Use Technology for Professional Learning and Developing

your own PLN

Professional Learning Network

A Professional Learning Network is a flexible, teacher driven activity space

that facilitates personalized professional development. A PLN connects
teachers to other individuals worldwide who can offer support, advice,
feedback, and collaboration opportunities. PLNs allow teachers to collect
information from various websites and access it in one organized area so
they can stay up-to-date on the latest teaching techniques, pedagogies, and
changes in the field of education. (Trust, 2011)

You are going establish an online Professional Learning Network (PLN) to

help you use technology to stay current with trends in the field.

Steps:

1. Read the following:

 10 Reasons Every Teacher Needs a Professional Learning Network

 Three Steps for Building a Professional Learning Network

2. Complete this Edublog Course: Building your PLN

3. Choose a platform (or two) for your PLN such as Twitter, Feedly RSS
Reader, Facebook groups, or a blog like Edublog. Set-up your account.

 Here are directions for signing up with Twitter. If you don't have a
Twitter account, be sure to set one up! You may want to follow
@KSUITEC, @E_Sheninger, @DigEquityPLN and others!
 Feedly's RSS "Feed Management" section will help you to establish and
populate an account. You may use another RSS feed reader, if you
prefer. Here is a list of some popular RSS Readers.
 Here are directions for getting started with Edublog.

4. Create a screenshot of your PLN account (be sure the image has your
Twitter Handle, RSS Username, or blog URL).
5. Participate with your PLN regularly as you continue to stay current in the
field of instructional technology leadership (read, comment, and interact).

This is a semester-long individualized assignment. You will need to submit

the following throughout the semester. Please inform your instructor about
what you hope to create and submit as your artifacts during the semester
(50 points each section – 3 sections: Total 150 points).

Checklist:

Part 1: An investigation of current professional learning networks in your

school and school district and what PLNs are recommended by the school
and school district. Setting a goal by writing a plan for participating in at
least one or two local and/or national professional learning networks during
the course. Write about your findings and your goal for participating in the
PLNs (50 points, due Module 2).

Current PLNs available at Arcado Elementary:

School Leadership Team (SLT)

Grade level Collaborative Learning Teams (CLT)

New Teacher Orientation group

ESOL Team

Professional Development courses offered by Gwinnett County within

departments by subject

I intend on participating in my PLN via Twitter, where I will follow and

interact with various accounts that support and offer resources for
implementing technology in the classroom. Some twitter accounts I will
investigate and interact with within my PLN include: @DigEquityPLN,
@KSUITEC_Evans4, @PearDeck, @HISDnick, @ClassTechTips,
@mrshowell24 and @iste.

Future PLN opportunities:

I will participate in grade level PLNs though our CLTs, which include non
grade level team members such as Administrative members, our gifted
teacher, ESOL teacher, Reading Recovery Teacher, and MTSS support, in
addition to other participants. The goal of this PLN will be to improve the
practice of teaching and learning on the first grade level in order to meet the
goals of our school’s LSPI.

I also plan to investigate to see if there are any PLNs at my school or in my

area that focus on Computer Science, STEM, or Technology at the
Elementary School level in order to collaborate and promote the use of
technology not only in the classroom, but overall at Arcado.

Twitter Goal:

My goal for participating in a technology PLN via Twitter will be to learn

about and offer technology resources that can support teaching and learning
across the school and within the classroom.

Twitter Plan of Action:

I will work to achieve this by following and interacting with accounts related
to technology and teaching and learning.

CLT Goal:

My goal for participating in a collaborative learning team (CLTs) at my school

as a part of our PLN will be to use technology and digital assessments to
identify groups of students who will require different levels of support, what
those levels are, and strategies and resources that can be used to support
these different groups of students with technology.

CLT Plan of Action:

We will identify and form these groups of students using iReady diagnostic
data as well as formative assessments in the classroom. Support teachers
will also pull certain students based on their iReady diagnostic results for
further assessment.
Our MTSS and EIP support teachers will support small group instruction by
pulling and instructing some students in a small group. These teachers also
provide tools for classroom teachers to administer progress monitoring for
students weekly or monthly, based on their tier group.

Small group instruction in the classroom will be provided by the teacher

using small group lessons from the iReady online program.

These supports will be provided throughout the first semester until the mid
year diagnostic, where our team will reevaluate student progress and what
supports will be needed moving forward.

Part 2: A reflection on the experience of participating in the PLNs during the

semester. This reflection could be a written reflection paper, a video
reflection, or other multimedia reflection. Feel free to discuss with your
instructor (50 points, Due Module 7).

Twitter reflection

My initial intention with participating in a PLN via Twitter was to find and
share technology resources that could be used in the classroom. Not only
was I able to find this, but so much more. Following a few initial Ed Tech
accounts led to so many more with their own educational benefits. I learned
about technology tips as well as other tips for the classroom, including
student engagement with and without technology, resources that support
cultural responsiveness, articles that support instructional coaching, and
even links to other professional development courses I could take, if I so
choose, just to name a few.

CLT reflection

This semester I also had the opportunity to participate in CLTs, twice a week
on average. This collaborative learning team included the first grade team
at the core, with additional support teachers who may participate depending
on the meeting. Other participants from our school included our Reading
Recovery teacher, MTSS/EIP support teachers, Assistant Principal, and
Principal. Participants from the county included an iReady representative, a
math coach, and others.

At the beginning of the semester our team took time to analyze data from
the iReady reading and math diagnostic tests to identify the strengths and
weaknesses of the students in our classrooms in these areas. We then used
this data to create multi tiered support groups and discussed how these
students will be supported. This could include using the iReady online
program, support from EIP pull out groups, or small group instruction in our
classroom.

When we do not have a guest participant from the county, our team has one
day dedicated to preparing and analyzing reading instruction and one day
dedicated to math instruction. During this time we look at the standards
and lessons for the following week to discuss instruction, ensure we have the
same understanding across the grade level, and discuss if we want to make
any changes or additions to our instruction. Additionally, we look into
resources provided by our district to discuss how to support students who
may need additional help in small group and students who will need
enrichment for these standards.

Most recently, we have been looking at which specific skills students struggle
with in math and reading and the corresponding small group lessons that are
available on iReady to help support students with these specific skills.

While it can be helpful to have these resources for any skill students may
need, time to sift through, read, choose, and prep all the lessons available
for each skill has been overwhelming. Time constraints are definitely an
issue when considering the expectation to have small group lessons
prepared for multiple groups in both reading and math in addition to our
regular daily lesson plans, as we teach all subjects in first grade.

Unfortunately, Arcado does not currently offer any PLNs related to

technology specifically. However, it is the first year for our LSTC working in
her position, so this could be something that could be implemented in our
school in the future.

Part 3: Artifacts from building and administrating your PLNs to promote

professional learning in the department, grade level, school, or school
district, such as, building a Facebook group, offering a live Twitter chat, and
so on. Please inform your instructor before building your PLN. This could be
a group project as well. Feel free to discuss with your instructor about the
artifacts you will submit. Artifacts should showcase your participation and
interaction in the PLN (50 points, Due Module 7).

Twitterfeed artifacts
CLT PLN artifacts

Please see attachment to view iReady tier groups document

iReady Diagnostic Results by Domain

iReady Diagnostic Placement by Domain

GSE Report

EIP Groups and Supports

Progress Monitoring