Flipped Professional Development PREZI

I wanted to share my PREZI PD. I was proud because I hated using PREZI the first few times as a presentation platform. I think it was the need to learn a new software program. But now that I am more comfortable, I love using this to present information. Here is an assignment for EDAD 616 that I just completed.

Later Start Times for School

> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/af/dd/dd/afdddd164b88a69d031738073ffd24b6.jpg My school board voted unanimously to “help middle and high schools that want to start classes later.” Based on the recommendations made by the American Academy of Pediatrics, their study found that starting school 8:30 am or later would improve the health of teenage students by aligning school schedules to their biological sleep rhythms. Many parents are in favor of the later start time to give their children more time to participate in extracurricular activities and keep up with homework. They believe the later start time can provide more energy and alertness for the student. Some of the challenges to a later start time is the logistics of transportation for students and if the district has enough resources to allocate for the differing start and later end times. Also, for working parents or parents that have other children in elementary or middle school might have challenges with pick up and drop off. As a teacher at a high school, I prefer the early start time of 7:30 AM. Teenagers love to stay up late and I think giving them extra time to sleep in and start the day later is not going to make that huge of a difference in academic performance. We are only looking at about 1-hour difference in time. I think it is a reality of life to have to get up in the morning and make it to work on time. I do not agree with adjusting the start time for middle and high school students. I think it is good preparation for the real world. No job is going to adjust their hours to accommodate their employees, why should we do this when they are so close to becoming adults? What are your thoughts on having later start times for middle and high school students to accommodate their biological sleep rhythms?

Clinical Observation of a very dry subject: IEP Paperwork

Meaning/Observed Perspective of Participants I was able to meet with the trainers for about one hour prior to the staff development training. We discussed the process of how and why the training was developed. The District Resource teachers work directly with the school sites administrators and special education departments. They received overwhelming feedback of the frustrations teachers had when working on IEPs with the new software program. There were many glitches and issues with calculating the LRE. The District SPED office did a random check of IEP’s and LRE calculations, pulling 2 from every school site and found that calculations were inconsistent across the district. Some schools used hours, some used minutes, some used days. There was no set guideline, policy, or procedure recommended by the district. With this information, the district office developed guidelines that are aligned with both Federal and State laws for teachers to follow as they use the new software system.

Google Classroom Platform

Google Classroom Code: o4abp7l Proud to continue earning my tech badges and improving my skills as we move further on in the MAELA program. Here is a link to a Flipped Professional Development Assignment that included a pre-assignment and actual staff PD. so much fun putting it all together!

National Association of Secondary School Principals

More information for high school administrators!

Professional Growth Observation

For EDAD 697 I observed an Induction Learning Academy Meeting and learned so much. Below are my notes and reflections on the experience! Meaning/Observed Perspective of Participants The Learning Academy purpose was for the participants to engage in meaningful and purposeful discussions with their colleagues about student engagement. I like how the district induction staff organized the activities to engage the whole group and then moved to small group discussion about how the general strategies apply to their own classroom and students. The district staff also approached our table to join in on the discussion, this kept us on task and provided us with additional guidance in our discussion. Direct Quotes Large Group Presentation addressing CSTP Standard 1: Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning District Induction Staff/Presenter Quote: “As teachers, how can we build on students’ strengths and interests to engage them in thinking critically?” This was such a powerful question that the presenter posed to the small groups. I think this strategy of using an open-ended question gives teachers an opportunity to self-reflect on their own practice. By being able to come up with their own conclusions is a much more meaningful activity as opposed to trainers or presenters just telling us the possible outcomes. My table used this question to delve into more discussions about analyzing student data, strengths, and needs and incorporating strategies to elicit student inquiry and problem-solving skills. This type of critical thinking is such an important aspect of student learning and involves a high level of self-reflection for the student. These Year 2 teachers were sharing their thoughts and ideas of how to reach their students and I think this type of support and collaboration builds a long-term motivation to keep learning and growing. This observation supported my textbook knowledge about providing support that promotes a growth mindset for teachers. I believe as a beginning teacher, this exposure of collaborative inquiry and guidance builds a strong foundation for new teachers to continue in the profession.