Educator Micro-credentials Baltimore County Public Schools http://tinyurl.com/BCPSMicro MC Support Team Amanda Lanza Specialist, Digital Learning alanza@bcps.org Jill Snell Resource Teacher, Organizational Development jsnell@bcps.org Sean McComb Resource Teacher, Organizational Development smccomb@bcps.org

Educator Micro-credentials Initiative Jennifer C. Kabaker Director, Educator Micro-credentials Initiative URL is landing page for MC on website How DP frames MCs Process Professional Learning Journey Lots of information on website to helps folks get started @JenCohKab @DigitalPromise #Love2Learn  Greetings! www.digitalpromise.org/microcredentials

Career-long professional learning: How do we recognize and reward it? Theory of Change Educators are continuous learners Enter the classroom under the assumption that they are full-baked educators We know that that is not true and educators engage in continuous learning New ways that teachers are learning every day, current systems don’t recognize educators for the learning outside formal settings. Focus on seat time rather than what they are doing with that learning MCs address both challenges Allows us to recognize the learning regardless of where it happens Shifts from seat-time to competency Addressing greater conversation around the professionalization of teaching, educators could have evidence/currency that they are experts or masters in their classroom Would have a portfolio regarding everything that they do and who they are as an educator Career-long professional learning: How do we recognize and reward it? FLICKR/ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY

Competency-based System To personalize professional learning Building the system Desired Outcomes – what are the things we wanted educators to know and be able to do based on research (ex. Wait time) Multiple Ways to Learn – to learn the desired outcomes, formal opportunities as well as informal opportunities, agnostic as to where and how an educator choosing to learn DP cares about what they can do = Evidence of Learning Desired Outcomes MOOCs Webinars Multiple Ways to Learn Evidence of Learning Trial and Error Articles Workshops Book Studies

A system of micro-credentials clearly articulates competencies that are important - AND - recognizes educators who demonstrate those competencies DP has embarked upon a journey to develop a system of MCs, that articulate competencies that we know that are important based on research and recognizes educators who can demonstrate those competencies and…

…can be displayed as DIGITAL BADGES. Specific Support interests, goals and immediate needs Transparent Include data about the issuer, the earner, and the evidence. Stackable Can be combined to create greater meaning and coherence Portable and shareable Can be shared by the earner wherever and with whoever they prefer Digital Badge is a piece of currency digital package, that an educator earns and follows them wherever they do Specific – an educator has demonstrated competency in that particular skill Transparent – digital package that shows data about the educator who earned the MC, the offering organization, and the evidence the educator provided Stackable – increases value to educator, demonstrates greater commitment to a particular area Portable and shareable – they own the MC and can take with them, share on social networks, resumes, blog, etc.

Components of a Micro-credential Competency Key Method Method Components Research & Resources Submission Criteria Scoring Rubric Walk through digital and paper copy The DNA of the MCs, developed over the course of a year and half Competency – what we are asking educators to do Key Method – how an educator achieves that competency, some competencies have a single key method (Wait Time), while others may have multiple key methods (Ex. Checking for Understanding) Method Components – Specific, gives educators a clear sense about what that key method looks like in the classroom, what the non-negotiables are, provides suggested implementation strategies, goal is to distill down the key method Research & Resources – Every MC is research backed and research is provided, each MC has resources that are meant to be a starting place for how to learn about the key method Submission Criteria – the meat of MC, what the educator has to submit in order to demonstrate competence, always rooted in research, educator also answers context questions, what does the assessor need to know about the classroom, and provides reflections from teacher and students Scoring Rubric – tells the educator how they will be assessed

Artifacts and Evidence Demonstrating competency Types of Evidence: Videos of teacher and student interaction Lesson, project, and unit plans Student work samples Teacher and student reflections Observations Assessments Peer and self evaluations and reviews What else? DP is constantly learning about this In future could be live evaluations/peer assessments Constantly evolving Will look to our feedback from continuous improvement

Meaningful evaluation and feedback Assessment Process Meaningful evaluation and feedback All MCs are in expert assessment at this time Once past expert assessment, the issuing agency can choose to go into peer assessment, grow the MC community For the pilot, all will be assessed by experts from the issuing organization After an educator submit – feedback loop (after an educator submits a micro-credential application, they receive an email telling them that it is in the process of being assessed. Once the assessment is complete, the educator will receive the assessment form, which includes the completed rubric and scoring guide as well as any feedback from the assessor. Should an educator not receive the micro-credential, he or she can use the feedback from the assessment form to revise and reapply for that micro-credential. ) Expert Assessment First 50 submissions Peer Assessment 3 previous earners Outcomes reconciled by issuers

Platform Demo! www.bloomboard.com/digitalpromise Open a new tab and Sign up – First name, last name, email, zip code, where/what teacher (option) Access to entire submission platform as well ability to explore MCs (we have a created a list of endorsed MCs), can scroll through, but we have created a list for you Click on MC on wiki page, and demo a DP MC (educator should not feel limited to written reflections for students) Download PDF for printing (contains entirety of MC including the submission guidelines and evaluation criteria) After assessed, educator will receive a form from assessor, based on submission guidelines and eval criteria, whether they passed or not, where they fell on rubric and comments/feedback Show application, click Apply button, core is uploading the evidence, demo uploading and adding comment, then hit submit that triggers an email to issuing agency (slides 11-14) Show what it looks like once MC is earned, go to profiles, 3 types of files (MC started, saved, will show MCs applied for but not earned for re-application, MC earned) Demo sharing capabilities (Make note that Share Your Work, evidence and feedback, will be emailed to me once MC is earned), Embed code will allow to post MC to blog or website, share achievement will share only MC Platform Demo! www.bloomboard.com/digitalpromise

2 MCs = 1 CPD As MCs are earned, share work and feedback with Jill Snell Jill will keep a spreadsheet of earned MCs Once an educator as earned 2 MCs, he/she will be emailed the credit report form for completion MCs must be completed by the last day of the BCPS 2015-16 school-year Credit report forms will be submitted for processing the following week

Questions?

Let’s go! Complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BCPS_MCpilot Create an account: www.bloomboard.com/digitalpromise Browse BCPS endorsed MCs at http://tinyurl.com/BCPSMicro Select 2 micro-credentials that you are interested in obtaining Complete the launch survey: http://tinyurl.com/BCPS-MC Register for the Micro-credentialing in the BCPS PD Cycle (CPD Courses) As you obtain your MCs, please share your work with Jill Snell, jsnell@bcps.org Participants will work off ODL MC wiki-page

MC Meet-up for STAT Teachers Continuing Support MC Meet-up for STAT Teachers *April 21st STAT Conference Virtual MC Meet-up *May 23rd, 11am – 1pm MC Support Team

Educator Micro-credentials Baltimore County Public Schools http://tinyurl.com/BCPSMicro As participants enter, direct them to the wiki page. Welcome MC Support Team Amanda Lanza Specialist, Digital Learning alanza@bcps.org Jill Snell Resource Teacher, Organizational Development jsnell@bcps.org Sean McComb Resource Teacher, Organizational Development smccomb@bcps.org