One of CraftED’s proud partners is Teaching Channel and so we are delighted to host an interview with Teaching Channel’s Engagement Coordinator, Erica Snyder. Read on to learn what Erica is seeing at the heart of the PD Revolution and what we can do to offer more engaging adult learning opportunities.

 

What do you believe is causing unrest amongst educators related to PD offerings?
There is so much uncertainty from year to year in districts whether it be from a curriculum standpoint, leadership change, or even funding crunch. All of those elements make it hard for teachers to know what is coming at them next. Will the state or district adopt a new pedagogy or curriculum for my subject? If yes, now I would need to attend that PD,  start learning that curriculum and designing lessons for it. That takes times and time is what teachers don’t have to spare. Will the new leadership at the district level impose some mandate that we will have to pick up? Again, I’ll need some PD on that and then I would need to make adjustments that might not make sense to the way I currently teach. Will we get a new grant for something we will have to implement or lose funding of something that I utilize regularly in my classroom? More PD on whatever that mandate might be or no further PD on something I value. Those are realities that come along with grant funded materials. Whenever there are large shifts in districts, there is uncertainty. And professional development offerings might that come with these shifts are usually dictated to a teacher, not selected by a teacher on something they really would like to improve in their professional practice.

 

 

 

 

What best practices have you seen in the realm of meaningful PD opportunities?

I also think that just seeking out those opportunities and not trying to implement something from them isn’t a great strategy. Teaching Channel is all about #anewkindofPD which focuses on specific purpose, process, and community when tackling a puzzle or problem of practice. Use a mini cycle of inquiry to test out what you have learned. Video tape yourself doing whatever that PD was about in class. Analyze yourself and seek feedback from others who you trust about what you are trying. If the goal of professional development is to get better at teaching, then teachers need to try new things. Experiment with new tricks and add things to your toolkit. Getting feedback will only make you a better teacher, so share your video with colleagues. This practice is common in other professions, so let’s make it a regular practice in ours.

 

What do you see as being the most promising outcome of the PD Revolution?

Research and edu-gurus are constantly talking about giving students voice and choice in the classroom. I hope that the PD Revolution allows for teachers to have that same opportunity. Hopefully it will lessen the unrest among teachers as well because their personalized PD pathway will be theirs, regardless of the potential shifts that occur when curriculum, leadership or funding changes. Additionally, I hope it will help get more teachers at the table when those potential shifts are in discussion, having them advocate for the PD Revolution and making sure that whatever comes down the pike is for the benefits of teachers as professionals making better learning environments for all kids.

 

 

What advice do you have for teachers and/or school leaders, as it relates to developing deeper learning?

Give teachers the time and space necessary to make the content deep. There isn’t a magical formula for making lessons that are aligned to deeper learning. It takes pedagogical shifts for the teachers and challenges students to learn in a way that they aren’t familiar with. If there isn’t time dedicated to making those shifts, then don’t expect to see deeper learning in action. Support their ideas, celebrate their successes, and publicly share how they are making changes in their practice and what impact that has on kids.

 

Bio:
Erica Snyder works as the Engagement Coordinator for Teaching Channel. She comes from a Project Based Learning background having taught high school in Chicago, IL, and Charlotte, NC, in the New Tech Network model. She is a former PBL coach and instructional designer for online learning at NTN. She believes in video as a key element in improving teacher practice for all kids.