School-based PD

2010-2011

2011-2012

2012-2013

School-based PD

Model Classroom Professional Development Model Classroom has implemented a range of professional development that is relevant to local communities. Examples include a workshop exploring civic engagement through various Washington, DC sites including the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery; a program exploring local problems in coastal Oregon by utilizing expertise at organizations like the Oregon Coast Aquarium, and a workshop challenging Detroit teachers to get their students involved in finding solutions to the city’s ongoing financial and structural problems. Between 2010 and 2013 Model Classroom designed and implemented a range of workshops and professional developments. Each experience intentionally put teachers into the shoes of students by giving them real challenges to solve collaboratively. Throughout the process teachers were given access to experts in the local area including museums, research facilities, businesses, and news centers. Teachers were also encouraged to find relevant information sources on their own. Teachers experienced first-hand how approaches like problem-based learning, design thinking, civic engagement and place-based education could work in their classroom, all the while using technology purposefully, integrating subject matter, determining standards alignment, and building a range of 21st century skills. Importantly, each workshop and program built-in time for teachers to reflect and apply the experience by designing their own practice, classroom activity, or project to implement. Some of the projects designed are represented in the Teacher Case Studies section.

Summer “Mission Possible” Series: 2011-2013 Location: Washington, DC and New York, New York Audience: State Teacher of the Year award winners; teachers representing CCSSO Innovation Lab networks (2012 only) Description: What does “being a part of something and being responsible for something” mean? How might educators enable today’s youth to be active and contributing citizens?” These week-long summer workshops were centered around key questions like this, often on the theme of civic engagement. Each workshop focused on 21st century learning practices, taking a hands-on approach to compel teachers to explore real world learning experiences. The workshop design challenged teachers to collaborate and problem-solve around daily missions while utilizing museums, organizations, interactions with the public, new media tools, and each other. Throughout each active challenge, teachers developed and produced solutions, then reflected on how their work process connects to 21st century learning opportunities for their own students. 2011 Collaborators: Smithsonian National Postal Museum, ARTLAB at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital for Learning and Digital Access (formerly SCEMS) [Each workshop held at one collaborator’s site.] VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWiPeKtlArk 2012 Collaborators: Cooper Hewitt Design, National Design Museum; National Museum of the American Indian; National Museum of African Art; National Portrait Gallery; Smithsonian American Art Museum; National Air and Space Museum [Each workshop held at one collaborator’s site] VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mjIFpO_q0E 2013 Collaborators: National Portrait Gallery (on-site workshop), National Public Radio, Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Fund, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Library of Congress, the Newseum [All workshops represent field trips to collaborator’s site.] Outcomes: See Teacher Case studies for all three program years. In addition, the professional development listed below was all proposed by teachers attending Mission Possible.

Teacher-Initiated Professional Development

Some program participants have initiated professional-development opportunities for their own communities in partnership with Model Classroom. These partnerships began in the fall of 2012, and are more personalized to local communities and resources and needs.

 

Model Classroom Design Team Location: Riverview Elementary School; Shawnee, Kansas Teacher: Jeri Powers (Kansas State Teacher of the Year 2007) Description: The Model Classroom Design Team was a school-based model. A hands-on professional development opportunity, the intention was to help teachers to reflect on their own practice and apply small changes directly in their classroom over the course of the school year. The Design Team aimed to make teachers the true designers of the experience as they developed ideas for direct implementation within their classroom-focusing on 21st century approaches to learning: specifically student-driven learning strategies, problem-based learning, leveraging real world learning opportunities, and authentic technology integration. Eleven teachers from grades 1-5 participated. Outcomes The Model Classroom Design Team did not meet all of its intended outcomes, but as a result learned many important lessons that were applied to other school-year professional development models. Notably, the teacher cohort felt frustrated by the open-ended “design” assignments provided to help them develop smaller practices. Recognizing this hurdle, Model Classroom created more concrete templates and systems for future work with another project (Project SEAL; see next page). Additionally, while many teachers were motivated to develop their practice and implement activities and projects; communication, documentation and sharing were difficult due to a lack of tangible incentives. In the similarly designed Project SEAL teachers received grant-funded stipends and iPad minis. These incentives paired with high expectations for program participation made a noticeable difference in getting results to publish and share.

 

Detroit 1933-2033 Location: Detroit Institute of Arts; Detroit, Michigan Audience: Local teachers; application-based process Teacher: June Teisan (2007 Michigan State Teacher of the Year) and Matinga Ragatz (2010 Michigan State Teacher of the Year) represented the Network of Michigan Educators <http://michiganeducators.org>, a network of award-winning Michigan educators, in designing and implementing this workshop. Description: Detroit is in a time of enormous change and transformational shifts that require reimagining and rediscovering itself. How might educators and students play a role in this renewal and have a positive impact on Detroit’s future? How might today’s youth be active contributors in their community? The Detroit 1933-2033 (D33) Summer Teacher Institute gave teachers first-hand experience exploring these challenges, as well as an opportunity to identify ways for students to make an impact in the city’s future. Participating teachers took on the roles of creator, producer, publisher and much more while exploring the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), the Detroit Historical Museum, the local Detroit community, and working with a variety of local experts including local entrepreneurs, community advocates, Wayne State University professors, and a journalist from the Detroit Free Press. Using the design thinking process to identify a problem, teachers worked in teams to actively problem-solve, identify and develop an opportunity for their students to take action, and present their proposal to a public audience. Outcomes: Participating teachers and organizations including the Network of Michigan Educators and the Detroit Institute of Arts would like the D33 work to continue in upcoming years. Initial discussions for future work are underway. Additionally, several teachers are implementing work as a result of the program. Project: Project HOPE | High School visual arts teacher Jelane Richardson and second grade teacher Kim Morrison collaborated on “Project HOPE.” Focusing on wide open spaces within Detroit, older and younger students worked together to translate their ideas about “home” into designing homes and communities they want for their city. Students will present their plans to a public audience in December 2013. Project: Inventing Places | Seventh grade teacher Jenna Purdu designed “Inventing Places” challenging her special education students to reinvent vacant spaces in their communities. Students drew inspiration from local nonstandard projects like creating a BMX park and transforming an abandoned ramshackled public playground into something useful to the community.

 

Project SEAL Location: Lincoln County, Oregon Teacher: Ruth McDonald, Curriculum Resource Liaison Description: Project SEAL (Students Engaged in Authentic Literacy) is a two year US Department of Education Innovative Approaches to Literacy Grant. Model Classroom was invited to be the professional development partner for this grant after the grant program manager attended a Summer 2012 Mission Possible workshop. Each participating organization has committed financial and/or human resources as part of this partnership. Nearly 90 educators including classroom teachers, library and media assistants, and school principals have participated in SEAL. SEAL exists within the context of community organizations representing a range of ocean literacy work including the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University and many others. SEAL increases library resources, provides iPads to participating schools and provides ongoing teacher professional development. As the professional development partner for SEAL, Model Classroom empowers teachers and students through a student-driven and hands-on approach. Educators are encouraged to make small changes over time and integrate SEAL into what they are already doing. To begin, participants identify a goal focusing on practices like: using local resources, educational technology, 21st century competencies, and student-driven learning. Support in reaching these goals begins with intensive community-based workshops. Workshops are designed as immersive experiences, challenging educators to try new approaches, putting educators in the role of their students and challenging them to problem-solve collaboratively using community resources and digital media. Following the workshops, the partnership spans six months of the school-year and uses a blended approach combining assignments that challenge educators to test new practices, an online community, monthly group meetings, and classroom observations. In addition, building community within and outside the school is encouraged, helping educators tap into expertise within community organizations, their colleagues, themselves and ultimately their students. Outcomes This project will continue through the spring of 2013. Outcomes from the first program year (2012-2013), include nearly ten completed projects centered around issues of ocean literacy. In addition, many teachers tested new practices and strategies throughout the school-year, building their practice in a smaller and more incremental way. Project: Tsunami Survival Challenge | Knowing the threat of a tsunami is very real to the Oregon coast, Eddyville Middle School teacher Sean Bedell challenged his students to design and construct a wooden evacuation tower model that can withstand three different sizes of tsunamis waves, including one generated by a magnitude 9 earthquake. Students also developed plans to prepare the community for a tsunami. Read more on our blog: http://www.modelclassroom.org/blog/2013/09/bedell-tsunami-challenge.html. Project: Beach Pollution | Teachers Jenna Samoylich & Amie Lundquist challenged their 4th graders to investigate the impact of Japanese tsunami debris on their local Oregon beaches, then develop ways to inform the community. Read more on our blog: http://www.modelclassroom.org/blog/2013/06/projectseal-lundquist-samoylich.html Strategy: “Bored of the Same Old Presentation” | 1st Grade teacher Liz Postlewait wanted to give her 1st Graders more engaging options for presentations. After taking a trip to investigate local ocean tidepools, Liz asked students to take on the persona of an ocean animal, develop a written presentation, and then use an app called Facetalk which makes any photo “talk.” Read more on our blog: http://www.modelclassroom.org/blog/2013/06/projectseal-strategy-postlewait.html