Flipping Technology PD

[madge101963]

   My position as as Technology Associate is one of staff support.  I am a resource to help teachers integrate all types of technology into their classrooms.  One of my favorite ways to use Canvas is to flip technology PD. I respect my teachers time and don't want to create a burden on them.

   Canvas offers an excellent opportunity to flip PD.  By creating content in advance and allowing teachers to work through a PD course on their own, you are differentiating instruction.  Teachers are at all different levels when it comes to their ability to understand and use technology.  They may be very tech savvy and pick up on new concepts quickly or they may be very hesitant to change their ways and embrace new ideas. I prefer to allow my teachers to have an advance exposure to technology PD.  Some of my teachers will be able to take off running on their own.  Others will need to have their hands held and a more in-dept face-to-face training.  At least these teachers will have a basic knowledge of what we are working on when we meet.  They can have specific questions prepared in advance.  Often they will send me these by email so that I can have additional materials ready to work with them.  

    I have found that my staff appreciates the opportunity to learn at their own pace and on their own time.  If they are not interested in learning a tool at all, they can just skip this PD.  I try to be open to my teachers' needs and not force any new tool on them.  However, I have seen that once one teacher on a team starts using something new, often others will be impressed and want to know more.  Setting up Conferences within Canvas is an excellent tool to assist with flipping PD.  I can schedule a time to meet individually or as a group.  Canvas offers me so many different ways to present information such as video, documents, audio, etc.

   Flipping the classroom is not just for students!  It works really well for teacher PD.

[KristinL]

Thank you for sharing your story!

I love how you are encouraging teachers to learn when it's convenient (and relevant) to their schedule. That extra flexibility can definitely be what 'wins' over the teachers in the end! I think that flipping PD is super smart. It gives them control over their learning. As you stated, PD is then individualized, scaffolded, and differentiated...all based on what they need to improve their classroom practices.

I also admire how you are providing teachers with the opportunity to experience the flipped classroom and Canvas as a student. It's sometimes a format that is bypassed because it's unfamiliar, but by creating a positive series of encounters using the flipped model, I bet some of those teachers then bring it to their classrooms.

I think that flipping PD is super smart. It gives them control over their learning. As you stated, PD is then individualized, scaffolded, and differentiated...all based on what they need to improve their classroom practices.

For more "required" sessions and updates, do you document attendance? For critical information, how do you measure accountability?

[kmeeusen]

Hi  @madge101963 

Thanks for posting this! Almost all of our Faculty PD courses are in Canvas, are self-paced and self-directed, designed to the lowest  common denominator and incorporate what I like to think of as a "Flexible Flipped Model", and some of our teachers are using this now in their own courses.

Our department is lucky enough to have its own computer lab, it's small but sufficient (12 stations). What we do is offer all our participants the opportunity to work on their PD in our lab, or contact us at almost any time. We recognize that while faculty love the freedom and flexibility of online training, they are not (as you mentioned) all at the same level of technological expertise, they are not all familiar with online learning, and while they are in their offices they are an interruption target for their own students or fellow teachers. We provide a quiet space, where our expertise is readily available. Some are comfortable, and simply work through on their own, others require more help, and some need their hand held through the entire course; and this model works for all of them.

Again, thanks for starting this discussion, and I hope more Community members jump in with tehir tyhoughts!

Agent K