Professional Learning
The Why?
Every organizational field has some form of professional development, whether healthcare, hospitality, business, or education. Corporate leaders are always trying to find ways to help develop their employees. However, unlike in other fields, an educator’s purpose is to educate and inspire students to learn. A truly effective teacher must create a significant learning environment where students can develop as learning as they use their imagination and explore their passions. Students are not the only ones who must learn. Teachers also need an opportunity to build and grow in a significant learning environment. By providing teachers with meaningful professional learning in the area of blended learning, they will be able to use 21st-century skills to increase student engagement.
The What?
By providing meaningful professional learning, teachers can explore creativity through choice, ownership, voice, and authenticity, allowing them a first-hand experience in which they can relate to the students and grant them a similar opportunity.
Video Script
The How?
Our group consisted of four ladies who spent many hours putting the video together. On day one, we worked together on building our narrative; brainstormed on which direction we would like to take. After editing our description, we met on day 2 in the morning to finish the script and started a presentation on Google Slides. We looked for images that correlated with our message. That evening, we met to complete our description and Google slide presentation. On the third day, we debated whether to move our production to Canva or keep it on Google Slides. After weighing our options, we went with Google Slides. When recording the video for our Professional Learning call to action, we tried Loom to record and found out that it would not work for us because Loom would not allow us to share the presentation with everyone while recording. We tried zoom video and found it worked for us. We then went back and edited our narrative and slides. We broke down the description into paragraphs and assigned everyone apart to narrate in the video. We did a few practice rounds before the final recording to ensure we got the words to the appropriate slides. After we all felt better, we recorded several takes before we were satisfied with it. Although we were confident with the narration of the video and slides, there were some things we needed to edit out. Stacie and Lola used their software and devices to edit out time and frames from the video.
Through teacher-led collaboration with technology experts equipped to individualize in professional learning to meet the teacher’s specific needs, we can create meaningful Professional learning. To succeed in the professional learning community, we need to focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively and hold ourselves accountable for results.
Before
End Result
One of many takes
References
Duarte, N. [Stanford Graduate School of Business]. (2013a, March 21). Nancy Duarte: How to tell a story [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JrRQ1oQWQk
Gulamhussein, A. (2013). Teaching the Teachers Effective Professional Development in an Era of High Stakes Accountability. Center for Public Education. Retrieved from http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/system/files/2013-176_ProfessionalDevelopment.pdf
Many, T. W., & Sparks-Many, S. K, (2015). Leverage: Using PLCs to promote lasting improvement in schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press