Why do we need digital coaches?

   

Why do we need digital learning coaches?   

    I have been teaching for 22 years. In that time, I have ALWAYS had a classroom. However, this summer, I find out that I will NOT have a classroom of my own this year. This caused me to rethink lesson delivery and design, as well as what to do with all of my STUFF! As I was preparing for this school year, I made the decision to go completely digital. Our  students grew accustomed to working out of Google Classroom during the spring when the pandemic chased us all into the comfort of our own homes, and I could simply digitize all of my handouts. To go digital, I knew I needed to spend some time learning how to use the different apps Google had to offer (we are a Google district), so I spent the second half of my summer becoming a Level Two Google Certified Educator. I did not mind doing this, since I embrace technology and enjoy using various programs and apps to learning for my more engaging. This is already paying off, because we are having to post all of our lessons in Google Classroom for our virtual and face-to-face students, in preparation for any micro closures or quarantines that may occur because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

    Not all teachers are comfortable with technology.

    In fact, I have been helping several of the teachers with digitizing their lessons and coaching them on how to use the different Google apps. I enjoy helping them, but this takes time away from my own curriculum planning time, and quite often I am up late making sure that I have prepared lessons for my own students. This made me think about our district professional learning model and how it really has not prepared our teachers for the level of digital competency needed to thrive in a blended learning environment. The professional learning is offered, but one has to go looking for it. Because they are intimidated by technology, technophobes will not see the value in taking advantage of digital learning courses. This has caused me to really think about our current PL model and what our district can do to help teachers on all levels of digital competency. I have come to the conclusion that teachers would greatly benefit from having a Digital Learning Coach assigned to each campus. This would ensure that teachers would receive the type of personalized, ongoing digital professional learning that they are so desperately in need of. 

Watch my Call-to-Action video below:

You can't talk the talk; you must walk the walk!

 One of the best things our district has done is create Content focus sessions (CFS) that allow content teachers to gather together and receive  professional  learning that applies to their subject area. However, I do know that not all CFS's are created equal...For example, when I was a writing teacher, the PL I attended was more "sit and get," and I rarely walked out of a PL with strategies that I ended up using. However, when I moved into AVID, the CFS's tended to be much more engaging. Our district leaders model teaching strategies and activities that are part of our curriculum; therefore, I am much more likely to "go and show" those strategies  to my students.

  As with anything, collaboration without purpose is pretty much useless, and it usually ends with people being frustrated, wishing they could be doing something more specific to their content area.  It is interesting that when we talk about teaching our students to collaborate, we emphasize the need to make it meaningful, yet we forget that adults need a common goal as well.  

One theme that has been developing on our campus, is the need to help our students socially and emotionally... We have heard a LOT of talk about it, and there has  been some PL established to really help our teachers; however, I am not sure how many of our teachers are aware of it. I feel that if we had an SEL coach on our campus on a regular basis to model for teachers , this would be a major game changer. Not quite sure if this is what I will do my Call-to-Action on, but I am definitely leaning in this direction...

Professional Learning: What works?

     In my experience, most PL is ineffective because of the "one size fits all" approach to teacher inservices. Up until the last 5 years, our district PD has been geared toward core teachers, and EVERYONE had to sit through it, even if it did not pertain to their subject. WE were required to attend a certain number of PD workshops throughout the year, which meant we had to secure a sub and leave our students. IF we could not get a sub, then we were stuck with not getting to go and having to figure out how we were going to make up the learning.  

    Over the last few years, however, our district has embedded Content Focus Sessions into our academic calendar at least once a six weeks.on these days, our students get the day off, eliminating the need for subs (a HUGE savings for the district), and giving teachers time to collaborate with other content teachers across the district (i.e., all secondary ELAR meet together,all math, etc. ) This model allows us to address content specific needs and make sure that we are aligning vertically as well as horizontally across the district. As an elective teacher, this PL model has been much more engaging and prescriptive. Furthermore, we have technology specialists who attend our PLCs once a month to help us with digital learning tools that we can use in our lessons. 

    Because of COVID, our district (like many others) has had to adapt our teaching methods to accommodate virtual, face-to-face, and blended learning students. This has forced our teachers to be more open to learning technology than ever before. Because I consider myself to be a "high flier," I have had an easier time with this transition. I consider myself to be a digital leader on my campus; however, most of the teachers on our campus are low-tech and average tech users.  As I think about our approach to digital learning PL, our district still teaches to the low tech teacher, which leaves the high fliers a bit frustrated.  I am hoping that I will be able to come up with a plan that will differentiate PL for teachers, just as we are expected to differentiate for our students. If teachers can personalize their PL, then they will be more apt to own their learning... and isn't that what we want for our students as well?