Professional Learning Options

As the Future Ready Learning Coordinator for our district, I work with teachers across the district who would like to learn new approaches to using technology in the classroom, connect globally, or create "future ready" learning opportunities for their students. For some that has been rethinking classroom design, for others it has involved Skype or Google Hangout, a new app or web tool for students to use to present and for others it has been trying blended or flipped learning. My goal is to help teachers locate resources and offer support as they try new ways of teaching & learning, whatever that might be.

So why does it feel like I'm spitting on a forest fire sometimes??  How do I support learners efficiently & effectively, as well as empower them to take some ownership in their professional learning? One of the ideas that I am trying is offering a badging system, that will begin with physical badges to be placed outside the classroom. I first saw information about digital badging through Laura Fleming's Worlds of Learning website. I have looked at other districts (such as Denton ISD and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD) and how they are using badging to recognize professional learning, and think this is something that might work for our district. As with most things, I am looking at what others are doing and then shaping it into something that will work for us. With a physical badge outside a classroom, teachers on the campus and across the district will know of a person who could be a resource for that skill or tool. 

To start the badging system, areas of focus had to be selected. Just this year we have become a GAFE district, as well as added Canvas as our learning management system (LMS) and so those two areas seemed like a great place to begin. In addition, being a connected educator is something our district encourages and supports, so a badge for this was also needed. Canva is the tool I chose to create the physical badges that we would print for classroom doors. It is so easy to use and I could quickly duplicate a badge to make the next one. Here are just a few that we will start with for this spring. 

For this to be ready to go for the spring semester, we also have to have a way for teachers to earn their badges. I liked how Denton ISD used Google Forms for teachers to request training and/or badges. Things must be easy for teachers to access and easy to manage, so Google Forms seem like a great way to manage everything.

As this continues to develop, I will post about it. Hopefully others will offer suggestions, and this will help hold me accountable for completing this goal. As we all know, other things quietly slip in and before we know it, we are off track! If you have ideas or suggestions, please share!