GoogleDocs in YOUR Classroom
Elizabeth Oliver Marsh
Goal of Professional Development Plan The short-term goal of the in-person training session is to equip teachers with at least one “new to them” that can be implemented immediately in their classroom. Through follow-up activities, I hope to establish a continuous and professional learning environment that encourages teachers to leverage GoogleDocs as an enabling platform in teaching and learning. The ultimate goals are to increase each individual learner’s comfort level with GoogleDocs as a tool for professional and pedagogical performance, to introduce an alternative method of professional development, and to encourage dialogue amongst the staff about and celebration of new and creative uses of technology within their teaching practices.
Theoretical Background (Rationale and Motivation) Crafting meaningful professional development, whether in the traditional or reform style, requires the same attention to detail, intentional decision-making and theoretical mindfulness necessary to engage student learners. Current studies estimate that only between10-40% of participating teachers transfer new knowledge acquired in Professional Development program; such statistics represent an incredibly low return on the investment of time and resources necessary to participate in PD activities (Saylor and Kehrhahn, 2003). Acknowledging that teacherlearners bring a variety of skill sets and levels of experience (and opinions) to the professional development process, PD designers must take the needs of their learners and the factors of effective professional development into consideration when designing any staff improvement initiatives. One guide for effectively planning professional development is outlined in Burns’s examination of the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory’s (SEDL) 5Js in effective teacher learning sessions. In order for Technology PD to retain relevancy and teacher ‘buy-in’, it must be “job-related”, beginning with the student-learner in mind and centering on how technology can best support that learning. The PD content covered must be “just enough,” with the intention of fostering teacher “comfort [with] using technology within a curriculum activity”. It is essential to “reduce latency” to provide “just in time” skills that can be immediately applied within the classroom and to model a “just in case” planning mentality. As Burns so eloquently states, “technology cannot save a poorly planned learning experience. Often, it just exacerbates the weaknesses.” Encouraging teachers to draft lessons that are “plan[ned] and organize[d]… in a more careful, detailed and comprehensive fashion” won’t necessarily prevent digital meltdowns, but it will instill a confidence that prevents getting discouraged when meltdowns happen. Echoing growing research on the value of social context in learning, the final J, “just try it” refers to programs that “don’t monitor or track teacher implementation of the knowledge and skills they’ve learned” and don’t encourage the implementation of newly learned skills through “pressure, monitoring, and support.” (Burns, 2010) According to Garet et al, the most effective PD focuses on content areas, promotes active learning, and fosters coherence. With renewed emphasis on “the profound importance of subject-matter focus in designing high-quality professional development,” it is important for technology facilitators to emphasize (in both word and action) with staff members that the integration of technology is best when it is in service to the student learning objectives. PD must also incorporate active learning elements to heighten teacher engagement; in the proposal below, active learning tasks include planning for classroom implementation and presenting their work to the larger learning community. Teachers receive a variety of (sometimes conflicting) expectations for their practices, balancing the demands of a muti-leveled learners and mandated alignment with state and national standards. In order to sustain motivation of teacher-learners and to reinforce “the sense that, with time, improvement is possible,” opportunities to foster coherence through communication and collaboration are key to a viable PD approach (Garet, 2001). Essential factors to weigh when making instructional decisions about site-specific teacher education include time constraints and the “social context of the school” (Peneul et al, 2007). While the Garet study links the quality of PD with the amount of time dedicated to PD— “Professional Development is likely to be of higher quality if is both sustained over time and involves a substantial number of hours” (2001)— Penuel et al’s study indicates conflicting results about ”duration as [having] positive impact”. More hours often “undercut” the focused theme of the program and the resulting advice gleaned from the Penuel study is to create a clear theme through heavy emphasis in the initial stages of professional development. When considering social context, the impact of school climate on teacher decisions as to “how to enact (or resist) particular innovations” is important to consider (2007). If the task is congruent with the many demands on teachers’ time and energy, they are much more likely to buy-in and then develop transfer of knowledge into practice (Garet, 2001). The advent of collaborative technologies can break the cycle of traditional and time-intensive face-to-face sessions, providing the opportunity for sustained efforts in professional growth to happen in asynchronous, yet collaborative environments, where teachers can work from their classrooms or in the comfort of their homes. This proposal blends the traditional one-time “face-to-face workshop” session with presession activities, a formative check, and a follow-up system to support teachers in the implementation. This creates an environment in which PD can still be “continuous” yet convenient, taking individual needs of the teacher-learners into account to “provide planned training and guided, continuous practice” (Saylor and Kehrhahn, 2003). In the planned professional development session detailed below, the theoretical themes mentioned above woven throughout. It is important to note that the full instructional session consists of three periods: a pre-session survey and organization period, a one-time in-person session (from 30-45 minutes), and a post-session that features support from the facilitator and a buddy. The intention of the training is to equip teachers with the skills necessary to immediately implement in their classrooms. As a summative check, teachers will select a time to present their product, during a two minute ‘show-and-tell’, embedded within a staff or department meeting. During the training, teacher groupings must be done in a deliberate, but differentiated way—the grouping has to be based on the learners you have present, must take into account the expertise that the group already has, and it must be done in a thoughtful way to avoid immediate ‘buy-out’. The learning session should be selfdirected and the role of the facilitator is to ensure that all learners are moving forward and any questions they have are addressed. Brevity of
the in-person system is intended to honor teachers’ time most effectively. If the majority of learners request direct instruction, then the necessary steps to instruct teachers directly should be taken. The How-to Guide should then serve as a step-by-step instructional guide, with the facilitator modeling the steps using an LCD projector. Extension work is intended to create a community of learners who hold each other accountable, through the Show-and-Tell and through the “Keep you Honest” buddy. The Show-and-tell session is intended to create an authentic audience for the learners.
Learner Objectives
NETS-T Standards
I can create and share a (new-to-me) resource in GoogleDocs. I can use my new GoogleDoc in a learning activity with my students. I can actively and positively participate with my partner.
3a. Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations 5a. Participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning
Materials and Equipment
Learning Environment Set-Up
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Online: Pre-assessment via GoogleDocs, Google Blogger site for sharing resources, Formative Survey. Session: LCD projector and facilitator laptop.
Preservice PD Packet (can be distributed via email) Pre-Session Survey (via email) Session Presentation (sample here) How-to Handbook (have printed copies available) Formative Survey 1:1 Laptops for teachers
Target Audience
Expected Challenges
20-24 Middle and High School teachers, non-specific discipline or department, with a varying level of digital expertise and teaching experience.
Resistance to Professional Development runs deep with many teachers, after less than positive and relevant experiences in the past.
Instructional Procedures Teacher Tasks
Student Tasks
Pre-Session
1. Create a Blogger site/posting, the Pre-Session Survey, and collect the data from the survey. 2. With the data collected in the survey, create groupings of no more than four. Possibilities include grouping those with little comfort in the task they plan to create with those who have an expertise. Another possibility is to group participants by task chosen. * If you plan to have participants serve as in-session guides, touch base with them prior to the session to ensure they are comfortable with the role.
During Session (one 30-45 minute inperson session)
1. Set-up groups beforehand, if possible. Group 4 learners together. If you have task experts, distribute their expertise as necessary. If you have ‘direct instruction’ requests, try to group them in a way that you can individually tutor them (or have an expert do so). 2. Share purpose and agenda, along with expectations for final TASK. 3. Distribute the HOW-TO Booklet for the task at hand. 4. Allow time to review the documents and ask any clarifying questions. 5. Self-directed learning time and/or Direct Instruction session. 1. Send reminder emails to people several days before 1. Check in with your partner at least one time to share your their show-and-tell time, to ask if they need support or experience/your progress. assistance in order to present. 2. If you need support, post any questions you have on the 2. Monitor the blog site to ensure that everyone has BLOG site. posted their work and for any questions. Post on the 3. Be prepared for your Show-and-tell session. Should be no blog scheduled times that you are available for support, more than 2 minutes to display your document, to share invite appointments. two positives and to advise on a lesson learned from 3. Follow-up with any learners who have not yet posted in using it with you students. person—“can I help you with…?” 4. Foster show-and-tell sessions in anyway you can. 5.
Post-Session
1. Go to site for the following tasks: http://elizabethomarshportfolio.blogspot.com/p/docume nt-1.html 2. Preview the options and choose ONE GoogleDoc resource to create for use in your classroom in the next three weeks. 3. Complete the Pre-Session Survey. 4. Collect the materials to complete ONE task during our session. * Create a Google account if you don’t have one yet (instructions are also available on site above. 1. Using the resources you brought, build the product you plan to utilize in GoogleDocs. 2. Be sure to review the criteria to ensure consistency amongst the products. 3. Before being leaving the session, post the link to your product at the bottom of the BLOG. 4. Complete the formative survey. Within the survey, commit to a timeframe to present to the larger group and choose a partner to ‘keep you honest’ to the deadline (dates will have been given in the session).
Outcome Assessments Pre-Session Survey
Formative Survey & Submission of Doc
Summative: Artifact Show-and-Tell
Sources Cited
Data gathered from the survey will help to determine current skills and interest levels, identify any possible experts who can serve as support or exemplars, and clarify the learning preferences/needs of the group. It is essential to examine the data collected carefully before the session in order to clearly communicate (through planning) that teacher time is valuable and will be used wisely in a manner that respects expertise, time, and needs. Formative Survey: This provides an immediate pulse on Submission of the Document Link: whether teachers felt the time was helpful or not. It also Each learner must provide the link to provides partner names and dates for when teachers their document. A quick check should intend to show their doc. The survey also allows indicate who has and who hasn’t teachers to rank their comfort level with their chosen submitted. Follow up with any nontool at the end of the session. Those who rank submitting teachers. A quick check on themselves lower should receive follow-up support. each submit also provides a snapshot Those who choose the later dates should also receive a for teachers who need a quick follow check-in. up. The final assessment is the Show-and-Tell session. Built into pre-scheduled staff meetings, teachers should give a no more than two-minute presentation of their document, two positives and one lesson learned. The assessment itself is in the practical use of the document within their classroom and the presentation just serves as a measure of accountability to themselves, the task, and the larger community. Garet, M. S., Porter, A. C., Desimone, L., Birman, B. F., & Yoon, K. S. (2001). What Makes Professional Development Effective? Results from a National Sample of Teachers. American Educational Research Journal, 38(4), 915-945. Retrieved July 8, 2013, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3202507 Penuel, W. R., Fishman, B. J., Yamaguchi, R., & Gallagher, L. P. (2007). What Makes Professional Development Effective? Strategies That Foster Curriculum Implementation. American Educational Research Journal, 44(4), 921-958. doi: 10.3102/0002831207308221 Burns, M. (2010, September). How to Help Teachers Use Technology in the ClassroomThe 5J Approach. Elearn Magazine: How to Help Teachers Use Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved from http://elearnmag.acm.org/featured.cfm?aid=1865476 Standards for Professional Learning. (n.d.). Learning Forward. Retrieved July 8, 2013, from http://learningforward.org/standards-for-professional-learning Saylor, P., & Kehrhahn, M. (2003). Teacher skills get an upgrade. National Staff Development Council, 24(1), 48-53. Crow, T. (2010). Learning, No Matter Where You Are. National Staff Development Council, 31(1), 10-17.