Project-Based Professional Teacher

Project-Based Professional Teacher Learning: The Teacher Learning Leadership Program (TLLP) Model in Ontario, Canada Ms. Rosemary Paniccia Dr. Gabriel Roman Ayyavoo Toronto Catholic District School Board Ontario Ministry of Education

What is professional development? Challenges in Professional Development (PD) sessionsResearch questionsThe Teacher Learning Leadership Program (TLLP) in ONTimeline of the TLLPProject-based Professional Learning ModelSelf-Directed LearningTeacher CollaborationPedagogical SharingChallenges of Project-based Professional LearningDiscussion Agenda

What is professional development? What does it mean to you?What are your experiences with professional development?

A Funny Thing Happened Leaving No Child Behind DVD Screener http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvu3HBQmPNk

Professional development :Focuses on improving the instructional practice of teachersIs meant to bring about innovation and changeIs policy drivenUsually occurs in a one day session Usually involves an outside speaker/presenter/expert Offers teachers a day off from curriculum instruction and the opportunity to socialize Adopts a “one size fits all” approach to learning

Problems with Current Professional Development Day (PD) PracticesPD workshops are often outside of the context of the school, not typically aligned with ongoing practice, and do not reliably lead to changes in classroom teaching (Loucks-Horsley, et al., 1999). PD sessions ignore the different learning styles of teachers and the context in which teachers teach (Lieberman 2011) PD sessions ignore teacher goals and Annual L earning P lans (ALP) PD sessions are usually a one day event, and therefore do not provide the time to implement change PD sessions result in a partial competence of the skill being taught

Is project-based learning, as in the TLLP, a sustainable model for teacher professional learning?What is the value of the TLLP in fostering teacher leadership?Research Questions

Hannay , Wideman, and Seller (2006) define professional learning, distinguishing it from professional development, as, “not a self-contained event, [but] rather an ongoing process through which professionals continually renew their practice” (p.21). Professional Learning

Professional learning opportunity for teachers Job-embeddedProject-basedRooted in a self-directed learning approachMOE funded and supportedCollaborative process between the OTF, MOE, school boards and teachers Sharing opportunity of knowledge creation What is the TLLP?

The TLLP in Ontario Resulted from discussions and consultations on the Working Table on Teacher Development (2007)Informed by 5 priorities for teacher learning:CoherentAttentive to adult learning stylesGoal-orientedSustainableEvidence-informed (Campbell, Lieberman, & Yashkina, 2013) (Campbell, Lieberman, & Yashkina , 2013, p.21)

Activity Date1. The TLLP ProposalProject objectivesRequesting a budgetListing teacher proposed learning activitiesListing teacher sharing activitiesNovember 20112. Board support of the TLLP ProposalDecember 20113. Ontario Ministry of Education (MOE) support of the TLLP ProposalJanuary 20124. MOE training session on the components of TLLP May 20125. The TLLP project Self-directed learning Collaborating with colleagues Sharing of the Project June 2012 - June 2013 Timeline of our TLLP: STSE Education Online

Three Phases of Project-Based Professional Learning Model (Ayyavoo & Paniccia, 2013)Our Model for Project-based Professional Learning

Our TLLP Learning Goals for 2012/2013: 1. Incorporating Science-Technology-Society-Environment (STSE) discussions using an online platform in secondary science courses. 2. Learning how to implement online discussions to foster higher order thinking skills amongst our students

Self-directed learning activities Reading texts (online and offline)Participating in the ECOO Conference (October 2012)Posting and discussing ideas on the e-Community Ontario websiteAdvantages: self-directed approach Time and space to organize one’s own learningRespect for one’s individual learning styleProcess-oriented rather than product-oriented Choice = Empowerment Context is rooted in specific teaching goals (i.e. ALP)

Self-directed learning reflection on e-Community Ontario While our project is focused on how to conduct STSE-based discussions online in order to enrich students' learning, we're now asking ourselves how online discussions could specifically support girls' learning and spark their interest in physics (a field that has been traditionally male-dominated). This TLLP Project has sparked our own interest in gender-based learning - an area we hadn't considered when we designed our initial project. (Authors’ reflection, e-Community Ontario, 5th December 2012)

Collaboration Designing lessons incorporating STSE-based issues in physicsDeveloping post-activity surveysOngoing “collaborative conversations” (DuFour 2004) Advantages: Teacher Collaboration Ongoing discussion on student progress Sharing of goals Sharing of strategies and resources Sharing of concerns Encouragement, feedback, and advice Ongoing reflection = professional growth

Collaboration led to interdisciplinary lesson-planning In grade 12 core French I explored STSE-based discussions about the environment. Rather than text-based asynchronous discussions, in French students voice recorded their answers to problems. The following question was posted online and students in the grade 12 French class responded by voice-recording themselves:Qu`est-ce qui est plus important, le développement industriel ou la protection de l`environnement? Est-ce que les deux peuvent exister au même-temps?This type of interdisciplinary task allowed students to both learn about environmental issues and to develop their oral communication skills in expressing an opinion on a controversial issue. (Author reflection, e-Community Ontario, 19th June 2013)

Pedagogical Sharing e-Community OntarioPD Day at our schoolTLLP findings at the SITE ConferenceOur model at the ATE ConferenceSharing the Learning Summit, MOEPeer-reviewed publication (pending, Ontario Action Researcher) Advantages of sharing Learning from our colleagues Shedding light on the different learning needs of adult Feeling empowered Developing leadership skills Networking with colleagues across the province

Pedagogical Sharing at the SITE Conference led to renewed inquiryIt was a question concerning copyright which particularly struck me. One participant asked me about teacher and student discussion materials being posted online and proprietorship. This teacher... was concerned about copyright issues and who owns materials once they are posted online. This is a valid question for us to pose ourselves as educators, especially when one embarks on using digital cloud technology in the classroom…As a teacher working with high school students, this raises concerns about the loss of ownership with regards to one’s ideas. While, we teach our students to cite material and to create bibliographies for their research, who is safeguarding original thought/discussion that arises from STSE-based talks online or other online discussions? The conference opened up my mind to this challenge of online ownership. (Author reflection, e-Community Ontario, 2nd May 2013)

Next time, maybe we could have the people interested in websites like Edmodo, d2L and WordPress (class websites) in one room, people interested in adding some technological games or similar (like Jing, QR codes, etc.) in another room etc., and all of us on a computer. That would be the most effective way to get people comfortable and actually using the technology. We learned a lot at the PD. I would like to investigate more about what we learned.I would like to learn more about Edmodo. It seems like a fantastic tool. I just need some time to figure it out! Thank you to the entire team. This was a fantastic presentation. I really learned a lot!I found the first half of the day to be what we've all been asking not to do - sitting and listening to people. I found with time in the afternoon to "play" and be together while doing so, we were actually immersed in the technology and were learning more than we ever could have just listening to people talk about it. (Transcript from Club 21: 21 st Century Learning PD, February 2013)

Scheduling and finding the time to collaborate Missing curriculum instruction timeManaging a large budget of $14 000Balancing the accountCompleting paperwork for reimbursementsAdministrative team lacking knowledge about the TLLPChallenges of Project-based Professional Learning in TLLP

Design your OWN “TLLP” What type of projects are most important to you now, in terms of teacher learning?What types of skills are you interested in learning?What do you need to make this happen?NOW IT’S YOUR TURN Project-based Professional Learning Model

Works Cited A Funny Thing Happened Leaving No Child Behind DVD Screener. Retrieved fromhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvu3HBQmPNkCampbell, C., Lieberman, A., & Yashkina, A. (2013). The Teacher Learning and Leadership Program: Research Project. Retrieved from http://www.otffeo.on.ca/english/docs/tllp_full_report%20.pdfDuFour, R. (2004). What is a “Professional Learning Community”? Educational Leadership (pp. 1-6). Retrieved from http://staffdev.mpls.k12.mn.us/sites/6db2e00f-8a2d-4f0b-9e70-e35b529cde55/uploads/What_is_a_PLC._DuFour_Article_2.pdfHannay, L., Wideman, R., & Seller, W. (2006). Professional Learning to Reshape Teaching. Toronto: Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario. Lieberman, A. (2011). Teacher Learning and Leadership: Beijing, Finland, and U.S. Presentation transcript retrieved from http://www.videodelivery.gov.on.ca/player/download.php?file=http://www.media.gov.on.ca/55f0899156be5ad2/en/transcripts/page.html   Loucks -Horsley, S., & Matsumoto, C. (1999). Research on Professional Development for Teachers of Mathematics and Science: The State of the Scene. School Science and Mathematics, 99(5 )

Rosemary Paniccia Rosemary.paniccia@tcdsb.orgGabriel Roman AyyavooGabriel.ayyavoo@tcdsb.org Special thanks to the TLLP, Ontario Ministry of Education