Using Technology to Develop Professional Learning Communities

1. Using Technology to Develop Professional Learning Communities Devin Vodicka, Ed.D. Director of Curriculum & Instruction Catina Hancock Principal—Calavera Hills Middle School Carlsbad Unified School District

2. Expectations & Outcomes • Objective: • Share technology resources that have been used to develop capacity with respect to collaboration, assessment, and interventions • Share lessons learned in the implementation of these resources • Provide opportunities for reflection and dialogue • What else?

3. Carlsbad Unified School District • Number of Students: 10,000+ • Number of Schools: • 9 Elementary • 3 Middle • 1 High School • 1 Alternative • North San Diego County

4. Context • District API: 831 • # of Schools in Program Improvement: 0 • Failed Data Management System • Tense Labor Relations • Leadership Turnover • Many New Technology Initiatives • Microsoft Exchange Server

5. What is a Professional Learning Community? • “When educators learn to clarify their priorities, to asses the current reality of their situation, to work together, and to build continuous improvement into the very fabric of their collective work, they create conditions for the ongoing learning and self-efficacy essential to solving whatever problems they confront” • Learning By Doing

6. Essential Components of a PLC • Collaboration • Assessment • Interventions

7. Collaboration • Schools that function as professional learning communities are always characterized by a collaborative culture. Teacher isolation is replaced with collaborative processes that are deeply embedded into the daily life of the school. Members of a PLC are not “invited” to work with colleagues. They are called upon to be contributing members of a collective effort to improve the school’s capacity to help all students learn at high levels. • Getting Started

8. Technology Resources for Collaboration • SchoolLoop: www.schoolloop.com • Connect-Ed: www.ntigroup.com

9. Reflection • What do you like about the collaboration resources? • What questions, concerns, or issues are raised as you think about the collaboration resources?

10. Assessment • In a professional learning community, educators are hungry for evidence of student learning. Relevant, timely information is the essential fuel of their continuous improvement process. • Learning By Doing

11. Technology Resources for Assessment • TICAL: www.portical.org • ELAR: www.clrn.org/elar • Data Director: www.achievedata.com • Zoomerang: www.zoomerang.com • CIVIC: www.getcivic.org

12. Reflection • What do you like about the assessment resources? • What questions, concerns, or issues are raised as you think about the assessment resources?

13. Interventions • “ Professional learning communities create a systematic process of interventions to ensure students receive additional time and support for learning when they experience difficulty. The intervention process is timely and students are directed rather than invited to utilize the system of time and support” • Learning By Doing

14. Technology Resources for Interventions • Aeries: www.aeries.com • Intervention Coding • Discipline Coding • Intervention Central: www.interventioncentral.org • Framework for Intervention: www.sonoma.k12.ca.us

15. Reflection • What do you like about the intervention resources? • What questions, concerns, or issues are raised as you think about the intervention resources?

16. Conclusion • If schools are to improve, they need educators who believe in the possibility of a better future—and in themselves. • PLC at Work

17. Contacts • Devin Vodicka: dvodicka@carlsbadusd.net or devinvodicka@getcivic.org • Catina Hancock: chancock@carlsbadusd.net or catinahancock@getcivic.org