Transcript No Slide Title

Online Professional Development
within Comprehensive Programs
Glenn Kleiman
EDC Center for Online Professional
Education (COPE)
Survey Questions
• Have you:
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Used synchronous chat?
Use threaded asynchronous discussions?
Taken an online workshop?
Considered taking one?
Taught online?
Used video conferencing?
Effective Professional Development
• Focuses on improving classroom practices and
increasing student learning
• Fosters both subject matter knowledge and
understanding of learning processes
• Engages teachers in their own development
• Provides time for inquiry, reflection, and discussion
• Involves collaboration and mentoring
• Provides for ongoing learning
What is Online Professional
Development (OPD)?
Different Flavors of OPD
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Broadcast vs interactive
Academic vs job-embedded
Synchronous vs asynchronous
Self-paced vs cohort of learners
Instructor focused vs learning community
EDC-COPE’s Approach
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Broadcast vs interactive
Academic vs job-embedded
Synchronous vs asynchronous
Self-paced vs cohort of learners
Instructor focused vs learning community
Goal is to improve professional practice
Use OPD to complement and extend other means
of professional development
What Does a EDC-COPE Online
Workshop Look Like?
The EdTech Leaders™ Online
Program
Funded in part by the AT&T Foundation
Focuses on Local Capacity Building
• Training program for local teams of OPD Facilitators
• Semester long online course
– Introduction to Online Professional Development
– Overview of Integrating Technology into the Curriculum
– Specialized Preparation for Facilitating Online Workshops
• Optional graduate credit (Antioch University)
Workshops Focus on Integrating
Technology into the Classroom
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Approaches and Tools for Developing Web-enhanced Lessons
Finding the Best Educational Resources on the Web
Using Technology to Support Research and Presentation
Using Technology to Support Special Students in Regular
Classrooms
Using New Technologies to Support Literacy Instruction
Using Technology to Support the Writing Process
Technology Tools to Support Inquiry in the Science Classroom
Using Technology in the History Classroom
Using Technology to Model and Analyze Real Data in the Math
Classroom
Facilitator Forum
• “Meet” and “talk” with other OPD facilitators
• Share ideas, strategies, resources from district OPD
programs
• Get assistance from EDC-COPE staff
Designing and Delivering Online Curriculum
• Semester long course focused on online curriculum
development and design
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Building a learning community
Content development
Assessment
Alignment with standards
Design in the online environment
• Project in either professional development or student
course development
• Ongoing support forum
EdTech™ Leaders Online Teams
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Bozeman, MT
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Concordia Parish , LA
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Dedham Country Day School, MA
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Gardiner, ME
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Keene, NH
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Los Angeles Unified
Lower Hudson Regional Info Center, NY •
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Memphis, TN
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Norwich Public Schools, CT
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Peabody Public Schools, MA
Poway, CA
Philadelphia, PA
Schenectady School District,
NY
Lamoille South, VT
Tempe, AZ
Virginia State Dept of Education
Washington, DC
Wise County Public Schools, VA
Worcester Public Schools, MA
* denotes districts participating as part of the NEIRTEC project
Lessons Learned (so far)
Strengths
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OPD can reflect principles of effective PD
Ongoing connections to participants’ practice
Engages people who could not participate otherwise
Interactions with colleagues and mentors not
available locally
• Engages educators in using new technologies as
learners
• Archives of activities and discussions
• Reflective and active discussions
Limitations
• Effective design and facilitation is essential
• Some people are not comfortable with asynchronous,
text-based communication
• Hands-on sessions preferable for technology skill
development
• Brainstorming and some other activities don’t
translate well.
• Time intensive for instructors
• Maintaining engagement can be a challenge
Integrating OPD into Comprehensive
Professional Development Plans
• OPD can be a valuable addition to a PD program
• OPD can be effective for many purposes and many
people, but not all
• Best when integrated with face-to-face activities
• Requires incentives for participants
• Issues of credit need to be addressed
• Access to needed technology and tech support are
required
• Enhances, but doesn’t replace coaching, mentoring,
hands-on workshops, study groups, etc.
Conclusions
• Collegial relationships & learning communities can be
formed online
• OPD workshops need to be designed and structured
differently than face-to-face workshops
• The social dynamic is very different from face-to-face
situations
• Good OPD is challenging to design and run, but can
be very effective
• OPD is a valuable new tool to integrate into
professional development programs
For More Information
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[email protected]
EDC Mosaic
http://www.neirtec.org (resources/prof devel)
http://www.edtechleaders.org