1. Extending the Engagement
An action research project
centered on the North Carolina
Sustainable Forestry Teachers’
Academy
Renee Strnad
Durham, NC
ETL Cohort 16

2. Background
Environmental Educator for Extension
Forestry at NC State University
• State Coordinator for Project Learning
Tree
• Work with 4-H natural resource programs
• “Other duties as determined”
– Outreach
– Website and social media

3. Background

4. Sustainable Forestry
Teachers’ Academy (SFTA)
Sponsored by:
• NC Forestry
Association
• NC SFI SIC
• NCSU – CNR

7. Action Research Question
How can I create a meaningful continued
engagement experience for teachers from
across North Carolina attending our annual
Sustainable Forestry Teachers’ Academy?

8. What is good PD?
Four key principles for designing PD:
• Professional development should be intensive,
ongoing, and connected to practice;
• Professional development should focus on
student learning and address the teaching of
specific curriculum content;
• Professional development should align with
school improvement priorities and goals;
• Professional development should build strong
working relationships among teachers
Darling-Hammond et al (2009)

9. Cycle One
• What types of activities would SFTA
teachers participate in to extended
engagement?
• Survey of summer 2014 SFTA participants
– 56 total
• Four questions embedded within our
standard post-academy evaluation
• Archival data

10. Cycle One
• Likert scale (0-3)
– Additional programming
– Opportunities to share success and struggles
– Single day workshop
– Webinars
– Website and/or Blog
– Curriculum writing workshop
– Forestry PLC
– Guest speakers

11. Cycle One
• Online tools
• Other ways to help incorporate forestry
education
• Fees

12. Cycle One - Data
– Single day workshop
– Website and/or Blog
– Guest speakers
– Additional programming
– Opportunities to share success and struggles
– Forestry PLC
– Webinars
– Curriculum writing workshop

13. Cycle One - Data
• Facebook, Google+, and digital newsletter
were the top online communication tools
• Some interest in videos, ideas covered in
online tools, information provided in
another academy
• Most teachers (38/56) would not pay over
$25 for a one-day post-academy workshop

14. Cycle Two
• What were other similar programs doing to
extend the engagement of their
participants?
• Survey program providers across the
United States
– Begin exploring how other programs are
configured as part of work with PLT

16. Cycle Two - Data
• All but one program is residential
– Ranging from 3 – 6+ overnights
– 20 to 30 participants for half of programs
• 8 offer some form of college credit
• A minimum of one hour of lesson planning
and/or classroom implementation is
included in all but one program

17. Cycle Two - Data
• Online tools
– Facebook
• Used by 1/3 of program providers pre-program
• Over half for post-program
– Google+
• Not used (ranked second for NC teachers)
– Email/list-serves
• Most often used

18. Cycle Two - Data
• Post-Program Contact
– Individual contact for assistance
– Options to submit curriculum/lesson plans,
• Provide additional stipend/college credit
• Shared?
– Six programs provide opportunities for past
participants to serve as program
assistants/facilitators

19. Cycle Three
• Focus Group
– 10 teachers, previously attended SFTA
– Within 2 hours, stipend paid
• How does the SFTA provide good PD?
What can be improved?
– Piedmont Academy

20. Cycle Three
• What are key aspects of PD?
• Thinking back to key aspects of PD:
– What pieces of the SFTA fit your model?
– What could be added/done to SFTA to
address the missing pieces/parts
• What forestry and natural resource topics
or activities should be included in a
Piedmont Academy to deepen and round
out your knowledge?

21. What is good PD?
Four key principles for designing PD:
• Professional development should be intensive,
ongoing, and connected to practice;
• Professional development should focus on
student learning and address the teaching of
specific curriculum content;
• Professional development should align with
school improvement priorities and goals;
• Professional development should build strong
working relationships among teachers
Darling-Hammond et al (2009)

22. Standard 1: PD should
be intensive, ongoing,
and connected to
practice
Standard3:: PD should
align with school
improvement priorities
and goals
Standard 2: PD should
address student
learning & address the
teaching of specific
curriculum content
Standard 4: PD should
build strong working
relationships among
teachers
Content is enriching
Engaging
Content, movement,
dynamic
Long enough to analyze
content, short enough
to keep attention
CEUs
Relevance to your
grade/subject area
Sharing/Discussion
Time
Interdisciplinary
Location
Reference
point/contacts
List of presenters
Tangibles
Neatly
packaged
Resources should be
tangible, items to
take back
Field tip list
relevant to topics
Standard course of
study
Content in
alignment with
curriculum
Correlation to
standards
Applications for
21st Century
Follow-up
Contact list, wiki,
or message board
Wiki, Edmodo
Group, blogs for
participants to
share ideas
Open communication
after the academies
Q1: Key Aspects of PD
Not relevant to key principles of PD:
*Feed us awesome food
*Presenters that value teachers
*Paid substitutes

23. Standard 1: PD should
be intensive, ongoing,
and connected to
practice
Standard3:: PD should
align with school
improvement priorities
and goals
Standard 2: PD should
address student
learning & address the
teaching of specific
curriculum content
Standard 4: PD should
build strong working
relationships among
teachers
Pace
Content
Appropriate time and
engagement CEU credit,
Literacy focus
PLT curriculum
Correlations to
standards, break-
out groups
Location
Lessons
Field Trips
Variety of activities
with tangible items
for classroom
Usable
information
Academy notebook/CD,
manual with CD of
lesson plans
Alignment with
curriculum
Bus/Door prizes
Real work (world)
connections
Libations and
networking hour
Q2a: What pieces of SFTA fit the key
aspects of PD from Q1
Not relevant to key principles of PD:
*Presenters that value teachers
*Good food, food in general
*Well organized
*Stipend (for the focus group)
*Requiring deposit

24. Standard 1: PD should
be intensive, ongoing,
and connected to
practice
Standard3:: PD should
align with school
improvement priorities
and goals
Standard 2: PD should
address student
learning & address the
teaching of specific
curriculum content
Standard 4: PD should
build strong working
relationships among
teachers
PLT for upper
grade levels
Google
Docs
Piedmont
Academy
Field
trip/speaker by
geographical
area
Forestry trunks with pre-
paid shipment
Shopping list or
box for one new
lesson
Access to readymade
activities/kits
SFTA
Ambassadors
Q2b: What could be added to SFTA to
address missing pieces
Alumni WeekendContact/Message
Board
Group email, list-
serve
Edmodo Site
Advertisement,
ambassadors

25. What I Learned
• Teachers are interested in forestry
education programs (51/56 very
interested)
• Facebook and email list-serves are top
communication routes with teachers
(before and after the program)
• Few state programs have a
component/system to consistently follow-
up with participants to extend engagement

26. What I Learned
• Teachers believe that we lead a program
with strong professional development
pieces
– Specific to NC curriculum content
– Intensive professional development (PD)
• Teachers like face-to-face opportunities,
but funding is a limiting factor
• Knowledge of technology tools varies

27. Implementation
• SFTA list-serve creation
• Edmodo Site
• SFTA Ambassador Program
• SFTA Reunion Weekend

28. Thank You!
• Critical Colleagues
– Lisa Canale and Ashley Outlaw
• Co-researchers
– Dr. Susan Moore and Jennifer Grantham
• Dr. Lily Fessenden and Coleen O’Connell
• Dr. Robert Bardon
• Pat Maloney and Mike de Lasaux
• Addie Thornton and Dr. Kathryn
Stevenson

30. References
• Darling-Hammond, L., Wei, R. C., Andree,
A.,
Richardson, N., & Orphanos, S. (2009).
Professional learning in the learning
profession: A status report on teacher
development in the United States and
abroad. Dallas, TX. National Staff
Development Council.

32. • Standard 1: PD should be intensive, ongoing, and connected to practice (orange)
• Time for serious, cumulative study of a given subject, trying out ideas in the
classroom, reflecting on results.
• Include applications of knowledge to teachers planning and instruction
• Standard 2: PD should focus on student learning and address the teaching of
specific curriculum content (red)
• Modeling, hand-on work to build knowledge of academic content
• Analyze & discuss student performance data
• Local context (resources, curriculum guidelines, accountability)
• Standard 3: PD should align with school improvement priorities and goals (green)
• Part of school reform effort
• Connection between PD and requirements of curriculum guidelines, texts,
assessment practices
• Ease of implementing new practices
• Standard 4: PD should build strong working relationships among teachers (blue)
• Creating time, space, and relationships within department of grades levels (or across
them)
• Observe teaching, sharing