Overview of Alternative PL Outline

The purpose of the Alternative Professional Outline is to support my innovation plan for e-portfolios in the classroom for the Reading/Language Arts Classroom in the 4th grade-12th grade level. Teachers will utilize Google Classroom as the LMS platform, which is where all the lessons will be located, and Google Sites is where students will build their e-portfolio. 

 

This alternative professional learning will be a collaborative, creative, and engaging model geared towards the utilization of Google Sites. Like the students, teachers need the engagement and active learning to enhance their abilities to improve their craft. Instead of the instead of the “sit-and-learn” model of professional development, professional learning encourages the teachers an active, collaborative, learning approach. Furthermore, this type of engagement will have teachers understand what they need to do to model the construction of Google Sites for students to do in the classroom. 

 

Incorporating Effective Professional Development 5 Key Principles

1. Ongoing Learning and Support

   1. Continuous and supportive learning with teachers through coaching and scheduled meetings.

   2. PLC Meetings.

   3. Shared updates and feedback throughout the process.

2. Implementation Support

   1. Lesson planning guidance and support with Google Sites.

      1. We meet will before the beginning of the school year to discuss phase 1 of the innovation plan. 

   2. Visiting teachers' classrooms when they begin the implementation.

   3. Provide resources to teachers to ease the implementation.

3. Active Engagement

   1. Have teachers construct their own Google Sites to understand the steps to construct a Google Site.

   2. Teachers will have opportunities to select their work or creations to insert into their Google Sites. This will give teachers an example of what the process will look like in constructing a Google Site. 

4. Modeling Using Best Practices

   1. Model how the Google Sites should be created in steps

      1. If too many steps are confusing for teachers, they can be confusing for students. 

   2. Have teachers share when they had students create their e-portfolio. 

5. Content Per Grade Level Needs

   1. Ensuring the resources and activities align with the level of the class as a whole. 

   2. The focus will be on 4th and 5th-grade students constructing an RLA e-Portfolio for writing samples. That said, teachers will review and reflect on the writing of their students. This shows the appropriate skills and objectives are tied to the TEKS of the appropriate grade level. 

• Fostering Collaboration:

  • Discussion

    • Reflection discussing what we can improve on. 

    • Where will fit this into our day?

  • Google Sites Coaching.

  • Troubleshoot challenges on Google Sites.

  • Sharing what teachers are learning from teaching the students what they are learning in Google Sites and their creations. 

• Leadership Roles:

  • As the Lead Facilitator and Trainer, I will begin by introducing the pilot in my classroom. 

  • District Technology Director

  • Grade Level Tech Leader

  • Campus Admin

  • Curriculum Specialist

Needs of the Audience:

Who- 4th-5th Grade Reading/Language Arts Teachers construct a Google Site to teach their students to create a Google Site for their e-portfolio. 

Needs- 

1. Step-by-step guidance to construct Google Sites 

2. Discussion on what those steps will look like in the classroom as the teacher facilitates the process of developing Google Sites. 

3. Ongoing support from me, the facilitator, throughout the school year, as well as support from administrators and the technology director. 

Support- 

1. Provide coaching support to teachers on how to construct a Google Site.

2. Provide troubleshooting support in the classroom to help teachers help students create a Google Site.

3. Will need support from technology to ensure Google Sites is accessible for all students and to set the settings to private/district access only. 

 

PL Instructional Design

Framework: 

• Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG), and Fink’s 3-Column Table Approach.

• Understanding by Design (UbD). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Schedule/Timeline 

Phase 1: PL the week before school begins the 2nd week of the first six weeks.

• Teachers explore Google Sites.

• Teachers will construct their own Google Site to understand the process and how the site works.

• Teachers will devise a plan on when to implement it. 

• Continuous support and feedback as needed for troubleshooting.

Phase 2: 

1st Six Weeks: Week 3- 4th and 5th Grade Reading/Language Arts teachers will begin implementing my e-Portfolios in the classroom by beginning with the Google Site development as planned utilizing Fink’s 3-Column Table and BHAG.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

• Teachers will begin the modeling and facilitation process of constructing a Google Site for the students. 

  • I will provide mentoring and facilitation help in the process. 

• Students will begin constructing their Google Site with one step at a time. 

• By the end of the 1st Six Weeks, students will have selected a writing piece to incorporate into their Google Site. 

Phase 3

• Ongoing reflection: What is working and what isn’t working?

  • How can we improve the innovation plan as we move forward?

• Monitor and Adjust what needs to be fixed.

  • Reflect and refine methods for improvement. 

• 2nd Six weeks and onward: Teachers will have students continue with selecting writing samples to input into Google Sites. 

• Continuous PLC meetings throughout the year. 

  • I will meet with teachers two times per six weeks and make myself available for any troubleshooting needs. 

Resources Needed: It is important that RLA teachers have the resources needed to feel fully prepared and successful to implement my innovation plan in the classroom. 

• Learning Management System, such as Google Classroom

• Google Sites

• Chromebooks

• Wi-Fi

• Slide Deck

• Lesson Planning Templates: Finks 3 Column Table, BHAG, and Understanding by Design (UbD) Framework.

• Instructional Guides

  • Rubrics for grading purposes and for students to follow.

  • Guided Videos to help students create Google Sites

  • Fink’s 3-Table Column and BHAG

  • UbD Lesson Plan

  • ISTE Standards

  • TEKS

    • Instructional Focus Document (IFD)

    • Year at a Glance (YAG)

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References

Edmentum. (30, October 2023). Five principles of professional development for teachers. Edmentum. https://www.edmentum.com/articles/5-principles-of-professional-development-for-teachers/

 

Eduphoria. (18, August 2022). Professional development or professional learning? Eduphoria. https://www.eduphoria.com/resources/professional-development-or-professional-learning

 

Gulamhussein, A. (2013). Teaching the teachers: Effective professional development in an era of high stakes accountability. Center for Public Education. http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/system/files/2013-176_ProfessionalDevelopment.pdf

 

Hill, H. C. (2015). Review of The Mirage: Confronting the hard truth about our quest for teacher development. Harvard Graduate School of Education. http://www.greatlakescenter.org/docs/Think_Twice/TT-Hill-TNTP.pdf

 

Scherff, L. (2018, January 4). Distinguishing professional learning from professional development. REL Pacific Blog. Institute of Education Sciences. https://ies.ed.gov/learn/blog/distinguishing-professional-learning-professional-development

 

TNTP. (2015). The Mirage: Confronting the hard truth about our quest for teacher development. http://tntp.org/publications/view/evaluation-and-development/the-mirage-confronting-the-truth-about-our-quest-for-teacher-development

 

Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design, Expanded 2nd Edition. Pearson.

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