Cohort Information Session Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach Will Richardson

Making the Case for Change  The world is changing.  Kids are using social technologies.  No one is teaching them.  Traditional professional development doesn't work.  Powerful Learning Practice takes a different, unique approach to professional learning. “The research tells us that teachers need to learn the way other professionals do— continually, collaboratively, and on the job. The good news is that we can learn from what some states and most high- performing nations are doing.” ~Linda Darling Hammond

Workshops Two all day workshops that build capacity, community and develop 21 st Century skills. Webinars Live meetings where teams meet, listen and then reflect in small groups. Virtual Learning Community Where we deepen understanding, network, share resources and grow as a community of practice. Professional Learning Teams Job embedded teams who meet face-to-face and work towards scale and alignment of 21st Century skills with school improvement goals PLP Delivery Model

Our basic experimental design…  Seek out 20 schools/districts willing to invest some time in exploring the challenge of 21st Century Learning.  Ask the schools to identify small teams of 5-6 educators who are ready for this exploration.  With the support of our PLP Community Manager, Cohort Community Leaders and PLP Fellows, expert voices, and team leaders we begin that exploration together.  …With the eventual goal of "scaling up" the exploration in each participating school. "I didn't realize how far along we'd come until the end. My whole life has changed and this whole new world has opened up to me." -Melanie Hutchinson, - International Cohort

Curriculum is Emergent and Interactive Session #1: Introduction to 21st Century Literacies and Powerful Learning Practices What is 21st Century learning? Why is it important? This session introduces the context, research and trends shaping the current shifts. Session #2: Network Literacy This session moves team members from talking about 21st century learning to examining some specific tools and how they are used to promote the building of Personal Learning Networks for sharing, cooperation, and collective action. “Joining PLP has pushed me to re-examine what I am doing in my class and how to improve it. As a teacher I constantly ask myself: how can I better engage my students and enrich their experience? How can I make their learning more meaningful? PLP is helping me find answers to those questions. Meeting (in person and virtually) teachers from other schools and learning about their successes, questions and struggles in implementing 21st Century Skills in their classrooms has been invaluable. Ever since the first meeting, my mind has been spinning. I feel there is so much to learn about what these skills are and how to effectively teach them to my students. I have a steep learning curve, but I am excited to take this on.” ~Nick Romero, Haverford School

Curriculum is Emergent and Interactive Session #3: Network-based Inquiry This session takes a closer look at the pedagogy involved in using web-based strategies to support project-based and inquiry-driven approaches to learning. Session #4: Project Workshop School teams have an opportunity to get feedback on their emerging team projects as well as showcase, reflect, and celebrate the success and outcomes of their learning. Session #5: Long Range Planning and Implementation Workshop Working with school teams to develop a collective vision and implementation plan to build momentum for change in their schools and districts. “Seeing how others use web 2.0 tools was the best part! It gathered all of the teachers using tech together to work on one common goal. Otherwise, we would have just kept working independently on our own path. It really pushed our district to start a plan to implement and educate others in our district.” ~Theresa Gray, Curriculum Coach

Organic Collaboration  School Teams meet face-to-face  Expert Voices from around the globe  PLP Live Events  Opportunities for school team use of Elluminate.  International team participation  Fellows’ collective project and tool series “I enjoyed meeting with other schools from around the world, hearing and sharing what they are doing in their districts and regions. It opened my eyes to what we are not doing in my buildings and what needs to be done in the future.” ~Garry Stone, WNY Superintendent

ULTIMATE GOAL Get the RIGHT people on the bus and the WRONG people off. ~Jim Collins, “Good to Great”

Collaborative Tools  Wikispaces  Del.icio.us and Diigo  Twitter  Elluminate  NING (our VLC) “Collaboration with others in my district and learning new tools was the best part of PLP. Connecting with other teachers in my district for new ideas and connecting with other schools for new ideas made PLP the best PD ever!” ~ Science teacher in WNY

Team Projects Your team will work as a Professional Learning Team to co-create a project: Develop a creative PD plan to share what you have learned over the past year with the rest of your school or district. Develop a 21st Century curriculum project that is constructivist in nature and leverages the potential of emerging technologies. “The project allowed me to work closely with other people in my district in order to accomplish a common goal. Discussing projects from the other districts was very informative!” ~ Barbara Mocarski

Planned Outcomes Knowledge: An understanding of the transformative potential of Web 2.0 tools in a global perspective and context, and how those potentials can be realized in schools. Pedagogy: An understanding of the shifting learning literacies that the 21st Century demands and how those literacies inform teacher practice. “ It's to the point where I don't realize I'm using it in my lessons with students. It's not an add-on, it's just a part of what we do." -Jennifer Clark Evans, -International Cohort

Planned Outcomes Connections: The development of sustained professional learning networks for team members to begin experimenting and sharing with other team members and online colleagues from around the world. Sustainability: The creation of long term plans to move the vision forward in participating districts at the end of the program. Capacity: An increase in the abilities and resources of individuals, teams and the community to manage change. “The best part of PLP was learning and growing with my team. I am using tools I didn't even know existed before this year. I modeled in a regular meeting and taught other staff through the process enough for them to say they will go back and use it in their classrooms. I want to learn more and use it to help teachers in the district support one another to excellence.” ~WNY District level curriculum coach “PLP helped us develop a 3 year plan to incorporate our web2.0 tools and staff development for the entire school. Also the connections that were made in an inspiring and non-threatening way.” ~District Superintendent

Tough Economic Times  Equip teachers to develop their own ongoing professional learning.  Invest in the development of situated, sustainable learning communities for your school.  Build a technology and network literate staff.  Promote emerging skill literacy to parents and community.  Maximize your professional learning dollars through PLP's unique model and unrivaled expertise. We can’t afford not to leverage 21st Century Change.

Menu of Services and Graduate Credit Available “Boy, they weren’t kidding when they said this would be powerful! From the very first, I’ve done nothing but learn. I would admit, though, that a lot of what I’ve learned I had not expected to... What I’ve come to realize is that, through PLP, we are gaining exposure to the world that our kids already inhabit easily – and learning in that environment is not neat and tidy. For those who are wondering, “what’s next?” or “when are we actually going to do something?” I would have to argue that, if you really take a learning posture – give up your control and your need to feel industrious – you will find that you are learning. And you have been all along!” ~Lisa Snyder, Team Leader ADVIS Cohort

Questions? Concerns? Comments Encouraged!