In Professional Learning, One Size Does Not Fit All

Changes in How Students Learn Requires Changes in How Teachers Learn

By Kristi Meeuwse and Diane Mason

Daily, teachers interact with students in a variety of ways to focus on learning outcomes, but not all teachers are well-equipped with the necessary skills to target specific student needs.  For students to learn at higher levels, teachers must also learn at higher levels. In fact, teachers need a learning practice in addition to a teaching practice. Learning practices for teachers must include a focus on student learning, which requires ongoing support from colleagues and the principal. Changes in how students learn requires changes in how teachers learn. Yet, most professional learning opportunities consist of one-shot workshops designed to cover multiple grade levels, leaving busy teachers to scale the content that is provided.

Scaling Content

This scaling of content is most difficult for early childhood educators. Early childhood, as defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, or NAEYC, is the education of children up to age eight. In some districts, early childhood is considered preschool to grade two, and in others, it extends to grade three. Too often, these teachers are grouped together for professional development workshops and webinars in literacy. Grouping these teachers together is problematic, as preschool literacy activities are vastly different from those in second and third grade. In fact, best practices in literacy development for each early childhood grade level build systematically on one another.

Kindergarten students focus heavily on phonemic awareness and concepts of print. Students in second grade are building reading fluency skills and reading longer passages with greater text complexity. Due to the differing nature of literacy practices in these grade levels, combining them for professional development results in confusion and frustration. When teachers have to scale content to fit their teaching context, they are less likely to make these instructional changes. One size does not fit all. Teachers, like students, possess different levels of knowledge and understanding. In teaching, this means individuals vary in their abilities and expertise with implementing new and emerging instructional strategies. One way to broaden knowledge and expertise while building confidence in instructional approaches is through personalized learning.

Personalized Professional Learning

Research demonstrates teachers are more likely to make instructional changes when professional learning is ongoing, job embedded, and personalized to individual teacher needs. This personalization of professional learning should consider the teaching context, previous knowledge and instructional needs of each educator. The end goal is to build individual capacity and create lasting change in pedagogical practices. Some districts are utilizing instructional coaches to model best practices and work with individual teachers and grade level teams, as veteran teachers do not have the same professional learning needs as first year teachers. Personalizing professional learning with coaching and reflection provides teachers with the ability to see the impact on their students and practice new instructional skills in a safe environment.

Credentialing

In addition to coaches, a few school districts are incorporating microcredentials and online professional learning platforms that provide individual learning plans for teachers. Microcredentials, or digital badges, are performance-based assessments that allow teachers to showcase their growing skills. Each microcredential is focused in a particular area, has submission criteria, a research base, recommended resources and a scoring rubric. Microcredentials allow teachers to engage in self-paced, job-embedded professional learning that is connected to the daily skills teachers need.

First, the principal and teacher sit together to create a professional growth plan. The teacher then is able to work with the instructional coach, complete online microcredentials, work in an online professional learning platform and/or take courses to demonstrate the learning targets identified in the professional growth plan. With the assistance of an instructional coach and planned personalized professional learning experiences, teachers can hone in on specific teaching needs. For example, the instructional coach can offer suggestions or model ways to incorporate technology integration to meet varied student needs. A coach can also serve as a sounding board and expert to guide practical ways for improving instruction and integrating varied technology tools within curriculum.

Incorporating Technology

Personalizing professional learning must also include the incorporation of technology. In today’s digital world, our students are more connected than ever. Since anytime learning is both personal and pocketed, students require teachers who are able to integrate technology in meaningful ways to enhance deeper learning. Yet, many teachers are lacking the technological skills to effectively do so. Further, teachers also lack a clear understanding of the connection between teaching, technology and content. To affect change through the implementation of personalized learning through professional development with technology, it is important to consider the perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, and self-efficacy of teachers involved in implementing technology in their classrooms. This is best achieved through instructional coaching and personalized professional learning incorporating technology. Engaging teachers in personalized professional learning is one way to better insure young students are exposed to current day instructional strategies aimed at building foundational skills for success.

As technology continues to daily affect our lives, it behooves educators to learn ways to effectively utilize technology tools to change the landscape of teaching and learning. Through a process of personalizing professional learning, educators can become more adept at shaping instructional strategies to better meet the varying needs of students. Furthermore, personalized professional experiences enable teachers to extend learning to improve their own “craft” of teaching. Combined with a supportive administrator and instructional coach, teachers also develop the necessary collaborative skills to affect overall change in practice deemed appropriate for developing well-equipped, academically renowned students prepared for what the future might hold.

Author

Dr. Kristi Meeuwse is a veteran kindergarten teacher in Charleston, SC as well as an adjunct professor for Lamar University in their Digital Leading and Learning Master’s Degree program. As an Apple Distinguished Educator, Kristi travels extensively sharing her innovative early literacy practices incorporating iPads into instruction. Kristi is the author of the popular blog iTeach With iPads, which is a chronological account of student voice and choice in demonstrating learning. She also authors leveled readers for her students to enhance literacy learning. Research interests include early literacy, technology integration, and professional development.  

Dr. Diane Mason is an Associate Professor in the Center for Doctoral Studies in Educational Leadership at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX and is the College of Education Director of Graduate Studies and Research. During her tenure at Lamar University, Dr. Mason has taught numerous online courses in Educational Leadership and Educational Technology Leadership. In her current role in the online doctoral program, Dr. Mason works with an online team to lead a unique cohort of global distinguished educators. Her prior K-12 experience includes serving as a technology training center coordinator, teaching K-8 regular and special education, and leading as a middle school assistant principal and elementary principal.

During Dr. Mason’s tenure as a K-8 teacher, the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education (NFIE) recognized her as a Christa McAuliffe Fellow for innovative online and technology integration practices. Also, she is the past president of the ISTE state affiliate, Louisiana Computer Using Educators, peer reviews journal articles for the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration, and is a member of the Lamar University Institutional Review Board. Research interests include online learning, technology integration, professional development, school improvement, and leadership.

Further Reading

1. EdSurge – From Blah to Aha! Your Guide for Personalizing Professional Development
2. Education Week – Teachers Customize Professional Development Through Microcredentials
3. Education Dive – For maximum impact, personalize teachers’ tech professional development