A presentation about a professional learning community for a school based on the need to improve educational technology use in classrooms

1. Professional Learning Community:
Teachers Using Technology (TUT)
Brittany Pike
Technology Teacher

2. Analyzing the School’s Needs
• Broad Characteristics of Faculty
▫ Experienced teachers (12+ years)
▫ Few advanced degrees
▫ Low comfort level with technology
• Technology is a weakness as seen through:
▫ Faculty comments
▫ Lack of technology use
▫ Teacher comfort level as seen through observation
▫ Administration concerns
▫ Results of the Technology Proficiency Self Assessment

3. Addressing the School’s Needs
• Need: improve effective technology use
• Addressed through a Professional Learning
Community called Teachers Using Technology
• TUT will improve teachers’ technology skills
▫ Discuss changes and explain new equipment
▫ Provide practical ways to incorporate in lessons
▫ Allow time for application in an informal setting

4. Rationale for Need
• Research supports the increasing importance of
technology in education.
• Studies show how technology increases student
engagement and achievement.
• TUT will help overcome
the knowing-doing gap.
“Develop shared mission and
vision; engage in collective
inquiry; build collaboration
teams; take action; and focus on
continuous improvement.”
~ Richard Dufour

5. TUT PLC Members
• Membership of PLC
▫ One appointed member from each grade (K-5)
▫ Technology teacher as facilitator
▫ Total of 7 members
• Extension to entire faculty
▫ Participants will bring the information back to
their team members
▫ Sharing with colleagues will help the entire faculty
improve in technical proficiency
▫ Possible weakness of inflexible veteran teachers

6. Schedule of Meetings
After school from 3:15 to 4:30
In Computer Lab D4
Monthly group meeting
Weekly email follow ups
Absences made up during planning

7. Goals of TUT as a PLC
Increase effective
utilization of
educational
technology
Equip teachers will
technical and
operational skills
Improve
instructional
quality and student
achievement
Attend
professional
development
workshops

8. Implementing the PLC
• Essential tasks for each member to complete
▫ Analyze needs
▫ Experiment with new tools and resources
▫ Apply PLC learning to instruction
▫ Reflect on strengths and challenges
▫ Collaborate and share ideas
• “The assessment process in a PLC is not used
simply to prove what a student has learned, but
to improve that learning.” ~ Richard Dufour

9. Professional Development
• Specific skills to address and area
▫ Instructional use of interactive white boards,
document cameras, and online resources
▫ Student use for learning, projects, and research
▫ Professional use for administrative tasks
• Workshops facilitated by the computer teacher
• Members will also attend a half day workshop at the
Caddo Teacher Technology Center with Mr. Dodd
▫ Funding to pay for subs and a stipend

10. Evaluation and Assessment
Achievement
of Goal
• Teachers score
proficient or
highly
proficient on
Technology
Assessment
• Increased
student
achievement
Reevaluation
•If goals were
met, what
factors that
contributed to
success?
•If the goal was
not met, what
needs to be
changed to be
successful?
Analyzing of
Data for Goal
• Online state
Technology
Proficiency
Assessment
• Increased
student
engagement