District and school leaders should ensure that processes are in place during professional development opportunities to support the diverse learning styles of teachers. By providing a variety of learning options, districts can guarantee their teachers will have support and access to training, ownership of their learning and the ability to assess their technical skill levels. It is also critical to scaffold learning, and one of the most effective tools for this is the Massachusetts Technology Self-Assessment Tool. Using this, educators can determine their level of tech proficiency and identify personal PD needs. The data collected assists schools and districts in assessing PD programs and planning activities that will help all teachers become proficient in technology. Using the ISTE Standards for Educators, personalized, structured and beneficial professional development opportunities can ensure that educators excel as learners, leaders, citizens, collaborators, designers, facilitators and analysts.
DISCOVER: Find four tips for effective virtual professional development.
Boost Learning in Physical and Virtual Classrooms with Consistency
Good teaching is good teaching, and school communities need to learn, share and collaborate on the outstanding education that is already happening. Educators who were skilled in pedagogy before school closures easily transferred effective teaching to the fully remote environment. Administrators would be wise to tap those rock-star educators to help assess, plan and lead effective professional development.
It’s also critical that administrators model the same powerful tools they expect educators to use to deliver instruction, assess students, provide interventions and support cultural diversity and different learning styles. Whatever the model used for professional development within a district, training teachers how to implement remote learning is a significant task. There are products available that provide comprehensive professional development support focusing on pedagogy using technology. Teq’s Otis for Educators offers free, high-quality online professional development courses for educators and school leaders to help them implement distance learning. EdTech Teacher’s T21 courses offer full-year, online professional development focused on teaching with technology in the 21st century.
What needs to be at the forefront of any development and implementation of remote learning professional development is the commitment of the entire school community to provide high-quality, personalized and engaging content and instruction. No matter whether teaching is in person or remote, schools need consistent and clear instructional practices and expectations that can be supported to ensure highly effective teaching and learning. School and district administrators must develop a school culture that embodies a shared sense of purpose, commitment and responsibility for giving students the best education possible.
LEARN MORE: Here's how school leaders can support educators teaching from home.