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