations and others. I am the teacher Bean describes on page 118 as the “gourmet omnivore.” I have always loved to attend PD for the opportunity to meet other teachers and participate in discussions and share ideas. However, as Bean states, I usually have a difficult time using these newly learned approaches due to not being supported by coworkers who share the same enthusiasm as myself. Thankfully, my principal always supports me going to find new ways to support student achievement.
ReplyDeleteWhat has not worked for me is PD where I am in a large ballroom with a large group of people and a speaker. What has worked for me is the PD in which I have had the opportunity to listen, discuss and share with others in small groups. PD in which I have had the option to choose what I’d like to see pertaining to something that I could take directly and use with my students has always been very helpful. I like videos with teachers who are working with students who may not always be participating. The best PDs for me are hands-on and participatory. “People learn best by doing.” I have also experienced modeling and coaching in the classroom from our instructional coach. I have really enjoyed this because of the immediate feedback. I would define all of these opportunities as promoting me as a learner. Learning is on-going and reciprocal. I am able to learn from others and vice versa. I feel if one is constantly contributing to their learning in this profession, their students are the ones who benefit the most.
Yes, I participate in weekly PLCs at my school. I have even attended a national PLC conference in Washington DC early in my career. My take on PLCs is that it should be a time for teachers to bring data and discuss what is happening in the ultimate goal towards student achievement and develop solutions or brainstorm strategies to meet that goal. I do not feel that is exactly happening in our PLCs. I feel like it is top-down – the administrator runs the show and teachers input as needed.
My understanding of adult learning theory from WSQ is adults interact and are willing participants when delivery is an action: hands-on, role-playing, observation, demonstrating, offered choices and feedback, being heard, and feeling valued. Last but not least – Food is always welcomed.
Michelle,
DeleteIt sounds like your district has PD figured out! The amount they offer is amazing. It sounds like you really benefit from it :) I agree with you on how you don't get much from PD where you're sitting in a large ballroom at 8:30am getting talked at all day. You become a passive learner and that often doesn't work when you're trying to learn something new or improve. People definitely learn best from doing!
Michelle,
DeleteI find myself getting the most out of PDs that are lead by other teachers. For me, it makes me feel that they actually understand what I'm going through in my classroom. While I still enjoy PDs from experts in the field and different things of that nature, I find myself engaging most with PDs by fellow teachers. Like you said, I found myself identifying with the "gourmet omnivore" as described by Bean. I am always looking for ways that I can improve, because I feel like the learning is never over or that I can always do better than I am right now. It's always frustrating for our colleagues to not be quite as supportive or enthusiastic as we are, but it is great that you have the support of your principal!
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI've noticed a big improvement with PDs bing lead by teachers or other qualified staff rather that a district wide coach or an expert that does not touch base directly with teachers or the district. It struck me in Dean's excerpt from Darling Hammond and McLaughlin's definition of professional development as a "deepening of teachers understanding about teaching and the students they teach." I believe it is easier for teachers to truly connect to their continued learning when new information or ideas come from someone they know and have built a relationship with. Better, it is as you mentioned, so much better when you are supported by fellow members of the teaching staff and administration.