Using Technology to Develop Professional Learning Communities

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Using Technology to Develop Professional Learning
Communities

• Devin Vodicka, Ed.D.
• Director of Curriculum Instruction
• Catina Hancock
• PrincipalCalavera Hills Middle School
• Carlsbad Unified School District

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Expectations Outcomes

• Objective
• Share technology resources that have been used to
  develop capacity with respect to collaboration,
  assessment, and interventions
• Share lessons learned in the implementation of
  these resources
• Provide opportunities for reflection and dialogue
• What else?

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Carlsbad Unified School District

• Number of Students 10,000
• Number of Schools
• 9 Elementary
• 3 Middle
• 1 High School
• 1 Alternative
• North San Diego County

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Context

• District API 831
• of Schools in Program Improvement 0
• Failed Data Management System
• Tense Labor Relations
• Leadership Turnover
• Many New Technology Initiatives
• Microsoft Exchange Server

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What is a Professional Learning Community?

• When educators learn to clarify their
  priorities, to asses the current reality of their
  situation, to work together, and to build
  continuous improvement into the very fabric of
  their collective work, they create conditions for
  the ongoing learning and self-efficacy essential
  to solving whatever problems they confront
• Learning By Doing

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Essential Components of a PLC

• Collaboration
• Assessment
• Interventions

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Collaboration

• Schools that function as professional learning
  communities are always characterized by a
  collaborative culture. Teacher isolation is
  replaced with collaborative processes that are
  deeply embedded into the daily life of the
  school. Members of a PLC are not invited to
  work with colleagues. They are called upon to be
  contributing members of a collective effort to
  improve the schools capacity to help all
  students learn at high levels.
• Getting Started

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Technology Resources for Collaboration

• SchoolLoop www.schoolloop.com
• Connect-Ed www.ntigroup.com
• AirSet www.airset.com

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Reflection

• What do you like about the collaboration
  resources?
• What questions, concerns, or issues are raised as
  you think about the collaboration resources?

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Assessment

• In a professional learning community, educators
  are hungry for evidence of student learning.
  Relevant, timely information is the essential
  fuel of their continuous improvement process.
• Learning By Doing

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Technology Resources for Assessment

• TICAL www.portical.org
• Student Achievement
• ELAR www.clrn.org/elar
• Data Director www.achievedata.com
• Soft Data
• Zoomerang www.zoomerang.com
• CIVIC www.getcivic.org

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Reflection

• What do you like about the assessment resources?
• What questions, concerns, or issues are raised as
  you think about the assessment resources?

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Interventions

• Professional learning communities create a
  systematic process of interventions to ensure
  students receive additional time and support for
  learning when they experience difficulty. The
  intervention process is timely and students are
  directed rather than invited to utilize the
  system of time and support
• Learning By Doing

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Technology Resources for Interventions

• Aeries www.aeries.com
• Intervention Coding
• Discipline Coding
• Intervention Central www.interventioncentral.org
• Framework for Intervention www.scoe.org
• Doing What Works
• http//www.ed.gov

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Reflection

• What do you like about the intervention
  resources?
• What questions, concerns, or issues are raised as
  you think about the intervention resources?

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Conclusion

• If schools are to improve, they need educators
  who believe in the possibility of a better
  futureand in themselves.
• PLC at Work

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Questions?

• Devin Vodicka
• dvodicka_at_carlsbadusd.net
• devinvodicka_at_getcivic.org
• Catina Hancock
• chancock_at_carlsbadusd.net
• catinahancock_at_getcivic.org
• For resources on trust and social capital
• www.getcivic.org
• Blog.getcivic.org