Targeting Professional Learning 1

Targeting Professional Learning

ANy

MSCIN Program, Western Governors University

D182: The Reflective Practitioner OHM2 Task 3

Instructor: Sharlie Wade

January 2, 2024
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OHM2 Task 3: Targeting Professional Learning

Introduction

I teach 12th grade at a career center in urban Ohio. This school consists of eight different

school districts that specializes in teach career technical courses to 11 th and 12th graders. These

students attend their home school for traditional course such as history, science, and math half a

day and then attend this school for their career technical courses the second half of the day. I

teach the Fire and EMS Academy where students are instructed on become

firefighter/paramedics, they start this course their junior year and then become certified through

the state of Ohio during their senior year. For the purpose of this assignment, I will discuss the

need of evidence-based practices (EBPs) and how they can help contribute to achieving

academic goals.

Implementing Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs)

According to IRIS Center, EBPs should be uses because “there is scientific evidence that

it works, as opposed to only anecdotal evidence for its effectiveness” (IRIS Center, 2014). EBPs

are also mandated for educators to use by the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act. There are federal laws from these to acts that state that “teachers are

to use, to the greatest extent possible, academic and behavioral practices and programs ground in

scientifically based research” (IRIS Center, 2014). Even though there are federal laws that

mandate the use of EBPs, educators should want to use these practices to not only help improve

themselves, but to improve their quality of education given to the students the best possible

chance of succeeding as possible. Using a proved method to achieve an obtainable goal is not

only win for the teacher, but it is also a win for the student and the school district.
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There are a few ways the EBPs can help achieve goals, the first one is that it is a time

saver in the long run. Since these practices have already been extensively researched and proven

to work, you would save yourself the step of will this work when implementing an EBP into your

practice. Secondly, EBPs gives support to the teachers and therefore the teacher gets support

from their administration and even student parents. Finally, they have been proven to increase

the work on for student learning because they help the teacher succeed by not waiting valuable

time, money, or additional resources that will never be used again.

Types of Professional Development:

The first type of professional development that would help me incorporate EBPs would

be participating in a teacher mentoring program at the school. The second type of professional

development would be participating in Professional Learning Communities (PLC) to increase

collaboration between teachers and more. The third professional development teachers can use

would be online/webinars professional development.

Justification of Types of Professional Development:

Teacher Mentoring Program: Being a new teacher when I currently work, I participate in

a teacher mentoring program along with my other collages that are new to the district. This is a

four-year long program that is used to give us teachers a veteran teacher within the district to

help give us support, build relationships, collaborate and learn from. This mentor is used to help

answer the plethora of questions that I have as a new teacher, help me adapt to the culture of the

school and assists me in developing lesson plans and routines to make myself successful to be

the best educator for our students. By having a mentoring program, schools can help prevent

losing teachers from the profession.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistic (NCES) there is “an

exceedingly high percentage of teachers who abandoned their careers as teachers may have

entered the teaching profession under-prepared, overwhelmed, and under-supported — resulting

in frustrated teachers who became burned out after only a few years of teaching” (Marvel, Lyter,

Peltola, Stitzek, & Morton, 2006). Mentoring program have been proven to that “teachers are

going to experience success during the induction phase of their career and become more likely to

remain in the profession” (Kent, Green, Feldman, 2012).

Professional Learning Community (PLC): PLC’s can be offered in different forms, they

can be in-person resources offered by the school district, online teacher resources or found by

teacher themselves to help better their professional development. These communities help with

getting a group of educators together to share expertise, provide advice, and work collaboratively

to help improve skills for teach and performance for their students. PLC’s have “three important

elements of a successful PLC: focus on learning, collaborative culture, and results-oriented

thinking” (Jessie, 2007).

We also have these communities in our school district where the school has set time aside

for all educators to participate in these meetings. It has helped me as a first-year teacher in the

school district use my resources available to me to help overcome some of the obstacles that I

have faced such as organization issues with my students work. The biggest help this group has

been was helping me find members of the community that have let me talk with the latest

innovations in the field of Fire and EMS so that I have connections to better myself and

instructional ways to benefit my students.

Online/Webinars for Professional Development: this type of professional development

offers a wide variety of options that must can be taken at any time to fit a teacher’s schedule.
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There are multiple platforms that offer online training specialized to teachers to assist in

developing curriculum, utilizing new technology available for teachers, and other topics. These

online classes and/or webinars can be taken with other educators across the globe. This always

for educators to “gain more exposure and experience as an educator” (Benecio, 2019). This

allows us teachers to connect and collaborate on ideas with teachers even out of state to help

build ideas to improve the classroom.

Professional Goal

For the remaining 2023-2024 school year and throughout the first semester of the 2024-

2025 school year, I will implement real-world scenarios into my classroom lectures and labs.

This will be done by continuing my collaboration with professionals within the fire and EMS

services and continuing my education in the field of fire and EMS. This will be measured

through pre and post assessments, student will also demonstrate their continuing knowledge by

completing assignments and projects design to me their classroom objectives.

My professional goal is related to my instructional practice because I am responsible for

producing career ready firefighters and EMTs, by implementing more real-world scenarios into

my teaching styles will help student adapt from a student to a professional as they start their

careers.

Implementing Evidence-Base Practice

Evidence-Base Practice #1:

The first EBP that I have found to support my professional goal is scenario-based

education. This type of education is centered around the student and allows them to learn by

“using situated cognition through simulation to create authentic learning experiences” (McGrath,

2020). The goal of this type of learning is for the students to assume the role of the EMT or
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firefighter who must critical think and make relevant decisions based on the situation at hand.

The student’s patients or incident will respond based on the decision that are made just like they

would in the real world. The student will then need to adjust their treatment plan or plan of attach

to meet the new needs of the situation.

A few benefits of scenario-based learning is that it supports productive failure. This

allows the students to make mistakes in a safe, controlled environment and learn from these

mistakes so that they avoid the same mistake when faced with it in the real world. It allows the

student to capitalize on contextualization of concepts. “If a learned is able to contextualize the

real-world benefit from this training, they are more likely to push beyond their comfort zones

and explore their cognitive boundaries” (McGrath, 2020).

The last benefit I am going to discuss even though there are many more is the critical

thinking skills the scenario-based learning improved. Critical think is paramount for firefighter,

EMTs, Paramedic and other health care workers. Since these students will be the primary

caregiver in these scenarios, they can do their assessment, find the important finding and develop

a plan. These plans will need to incorporate well planed designs and back up plans in the event

something does not work out. “Scenarios are littered with evidence-based theories synergistically

providing an authentic learning experience that engages, entertains, expedites, and endures”

(McGrath, 2020).

Implement of EBP #1:

I can implement my first EBP during the first lab which is held normally about the third

week of the class. I can start by lecturing on the skill that will be taught, then follow with

showing the class how to complete the skill, finally the class can break out into their

predetermined squads and practice the skill. Once all students feel they can do the skill
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efficiently without a scenario being introduced, I will then add an entry level scenario. As we

advance with more skills and they become more comfortable with their skills, the scenarios can

increase in level of difficulty.

I can also incorporate this practice into my lectures when we are talking about

determining what skills might need to be used by incorporating more scenarios for the students

to dissect. Towards the end of the course, I will add all simulated runs days where I will have

coworkers from the field come in and help with real-life scenarios so that the students can be

critiqued by other EMS and Fire personnel other than myself.

In addition to the students experiencing the real-life hands-on scenarios during lab days, I

will use Unit Tests to ensure they have retained the material that has been taught. The questions

on these tests will also be scenario based therefor, it will ensure that they students is competent

in both hands-on application and cogitative application of skills in scenarios

Timeline for Implementing EBP #1:

I make my lesson plans two weeks in advance, I would be able to start incorporating the

scenario-based learning into my lectures immediately as those do not take a lot of planning. As

for in the lab, I could implement this learning with in the next two (2) weeks. I will then continue

to implement this style of teaching into all lesson plans including lecture and lab for the rest of

the 2023-2024 school year.

Assessment for EBP #1”

The students will first be checked off on the skill to prove that they are able to complete

the skill successfully without a scenario added to it. Once they have passed this assessment, I

will have peer reviews and instructor lead reviews of the students completing the skills through

out the course until the end of the course. At the end of the course for the state hands-on
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practical, that will be evaluates by outside fire and EMS personal. I will expect the scores to

show growth and therefore I will be able to document the success of the scenario-based teaching.

I will ask for feedback from the proctors to determine if they felt the students were more prepare

for real world experiences.

Evidence-Base Practice #2:

The second EBP that I will implement is active learning strategies such as case-based

learning, small group discussions, and hand-on activities. It has been shown that these types of

learning are more effective in teaching EMT students than the traditional lecture style. This type

of learning style will help promote better retention and application of new knowledge than

passive listening alone (Bucklin, Asdigian, Hawekins & Klein, 2021).

“Active learning describes a broad range of learning activities (e.g., flipped classroom,

think-pair-share, turn and talk, bulleted breaks during lecture) that require a learner to

“construct”, understand, and comprehend the knowledge derived from their educational

experience” (Bucklin, Asdigian, Hawekins & Klein, 2021). This method of teaching has also

proven to improve critical think and problem-solving skills. There are endless possibilities that

can be done both during lecture and lab times with active learning.

Implement of EBP #2:

A few that I can think of off the top of my head to implement the EBP of active

learning for lectures would be when using PowerPoints for lecture leave blanks for the students

to fill in the missing information. Another idea would be after certain chapters, give a handout

with different scenarios on it pertaining to the lesson being taught and let the students use their

notes, books, and protocols to answer the questions within the scenarios. They will then share
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with the class their findings and opinions of the answers, this would be followed by a group

discussion on what the class and instructor felt was correct, wrong, or needed improvement.

For lab days, when teaching students how to take personal protective equipment off

properly, such as gloves. Put chocolate pudding on their gloves and make them practice taking

them off without getting pudding on their skin. To teach directional terms, have index cards with

positions on them, give each student an index card and give them 1 minute to get into the listed

position. At the end of the minute all students froze and other students had to name the

directional terms.

Timeline for Implementing EBP #2:

The timeline for implement my second EMP for lecture can be done within the next

three (3) days. I will have to take some time for the PowerPoint lecture and create a worksheet

with blanks for the students to fill in the information as I lecture. I can also build some table top

activities such as scenarios with questions regarding the topics taught for lecture. To implement

the lab day activities, I would need an additional three (3) days to work on making the direction

term cards and obtain pudding for teaching how to take gloves on and off. I would ensure by the

end of February that at least one lecture a week has an active learning activity involved, this will

allow me to end the 2023-2024 school year with implementing the active learning. I will then

continue to incorporate it for the 2024-2025 school year.

Assessment for EBP #2:

The assessment of this EBP will be done in the winter of 2024 after the EMT class for

the next group of seniors is completed. I can compare the assessments that were given to both

groups and determine if the scores increased with the second class that had all active learning

style implemented compared to the class that just finished their EMT course. If implementing the
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active learning styles is successful, then the class from 2024-2025 will show improvement and

higher scores. For the 2023-2024 school year, I will compare the test scores from the first

semester to the second semester and see if they increase, if they do increase, it will show that

active learning has helped. I will also survey the class to see if they felt that the active learning

styles have helped them learn the material.

Achieving my Professional Goal by implementing the Two EBPs

Implementing my two EBPs will allow me to achieve my professional goal of

incorporating real-world scenarios into my classroom and active learning styles will allow my

students to comprehend the material that I am teaching at different levels. It will also allow them

to take the given material and use it in the real world when they are in their careers. The active

learning styles will give them an option to learn the material by teaching each other and in turn

teaching me as well how they process their learning of the class. The real-world scenarios will

allow for the student to use critical thinking skills. Both of the EBPs will allow the students to be

in charge of their learning and help them be more dedicated to their education. With the students

being more dedicated and involved with their education, this will help increase test scores and

assessments. The data that I will collect from my assessments will allow me to reflect on how my

students are doing and any changes that I may need to implement.

Importance of Have a Growth Mindset

It is important for me to have a growth mindset because it will help me become the best

educator that I can be for my students. I whole heartily believe that every day I got to school I

am making a difference, even if it is in just one student life. I have also made a commitment not

only to the high school that I teach at, but to the communities that my students will be serving on

what is consider the worst day(s) of their lives. If I did not have a growth mindset, I fear I would
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become a complacent educator who uses the phase “that’s how we have always done it”, which

is not the mindset to have to shape the future.

Implementing real life scenarios into my classroom will not only allow myself to build as

an educator, but it will allow the students to realize that they can succeed in the field. Just seeing

the students able to preform skills that were taught in scenarios will show success of my EBP

one. The improvement of test and quiz scores will show me improvement after successfully

implementing my second EMP of active learning.

I also have to remember that not every class will benefit from the same EBPs and that I

might have to implement different practices with different classes to achieve the high passing

rates and competency that I strive for. Implementing additional EBPs and realizing when I need

to modify them is only done through growth. Just like with my license to practice medicine as a

paramedic and a firefighter, I must be a life long learner in this field. To be the best educator as

possible, I have to instill the growth mindset in the career of teaching as well.
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References

Benecio, A. (2019, November 4). Benefits of Using Webinars in Education. ConferTel - Secure

Conference Call Service, Webinar Service and Web

Meetings. https://confertel.net/benefits-of-using-webinars-in-education/

Bucklin, B. A., Asdigian, N. L., Hawkins, J. L., & Klein, U. (2021). Making it stick: use

of active learning strategies in continuing medical education. BMC medical

education, 21(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02447-0

IRIS Center. (n.d.). Page 2: Why educators should use EBPs.

IRIS. https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/ebp_01/cresource/q1/p02/

Jessie, L. G. (2007). The Elements of Professional Learning Community.

NAESP. https://www.naesp.org/sites/default/files/resources/2/Leadership_Compass/

2007/LC2007v5n2a4.pdf

Kent, A. M., Green, A. M., & Feldman, P. (2012). Fostering the Success of New Teachers:

Developing Lead Teachers in a Statewide Teacher Mentoring Program. Current Issues in

Education, 15(3). https://cie.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/cieatasu/article/view/988

Marvel, J., Lyter, D., Peltola, P., Strizek, G., & Morton, B. (2007). Teacher Attrition and

Mobility: Results from the 2004-05 Teacher Follow-up Survey (NCES 2007-307).

National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2007/2007307.pdf

McGrath, J. (2020, November 23). Scenario-based E-LEarning: Benefits for emergency

medical professionals. CareerCert. https://www.careercert.com/blog/ems/scenario-

based-e-learning-benefits-for-emergency-medical-professionals/
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Wheeler, B., & Dippenaar, E. (2020, December). The use of simulation as a teaching modality

for paramedic education: a scoping review (33456395). National Library of

Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7783959/