The great news on the PD front—at least
from the districts who presented at the
second School CIO Summit Conference
this June—is that we’ve moved far away
from the days of drive-by PD in which socalled
experts come in once a year to show
teachers how to use product X and expect
them to begin using it perfectly by the very
next day. These forward-thinking districts
are surveying teachers to find out what they
want to learn, customizing their offerings,
and trying to provide individualized
learning opportunities. A couple have begun flipping the PD model in the
same way they’re encouraging teachers to flip their classrooms. And all
of them are gathering post-course data to fine-tune their offerings even
more. Take a glimpse at PD 3.0.
Eanes Independent School District, TX
Presenter: Carl Hooker, Director of Instructional Technology
to take a break
from beach trips
or finally tiling
that living room
of needs when it
comes to learning.
Eanes ISD is located in Austin, TX— also home to the oh-so-hip South by Southwest Film Festival—so
it’s no surprise the district is leading the cause for the next wave of PD. From its flipped PD project
to its iPadpalooza, Eanes is writing the book on how to make PD relevant, enticing,
personalized, and meaningful.
For the flipped PD project, teachers watch videos to learn how to use Google
Docs, Edmodo, or iMovie. Then they spend face-to-face time with their colleagues to
integrate those tools into their lessons and complete one activity to receive PD credit.
One program hosted by the district is called Eanes Interactive. This one-day
event features multiple teacher-led sessions on how to infuse technology into the
classroom. This year’s event included sessions on classroom management for iPad
immersion and real-time assessment using the iPad.
Another popular program is the Apple Core
Academy. This three-day intensive, invitationonly
session covers everything teachers must know
about using Macs and iPads. This summer, attendees created an eBook of the
“Apptivities” they created during the Academy. The eBook will be used as a
resource for other teachers in the district who are implementing 1:1 iPads.
At the first iPadpalooza in June, more than 500 attendees (200 of whom
were Eanes employees) from 70 districts chose from 40 sessions on everything
from iPad tech support to must-have apps for busy administrators to one course
named, “I have iPads; Now how do I change instruction?”
Tools They Use
Without a comfortable learning
environment where risk taking
is encouraged and failure is
cheered, learners will never
have a chance to reach their
South Portland School Department (SPSD), ME
Presenter: Andrew Wallace, Director of Technology
want to see”
is the PD
motto at this
In Maine, where 100 percent of the middle schools and a majority
of high schools are already implementing 1:1 technology, flipping
is an effective instructional model that they have
begun using for their PD.
Wallace says, “Flipping the PD offers many
tangible benefits. By imbedding technology-driven
instructional methods into our PD, we hope our
teachers see how effective it can be and will weave
into their own teaching.”
At SPSD, PD is rarely conducted in a computer lab,
as schools continue to phase them out. The key is to
have teachers learn on the laptop they will be using as they teach. Asking
teachers to complete even one basic assignment before the PD session
will generally send up a red flag if a new version of software is needed.
One of the best things about tools like Discovery Education
Streaming or Atomic Learning for PD is that different educational
videos can be assigned to different students, based on the individual
learner’s needs and level of understanding. Teachers can frontload
content knowledge for those students who may need a little
remediation or for those who learn things differently. Once teachers
experience technology-based differentiation in their own professional
learning, they’ll be more inclined to use it in their classrooms.
SPSD allows teachers to drive the instruction by using a simple
Google Form to poll participants. If the polling indicates that certain
topics have already been mastered by all participants, then they can
move ahead. Google Forms can also be used to gauge appropriate
pace or as an anonymous check for understanding. The PD staff hopes
teachers employ these tools as well when they return to the classroom.
Tools They Use
Screenr or Screenflow
with Blue “SnowBall”
Dayton ISD, TX
Presenters: Mike Kurt, Superintendent; Peter Griffiths,
Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction
In 2011-2012, Dayton ISD focused its PD on experimentation, innovation, data,
and differentiated instruction. After an intensive feedback-gathering project, the
district learned that staffers wanted small-group, focused staff development and
simplicity. To answer the call, Dayton offered eCourses through Eduphoria.
Through eCourses, teachers were able to get trained on specific expectations
the district set up for the upcoming school year. Teachers enjoyed the flexibility.
The district appreciated the compliance aspects and the price tag—there was no
need to pay trainers to conduct training sessions. Once a teacher completed the
necessary assignments, he or she received a credit for an exchange day.
To offer the small-group and personalized training, Dayton ISD
implemented job-embedded PD (JEPD). The district curriculum department
was able to go to individual campuses and focus on
training that was designed for needs of the campus
during teacher conferences. This helped the district
get a lot of information from all the staff members
without the cost of substitutes or after-school time
when teachers are ready to just go home.
TOOLS THEY USE
in your PD
soon as your
Presenter: Jenith Mishne,
Director of Education
To fine-tune its PD offerings, NMUSD
focused on answering three questions:
1. What is the role of online, blended,
and flipped classes in PD?
Mishne’s team tries to make its content
available on a wiki, Google Docs, or in
24/7 viewing for staff
and teachers. Then,
when they meet, they
meet via Google+
Hangouts or Webex.
As a result, face-toface
time is engaging
just like the district
wants its teachers to
be with their students.
Mishne also provides
for coaching and
modeling—either in the classroom or during
2. How is technology used to track staff
development needs and progress?
Newport-Mesa’s educational services
surveyed teachers to determine PD
needs. They used data to figure out where
teachers needed more training and met
with administrators and teachers to gather
3. What are the most powerful PD
solutions for tech implementations?
• Communication, Collaboration, and
• Google+ Hangouts
• Google Docs
• Access to Knowledge Base
• PDF and video (Snagit, Jing)
• Evaluation and Monitoring
Tools They Use
Chief Academic Officer,
Washoe County Schools, NV
Chief Technology Officer,
Klein Independent School District, TX
Chair, State Tech Committee,
Batavia Public Schools, IL
Wall Independent School District, TX
Washoe County Schools, NV