One of the most outstanding interests of my district is to promote equitable learning opportunities for all students. With that idea in mind, we became a 1:1 iPad district at the High School level since Fall of 2016. All students are assigned with an iPad that they are allowed to take home for personal use and homework. The district partnered with the community to provide WiFi to students at various spots around the schools in addition to the city libraries. With this initiative, my school has been promoting the use of technology in each classroom, leveling the ground for many students that do not have access to a computer at home.
As a member of the Innovation in Instruction group for the District, I have continuously prepared and facilitated professional development on the use of different technology tools and applications for teachers on my campus for two school years. Some of the sessions have been dedicated to learn new tools and implement them in lessons. Others have been to help a specific teacher or subject area PLC with their particular technology needs or troubleshooting an app. Other times, I have created webinars that are later uploaded to the district collection for on-demand professional development that teachers can use according to their interests and in their own time.
In the beginning, I felt very nervous about organizing and facilitating professional development sessions, but now I am very comfortable and confident in what I do. Preparing my sessions takes less time, and I am capable of providing teachers with learning opportunities according to their needs as well as give hands-on experiences.
According to the results of a survey I gave to teachers in my school in February 2018, 66% of the teachers in my campus prefer personal coaching sessions over group session, but 78% think that during a group PD session they have learned at least one thing they can implement in their classes right away. Also, the most common recommendations from teachers is to take suggestions or make a poll to select the topics or tools to work on upcoming sessions.
Using this advice, I have organized my last PD sessions after several teachers requesting specific topics, and I have gained valuable experience by collaborating in several district-wide professional developments. These experiences are helping me get closer to my leadership goal.
As I continue to advance in the Digital Learning and Leading program, I reflect on the teacher’s choice and right to decide what they want to learn about or what they need. I am starting to wonder about options to provide teachers with Choice, ownership, voice through authentic learning opportunities (COVA) during Professional Development.
