paraeducator professional development: on-line style!
DESCRIPTION
Presenation from the 2009 National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals Conference by Barbara Locker & Marjorie SheffelTRANSCRIPT
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
Marjorie SheffelParaeducatorCampbell County [email protected]
ols.us