The Story Behind the Story

We are quite spectacular, but learning is constant for both educators and learners! Professional growth is a never-ending lifelong process which educators and others are constantly improving through a constructivist perspective that involves application and reflection. Innovative and disruptive administration/educators know that they must continue their own personal learning to be the best at inspiring their own learners toward their greatest potentials!

How might we create a culture of inquiry for administrators and educators? We can start with a simple shift in rhetoric. Are we not in fact professional learners? Professional growth is a never-ending, a lifelong process in which educators or others are constantly improving through a constructivist perspective that involves application and reflection.

My Why-

By why I mean what’s your purpose? What’s your cause? What’s your belief? Why does your organization exist? And why should anyone care?

Sinek, (2009) states that teachers must receive an invitation to professional learning (PL), which allows them to implement the right resources for their exploration and passion for education.

As I was thinking about my experiences of Professional Development, I believe that our leaders expects a timeline-like experience. You have XYZ due on Date 123. However, Professional Learning should be so much more than that.

I hope to inspire administrators as well as educators to take their learning into their own hands and to explore alternate ways to deliver Professional Learning trainings.  

My What-

How might we create a culture of inquiry for administrators and educators? We can start with a simple shift in rhetoric. Are we not in fact professional learners? Professional growth is a never-ending, a lifelong process in which educators or others are constantly improving through a constructivist perspective that involves application and reflection.

• Call to Action

I am working with a small group who believe the culture of professional development can be improved through creating significant learning environments for administration, educators, as well students combined with a growth mindset.

Professional Learning recognizes that teachers are learning and growing just like their students. While the term “development” indicates a process that has an end point, “learning” recognizes that professional growth is a never-ending, lifelong process.

How might we create a culture of inquiry for administration/educators? We can start with a simple shift in rhetoric. As professionals in education, are we not in fact professional learners? Professional growth is a never-ending, lifelong process in which we are constantly improving through a constructivist perspective that involves application and reflection.

According to John Hattie’s extensive research, "The biggest effect in our business is the expertise of teachers. It’s teachers who work together, collectively, collaboratively, to understand their impact.” We believe we can improve the effectiveness of teachers and create a culture of inquiry with improved professional learning.

Call to Action Video

My How-

Learners take ownership through reflecting and connecting authentic experiences using the Five Principles of Professional Learning: Duration, Support, Engagement, Modeling, Specific Content.

Professional Learning Outline

I utilized the Three-Column Table while developing my professional learning course for my team within my organization and targeted audience. While creating my design map, it allowed me to start from the bottom and focus on my outcomes, assessments, and assignments. I was able to revert back to my design map when creating my timeline for the PL pre-production of my plan outline. 

School systems are failing to help teachers understand how to improve—or even that they have room to improve at all (2015). While developing my professional learning plan, I decided to use the Three-Column Table map for my innovation plan. As I worked on my outline, I was able to integrate Gulamhussein’s 5 Key Principles for Effective Professional Learning (2013):

1. Duration

2. Support

3. Engagement 

4. Modeling 

5. Specific Content 

Visual screenshot of my Professional Learning (PL) plan outline.

You can click this Download button to view the full PL outline. 

Timeline

Over the course of collaborative professional learning, teachers will become familiar with ePortfolios and their possibilities, create their own ePortfolios and learn how to use them as a tool with their students to assist students in creating their own ePortfolios. The ePortfolios will be online and shared with parents and others.

Resources and Media

A laptop with a smart board in conference room and a solid internet connection at the school campus.

Please click here for my PL Sessions Slide Presentation

Three-Column Table

For more information on Professional Learning, click links:

https://learningforward.org/standards

https://learningforward.org/standards-for-professional-learning/ 

https://learningforward.org/standards-for-professional-learning/ 

Reflective Learning