5.2 Professional Learning
Candidates develop and implement technology-based professional learning that aligns to state and national professional learning standards, integrates technology to support face-to-face and online components, models principles of adult learning, and promotes best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment. (PSC 5.2/ISTE 4b)
Artifacts: Technology Workshop
Coaching Journal
Observation Form
Survey Results
Reflection:
I proposed this workshop to a group of speech teachers and certified teachers who are working as paraprofessionals. I was pleasantly surprised by their enthusiasm. As stated in the lesson plan these teachers often miss out on in house professional development because their positions add time constraints that can’t be worked around. I was first eager to find out if they were even interested, which I did with the help of my flyer. The next hurdle was finding a common time we could conduct this workshop without disturbing their students’ schedules. We were able to do half of the workshop during their lunch schedules and half after school. I feel the workshop was a success largely because it occurred at the school.
This workshop demonstrates mastery of standard 5.2 because I created a workshop that was technology based professional learning and I implemented it face-to-face with an additional online component. I modeled principals of adult learning by presenting the material in a collaborative fashion that employed the principals of the partnership philosophy.
Most of the certified paraprofessionals were eager and willing to learn material that would help them obtain permanent certified positions. The speech teachers were eager to incorporate technology in their speech lessons as they felt they might be able to engage their students more thoroughly. In casual conversations the speech teachers also indicated they wanted to know more about the Reading Eggs program as they felt it might have a place in students’ speech therapies. I assured them I thought this might be a good tool for them, since it can repeat letter sounds tirelessly. I gave each teacher a handout of the lesson map showing them they did not have to follow the lessons in a sequential order, but could jump to the letter/sound individual speech students needed allowing them to differentiate their lessons. I also assured them they did not have to memorize this program and they could visit the server and review a follow video any time they needed.
When the workshop was completed I had teachers fill out a survey so that I might assess the workshop’s effectiveness, my effectiveness as an instructor and the effectiveness of the Reading Eggs program. I was pleased with the results and I would be happy to repeat this workshop for other teachers. The most encouraging result was question 12, “additional comments” as one speech teacher indicated this program would work well with their speech and language students in helping them hear the correct sound that a letter makes. The teachers also indicated they could assess a child who knew the sound receptively but could not reproduce that sound. Asking the speech teachers to participate in this workshop was a risk, as they were not familiar with the Reading Eggs program and I am not familiar with their methods and procedures. They indicated this program would be a great asset to their instruction as they indicated it will help their students to make correct sounds for letters. As the SLP teachers do not currently include this program in their instruction the coach has created a link on the school server with a follow up instructional video to assist them should they decide to use it. As well, a follow up email was sent to the participants instructing them on how to find the video on the server, as well as, the above Weebly link.
If I were to offer this workshop again I would offer it to the ELL teachers as this program would be beneficial to their students as well. This artifact had a positive impact on professional learning as each teacher indicated their surprise at the capabilities of Reading Eggs and the place it could have in their instruction. It will be interesting to see how using Reading Eggs in SLP and ELL classes affect their progress. However, teachers have a new tool to increase student achievement in both programs.
I proposed this workshop to a group of speech teachers and certified teachers who are working as paraprofessionals. I was pleasantly surprised by their enthusiasm. As stated in the lesson plan these teachers often miss out on in house professional development because their positions add time constraints that can’t be worked around. I was first eager to find out if they were even interested, which I did with the help of my flyer. The next hurdle was finding a common time we could conduct this workshop without disturbing their students’ schedules. We were able to do half of the workshop during their lunch schedules and half after school. I feel the workshop was a success largely because it occurred at the school.
This workshop demonstrates mastery of standard 5.2 because I created a workshop that was technology based professional learning and I implemented it face-to-face with an additional online component. I modeled principals of adult learning by presenting the material in a collaborative fashion that employed the principals of the partnership philosophy.
Most of the certified paraprofessionals were eager and willing to learn material that would help them obtain permanent certified positions. The speech teachers were eager to incorporate technology in their speech lessons as they felt they might be able to engage their students more thoroughly. In casual conversations the speech teachers also indicated they wanted to know more about the Reading Eggs program as they felt it might have a place in students’ speech therapies. I assured them I thought this might be a good tool for them, since it can repeat letter sounds tirelessly. I gave each teacher a handout of the lesson map showing them they did not have to follow the lessons in a sequential order, but could jump to the letter/sound individual speech students needed allowing them to differentiate their lessons. I also assured them they did not have to memorize this program and they could visit the server and review a follow video any time they needed.
When the workshop was completed I had teachers fill out a survey so that I might assess the workshop’s effectiveness, my effectiveness as an instructor and the effectiveness of the Reading Eggs program. I was pleased with the results and I would be happy to repeat this workshop for other teachers. The most encouraging result was question 12, “additional comments” as one speech teacher indicated this program would work well with their speech and language students in helping them hear the correct sound that a letter makes. The teachers also indicated they could assess a child who knew the sound receptively but could not reproduce that sound. Asking the speech teachers to participate in this workshop was a risk, as they were not familiar with the Reading Eggs program and I am not familiar with their methods and procedures. They indicated this program would be a great asset to their instruction as they indicated it will help their students to make correct sounds for letters. As the SLP teachers do not currently include this program in their instruction the coach has created a link on the school server with a follow up instructional video to assist them should they decide to use it. As well, a follow up email was sent to the participants instructing them on how to find the video on the server, as well as, the above Weebly link.
If I were to offer this workshop again I would offer it to the ELL teachers as this program would be beneficial to their students as well. This artifact had a positive impact on professional learning as each teacher indicated their surprise at the capabilities of Reading Eggs and the place it could have in their instruction. It will be interesting to see how using Reading Eggs in SLP and ELL classes affect their progress. However, teachers have a new tool to increase student achievement in both programs.