Professional Development through Peer Observations

What are best practices for evaluating the impact of professional learning in a way that is aligned with student outcomes, and sustained professional growth, while meeting the needs of adult professional learners? In an effort to improve teacher professional development many schools are personalizing teacher learning. In the article from Cult of Pedagogy, OMG Becky. […]

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The Role of Needs Assessments in Professional Learning

Background There are many examples of professional development that have minimally worked for me, and they all share the following characteristics: They were short, took place only one time, the presentation was informational, it did not connect the information t my specific content area or needs, and the presenters did not inquiere how successful the […]

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Assessing for Learning

For this module, I decided to investigate ISTE standard 4.4b – help educators use digital tools to create effective assessments that provide timely feedback and support personalized learning. ISTE standard 4.6 also relates to the use of qualitative and quantitative data to inform one’s own instruction and professional learning. Designing learning activities with the end […]

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Instructional modeling, a powerful strategy in coaching

ISTE Standard 4.4.d states: “Model the use of instructional design principles with educators to create effective digital learning environments.” ISTE standard 4.4.d is not the only one that addresses the importance of instructional modeling. The article  ISTE Standards for Coaches 2: Model effective tech integration (2014) explains that modeling effective strategies allows teachers to see […]

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Building and Restoring Trust: A demanding yet worthy effort

ISTE coaching standard 1c states: “Cultivate a supportive coaching culture that encourages educators and leaders to achieve a shared vision and individual goals.” The literature points to the importance of trusting relationships when cultivating a supportive coaching culture. Foltos explains that “coaching cannot succeed without a trusting respectful relationship” (p. 21). The literature provides many […]

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Blended Learning in the World Language Classroom

Before the pandemic forced educators to teach online, I had been developing a blended model for teaching Middle & High School Spanish. Once a week, students would experience online learning in the face-to-face classroom. The model I created not only solved time and management constraints common in the brick-and-mortar classroom, it also was well received […]

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Designing Professional Development to Improve Student Learning

“You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.” – Michael Jordan Retrieved on Aug 23, 2021 from  successstory.com The article Bridging the Gap: Technology Trends […]

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How can a technology integration framework help educators find the most suitable digital learning tools and content for their unique teaching context?

Professional development for educators can take many forms. One kind of professional development is the creation of a coach/educator partnership, where communication and collaboration takes place over a period of time. This model is consistent with ISTE standard for coaches 3b which states “Partner with educators to identify digital learning content that is culturaly relevant, […]

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Relevant & Simple PD

ISTE standard 3a for Coaches refers to the importance of establishing trusting respectful coaching relationships that encourage educators to explore new instructional strategies. In order for coaches to earn trust and respect, they must consider and support educators’ interests first. Trust and respect take time to develop, but inspiration can be kindled in an instant. […]

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How can online discussion forums inspire students to positively contribute to and responsibly participate in the digital world?

Besides being a Spanish language teacher, for the last three years I have hosted and co-coached a VEX Robotics team. Every time I learn a new ISTE standard, I think of how VEX Robotics exemplifies that standard. ISTE Standard for Educators 3 addresses how “Educators inspire students to positively contribute to and responsibly participate in […]

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