Laura TuthillJames WoytekCarrieanne BehanKaren GrinnellBrooke HanksCori Woytek

Western State College of Colorado, Gunnison, Colorado

Designing High-Quality, Customizable Professional Learning in the Digital World

Graduate Education: The Western Model

• Timely and effective instruction through a low-residency, hybrid learning model

• Personalized feedback from faculty• Research-based instruction, field-based

experience• Collaborative online environment

The Graduate Program at Western

• First Year Licensure or Added Endorsement• MA Programs:

– Teacher Leadership– Reading Teacher Leadership– Online Teacher Leadership– Educational Administrator Leadership

Professional Development at Western

• Why Online Professional Development?– “One Shot” PD is ineffective– Teachers demand quality PD with continuous

support for growth– State initiatives call for enhancing teacher

effectiveness– Budgetary concerns often lead to cuts in

professional development

Colorado Spending Per Pupil

Great Education Colorado, http://www.greateducation.org/statistics-faqs/funding-faqs/amendment-23/

PD@Western

• Uses our already proven graduate course model to deliver effective Professional Development

• Utilizes free or inexpensive software and open source technology

• User-friendly technology and platforms that provide opportunities for instant online collaboration – Google Sites, Docs, and Blogger– Prezi, Glogster

Objectives

• Learn about open-source digital tools to customize professional learning

• Understand how to implement a cost-efficient, data-driven process for increasing teacher effectiveness

• Learn to develop and utilize “walk-through” forms specific to school needs

• Understand how video feedback can be used to increase student learning

What Makes a PD Program Effective?

• Intensive Training• Sustained Over Time• Embedded in Teachers’ Day-to-Day Activity• Related Directly to Teachers’ Work with Students• Regularly Engage Teachers in Local

Professional Learning Communities (PLC)

Adapted from Wei, Darling-Hammond, and Adamson (2010)

Why use the Western Model?

• Provides Sustained Professional Development– “[P]rofessional development that is longer in duration and more

sustained over time is more effective in improving teaching practice and student achievement.” (Wei et al., 2010, p. 17)

• Employs Opportunity for Self-Reflection and Evaluation– Allen, Pianta, Gregory, Mikami, & Lun (2011) found that 20 hours

of in-service training that included teachers watching and reflecting upon video of themselves teaching significantly impacted student achievement one year later

A 21st Century Process for Improving Teacher Effectiveness in 7 Steps or Less

• Create a Baseline Walkthrough Form• Collect Data using Baseline Walkthrough Form• Determine Improvement Goal using Baseline Data• Provide PD Opportunities for Teachers• Create an Improvement Goal Walkthrough Form• Collect Data using Improvement Goal Walkthrough

Form• Determine Next Steps

Process and Reflect: Take Off, Touch Down

• Think.

• Pair.

• Share.

Employing the PD@Western Model

• After gathering baseline data, identify areas for improvement

• PD Model: Marzano, Teaching and Assessing 21st Century Skills

• Connected teachers in 7 schools from 4 communities across 2 states– Gunnison, CO Elementary and High School– Crested Butte, CO Elementary, Middle, and High School– Marble, CO K-8 Charter School– Colestrip, MT High School

Module Design

• One week modules each with three steps– Complete module activities– Collaborate to present learning using a new form of

technology– Employ new strategies in the classroom– PD@Western: 21st Century Skills

Technology Tools

• Week 1: Prezi created by Rhonda Wenum• Week 4-5: Video Reflection and Walkthrough for

Donnie Cadwell • Week 6: Reflective Blog by Ann Landwehr

– “Each one of us brought a special skill to the table…We all contributed to each other’s development.”

– “My big ah-ha was the importance of conative skills…We used to say “works well with others,” the 21st century skills…are broader based.”

– “I was encouraged to be reminded that technology is a tool, not the goal.”

Reflection: Stoplight Activity

PD@Western Online Tools

• PD@Western: https://sites.google.com/site/pdatwsc/home

• 21st Century Toolkit: https://sites.google.com/site/westernteachered/

• Teacher Education Program at Western State College of Colorado: http://western.edu/academics/education

• Open Source Technology Tools: https://sites.google.com/site/westernteachered/home/tech-tools

References

• Allen, J.P., Pianta, R.C., Gregory, A., Mikami, A.Y., & Lun, J. (2011). An interaction-based approach to enhancing secondary instruction and student achievement. Science, 333, 1034-1037.

• Marzano, R.J., & Heflebower, T. (2012). Teaching and assessing 21st century skills. Bloomington, IN: Marzano Research Laboratory.

• Wei, R.C., Darling-Hammond, L., & Adamson, F. (2010). Professional development in the United States: Trends and challenges. Dallas, TX: National Staff Development Council. http://www.nsdc.org/news/NSDCstudytechnicalreport2010.pdf