Keeping professional development fresh and up-to-date is a challenge for managers. Creativity is key and passionate educators have risen to the challenge.
Dr. Leanna Mullen of the Egg Harbor Township School District, a recent Innovative Leader Award winner for “Best Professional Development Example,” discusses her innovative professional development program and how it engages teachers and improves the overall classroom experience.
Using data to personalize PD
Since Mullen, Student Data Coordinator and Rtl Data Advisor, started with Egg Harbor Township (EHT) Schools 10 years ago, she has worn many hats, including serving as a bridge between the IT department and plan administrators. of studies.
“I support universal screening data collection and provide in-depth data analysis at the individual student level and large-scale projects across the district,” Mullen says. “I am a member of our district’s Professional Development Committee and the primary professional development facilitator on all things educational technology.”
This natural interest in data analysis helped Mullen create The Faculty Room, a unique take on the traditional professional development program.
The Professional Development Committee created an annual needs assessment survey and, at the end of last school year, expanded it to ask teachers about their preferred learning modalities and delivery of professional development content, Mullen says. “Do you like auditorium-style keynotes for large groups? Do you prefer intimate PLC conversations? Do they like curated video content?
Mullen and his team found that a large percentage of staff sought individualized learning and autonomy while keeping the content highly focused on EHT. The solution was mechanically simple, as The Faculty Room is simply a Google Classroom.
“We are a Google for Education district, so the LMS made sense for us,” Mullen says. “We created a staff room for each of our nine buildings (some with more than 200 employees) and assigned all teaching staff as students.”
Since this virtual classroom concept began, the committee has been able to make announcements, add reading and video materials, and give teachers and administrators the opportunity to connect directly through the private comments feature.
The new demand for On-Demand
Flexibility through asynchronous or on-demand content can help educators struggling with busy schedules. For those with family obligations or other personal considerations where traveling to attend courses presents challenges, this type of mode can be a game-changer as well as a leveler in terms of accessibility.
“To introduce some of our new processes this school year, our team has created a series of short 3-5 minute videos (titled “Independent Learning”) on specific topics that could be described as ‘EHT-focused,’” Mullen says. . “We categorize them based on upcoming events and deadlines (for example, “Everything I need to know for September”).
During her early days of professional development, Mullen added staffroom time directly to educators’ professional development schedules. This included some required readings and video content, as well as optional “extra credit” materials for those who wanted to take their learning further.
“To make sure they understood the information presented, we outlined a list of action steps to mark as complete when they were done,” Mullen says. “This gave staff the opportunity to acclimate to the LMS while also giving them the flexibility to complete tasks when they saw fit. It also provided a level of accountability that we hadn’t been able to grasp before.
Staff have told the committee that the on-demand design of the Staff Lounge is a convenient way to learn. They don’t have to search through old emails or endless Google archives to locate addresses or hyperlinks to resources. Plus, it saves them a lot of time by being able to review exactly what they need when they need it.
“We are now working on an Innovation and ai series and will continue to create district initiatives based on content and staff requests,” Mullen says.
Since the initial implementation, Mullen’s team has produced more content related to the district’s Equity Committee and a detailed review of the New Jersey Student Growth Goals (SGO).
“Office hours” for each schedule
Mullen created “Office Hours” to provide an expanded opportunity for personalized professional development.
“I’ve done a lot of research on andragogy (teaching adult learners) and educator self-efficacy,” Mullen says. “Everything about professional learning and teacher confidence indicates that the ability to ask questions and feel supported is key to their success. In short, it all comes down to personalization and relationships.”
To respond to this need, virtual and in-person ‘Faculty Room Office Hours’ were offered as an extension of the asynchronous PD. Appointment slots use Google Calendar, so any of the 1,300+ teachers can book a 15-minute one-on-one meeting for support. The two or three days of “office hours” offered each month are fully booked.
“The staff has been incredibly responsive,” Mullen says. “I’ve met with teachers, counselors, secretaries and even school principals.”
Support issues
This initiative came at no monetary cost, making it a potential solution for any district. However, creating The Faculty Room required a lot of implementation time to add staff to classrooms, record video content, and schedule assignments.
“Our district recognizes the value he has brought to our staff,” Mullen says. “Our Literacy Supervisor, Nanci Barr, our Director of Careers and technology, Dr. Carmelita Graham, and our Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Lily Moss, volunteered their time to support the project.” Daily maintenance is carried out by the administrative team, and the central administration and the Board of Education have also provided their support.
“They know that we always strive for the best when it comes to supporting our students and staff, and we will do whatever it takes to support you,” Mullen says. “Together we divide and conquer!”
