paraeducator professional development: on-line style!

NRCP Conference 2009NRCP Conference 2009

Paraeducator Professional Development – On-Line

Style!

Paraeducator Professional Development – On-Line

Style!

Our Journey

No standard professional development for paraeducators in Kentucky

In 1999, the Paraeducators of Kentucky Project was started with the State Improvement Grant funds

Initially developed modules for face-to-face training

A Paraeducator PD Cadre was convened in 2005 to begin development of on-line modules

On-line Modules

Paraeducator PD Cadre included representatives from: KY Department of Education Directors of Special Education Teacher Consultants in the area of special

education Paraeducators from Title I and Special Education

PD Cadre initially developed 4 modules in Year 1 and returned with minor changes in representation to complete 4 additional modules in Year 2.

Our Journey Continues

Module content and activities were developed by the Cadre and reformatted to meet Blackboard requirements

Currently there are 236 participants enrolled with 138 module completions

Working with the Kentucky Community & Technical College System to implement an articulation agreement

Current On-Line Modules

PARA 101: General Knowledge & ValuesPARA 102: Maintaining Safe & Supportive

Instructional EnvironmentPARA 103: Assisting with Instructional PracticesPARA 104: Assisting in Assessment & Evaluation

ProceduresPARA 105: Managing Behaviors & Enhancing Social

Interactions of StudentsPARA 106: Communication & CollaborationPARA 107: Participating in Professional & Ethical

PracticesPARA 108: Community-Based Job Coach

Goal

The main goal of the program is to equip paraeducators to better perform their roles and responsibilities in the classroom

25 Years & Still Learning

25 Years & Still Learning

The PuzzleTo put together a puzzle you

have to have all the piecesYou have to have a picture of the

finished productIn order to successfully complete

the puzzle, you HAVE TO HAVE the first two things

Without them it is like putting the puzzle together blindfolded

The BeginningAfter teaching preschool for 10

years in a daycare setting, I started working as an Instructional Assistant for the school system

Originally it was because I would be on the same schedule as my kids

After 15 years it has become a career

In the BeginningMy first year for professional

development, I was required to work opening or closing day, and have 6 additional hours

My 6 additional PD hours amounted to:◦3 hours for Open House in the Fall◦3 hours for Open House in the Spring

I had NO formal training

In the Beginning (continued)I was hired because of my 10

years of working with children without disabilities

I was placed in a position to work with children with profound disabilities

Some call it on-the-job training, I call it “baptism by fire”

And yet I SURVIVED!

Over the YearsOver the years I have learned:

◦The teacher is not always right◦Every student has SOMETHING to

give◦Not every situation is the same◦Paraeducators are at the bottom of

the food chain◦If you don’t laugh at it, you will go crazy

Paraeducator Summer Institute

In 2008, I learned “I AM NOT ALONE”The Paraeducators of Kentucky Project

presented a summer institute I never knew the Paraeducators of

Kentucky Project existedAs a part of my required 52

professional development hours, I attended this summer institute devoted entirely to paraeducators

“I was in Heaven!”

REENERGIZED!For the first time in 15 years, I

felt there was a place for meI was given material on

information that would have been so helpful years ago

For one thing, my RESPONSIBILITIES as seen by the Kentucky Department of Education

The Puzzle PictureBy the end of the 2-day Institute, I was

seeing the picture of the puzzle that I had been putting together for 15 years

It didn’t have to stop thereI was told about the on-line

professional development modulesI was excited to try these modules

because I felt I was getting all the puzzle pieces at one time instead of one every so often

A New BeginningIn one of the first modules, we

had a lesson on “Understanding Disabilities”

You would think I would know all I need to know about disabilities – but there was more……

Then there were the acronyms◦I learned BOC, BIP, MMD, FMD◦And all the other “words” that make

up special education language

A New Beginning(continued)There was a lesson on the “Roles

and Responsibilities” of paraeducators

This would have been handy at the beginning of my career

It was nice to see that I was doing things right, but it was also disturbing to see there were some things that I should not be doing (lesson plans).

A New Beginning(continued)For years I had been doing

progress monitoring and now finally I learned the proper way to do this

For years I had been working with students with IEPs and now I was learning to understand what an IEP was all about

New Tricks for an Old ParaEach module that I have

completed so far has a new idea or new approach that I can take to the classroom

This has in turn been very beneficial for my students as well as myself

One of the biggest things that has been a hit is a suggested website:

www.coolmath.com

A New and Improved ParaThe modules have empowered me

with the tools to present myself in a more professional manner

They have enabled me to bring fresh ideas and strategies to the table when working with the students

I can now confidently express my thoughts and ideas with faculty and administration on a district level

I can access the modules anytime of the day or night

More To DoPart of our job is to instill in our

students the desire for lifelong learning

As paraeducators, we must keep learning to improve our craft

We should search out and make the most of every opportunity

Our future depends on it!

More InformationFor more information on the PEK On-Line

Professional Development program, you may go to:

www.ihdi.uky.edu/pek/

PresentersBarbara Locker

Project CoordinatorParaeducators of

KentuckyHuman

Development Institute

University of Kentucky

blocker@uky.ed859-519-7374

Marjorie SheffelParaeducatorCampbell County SchoolsMarjorie.Sheffel@campbell.kyscho

ols.us