ICT Professional Learning Project
A TechTeach hands-on, term-long ICT project for educators
Depending on the size of your staff, up to six teachers will be selected as project participants. Your TechTeach Consultant, Ruth Charles, will then meet with the participants for about 90 minutes, in order to explain the format of the project and assist the teachers to choose a unit of work and / or a class with which to work, during the project. Throughout the project, participants will be made aware of the educational models seen below, to assist the direction and purpose of their ICT journeys.
Bloom's Taxonomy - Revised for the introduction of ICT
HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills) are now considered to be Analysing, Evaluating and, most importantly, Creating. However, LOTS (Lower Order Thinking Skills) are equally as important and the development of these is required, in order for HOTS to be achievable.
The SAMR Model and the iPad version of Bloom's Taxonomy
The SAMR Model, created by Dr. Reuben Puentedura, enables teachers to track the progress they are making in redesigning tasks for their students. The design of open-ended activities is encouraged to enable individualised learning, differentiation and increased engagement of students. The iPad version of Bloom's Taxonomy assists teachers to understand the ICT journey from their own point of view as well as that of their students.
The T-PACK Model
The TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) Framework connects technology to curriculum content and to specific pedagogical approaches and describes how teachers’ understandings of these three knowledge bases can interact with one another to produce effective discipline-based teaching with educational technologies.
Throughout the term …
Edmodo
A unique Edmodo group will be created for the participants to confirm meeting times, ask and answer questions, receive resources from Ruth, share ideas and experiences. Members of the school administration team will also be invited to join the group.
Symbaloo
A free, online site or app enables teachers and students to curate and share digital resources with ease. There are other uses for this Web 2.0 tool that will be explored during the term-long project.
Web 2.0 Tools
These free and / or paid online sites and apps encourage students to develop communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity skills. They are versatile tools and enable teachers to use them across all age groups and subject areas. It's not WHAT the tool does - it's HOW they are utilised.
Doing is Learning …
Effective Learning takes time …
Ruth Charles, your TechTeach PL Consultant, will make five, full-day, fortnightly visits to your school, throughout the term, to meet with each participating teacher for one hour, during each visit. This meeting may occur in or out of the classroom, in or out of DOTT time, possibly alleviating the need for Relief teachers.
Workflows will be developed …
It is vital for teachers that content delivery continues in a timely manner. As we explore the nominated unit of work, combining a group of Web 2.0 tools into a usable workflow will enable the content to be delivered in new, exciting ways that will encourage increased student engagement as well as differentiated and individualised learning.
Collaboration will encourage more effective learning …
Project participants will be encouraged to choose a non-participating colleague on staff with whom to collaborate. An "Each One, Teach One" model will be utilised for the facilitation of knowledge and skill sharing.
"Information and communication technologies are fast and automated, interactive and multimodal, and they support the rapid communication and representation of knowledge to many audiences and its adaptation in different contexts. They transform the ways that students think and learn and give them greater control over how, where and when they learn." ACARA Website
Participants begin to reflect on the changes observed in their classrooms
Rarely, are specific subject apps focused on during a PL Project. Mostly, Web 2.0 Tools are explored as these are the most versatile and useful within a range of student ages and a variety of subject areas. The aim is to support the teachers' design of more open-ended tasks that enable collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity. Higher levels of student engagement, differentiated and individualised learning are readily observed.
Participants meet together with members of the Administration Team
All participants are requested to meet with members of the school's Administration Team, having prepared a short five to ten minute summary of their progress and achievements during the project. This enables school leaders to stay current with the ICT progress occurring in their school.
Speed Learning
On Day One of the following term, during the Student Free Days, 90 mins. is allocated to this important activity. The teaching staff is divided into groups corresponding to the number of participants. The participants are asked to repeat a short eight minute report to each staff group. Each group moves around to each participant and, ultimately, hears all reports. These short reports are designed to whet the ICT appetites of the staff as well as to highlight the "Lighthouse Teachers" for particular apps or tools, with whom teachers may seek further information at a later time. Speed Learning has proven to be a most effective strategy for increasing the curiosity of even the most resistant teachers.
As the PL Project culminates …
A Written or Video Report is requested
Project participants are invited to provide either a short written report or a brief video report for the school to include in an eNewsletter or on the school portal or website, allowing the wider community to be informed of the wonderful ICT progress that is occurring in the school.
A PL Certificate is awarded
Participants are awarded a TechTeach PL Certificate, documenting the contact hours of each participant. This may be used when re-registration with the Qld College of Teachers is due.
An online survey is provided
Participants are also invited to respond to a 5 minute online survey, on Survey Monkey. The uses of the results of the responses are twofold - to assist Ruth to continue to improve her services to educators and, secondly, are shared with members of the school administration team. Decisions made about the next steps in encouraging continued ICT progress are assisted by these results.
After completing a term-long TechTeach PL Project …
… , teachers begin to work together to move in the same direction but with a variety of different tools and apps To gain the greatest benefit, it is recommended that the school continues to enable more teachers to participate in further PL Projects to maintain the momentum and allow staff the opportunity to consolidate their newly acquired knowledge and skills as well as to give them valuable time to practise those skills with the continued support of their TechTeach Consultant, Ruth Charles. Their continued activity in the school's Edmodo Support Group is both welcomed and encouraged. Further questions can be asked and answered. Classroom experiences may be shared and suggestions offered. This on-going forum remains available and active for as long as it is required.
Does our Professional Learning Project sound like something from which your staff and students could benefit?
Teachers quickly gain confidence and knowledge as their individual meetings with Ruth build momentum. There are no "silly" questions. A variety of Web 2.0 Tools are woven together to create individualised workflows for each teaching situation. Necessary content delivery is maintained. The experience is enjoyable throughout the project and the results are as exciting for Ruth and the students as they are for the teachers.
Email: ruth@techteachpl.com.au
Website: www.techteachpl.com.au
Location: Sunshine Coast Area
Phone: 0400 77 2224
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/TechTeach/250715888466798?r%20
Twitter: @TechTeachQ
Having purchased laptops or iPads, and watched them collect dust or be used ineffectively, be assured that help is available
Phone Ruth on 0400 77 2224 to book a meeting time at your school to discuss the ICT future of your teaching staff and students …
If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our students of tomorrow. (John Dewey)
TechTeach is proudly Queensland owned and operated. Reasonable costs and superior 24/7 onsite and remote support make this your best, and only, choice for bringing your school into the 21st century. With "best practice" integration of technology tools, increased student engagement and confident, excited teaching staff - all with the uninterrupted continuation of necessary content delivery - can you afford not to find out more?