Online Professional Development within Comprehensive Programs

Glenn Kleiman

EDC Center for Online Professional Education (COPE)

Survey Questions

• Have you:– 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

• 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

• 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

• 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– 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

• Bozeman, MT• Concordia Parish , LA• Dedham Country Day School, MA* Gardiner, ME• Keene, NH • Los Angeles Unified • Lower Hudson Regional Info Center, NY • Memphis, TN* Norwich Public Schools, CT• Peabody Public Schools, MA

* denotes districts participating as part of the NEIRTEC project

• 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

Lessons Learned (so far)

Strengths

• 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

• glennk@edc.org• EDC Mosaic • http://www.neirtec.org (resources/prof devel)• http://www.edtechleaders.org