Academic Professional Development Plan Group Members

Academic Professional Development Plan
Group Members: Brittany Sanchez, Jennifer Merritt, and Kristi Marbury

ETEC 660

Dr. Ennis
Leadership Role:

Adoption of the Common Core Curriculum by Ascension Parish has greatly influenced teachers to implement technology-rich teaching methodology where the teachers and the students are engaged in active dialogue, group work, and thinking critically. Professional development is needed for teachers at Spanish Lake Primary to find best practices to incorporate the technology we already have and use it to its fullest potential. One of these available technologies is interactive whiteboards.

Our role will be to assist teachers in using technology effectively for assessing student learning, differentiating instruction, and providing engaging learning experiences. PLCs provide the perfect opportunity for teachers to learn from each other who have tried and true experiences successfully using the school’s technology.

Although teachers may have had some training on Active Inspire software with interactive whiteboards, it was certainly not geared towards technology capability. Teachers feel less intimidated collaborating in a small group setting than in a more directive-style training. They feel comfortable asking questions, experimenting with new tools, and practicing what has been modeled for them. The fact that we (teacher leaders) are learning right along with them is comforting, and this is conducive to many avenues of collaboration.

School Description:

Spanish Lake Primary School first opened its doors in August 2009. It is located in the rural area of Geismar, Louisiana where enrollment is approximately 800 students and 48 teachers for grades Prekindergarten through fifth. Thirty-two percent of the students receive free or reduced lunch, and special education students comprise about thirteen percent of the school’s population. Spanish Lake Primary School was recognized as one of Louisiana’s Top Gains schools for the 2011-2012 school year due to its annual growth of 11.9 points.

In the area of technology accomplishments, Spanish Lake Primary has earned about $10,000 in community grants written by teachers over the past three years in order to add to the school’s technology resources. In addition, during the 2012-2013 school year, approximately 12% of the teachers were enrolled in a graduate level program with a focus on educational technology.
Student Needs:

The Common Core State Standards include instructional shifts that incorporate a greater use of technology in all content areas across all grade levels. A specific example of this at the primary level is Anchor Standard 6 in Writing for grades K through 5. The standard states, “Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.” This is just one example of the many standards designed to promote a foundation for college and career readiness. More information on the Common Core State Standards may be found on Louisiana’s Department of Education’s web page on Standards: http://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/classroom-support-toolbox/teacher-support-toolbox/standards

School Goal:

According to the Ascension Parish Technology Plan, the overarching goal is as follows, “In alignment with business and community, all Ascension Parish educators and learners will benefit from technology-rich environments that support student achievement and produce life-long learners able to succeed in an information society.” Throughout this professional development plan, teachers will acquire more hands-on practice to build confidence when using the interactive whiteboard and its many tools, along with the Promethean Planet website. One of the things addressed by ISTE standard number four (for coaches) is evaluating the impact on instructional practices. Teachers will create their own flipcharts based on student data and the Common Core Curriculum, and will reflect on lessons using Active Inspire and interactive whiteboards by stating strengths, weaknesses, and ideas for future lessons. Teachers will discuss self-assessments and use this data as well as other data, such as benchmark scores to drive future instructions.

School Ecology and School Climate:

The principal and assistant principal at Spanish Lake Primary are supportive and provide consistent feedback to teachers regarding their professional duties. They are visible daily on our school campus, and they interact with students often. Although our administrators have an open-door policy with teachers, clear communication does seem to lack in frequency at times. We will do our best to bridge this communication gap, while providing much support to teachers. Since teachers in the same grade level and/or subject area plan lessons and work together in PLCs, it is extremely important that they maintain a positive working relationship. Personality conflicts among teachers seem to be the most cumbersome barrier to this relationship.

Paradigm Shift/Risks:

According to Merriam-Webster Learner’s Dictionary, a paradigm shift is defined as

an important change that happens when the usual way of thinking about or doing something is replaced by a new and different way. Adoption of the Common Core requires teachers to perhaps change some of their current attitudes and/or beliefs. For some teachers at Spanish Lake Primary this may prove difficult, but hopefully the comfortable PLC setting will provide for a smoother transition.

With all of the new mandates given to teachers recently, it is possible that learning ways to implement technology into their lessons is not one of their priorities. However, with CCSS and Compass, technology-rich lessons are a must to give quality learning opportunities for our students.