PD 360

This is the time of the year when many teacher's are looking for ways to gather that last unit of CEUs right before their license expires. UCPS has provided a means for teacher's to choose the things that they feel are most relevant to the teaching assignment through the PD 360 video series. Noted educators such as Doug Reeves, Margaret Mooney, Rick Stiggins, Richard and Rebecca DuFour are just a few of the presenters that are available on demand for staff to view. Two courses are available in Moodle for credit. Under the Professional Development Category, you will find "PD 360 Pick 1" and "PD 360 Pick 3." The requirements for each are listed below:

PD 360 "Pick 1"

Requirements:

1. Meet with a minimum of 3 and up to 5 people.
2. Schedule 3 days to meet on successive weeks.
   1. Meetings will be 1 hour if you watch the video privately
   2. Meetings will be2 hours if you watch with the group.
3. Divide your video into 3 parts/segments.
4. Document a principle that you would like to implement in the classroom over the next week after watching your video segment.
5. Answer Reflective Questions that are associated with the video. This should be done inside the PD 360 Learning Environment.
6. Discuss how to best implement with your group.
7. Implement in the classroom.
8. Return to your next meeting and discuss successes and failures.
9. Repeat Steps 4-8 at each meeting.
10. Submit "PD 360- "Pick 1" Verification form from the top of the page to Staff Development Office - sheila.chaney@ucps.k12.nc.us

What do I have to do to take a personal course in PD 360?

• Register for a PD 360 course in the Online Registration Program. It will be titled “PD 360…”
• Get a personal login (not another person’s login). You can get this from an Administrator or contact the Staff Development Office for details.
• Watch the Webinar
  • 1 hour for Introduction of how to navigate in PD 360
• Watch your videos
• Reflect by answering the questions that are provided
• Plan ways that you will utilize this in your classroom or ways that it will be shared in your PLC
• Have your administrator sign off on completion by providing them with your report of time watching videos, your reflection questions and your plan for implementation.
• Submit entire packet of info as an attachment to Staff Development Office (Sheila.chaney@ucps.k12.nc.us ).

How do I login to the Webinar?

• Login to www.pd360.com
• On the bottom right hand side of the page, you will see “Explore the Content”
• Scroll down to Webinars and expand
• Scroll down to PD360 User Instruction
• Learn how to use PD 360 Version 2 - http://www.pd360.com/pd360.cfm?&ContentId=1511

PD 360
Staff Development Course-“Pick 3”
1 .0 CEUs

What do I have to do to take a personal course in PD 360?

• Register for a PD 360 course in the Online Registration Program. It will be titled “PD 360…”
• Get a personal login (not another person’s login). You can get this from an Administrator or contact the Staff Development Office for details.
• Watch the Webinar
  • 1 hour for Introduction of how to navigate in PD 360 Watch your videos
  • 1 hour for each selection of videos=3 hours "Share a Link" with a colleague
• Share a link from each of the three sets of videos with a colleague
  • 1 hour for each set of questions completed=3 hours
  • 1 hour for each plan or implementation =3 hours Have your administrator sign off on completion by providing them with your report of time watching videos, your reflection questions and your plan for implementation. li>

• Submit entire packet of info as an attachment to Staff Development Office (Sheila.chaney@ucps.k12.nc.us ).

How do I login to the Webinar?

• Login to www.pd360.com
• On the bottom right hand side of the page, you will see “Explore the Content”
• Scroll down to Webinars and expand
• Scroll down to PD360 User Instruction
• Learn how to use PD 360 Version 2 - http://www.pd360.com/pd360.cfm?&ContentId=1511

What do I do when I am finished?

• Fill out the Verification Form at the top of the page and submit it to the Staff Devlopment Office with the proper signatures.

What's on Tap for Wednesday, April 1, 2009

What's on Tap for Wednesday, April 1, 2009

• Elementary Asst. Principals Academy
• Crucial Confrontations
• EC Round Table
• ASP Coordinator Meeting
• Speech Pathologist Issues in the Public Schools
• Roldan meeting at WBEC
  

What's on Tap for Friday, March 27, 2009

What's on Tap for Friday, March 27, 2009

• Crucial Confrontations
• Middle School Compacted Math
• After School Staff Orientation
• Board of Education Retreat
  

High Quality PD gleaned from The Learning Principal

In a recent article of The Learning Principal (Volume 4, No. 5, Feb. 2008), an ongoing study of professional learning sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, the MetLife foundation and the Wallace foundation pointed our several items that contrast professional learning in the United States with professional learning worldwide. The article said, "If teachers with a school are not learning and collaborating, student learning will not improve...one important role for principals is facilitating professional learning." Facilitating is defined as making the process easier or to impartially control all tasks needed to conduct optimal meetings and workshops. Linda Darling Hammond who has been actively involved in studying this learning made the following observations:

• Effective professional learning must be planned and organized to engage all teachers regularly and to benefit all students.
• One of the keys to increasing quality teaching is by creating the time for teachers to learn collaboratively
• Collaboratively is job embedded professional learning structured within the work day
• Collaborative time should be focused on both improving their grasp of context and on pedagogical strategies proven to affect student achievement

Lastly, the study in its early stages pointed out that many teachers experience with professional development in the United States are with one-shot workshops that are ineffective for changing practice or affecting student learning. Effective professional learning will happen when we sustain the professional learning over longer periods of time and then implementing this learning directly into the classroom. This is another example of the professional learning community as being the most effective method for delivering professional learning.

Darling-Hammond, L. (1997). The right to learn: a blueprint for creating schools that work. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.

What's On Tap for Monday, March 23, 2009

What's On Tap for Monday, March 23, 2009

• EC Data manager Meeting
• RTI Training
• Preschool Meeting
• Drug Insight Class
• Middle School Science Alliance
• Middle School Math Alliance
  

What's on Tap for Friday, March 20, 2009

What's on Tap for Friday, March 20, 2009

• Partners for Math
• School Psychologists Meeting
• Elementary Literacy Staff Meeting
• MTC Staff Meeting
• Science Planning
• Middle School Staff meeting
  

What's On Tap for Thursday, March 19, 2009

What's On Tap for Thursday, March 19, 2009

• Test Coordinators meeting
• Middle School AP meeting
• Behavior Intervention, Part II-Elementary
• HS Classroom Management
• DEC 3 Process Training-Secondary
• Chinese Language Class
• MS EC Math Alliance Meeting
• The Who, What, When, Where, How and Why of Globalization
  

Professional Development-3 Phase Follow-up

DPI recommends that each teacher's professional development follow a "3 Phase Follow-Up" (see article at http://tiny.cc/0XlyF). This includes the following:

Phase 1: Should be completed immediately following every professional learning activity or experience. A summary of the change (knowledge, skill, behavior, attitude, or other) resulting from the professional learning activity or experience. The teacher should create an action plan detailing specific action that they will take based on the change described.

Phase 2: The teacher should revisit the action plan two following the professional learning activity or experience and respond to the following:

• Detail: What actions did I take to implement my plan?
• Reflect: What worked? Why? What didn't work? Why not?
• React: What are my next steps?

Phase 3: Revisit your action plan six weeks following the professional learning activity or experience and respond to the following:

• Detail: What actions did I take to implement my plan?
• Reflect: What worked? Why? What didn't work? Why not?
• React: What are my next steps?

Helping make our PD effective PD is vitally important. This reflective process should help you do that.

#6-5 Practical Steps to Continue your Professional Learning

The National Staff Development Council has produced a handy bookmark entitled "If not a workshop, then what?" This bookmark lists 30 strategies that a teacher could use to continue to grow when they are not attending workshops. Some of these may be applicable to you and some may not. Pick and choose a couple that might improve your professional development. Over the next several days, I will be posting some of these strategies. Today's five are:

1. Read journals, edducational magazines, books
2. Participate in a critical friends group
3. Do a self-assessment
4. Shadow a student, a teacher or another professional in the field
5. Keep a reflective log or journal
   

#5-5 Practical Steps to Continue your Professional Learning

The National Staff Development Council has produced a handy bookmark entitled "If not a workshop, then what?" This bookmark lists 30 strategies that a teacher could use to continue to grow when they are not attending workshops. Some of these may be applicable to you and some may not. Pick and choose a couple that might improve your professional development. Over the next several days, I will be posting some of these strategies. Today's five are:

1. Join a professional network
2. Use a tuning protocol to examine student work
3. Maintain a professional portfolio
4. Write an article about your work
5. Observe others teachers teaching
   

#4-5 Practical Steps to Continue your Professional Learning

The National Staff Development Council has produced a handy bookmark entitled "If not a workshop, then what?" This bookmark lists 30 strategies that a teacher could use to continue to grow when they are not attending workshops. Some of these may be applicable to you and some may not. Pick and choose a couple that might improve your professional development. Over the next several days, I will be posting some of these strategies. Today's five are:

1. Lead a schoolwide committee or project
2. Participate in lesson study
3. Map your curriculum
4. Coach a colleague
5. Be a mentor-be mentored
   

#3-5 Practical Steps to Continue your Professional Learning

The National Staff Development Council has produced a handy bookmark entitled "If not a workshop, then what?" This bookmark lists 30 strategies that a teacher could use to continue to grow when they are not attending workshops. Some of these may be applicable to you and some may not. Pick and choose a couple that might improve your professional development. Over the next several days, I will be posting some of these strategies. Today's five are:

1. Write assessments with a colleague
2. Participate in a videconference or conference calls with experts
3. Do a classroom walk-through
4. Give presentations at conferences
5. Research on the Internet
   

#2-5 Practical Steps to Continue your Professional Learning

The National Staff Development Council has produced a handy bookmark entitled "If not a workshop, then what?" This bookmark lists 30 strategies that a teacher could use to continue to grow when they are not attending workshops. Some of these may be applicable to you and some may not. Pick and choose a couple that might improve your professional development. Over the next several days, I will be posting some of these strategies. Today's five are:

1. Consult an expert
2. Examine student data
3. Be coached by a peer or an expert
4. Lead a book study
5. Visit another school
   

#1-5 Practical Steps to Continue your Professional Learning

The National Staff Development Council has produced a handy bookmark entitled "If not a workshop, then what?" This bookmark lists 30 strategies that a teacher could use to continue to grow when they are not attending workshops. Some of these may be applicable to you and some may not. Pick and choose a couple that might improve your professional development. Over the next several days, I will be posting some of these strategies. Today's five are:

1. Conduct action research projects
2. Analyze teaching cases
3. Be observed and receive feedback
4. Join a cadre of in-house trainers
5. Plan lessons with a teaching colleague
   

What's on Tap for Wednesday, March 18, 2009

What's on Tap for Wednesday, March 18, 2009

• Chinese Language Teachers Curriculum meeting
• Test Coordinators meeting
• EC Round Table
• Monroe Bus Driver Meeting
• ASP Cluster Meeting
• Transportation Specialist meeting
• Middle/High School Nurse Meting
• Child Nutrition Meeting
  

What's on Tap for Tuesday March 17, 2009

What's on Tap for Tuesday March 17, 2009

• High School Principals' Meeting
• AIG Teacher Meeting
• EC Math Training
• Conversational Spanish for PreKindergarten
• Behavior Intervention, Part II, Secondary
• Health Science Program Meeting

PD Thoughts for the Day

In a recent article off Education Week (February 11, 2009), an article cited some interesting facts concerning effective staff development. This list included the following items:

• Programs of 30-100 hours of time over six months to a year-positively influenced student achievement, while those with fewer than 14 hours had little effect
  
• Sustained curriculum that is connected to teachers’ classroom practice, focuses on specific content, aligns with school improvement goals and fosters collaboration among staff.
  
• Lesson Study-observing another teacher’s lessons and then analyzing it for strengths and weaknesses.
  
• Lesson Plans should be developed collaboratively.
  
• Observe teachers’ lessons, provide feedback and model instructional practices.
  

Keeping these thoughts in mind, we can see the importance of the Professional Learning Community organization that many of our schools are using. In addition, we see the importance of moving way from the "one and done" type of workshops to development that is sustained over a longer period of time. Lastly, this also suggest the importance of coaching in our schools. Keep these thoughts in mind as you plan your next professional development activities.

What's On Tap for Monday, March 16, 2009

What's On Tap for Monday, March 16, 2009

• School Psychologist Training, Conners 3rd edition
• Elementary Staff Development
• HS Differentiation Workshop
• HS Science Alliance
• Middle School Second Language Teachers
• Mentor Training

Friday, March 13 at the PDC

Friday, March 13, 2009

• Battle of the Books
  
• NC Division of Career Development and Transition
  
• Elementary Literacy Coaches
  

What's on Tap for Thursday, March 12, 2009

Thursday, March 12, 2009

• RTI Local Trainer's Meeting
• Transportation Specialist Assistant Meeting
• Language! Winter Follow Up Part 1
• Science Workshop Make-Up Elem
• Mentor Contact meeting
• HS Second Language Chairs
• Chinese Language Class
• High Scho0l Differentiation Workshop
• The Who, What, When, Where, How and Why of Globalization