realizing the potential of online and blended professional development
TRANSCRIPT
Realizing the Potential of Online and
Blended Professional Development
Barbara TreacyISTE
June 30, 2015http://bit.ly/1eFzJDc
● Our Questions● Effective PD ● Online and Blended PD
o Opportunitieso Challengeso Examples
What do we want to know about online and blended professional learning?
Discuss
Professional Learning / Unlearning
Learning is Social, Networked, Anytime, Any Place, Any Device
http://www.personalizemedia.com/media/socmedcounter.swf
“The change we are in the middle of isn’t minor and isn’t optional”-Clay Shirky
National EdTech Plan“Episodic and ineffective professional learning is replaced by professional learning that is collaborative, coherent, and continuous and that blends more effective in-person courses and workshops with the expanded opportunities, immediacy, and convenience enabled by online learning”
“Build the capacity of educators by enabling a shift to a model of connected teaching”
Think about: A professional learning opportunity you participated in or led that was effective
Discuss: What made it effective?
Effective Professional Learning
Effective Professional Learning is:● focused on student learning● intensive, ongoing, job-embedded● addresses teaching specific curricular
content● aligns with school improvement priorities
and goals● builds strong working relationships with
teachers-Linda Darling-Hammond
Principles
● Professional Learning designs can make use of technology to support o Learning Goalso Personalizationo Scaleo Differentiationo Facilitation
● Important to learn with the tools educators are expected to use in their classrooms/schools
● Enables connected teaching!
Technology
● EdTech Leaders Online ● Leadership in Blended Learning● NYCLA Blended Residency● MOOC-Eds● Share your examples!
Discuss how these examples● address principles of effective PD● embrace connected teaching and learning● use online tools to address traditional limitations
Examples: Online, Blended, Massive
● Flexibility: Anytime, anyplace learning● Access: Engage with experts/resources not
available locally● Reflection: Participate and interact over time● Collaboration: New tools and options● Personalization: Custom paths ● Extended over time: Ability to try things out in
the classroom with feedback● Data: Increased access to learner data● Scalability: Ability to replicate across sites/scale
to large audiences● Tools: Increasing number are free/easy to use
Online/Blended PD Opportunities
● Facilitators/developers need training and expertise in online design and delivery
● Content development and facilitation is labor intensive
● Important to build in budget to maintain and update content
● Initial and ongoing investment in technical infrastructure and staff may be needed
● Ability to customize important● Tools choices can be overwhelming
Online/Blended PD Challenges
1. Establish clear goals and expectations2. Make everyone feel welcome 3. Provide behind-the-scenes support via email4. Foster communication between participants5. Model participation and discussion techniques6. Keep online discussion alive; prevent stagnancy7. Keep online discussion on-topic8. Guide participants through curriculum9. Ensure audience and content are in sync10.Bring closure to each topic before moving on
http://courses.edtechleaders.org/documents/opd/ETLO_Ten_Tips.htm
Facilitation - 10 Tips
● Requires rethinking content, design, tools, implementation
● Not a simple solution: requires time/resources● Can improve educator practice/student learning● Learning community models foster reflection● Learning goals must lead; technology follows● Can enable personalization and scale● Can be effective, engaging and fun!
Recap: Online/Blended PD
Thank You!
Barbara TreacyDigital Learning Consultant
Instructor, Harvard Graduate School of Education
[email protected]@barbaratreacy
Questions?