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CCS Blended learning. Getting to know a bit about you. Introduction. THEN NOW. Background. Historic approach had been to pull groups of teachers together for whole group/single topic discussions. District level determination
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Introduction THEN NOW
Background • Historic approach had been to pull groups of teachers together for whole group/single topic discussions. • District level determination • Sit ‘n get, or make-it-take-it, sometimes work or project based • Stand alone events, often with little or no follow-up • Never differentiated • Little to no teacher choice • Little intentional alignment to school SIP needs or individual teacher growth
Background • What changed • Common Core: new standards, new expectations for how we teach • New teacher evaluation instrument emphasizing student and teacher growth • A recession: fewer people at central office, less money for travel reimbursement and conferences etc.
Changing course • Teacher survey in winter of 2013 indicated strong desire to have choice, follow-up and flexibility in where/when/how PD was conducted. • Middle school teachers participated in a small test pilot of what blended learning could look like. • 4 topics developed from teacher interest surveys • 1 online meeting held in January to provide background knowledge and front load information • Face to face seminars held two months later to follow up, provide for face-to-face conversations and practice, and discuss implementation successes and obstacles
Changing Course • Feedback just prior to summer indicated a significant preference to continue. • Conversations among school and district leaders lead to creation of a new Professional Development approach.
Design • Goals: • Focus on creating small group, self guided cohorts working on a single year long topic • Align district PD with school SIP needs and individual teacher growth needs with an emphasis on instructional strategies • Assess teacher professional development alongside student achievement outcomes
Middle School Design • Structure • List of possible topics created from teacher surveys and known districtwide needs • School based curriculum coaches, district lead teacher and Director worked as facilitators • Each cohort designed the actual PD plan for their cohort using a template given to them.
Middle School Design • The virtual side • Online meeting software • Teacher collaboration sites – Edmodo • Should be interactive • The personal side • Professional Development day meetings • Out of district school/classroom visits • In district school/classroom visits
Middle School Design • Program evaluation • Teacher survey • Student performance • Learning goals established by cohorts
High School Design • The virtual side • Topic specific sites – Google Sites • Time released materials • Balance research and practice • The personal side • PLC needs assessment • Faculty discussion • Publication of artifacts
Learning Curves • Changes in roles of curriculum coaches • Over estimated the degree of teacher ability with online resources • Realized the need for greater regularity of feedback and reflection • Administrator involvement in determining topic selection
Intended and Unintended Outcomes • Teacher feedback • 75% liked the teacher choice • 90% liked or definitely wanted to continue single year long topics • 97% liked the flexibility of connecting to PD from their building • 80% said using online meeting software was pretty easy • 78% indicated PD was aligned to their growth goals • 82% indicated they were using the PD in their classroom
Intended and Unintended Outcomes • Teacher Accountability • Sharing of experiences across schools