Transcript Improving Your Skills as a Professional Developer Michael C. McKenna University of Virginia Sharon Walpole University of Delaware.

Improving Your Skills as a
Professional Developer
Michael C. McKenna
University of Virginia
Sharon Walpole
University of Delaware
Reading First is like what
sporting event and why?
Today’s Goals
Revisit the LC’s role as a PD provider
in Georgia Reading First.
Consider key principles of adult learning.
Discuss how to plan and deliver a group
presentation.
 Plan to apply these ideas at your school.
Continuum of PD
Training in
specific skills
or programs
Narrow
Teacher Academies
Comprehensive plan
aimed at increasing
student achievement
Broad
Literacy Coach’s Role
A comprehensive PD plan
 Includes cycles of theory, demonstration,
practice, and feedback
 Demands collaboration between teachers
and administrators
 Must be specific to programs in use
 Avoids conflicting messages
 Accounts for the school context
 Ensures that practice is changed
 Ensures lasting change in practice by
demonstrating links to achievement
How are you doing in each of
these areas?
Which is most difficult?
Which is most successful?
Why?
Some keys to adult learning
 Adults want practical, real-world applications.
 Adults tend to resist instruction that they believe
attacks their competency. PD must therefore give
them some control over how and what they learn.
 Adults need practice opportunities, with constructive
and helpful feedback during PD sessions.
 Adults need opportunities after PD sessions to apply
what they learn in real work settings.
 Adults may fear losing face during PD. Learning
must be structured to reduce risk of embarrassment.
Adapted from NCREL and Learning Point Associates
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te10lk12.htm
Some keys to adult learning
 Adults need opportunities to participate in smallgroup activities during PD sessions.
 These activities should be designed to move them
from understanding to application.
 Small-group activities should afford the chance to
share, reflect on, and generalize their learning.
 Adults come to PD with a wide range of experiences
and knowledge. These differences must be
accommodated during PD planning.
 Transfer is not automatic and may require coaching.
Adapted from NCREL and Learning Point Associates
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te10lk12.htm
Steps to Improved
Practice
Introduce New Ideas
about Instruction
Follow-up to Ensure
Implementation
Tie Implementation to
Achievement Data
Revisit Beliefs
about Instruction
PD Activities
Knowledge-building
sessions, courses, study
groups, modeling
Observations, taping,
conferencing, lesson plan
monitoring, doorjamming
Progress monitoring
(DIBELS, etc.), grouping
decisions, joint analysis
Grade group discussions,
data-focused conferences
How do these ideas
apply to group
presentations?
Can you share a presentation
nightmare?
Can you share a success?
Staff Development Prayer
O, Lord, when I die
please let it happen during
staff development because
the transition between life and
death will be so subtle.
Amen
Planning
Your
Presentation
Physical Arrangements
Choose a place free of distractions
Set up early so you can relax and greet
participants
Check visibility
Make sure everyone can see you
Decide on seating arrangements
Arrange the room for interaction (or for
transitions)
Theater Style
 Primarily for lectures to groups of > 50
 Accommodates many people
 But interaction is limited
Chevron
 Groups of 30-50
 Promotes some dialogue but not much
 Requires considerable space
 Called “classroom” style when tables parallel
front of room
Herringbone
 Groups of 30-150
 Includes seating on the ends
 People on both sides of each table can see
 Good for combining lecture with group work
U-Shaped
 Groups of 15-30
 Signals equality
 Each participant can see all the others
 Good for whole-group interaction
 Circled chairs can accomplish the same goal
Rounds
 Groups of 30-150
 Good if there will be extensive group work
 Good for stable groups
 Flexible enough for occasional regrouping
Physical Arrangements
 Decide on (and check on) refreshments
 Decide on writing materials (markers, pads,
easels)
 Back up your technology (mike, Ppt, screen,
lighting) (Befriend a geek)
 Check out your own space (remove clutter)
 Decide how to hand out handouts
 Package the handouts
Physical Arrangements
Send a message that you care how the
session goes
Favors
Door prizes
Candy
Physical Arrangements
Consider showing a “sponge” PowerPoint
as participants enter
Make a checklist (maybe these slides?)
Consider Your Audience
There are at least four types of
participants.
Your presentation needs to address the
needs and expectations of all four.
Think about which teachers match
these types.
1. The “Professors”
They want mastery and competence
They want to be able to remember
content
They facts, evidence, detail, clear
organization
2. The “Friends”
 They thrive on engagement with other
participants
 They want to respond to content through
interpersonal relations
 Give them emotional hooks, personal stories,
metaphors
 Provide opportunities to
share and hands-on
activities
3. The “Scientists”
They want to examine and process
data
They like to hypothesize and
explore explanations
They like structure
Provide opportunities to inquire and
reach judgments
4. The “Inventors”
They want to adapt, create, extend
They want to reorganize information into
new arrangements
Provide opportunities to explore and
generate new solutions
Think about your teachers.
Are all of these types represented?
Foster a Sense of Self-Efficacy
 Teachers must feel their ideas are listened to
 They must sense that their efforts can make a
difference
 They will then tend to be optimistic and adaptive
 Teacher self-efficacy is the single most frequently
identified factor in successful school reforms
(Rand Report, 1980)
 To build teachers’ sense of efficacy, allow them to
 Teach others
 Help shape agendas
 Have a say in own their learning
 See their progress as reflected in data
The content is not
as important as
the participants’
interaction with it.
Robert Garmston (1997)
The Content vs. Process Dilemma
Think of chewing gum. The gum is the
content and the chewing is the interaction
of participants with the content. You must
aim for a balance. You don’t want to
provide too many sticks of gum for them to
chew, and you don’t want them to chew a
single stick so long that it loses its flavor.
– Doyle and Strauss (1993)
Ratio of Process to Content
Presentation Goal
Content / Process
Acquiring Knowledge --------x--------x--------x--------x-----Acquiring Skills
--------------xxxx-----xxxx-----xxxx--
Content Provided by Presenter:
Processing of Content by Participants:
-----xxxx
– Adapted from Garmston (1997)
Why not simply use
all of my time to
deliver content?
Research shows that a
combination of content
and processing is up
to 10 times as effective
in altering behaviors.
– Eitington (1984)
Organizing Your Talk
Begin with goals. Clarify these to yourself!
Begin with the end in mind.
Steven Covey
Organizing Your Talk
 Decide on organizational structures that will help
the group accomplish them
 Key Questions
 Important Ideas
 Compare-Contrast
 Problem Solution
 Combinations of These
 Decide on activities that will help teachers
process the content
What other considerations
should we add to our
preparation checklist?
At the start …
Tie the presentation to past learning.
Strive to inspire.
Michael Pressley, 1951-2006
I cannot imagine how
anything could be
more demanding than
teaching first grade
well. It is much harder
than flying a 747 or
being a graduate
school professor.
At the start …
Make the goals clear.
Engage the audience quickly in an
activity.
How do you handle “the jitters” prior
to a presentation?
During Your Talk
Make sure that directions for group
activities are clearly stated and available
for reference (e.g., in a handout or
PowerPoint slide).
During Your Talk
Follow your agenda notes and try to stay
a step ahead mentally.
Use PowerPoint Presenter Tools.
During Your Talk
Enliven your presentation …
with analogies
If all you have is a hammer,
every problem looks like a
nail.
During Your Talk
Enliven your presentation …
with analogies
with stories
with student work
with jokes
with read-alouds
cartoons
During Your Talk
Develop strategies for …
tardiness
talking
negativity
distractions
What is a useful strategy for contending with
someone who frequently asks diverting
questions?
What is a useful strategy for responding to
questions you’re unsure of, or that you know
have complex implications?
How might you respond to a sweeping negative
comment, such as “That doesn’t work for my
kids” or “The block just isn’t long enough for
that”?
… At the finish
Sum up
Invite continued inquiry
Give them “homework” and offer
to help them do it!
Seek a commitment
Welcome contact from teachers
… At the finish
Try to end on an upbeat note.
Friendly Advice
1. Try taping yourself.
Friendly Advice
2.
Be yourself. Learn from good
presenters, but don’t try to imitate
their styles.
Friendly Advice
3. Learn about presenting.
Friendly Advice
4. Steal stuff.
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/reading/projects/garf/
What is one thing that you can
do to improve the
effectiveness of your next PD
session?