Module 4

 What are your thoughts about effective professional development strategies? Describe a professional development opportunity that led to your adoption of new teaching practices. 

Let me begin by saying that I am not a classroom teacher, so I do not have much experience in the arena of professional development. However, I completed 30 and 75-hour clinicals in a PDS under a cooperating teacher. I'd have to say that these were my "professional development" opportunities, particularly my 75-hour clinical which was completed at Mannington Middle School. 

Throughout the course of my undergraduate senior seminars, I had the opportunity to listen to several speakers that instructed us on how to effectively use emerging technologies in the classroom. Moreover, many of these speakers would instruct us in that particular technology. 

The most influential speaker persuaded me to adopt the use of multimedia in the classroom. (This is probably the reason why I'm in graduate school right now.) More specifically, the speaker showed us how to successfully integrate video as a method for capturing the learners' attention. She demonstrated these practices by using them on her present audience, (which was my clinical experience class) and showing us how much more engaged we were following the multimedia video. We were then challenged to implement multimedia in our host teacher's classroom.

As for my thoughts on professional development strategies, I believe that there are several strategies that are superior to others. First of all, reform activities are being touted as more productive than the workshop counterpart. I believe that the former is a better overall strategy because it can take place during the day, and allows for more engagement and collective participation. Not that I believe workshops to be counterproductive, but reform activities (such as: mentoring, resource centers, and teacher collaboratives) seem to be focused more on collaboration of content, and I believe that collaboration works best. 

Job-embedded professional development also seems to be more closely aligned with reform activities. This type of professional development is much more productive in that it takes place in the school and during and/or near instruction. In order to ensure that professional development content is making its way into the actual classroom, it makes more sense to implement strategies in the classroom first-hand. 

What is the PD strategy or strategies you plan to use in your Technology Integration Initiative? How will this strategy or strategies help you achieve the outcomes for your TI Initiative?  What will  you need to do to provide leadership to successful professional development (here you might think back on the results and your analysis of your Leadership Assessment and/or the  resources/challenges present in the context for delivering professional development)?

The foremost strategy that I will be using to implement my technology integration initiative is reform activities. I plan to develop an informative session for delivering my professional development content, which will be available in an online format. The purpose of this is to allow teachers to sift through the information beforehand, in an effort to eliminate the redundant PD information. 


After this, I plan to have teachers experiment with the chosen technology in order to familiarize themselves with it. A collaborative PD meeting will be held after this for clarifications, questions, etc. I would then have teachers branch off into content groups to devise the best possible way to implement this technology into their instruction and lesson plans.(It is my hope that the teamwork element would push them to develop great ways to implement the technology in their classrooms.) I also plan to have the teachers implement their technology-integrated lessons during actual classroom time. Following their experimentation, we would reconvene to discuss what worked, what didn't work, and what you would do differently. At this time, all the various content teachers would have the opportunity to share their experience with the technology and any suggestions they have for their colleagues. 


In order to successfully deliver my technology initiative, I plan to set up the professional development experience in a way that is accommodating to the busy and hectic schedules of teachers. I also would need to listen very closely to hear what is working in the classrooms-this includes communicating with each group of content teachers to ensure they are absorbing as much of the information as possible. 

Please also share any literature or resources you are using to refine your focus and develop your plan.

What Makes Professional Development Effective
Job-Embedded Professional Development
Principles and Strategies for Coaching and Mentoring 

**Also, sorry for the lateness- I didn't realize this was due during spring break.