Professional Learning and Coaching
Final Report
PSC-IT and ISTE-E Standards Addressed in the Project
1. Learner
Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and with others and exploring
proven and promising practices that leverage technology to improve student learning. (PSC
1/ISTE-E 1)
1.1 Set professional learning goals to explore and apply pedagogical approaches made
possible by technology and reflect on their effectiveness. (PSC 1.1/ISTE-E 1a)
1.2. Pursue professional interests by creating and actively participating in local and global
learning networks. (PSC 1.2/ISTE-E 1b)
8. Coach
Candidates plan, provide, and evaluate the impact of professional learning for educators and
leaders to advance teaching and learning with technology.
8.1 Candidates establish coaching relationships to support educators as they explore new
instructional strategies and integrate technology to improve student learning. (PSC
8.1/ISTE-E 8a)
8.2 Candidates design and implement professional learning based on needs assessments
and the theories and frameworks for adult learning. (PSC 8.2/ISTE-E 8b)
8.3 Candidates evaluate the impact of professional learning and continually reflect on
how to improve coaching and professional practice. (PSC 8.3/ISTE-E 8c)
8.4 Candidates foster educator participation in professional learning networks to help
them connect with other educators and stay abreast of current and emerging technologies
and innovations. (PSC 8.4/ISTE-E 8d)
In this document, you will reflect on your professional learning and coaching experience. The
experience could be part of your normal teaching or part of extracurricular activity in either a
formal (k-12 school) or informal (library, community center, etc.) learning setting.
Suggestions include (but are not limited to):
o Current Reality and GSAPS Paper
o Coaching Videos (3 videos)
o Coaching Journal (4 entries)
o Program Evaluation Instrument
o Professional Learning Networks Artifacts (Part 1, 2, & 3)
Description of Your Professional Learning and Coaching Experience
Overall, I really enjoyed the coaching experience this semester. I learned a
lot about what it means to be an instructional technology coach and ways to build
relationships with teachers. During my coaching experience, I learned that it is
more important to actively listen to the teacher and engage in meaningful
discussions, about their classroom goals. I watched my confidence grow from the
first coaching session to the last, and I was excited to see the overall impact on
the students.
Interacting with the PLN’s this semester was a great experience. I loved
having the opportunity to share ideas, lessons, and games with fellow math
teachers, around the world. I choose to participate in the Middle School Math
Teachers Facebook group, as well as the #teachertechtips Instagram hashtag.
Both PLN’s provided me with helpful ideas to enhance my planning and lessons. I
was able to share technology tips and math ideas with both groups. I look forward
to continuing my participation in the PLN’s.
For ISTE Portfolio
Pursue professional interests by creating and actively participating in
local and global networks (ISTE-E 1b)
This section should document how you pursue professional interests by creating and actively
participating in local and global networks through your PLN project.
ISTE Portfolio Questions
1. What are some digital networks that you participate in?
I participated in the Middle School Math Teachers Facebook group and the
#teachertechtips hashtag on Instagram.
2. How are you active in these networks? (You want to showcase your activity; this
activity needs to be you as a contributor in creating discussions AND replying to
discussions.)
For the Middle School Math Teachers group, I mostly created posts and responded to
the post of other people. For the #teachertechtips hashtag, I tagged the group with
original posts and commented on other’s tags.
3. How do you use these networks to expand your learning as a professional?
I used these networks to incorporate new technology tips and activities into my lessons.
I was able to add gifs to my lesson slides and try numerous review games with my
students. Overall, I felt connected to a network of teachers who I can engage in
meaningful conversation with and strengthen myself as an educator.
Evidence of one or more artifacts (ISTE-E 1b)
This section should provide evidence of one or more PLN artifacts developed as part of the
implementation of the PLN Project. (Consider using your artifacts and writing for the PLN
project, Part 1, 2, 3)
Participating in the Middle School Math Teachers Facebook group has been an amazing
experience. It truly is a supportive community where teachers share activities, lesson plans,
games, and other classroom ideas. During this class, I have gained review game inspiration,
helped teachers with sub-plan ideas, laughed, and participated in meaningful discussions. I
didn't expect other teachers to be so interested and supportive of the activities happening in
my classroom. However, what I soon realized is that teachers will always support other
teachers. Teaching a tested subject can be daunting, but with a supportive community, all of
our students can thrive.
I also enjoyed participating in the #teachertechtips hashtag on Instagram. I did notice that this
group is not as active because it operates off of teacher tags instead of posts and discussions, but
it was still nice to learn different technology tips and share tips with others. Unless we have
technology-based professional developments, most educators are not exposed to quick
technology tips that can help their planning and enhance their lessons. This group provides a
space for teachers to learn and share on their own time. I do wish that the hashtag was more of a
formal group that could facilitate meaningful discussions and assist educators with answers to
their questions, but I still enjoyed participating.
Final Thoughts of the Course
Write more about your learning experience, growth, and plans for ongoing development
related to ITEC 7460 course content.
What have you learned about professional learning and coaching?
I have learned that is important to ensure that there are instruments in place to assess
the effectiveness of the professional development. If the goal of professional learning is
to have a lasting impact on the teachers and students, we have to make sure that we
are looking for evidence of the impact. I have also learned that it is important to tailor
professional developments to the immediate needs of the teachers and the school.
In terms of coaching, I have learned the importance of building relationships with
teachers. The coaching process is not centered around the coach having all the answers.
Instead, the purpose is to help the teacher determine strategies that align with their
classroom goals. By focusing on the teacher and improvement, the coaching process can
thrive.
What was your goal and how do you assess your progress toward the goal?
My goal was to increase my confidence in being a coach. I can assess my progress
toward this goal by looking at my demeanor and confidence levels from the first
coaching video to the last. By the last video, I felt confident in the strategy and its
impact on the students. The teacher I was coaching felt good about the process and the
results. She was excited to continue the strategy and keep meeting to discuss other
ideas.
What are your next steps towards professional learning and coaching?
Moving forward, I will continue to seek out ways to help other teachers and incorporate
more coaching experiences into my teaching career. I have also considered being a
presenter at upcoming professional developments.
What was your favorite part of the course?
My favorite part of the course was the coaching sessions! They helped me start viewing
myself as a coach and reflect on what it means to be a coach.
What suggestions would you like to make to improve the course?
My only suggestion would be to take away some of the discussion requirements, in the
weeks where major projects are due. It was a lot to manage taking a quiz, discussion
post, respond to discussion posts, and complete an assignment.
