Professional development programs that effect change in practice and support student outcomes have a “community of practice” in common. These programs take into consideration the researched instructional objectives of the institution and command the respect of the whole organization through professional learning practices. This session is designed to explore the blueprint of successful professional learning practices while exploring the role of educational technology support and training in the learning and teaching process.

Professional Development Attitude Survey

Participants will use a student response system to answer questions about attitudes and expectations about professional development and learning communities within their organization. Results will be shared and discussed as a prelude for the following activities.

Professional Development Goals and Objectives

In small groups, participants will respond to a serious of prompts to describe their own goals for professional development, their choice of the given workshop, and how that connects to their district’s goals and mission. Each group will share what they identified as essential with the whole group to complete a presentation. Some video clips will be interspersed to support shared statements.

Professional Development Standards and Models

Participants will be asked to contribute to a general understanding about effective professional development, focusing on models and standards put forth by NCREL and NSDC.

Professional Learning Communities

Participants will discuss and document what an effective Professional Learning Community looks like. They will compare the accepted definition with their own experiences and with the ideas that were shared in the previous activities.

Moving From Concept To Action

In the final segment, participants will work individually and in small groups to consider the roadblocks to success they have experienced and brainstorm (Inspiration) possible solutions. They will consider the impact of new ideas on student skills, such as Microsoft’s Educational Competencies, on current and future professional development initiatives.

Participants will then work to develop a professional development plan starting from 1 area of defined student weakness. Technology will be considered once the curricular concerns have been addressed and incorporated as one of the tools. Discussions in this segment will include feedback from the group, examinations of professional development as part of a larger learning community, and technology as a facilitation tool. The plan should address a specific area that can be brought back to each participant’s organization.

Outline

The number in () represents the approximate time, in hours, that each section takes. Time for are imbedded.

Welcome and Introductions

Professional Development Attitude Survey (.25)

Participants will use a student response system to answer questions about attitudes and expectations about professional development and learning communities within their organization. Results will be shared and discussed as a prelude for the following activities.

Professional Development Goals and Objectives - Think Ink Pair Share (1)

In small groups, participants will respond to a serious of prompts to describe their own goals for professional development, their choice of the given workshop, and how that connects to their district’s goals and mission. Each group will share what they identified as essential with the whole group. Some video clips will be interspersed to support shared statements.

Professional Development Standards and Models (.3)

Presenters will lead a general conversation about effective professional development, focusing on models and standards put forth by NCREL and NSDC.

Professional Learning Communities (.3)

Participants will discuss and document what an effective Professional Learning Community looks like. They will compare the accepted definition with their own experiences and with the ideas that were shared in the previous activities.

Moving From Concept To Action (1)

In the final segment, participants will work individually and in small groups to consider the roadblocks to success they have experienced and brainstorm possible solutions. They will consider the impact of new ideas on student skills, such as Microsoft’s Educational Competencies, on current and future professional development initiatives.

Participants will then work to develop a professional development plan starting from 1 area of defined student weakness. Technology will be considered once the curricular concerns have been addressed and incorporated as one of the tools. Discussions in this segment will include feedback from the group, examinations of professional development as part of a larger learning community, and technology as a facilitation tool.

Supporting Research

Diaz-Maggioli, G. (2004). Teacher-centered professional development. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). Alexandria, VA.

DuFour,R., DuFour, R., and Eaker, R. (2005). On Common Ground: The Power of Professional Learning Communities. National Educational Service. Bloomington, IN.

Elmore, Richard F. (2002). Bridging the Gap between Standards and Achievement: The Imperative for Professional Development in Education. Albert Shanker Institute. Washington, DC.

Schmoker, M. (2006). Results now. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).

Wiggins, G., McTighe, J. (2006, March). Examining the Teaching Life. Educational Leadership. 63 (6), 26-29.

Presenter Background

Catherine V. Parsons
Model Schools Staff Specialist
Dutchess County BOCES (BETA)
900 Dutchess TPK
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

Needing income to pay for a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education, Catherine Parsons accepted two jobs. The first was as a K-2 teacher in a non-public, non-traditional, open and non-graded K-8 building. To supplement that income, she also responded to an advertisement that said, “education related”. In that position, as the research assistant to Dr. Grant P. Wiggins (http://www.relearning.org/about/index.html), the real education about education began. Her exposure to the worlds of professional development and alternative education were the start of a journey into working with adults in education. Throughout her successful classroom experience in both public and non-public settings, she found herself constantly called upon to lead colleagues in learning experiences, especially in relation to instructional technology. After completion of her CAS in Educational Administration, she took on the role of regional professional development specialist at the BOCES level, and has successfully lead cadres of educators towards effective change in education and ubiquitous technology use.

She is currently the Model Schools Staff Specialist at Dutchess County BOCES in Poughkeepsie, New York. She works with 14 school districts, 8000 educators and 47,000 students, as well as sustaining support to the non-public schools in her region. Her programming as a PreK – 12 curriculum specialist focuses on supporting the effective and efficient integration of technology into the teaching and learning process. Goals of her programs include enabling schools to define their paths towards instructional technology integration by facilitating customized planning and assessment in addition to offering staff and curriculum development as ongoing components of systematic school reform and improved student achievement. Her classroom teaching experience with students PreK – 12 allows her to support educators with direct knowledge of their experiences and classroom needs. Her work in professional development has been strongly accepted internationally as compassionate and effective. She is active regionally, statewide and nationally in multiple professional organizations.

Major career accomplishments include:
• Securing and successfully implementing individually and as a team multiple grants and funding for innovative programs ranging from 50,000 to 1.3 million
• Twice recipient of the Dutchess County BOCES “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty” award
• NYSATL faculty member
• Published June 2005 Technology and Learning Magazine and September 2005 Leading and Learning with Technology
• Presented NECC 2004
• Active in successfully bringing innovative programming to the educators in the Dutchess County Region
• Key Note speaker SUNY New Paltz Department of Education Student Teacher Orientation as well as for the Southern New York Teachers Center Network Annual Professional Development Conference.
• ISTE Making it happen Award Received November 2005

In addition to her professional work, Catherine is married to her childhood friend John Parsons and is the mother of one girl, Sabrina Rose and one boy, Donald John. Her many extracurricular interests include activities with family and friends, watercolor painting, biking and participating in on-line communities in order to learn new things and meet new friends all over the world!

BS Elementary Education - SUNY Geneseo
MS Early Childhood Education - SUNY Geneseo
CAS - Educational Administration - SUNY New Paltz
Doctoral Student (active) - EdD Educational Leadership and Curriculum/Instruction: University of Phoenix

Referenced Web Links

http://www.learningpt.org/page.php?pageID=243
http://www.nyssdc.org
https://www.nsdc.org
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/educatrs/profdevl/pd200.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/education/competencies/default.mspx
http://emsc33.nysed.gov/ppd/frameworkprofdevelop.shtml
http://www.learner.org
http://www.edutopia.org/foundation/courseware.php