Classroom Walkthrough: What Not to Do

I participated in Classroom Walkthrough (CWT) training yesterday, and I really think this is a wonderful tool.

Oops, I used a qualifier -big mistake. When employing the CWT tool developed by Teachscape to collect classroom data, we have to refrain from making judgments -positive or otherwise.

As a matter of fact, we're not even supposed to focus on the individuals who are teaching. Why? Because this tool was developed to help identify school wide patterns and trends and increase collaborative reflection. Therefore, it is also a great (there I go again, I can't help it) tool to identify professional development needs as well as measure collective improvement after training.

CWT can be used to see how effective the training and implementation have been, and to provide support where it is needed. I can not think of a better way to obtain non-evaluative, cumulative data to support our practice in the classroom.

Now that really is follow-up.

Webinars are wonderful!

Why are webinars wonderful? Because you can share with colleagues, in real time. How does this relate to follow-up? Well, I think a webinar provides opportunities to collaborate and thus learn from each other.
Say you attend (or facilitate) a training event and you determine that meeting in a couple of weeks to share experiences on the implementation of strategies would be a good thing to do. Well, if you meet through a webinar you can share and collaborate in the comfort of your home or office.
One key to follow-up is continuous collaboration during the implementation of new knowledge and skills. Being able to collaborate at anytime of day in real time makes it very easy.

Diana

Invitation

You are invited to join us at the very first webinar on Follow-up to Professional Development hosted by our Professional Development Support unit of HRD.
Broward County teachers can register to participate via PDSS:

Title: What’s Next, Following Up?
Date: April 21, 2008
Time: 2:30 to 3:30 pm
Event: BE #10550009
Topic: What happens after the training has ended? How can we ensure that teachers implement what they have learned in their classrooms?

All you need is a computer and an Internet connection. I look forward to seeing you there!

This is it!

I finally found it! This is the in-a-nutshell definition of Follow-up to Professional Development I have looked for for so long. Ready? Here it goes:

Follow-up is assessment of progress!


Thanks to the folks at the Georgia Department of Education...

It is that time of year again...

No, I am not referring to tax-filing deadlines, although I am thinking about 'doing the numbers'.

This time of year, each one of us at the Professional Development Support unit is expected to collect data on the training that we wrote and delivered during this school year. We will collect test scores and completion percentages; we will then write the data on an evaluation table and take it to our next meeting, where we will learn how to best analyze results. And, just like the tax expert, we have to look at our numbers in order to optimize results. We look at the return on our professional development investment to keep those things that are working and change those that are not.

So? What does this have to do with follow-up? Well, research shows we have to support implementation of new knowledge & skills after training. In other words, is the new learning being applied in the classroom and/or the workplace? How do we know whether it has been implemented correctly? What can we do to support the person who is testing out these new skills in the classroom?

Putting in place mechanisms to support our implementation goals as we go along is almost like requesting the IRS to withhold the right amount from your paycheck. The amount is withheld monthly and you know that, since you are 'paying-as-you-go', chances are you will not owe anything when filing time comes.

Tax time is here, and so is the time to plan your professional development for the next school year. The PDS team at HRD is ready to help you plan professional development for your school as soon as you 'do your numbers'.

Ours is 754-321-5028; we look forward to hearing from you after FCATs.