Professional Development at VHS Global Consortium
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Transcript of Professional Development at VHS Global Consortium
DELC 2011C O L L E E N W O R R E L L ,
M A N A G E R O F P R O F E SS I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T
Professional Development at VHS Global Consortium
VHS
“The” original Virtual High School – been around for 15 years
Non-profit consortium of nearly 700 member schools from across the globe (in 32 states & 40 countries)
Co-synchronous online courses that aim to supplement curriculum
VHS believes …in student-
centered, cohort-based online courses
educational opportunities should not be limited by barriers of time, space, or lack of qualified instructors
online teaching should supplement, not supplant, traditional education
a collaborative model allows for sharing of resources to improve the quality of education for all students in the VHS member school
What Does PD Look Like at VHS?
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FoundationsTraining course
and ongoing PD for VHS teachers
Series of 5 graduate-level PD courses offered to the public
Grant initiatives and customized PD
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Lessons Learned
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Recommendation #1
◊ Cannot be top-down, need teacher buy-in
◊ Plan for varying levels of skill and comfort with technology
◊ Be realistic in how much time and energy teachers have
◊ Think TPACK – don’t let tools be your starting point
Co-create a thoughtful long-term, scaffolded PD plan that is tied to mission and/or learning goals
Recommendation #2
◊ Modularized PD offered as webinars or online
◊ Supplement with f2f and blended workshops
◊ Train-the-trainer model
◊ Weave it into the school day – convenience is key
Foster and sustain professional learning through job-embedded, just-in-time, modularized PD
Recommendation #3
◊ Think in terms of learning teams
◊ Follow promising practices of other educators (e.g., Beyond Textbooks)
◊ Consider the benefits of teacher and student engagement
Use OER to create a collaborative, Web-based learning culture for educators and students
Recommendation #4
◊ Embed feedback into all of your PD
◊ Be flexible – revise or dump strategies or courses that don’t work
◊ Key to sustainability and effectiveness
Critically evaluate your PD programs and their impact (i.e., collect and use data wisely, proactively )
Recommendation #5
“A digital age leader inspires and leads development and implementation of a shared vision for comprehensive integration of technology to promote excellence throughout the system.”
-- Leslie Conery, Deputy CEO, ISTE
Create targeted PD for school leaders that enables them to BE the change they wish to see in their schools
Top 5 Recommendations
1. Co-create a thoughtful long-term, scaffolded PD plan that is tied to mission and/or learning goals
2. Foster and sustain professional learning through job-embedded, just-in-time, modularized PD
3. Use OER to create a collaborative, Web-based learning culture
4. Critically evaluate your PD programs and their impact (i.e., collect and use data wisely, proactively )
5. Create targeted PD for school leaders that enables them to BE the change they wish to see in their schools