I think you all got many important take-aways from the readings for this week. The key pieces that I read about in your blog that you want to make sure to include in your plans for Task 2 include collaboration, follow-up for implementation, research based strategies, and looking for how what was learned in PD impacts student learning in classrooms. I heard/read some good ideas for all of these points that we can share in class on Feb. 24.
Just a note about the blogging discussions: I really appreciate those groups that really have discussions, where each person responds separately to the blog leader's post but also responds to each post of the other members in the group. I can tell you are really thinking about the ideas that you read about and applying those ideas to the key standards for reading specialists and to the class tasks which are aimed at helping you practice some of the important jobs of the reading specialist. We don't get together to discuss face to face, and I really need a window to how you are understanding and applying the information. It is not just about posting 3 times on the blog---that is a minimum and not enough. Remember, this is supposed to be a discussion.
This week you are beginning to think about program improvement, specifically in PreK through the elementary grades. What is the relationship, do you think, of program improvement and the professional development plans that you are creating? What are key aspects that you predict will be important to program improvement?
As you read this week, think about the key ideas about early and elementary literacy programs that make a program effective, as well as key ideas about how to improve a program in an elementary school. How do these ideas tie into what you found out in your needs assessment survey about what is already happening in your school? Look at the reflection questions on p. 83 of the WSQ book. How would you respond to them for your setting? Or you might want to look at the engagement activities at the end of B&D chapters and respond to one of them.
We will be meeting for class on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 1. I'll be in the building at 9 that morning if you want a space for your online 9-12 class with Dr. Ruan. Please upload your Task 1 to Canvas before class. You will begin to collaborate on the creation of your PD plans as we wind up the discussion of adult learning theory and effective professional development as well as thinking about the relationship of program development to PD and program improvement. Please bring questions that you have about the coaching assignment, especially if you want to get ahead of the game and are already working with someone.
I'm including a link (thanks Mykal) to a PDF file on adult learning theory. Please download it adn read it so we can connect the ideas to your PD plan. Adult learning theory article
My blog for Week 7 will not open up until after our class on Saturday.
Have a good week next week! I"m looking forward to getting together.
I believe that this is a direct relationship between professional development and program improvement. The professional development provided, should be designed to help support the program in place and help teachers become more knowledgeable about the current literacy program. As teachers gain knowledge about the program and their practices, the program should improve.
ReplyDeleteThere is no such thing as a perfect literacy program but it is important to work towards a well rounded program. For this reason, I believe it is also important to understand the weakness of the literacy program so that professional development can focus on improving those areas. We can work on strengthening the areas that are good and working and have an emphasis on improving the areas that aren't. When I think about areas that may need the most improvement, I usually think about the standards that are being addressed and how and how those standards are assessed.
I know that there are so many aspects of a literacy program that should be addressed but these two always stand out when I think about the effectiveness of our reading program. Professional development should support teachers knowledge in how to address these and other aspects.
There definitely is a relationship between program improvement and PD! They typically happen at the same time. Schools have professional development to help support teachers as they try to improve the program already in place. This gives teachers a safe space to grow, learn, and collaborate. They'll also include a follow up after the initial PD to make sure the teachers are doing alright with the improvements. Both of these things coexist together.
ReplyDeleteThere are a few key aspects to program improvement I think that are important to remember. These aspects are that it can be well integrated into a teachers daily life. They can, in small steps, add improvements into their day to day classroom routines. I believe it should be aligned with the standards and should have assessments that are data driven. There shouldn't be pre and post assessments just to have them. Those assessments should drive what the teacher does. It should also be engaging for the students! If you cannot engage the students their teacher won't get much out of them or push them to learn more! There should be lots of support for teachers while improving a program and lots of opportunities to collaborate. That way teachers can share their ideas and get help if needed!
Effective professional development plans should result in program improvement. If PD is improving student learning, teacher knowledge, and involving all stakeholders, then it is only natural that the school’s overall reading program should get better. If PD does not help a school improve, then what’s the point?
ReplyDeleteI think one key aspect of literacy program improvement will be collaboration. No one teacher or administrator can single handedly make a program improve. It takes cooperation and teamwork from all members of the school faculty to create and implement an initiative that will increase student achievement. Additionally, there may need to be collaboration with an outside source like a university or with parents or other community members to improve the reading program of a school.
Another key aspect of program improvement will be data or proof of student learning. As with effective PD, you can’t tell if a program is improved if there is not evidence to back it up. An improved literacy program should include various assessments (anecdotal records, rubrics, checklists, observations, progress monitoring, formative, summative assessments) to ensure that students are learning. Finally, a reading program should include all aspects of literacy: reading, writing, speaking, listening, and word study. These components should be vertically aligned among PreK through elementary grades,in developmentally appropriate ways.
Effective professional development and program improvement go hand in hand. I believe the effectiveness of a literacy program is determined by how well it is implemented in the school. I think we have all experienced the frustration and the time wasted on a literacy program that comes in one year and is replaced by something new the next. I believe an effective program needs time to work, time for teachers to understand the goals and visualize big picture success, have a plan for their students, and created for easy implementation—or at least can be implemented over time in smaller, more manageable chunks. This means teacher support; and a lot of it.
ReplyDeleteI feel success can only occur when educators are supported both long and short term. They will need plenty of opportunity to communicate struggles, have questions answered, examples of successful best practices, and long-term support within the classroom.
A successful program must also be designed so that it creates a community of teacher working together to grow student success.
Finally, I feel the program must align with standards and be based in ongoing evidence of effectiveness.
The PD plan that I am creating for my school is designed for program improvement. I am hoping to create more dialogue and lesson planning between grade levels in regards to the ELA-OAS. "How does what we are teaching in 1st build to what we are teaching in 2nd and 3rd?" Other areas that my teachers are asking about are "How to use assessments to guide their instruction? and How to develop guided reading groups?"
ReplyDeleteFor my PD to be effective my teachers are going to need to be empowered to try new ideas and will need time to practice and reflect on their new strategies. The PD cannot be a one day and done program. It will need to have practice, reflection-discussion, and follow up time.
What is the relationship of program improvement and the professional development plans that you are creating? What are key aspects that you predict will be important to program improvement?
ReplyDeleteMany schools have a literacy program in place. As we have learned from our readings, finding the strengths and weaknesses in our programs and using this knowledge to improve it can be a successful and practical approach. As we begin to evaluate the programs in place, we can then use assessments to find what professional development needs can enhance and benefit the practice of the teaching staff. Therefore, it is very important to consider program improvement and professional development as complimentary components.
Program development should consist of opportunities for evaluation, assessment, discussion, observation, and should be on-going. Program development should also be focused on improving teacher knowledge and instruction for enhanced student performance in the classroom.
When thinking about this question, I first thought of the holes that can be found within the core reading programs that districts use. On the other hand, I also think of the ideas that these programs can have that have helped improve my teaching of the standards. With that said, I think as teachers continue to grow from experiences with these programs and from PD, teachers begin to see the holes in the programs and what works and what doesn’t. As teachers learn from PD, they can see how the program also needs to keep evolving to match their new knowledge and the diverse needs of the students.
ReplyDeleteIn order to improve the program, I think it needs to start with teachers voicing areas that they feel they could improve in to better help their students. The survey we sent out seems to be working wonderfully to do this. I then think that it is wise to compile teacher results from the survey as we’ve been doing and see how this ties to the standards that are to be taught to the students at each grade level. The staff should then work collaboratively to create a plan to improve the program through professional development. After implementation of new approaches/strategies, teachers should meet to follow up and discuss what worked and what didn’t and collaborate to improve the program at their school even more. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of these new ideas, teachers also need to look at student samples and use various assessments and data to decide whether or not the students are actually improving. Teams of teachers within grade levels and across grade levels also need to be meeting with administrators, coaches, specialists and with outside sources to also tackle how to most effectively improve the program. I believe program improvement involves so much especially collaboration amongst all stakeholders!
Although we are creating a needs assessment for our schools and part of that includes inquiring about what areas teachers would like PD in- I also think that whether a program is struggling overall, in a specific area only, or is doing well but is in need of an update- some PD will need to be given to teachers whether they actually believe they need it or not. I don’t think that the PD will be helpful in improving the program however if it’s not engaging and it does not provide time for questions, modeling, follow-up, classroom feedback after lessons, etc. I think the most improvement will probably be seen a year or so after the PD was actually given.
ReplyDeleteProfessional development guides program improvement. The purpose of professional development is to offer teachers support for newly, implemented programs. With professional development, teachers have the opportunity to collaborate in learning how to implement the program, ask questions and work through frustrations together. When teachers attend professional development, programs improve. Teachers gain a deeper understanding of how a program is designed to work and become knowledgeable on how to tailor the program for their students. Professional development can also offer practice on existing programs for needed improvement. Some of the key aspects I predict will be important to program improvement will be looking at the standards to give us direction and evaluate how we are assessing students. I think the biggest step at my school will be how we collaborate with one teacher per grade level. Teachers need to feel supported and that has been a difficult task. Using professional development to open lines of communication across grade levels and work together as a support system despite teaching various grades. Bringing new ideas and empowering teachers to try them and determining the best way to offer on-going support are other important aspects of using professional development for program improvement.
ReplyDeleteProgram improvement and professional development are directly correlated. Professional development should be based on the areas that the teachers feel need the most improvement and help support the system that is already in place.
ReplyDeleteI think that in order to effectively improve a program, you need to know where the weaknesses are. Professional development should be used to help teachers become more comfortable in areas where they aren’t. I think it should be based on the standards and really lend itself to well to helping the teachers use the standards to drive their instruction. Teachers should also feel that they are playing an integral role in enacting change. The collaboration between the teachers to make changes is what makes those experiences more meaningful and effective.