Addendum B: Professional Development for Digital Learning Grant - Project Narrative NARRATIVE SECTION Pinellas Professional Education Gateway (PPEG) Project Design-Narrative Research clearly supports that ongoing sustainable professional development for teachers has the power to improve teaching and enhance student learning. Students grow when teachers grow. A comprehensive professional development plan includes three levels of support: acquisition of knowledge/skills, knowledge in practice and knowledge of practice or inquiry/action research. It is only when all three levels of professional growth are provided that real change can occur. The most common, and least effective when done in isolation of the other two levels is, acquisition of knowledge/skills. This is the traditional training that we all have experienced. It is infrequent and implemented as a one-shot event or led by an outside consultant who drops in to conduct a workshop and never returns to the school or district. Hill, “Fixing Teacher Professional Development”; Linda Darling-Hammond and others, “Professional Learning in the Learning Profession: A Status Report on Teacher Development in the United States and Abroad” (National Staff Development Council, 2009) The second level of professional development, knowledge in practice, is the support that is provided to individuals when they return to their work site and begin implementing the new training. This type of professional development allows the teacher to practice the new knowledge/ skills they have acquired in a classroom setting in front of students. The third level of professional development is knowledge of practice, or inquiry/action research. Teachers focus on raising questions about their instruction and systematically study their own classroom teaching. Teachers and administrators involved in inquiry work benefit greatly from the collaboration, support and coaching from their peers. Through the use of a videotaped lesson that can be viewed by their peers or an instructional coach effective feedback can change the way teachers teach. We all know that teachers are extremely busy and taking time away from classroom instruction is not always the optimal opportunity for professional development. Teachers need the flexibility of accessing Professional Development on demand. Pinellas County Schools will create the Pinellas Professional Education Gateway (PPEG). PPEG is a secure, single point of access to digital resources for teaching and learning. Teachers will be able to access videos-on-demand for professional growth in integrating digital content into the classroom. This learning channel will include exemplar lessons, best practices and two minute tutorials on digital resources for interactive technologies to be used in the Pinellas classrooms. These videotaped lessons will come from Master Technology Coaches who are classroom teachers from within the district. These master technology coaches have participated in digital content professional development from highly qualified digital content consultants for the past three summers and are now Professional Development for Digital Learning – TAPS 15AT63 Page 1 Addendum B: Professional Development for Digital Learning Grant - Project Narrative identified as trainers for the district. The classroom videos housed in the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) will be organized into PPEG and part of the professional development components. This professional development will be coordinated through the Office of Professional Development for Pinellas County Schools and be a part of the Master-InService Plan. Teachers will have the opportunity to earn in-service component points for recertification. Digital Instruction and Content Development To develop requisite instructional capabilities for developing, delivering, evaluating and maintaining instructional materials the district shall develop or contract for services to implement professional development activities that: Develop Digital Content using instructional design techniques with interactive whiteboards and digital devices. Employ technology in the Content Areas using production, simulation, communications, and assessment software or Local Instructional Improvement Systems (LIIS). Educational technology leadership and management emphasizing cross-curricular development, department level management and supervision, and school level evaluation of digital instruction. Pinellas County Schools will develop 50-75 digital media assets for PPEG. These media assets will consist of videotaped digital lessons using interactive whiteboards, mobile devices and other digital devices. Staff from the district WPDS Channel 14 television station will go out into the schools to tape our master technology coaches teaching digital content lessons. They will also videotape short vignettes on how to use the components of the interactive software for the Smart Board called two minute tutorials. Through the resources provided in this grant teachers will also have the opportunity to create “how-to videos” using Camtasia Studio and Snag It software. This software is a powerful screen recorder that will capture everything on a computer screen and create interactive videos with clickable links, tables of contents, search, and much more. These videos produced will include lessons for all content areas such as: math, reading, language arts, social studies, science and electives using technology. On demand videos on how to access teacher level reports in Performance Matters can be created and shared through PPEG. Performance Matters is our district Local Instructional Improvement Systems (LIIS) software for data analysis. In this project, three channel managers will upload and vet all videos produced for PPEG to ensure high-quality resources. All of these media assets will be housed in PPEG and organized into in-service components. These in-service components will include content, deliverables and assessments and be part of their annual Deliberate Practice Plan (DPP) for professional development. All participants in these components will take the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) as a pre-assessment. One of the deliverables in the component will be the teacher checking out the SWIVL iPad robotic recording device to video tape their own lesson and present it their peers in the component class for feedback. Upon completion of all components the TIM will be administered to determine growth. The professional development courses will be included in the district’s Professional Development for Digital Learning – TAPS 15AT63 Page 2 Addendum B: Professional Development for Digital Learning Grant - Project Narrative Master In-Service Plan. Three facilitators will build and serve as trainers of the courses for teacher recertification points throughout the 2014- 2015 school year. As a result of this implementation, the next step will be to replicate learning channels to other content specific departments throughout the district. Teachers become better teachers by observing and sharing with their peers and experts. As a result of this project, teachers will engage in all three levels of professional development: acquisition of knowledge/skills, knowledge/skills in practice and knowledge/skills of practice. Professional Development for Digital Learning – TAPS 15AT63 Page 3 Addendum B: Professional Development for Digital Learning Grant - Project Narrative Project Performance and Accountability Chart Definitions Scope of Work- specific tasks that the grantee is required to perform. Tasks- Specific activities that are required to be performed to complete the Project Narrative/ Scope of Work. DeliverablesProducts and/or services that directly relate to a task specified in the Scope of Work. Deliverables must be quantifiable, measurable, and verifiable. Evidence- Tangible proof. Due Date- Date for completion of tasks. Unit Cost- Dollar value of deliverables Scope of Work Tasks/Activities Order Tapes and Books (Consumable Supplies) Video tape classroom lessons Purchase Video Hosting Channel and Additional Software Components, Technical Support on Resources Teacher Stipends for Channel Managers Deliverables (product or service) Evidence (verification) 40 hours of Tape/ 26 Books Books, Tapes October 1, 2014 $1,675 50-75 video segments combination of Best Practices, Two-Minute Tutorials and Exemplar Digital Lessons. Camera and Video Tapes/ iPad SWIVL recording devices Online subscription for video hosting recorded videos on demand TLC Channel and assets, Purchase Orders December 1, 2014 $12,900 Invoice and Purchase Order October 1, 2014 $47,600 Payroll sheet submission June 30, 2015 $10,800 540 hours of videos in Repository to build on Professional Development for Digital Learning – TAPS 15AT63 Unit Cost Due Date (completion) Page 4 Addendum B: Professional Development for Digital Learning Grant - Project Narrative Write Master In-service Plan (MIP) Components Contracted Service Facilitators for Components Teachers access TLC Channel for On Demand Professional Development Indirect Costs MIP Component Points Written Courses Opened December 1, 2014 $0 Ongoing sessions 2nd Semester(Blended Learning) Component Number in MISP December 1, 2014 $1,601 Specific Channel in PPEG for PD for digital content development Usage Access Reports, Component Assessment Surveys Invoices and Purchase Orders June 30, 2015 $0 June 30, 2015 $424 Grant Resources Purchased Professional Development for Digital Learning – TAPS 15AT63 Page 5