As a person in Technology Services and a graduate student, I receive and send a lot of email. Actually, you could say that about most roles: “As a person in [insert field here] , I receive and send a lot email.” While the communication ranges in form, from responding to panicked requests, inquiries about classroom […]
I purchased this sign for my office. It caught my eye the minute I entered a cute shop in Puyallup, Washington a few week ago. I circles back to look at it three times. The statement obviously intrigued me. I like baseball, but I wouldn’t call myself a big fan. The sign was in the […]
In a couple of weeks, the last quarter of the Digital Education Leadership (DEL) program at Seattle Pacific University comes to a close. Part of the DEL program, requires graduate students to participate in a practicum. I chose to work along side two technology coaches from my district. For over 19 hours, I observed coaches … Read More
Practicum As part of my final course with the Digital Educational Leadership master’s program at Seattle Pacific University, I engaged in a 12 week practicum, job-shadowing two instructors who teach a technology elective course for middle school students. The course, a high school graduation requirement, focuses on preparing students to use technology for various academic and […]
This quarter in the Digital Education Leadership program at Seattle Pacific University I am focused on the fourth standard of the ISTE Coaching Standards, Professional Development and Program Evaluation:
Technology coaches conduct needs assessments, develop technology-related professional learning programs, and evaluate the impact on instructional practice and student learning.
Over the last several weeks, my classmates and I have learned how to implement a successful professional development program and I have identified the following elements as being most useful when evaluating a professional development program:
Sadly, professional development is generally “something that is ‘done’ to teachers” (Pilar, 2014). Teachers need opportunities to explore their own interests and venture into those topics at a personalized level that works for their individual learning styles. In a study conducted by the Center for Professional Education, it was found that “90% of teachers reported participating in some form of professional development, and they also reported that it was not helpful in their practice. Thus, professional development is happening, but it is not effective” (Blattner, 2015). Imagine a place where teachers drive their learning by expressing their interests, learning at their own pace, implementing their discoveries and reflecting on their current and future practices. … Read More
For the past few weeks I have explored ISTE Coaching Standard 4b to try to understand how professional learning specifically impacts the use of education technology. School districts continue to take major steps, both in effort and resources, to provide professional development opportunities in the hopes of improving student learning. Unfortunately, the results continue to […]
Most educators are becoming familiar with the SAMR Model, a framework designed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura to “help educators infuse technology into teaching and learning” (Shrock). While there are four equally important aspects to the SAMR Model, this post is going to look at R = Redefinition.
What exactly is the “Redefinition” of the SAMR Model? And how can we implement it into our classrooms? Let’s take a look!
Drag your cursor to 1:46 to see these teachers practice redefinition:
How is this “Redefinition”? Ask yourself these questions:
Could the teachers have played back the golf ball bouncing in slow motion without the technology?
Could the teachers have watched the movement of the ball at varying speeds if this lesson had been taught without the technology?
Have they (or how could they) share this work and their findings with a larger audience? How could this work benefit others? …When unpacking science standards? …In other contexts?
How did this work transform the lesson?
Miller, M. (2014, April 3). 10 ways to reach SAMR’s redefinition level [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://ditchthattextbook.com/2014/04/03/10-ways-to-reach-samrs-redefinition-level/
NGSS. (n.d.). NGSS: science and engineering practices [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/science-engineering-practices-achieve#
Schrock, K. (n.d.). Resources to support the SAMR … Read More
Last semester I began my exploration of the ISTE Coaching Standards through the Digital Education Leadership program at Seattle Pacific University. This semester I continue that inquiry, while paying particular attention to the fourth standard, Professional Development and Program Evaluation. This standard, more so than any other, delves deep into the topic and addresses several areas of importance:
Technology coaches conduct needs assessments, develop technology-related professional learning programs, and evaluate the impact on instructional practice and student learning:
a. Conduct needs assessments to inform the content and delivery of technology-related professional learning programs that result in a positive impact on student learning
b. Design, develop, and implement technology-rich professional learning programs that model principles of adult learning and promote digital age best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment learning experiences using a variety of research-based, learner-centered instructional strategies and assessment tools to address the diverse needs and interests of all students
c. Coach teachers in and model engagement of students in local and global interdisciplinary units in which technology helps students assume professional roles, research real-world problems, collaborate with others, and produce products that are meaningful and useful to a wide audience
d. Coach teachers in and model design … Read More
Generation Ready. (n.d.). Raising student achievement through professional development. Retrieved January 27, 2016, from http://www.generationready.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/PD-White-Paper.pdf
Regional Educational Laboratory. (2007, October). Reviewing the evidence on how teacher professional development affects student achievement. Issues & Answers, (33), iii-31. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/southwest/pdf/rel_2007033.pdf… Read More
While the entire Digital Education Leadership program at Seattle Pacific University is designed to be a hands-on experience which embeds learning opportunities into students’ current workplace, this course, in particular, provided students with a meaningful opportunity to practice our newfound skills in a professional environment. Under the tutelage of Dr. David Wicks, Associate Professor and Chair of the Digital Education Leadership program and Dr. Les Foltos, Director of Educational Innovation at Peer-Ed and author of Peer Coaching: Unlocking the Power of Collaboration, students were trained as peer coaches and we worked with a collaborating teacher from our respective schools. I chronicled that learned and the skills I obtained in posts throughout the quarter and now, as this course comes to a close, I’m reflecting on the work that was done and thinking about how to sustain my skills as a peer coach in the future.
The importance of peer coaching practice in schools became evident to me very quickly into the quarter. Teachers that are supported create students that are successful. Well-renowned researchers of teaching methods and staff development, Bruce Joyce and Beverly Showers, have found that teachers that have been coached generally demonstrate the following:
