Developing Effective Professional Development
As I work on creating an enriched virtual model for students, I recognize that the success of any curriculum hinges on not only strong content but also the right kind of support for both teachers and students. As part of my innovation plan, which focuses on designing a virtual learning environment for K-12 students, it’s essential to ensure that the instructional strategies and support systems align with the principles of effective virtual learning. If virtual learning is the future of education, then we must also shift how we deliver professional development, adopting a more hands-on, engaging approach. Teachers cannot fully grasp how to navigate and implement a virtual curriculum if they are only receiving passive, lecture-style training.
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Through this course, I have gained valuable insights and tools to help develop a prototype for what an enriched virtual learning model could look like for teachers. While I’m not directly involved in my school’s professional development team, I’ve crafted this prototype as an introduction to showcase the potential of virtual learning. My goal is to use the knowledge I’ve gained through the ADL program to persuade our PD team that this enriched virtual model is essential for preparing educators as virtual learning becomes more mainstream in education.
Call to Action
The first step in my professional learning plan was to create a call to action video. This includes a detailed narrative and rationale that explains the media produced, showcasing both creativity and skills. Read about the backstory behind the idea, including the motivation, relevance to personal or societal contexts, and the evolution of the concept.
Effective PD
I then created a comprehensive outline for my professional learning (PL) plan. This plan covers the five key principles of professional learning, identifies my target audience and their specific needs, and outlines how I will promote collaboration, effective modeling, and self-directed learning. It also designates the leaders for each section and provides a tentative release schedule for the newly-designed PL. The professional development outline emphasizes the timeframe required to ensure teachers' success in effectively implementing enriched virtual learning.
Aligning Outcomes, Assessments, and Activities
To structure my professional learning lesson, I developed a three-column table that aligns the outcomes, assessments, and activities for the training session. The table is centered around one Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG): Learners will engage in a "go-and-show" model of professional learning, reflect on their experience, and create an activity that can be implemented in their own go-and-show professional training sessions.
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My Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG):
My BHAG for this course is to cultivate a generation of students who can seamlessly integrate technology, creativity, and interdisciplinary thinking to tackle complex problems in innovative ways. By the end of the course, I want students to feel empowered to apply their learning not just in academic contexts, but in their professional and personal lives, pushing the boundaries of what they can accomplish with the digital tools at their disposal.
Fusion of Design and Application
By combining both Understanding by Design emphasis on understanding and assessment with Fink’s focus on application and integration, the innovation plan for the Enriched Virtual Model can successfully address both the immediate learning needs of students and their long-term educational goals.
PL Session 1
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Resources
Here are some articles and handouts that would be valuable for supporting the implementation of the professional development (PD) plan, especially for the Enriched Virtual Model.
