Design & Assessment of Online Professional Development

In our last lesson, you had the opportunity to explore standards, and unique needs and challenges of K12 online teachers as well as models of professional development and you also began a PD Facilitation and Management Plan. We'll build off that work in this lesson by digger deeper into what constitutes quality design and assessment of teacher professional development, especially as it relates to K-12 online teachers. Keep in mind that learning to design online training and curriculum can involve many, many hours of previous experience working with online technologies, synchronous and asynchronous teaching strategies, graphic design, knowledge of principles of visual literacy, and more! We will get started in this lesson by analyzing the goals and objectives you set in your PD Plan in the last unit, and examine some options for modifying teaching strategies and assessment of outcomes.

Objectives

Understand the influence of best practice on professional development design and assessment.
Identify options for online instructional activities to meet objectives.
Identify options for assessments that align to learning objective outcomes.
Continue to develop a PD Facilitation and Management Plan.

Required Reading

As outlined in the activities below

Resources

The Status of Professional Development for K-12 Online Teachers: Insights & Implications (doc)
Adult Learning Theory http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te10lk12.htm
Using KWL to Introduce Inquiry http://www.exploratorium.edu/ifi/resources/lifescienceinquiry/usingkwl.html
KWL graphic organizer http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/graphic_org/kwl/
Everyone Online http://pre2005.flexiblelearning.net.au/accessequity/everyone_online/index.php
Socialization in Online Programs http://inacol.org/resources/promisingpractices/NACOL_PP_Socialization.pdf
The Tools for Successful Online Teaching http://igi-global.com/downloads/excerpts/Dawley9588Ch1.pdf

Designing Online Learning

Effective Instructional Design: An Online Course Design Template http://cvc3.coastline.edu/Telelearning2001Web/Default.htm
Professional Development Universal Design Resources http://www.cast.org/pd/resources/index.html
Instructional Strategies for Online Courses http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/instructionalstrategies.asp
Podcasts shown to be more effective than lectures http://www.astd.org/LC/2009/0409_galagan.htm
Twitter as a learning tool, really http://www.astd.org/LC/2009/0409_galagan.htm

Designing Assessments

Recorded presentation: Assessment in Online Education
Rubrics for assessment: http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/rubrics.shtml
Quality Matters rubric: http://www.qualitymatters.org/Rubric.htm

ACTIVITIES	DUE DATE
1. Review Background Information: Best practices in online teacher professional development Explore the resources listed above and read about Best Practices in Online Teacher PD.	All assignments below: (XX/XX/XX)
2. Apply what you know and participate in a Webinar Learning Activity: 1. We will meet in xxxx on xxxxxxxxxxxx. Login at xxxxxxxxxxxx. 2. Prepare for a 30 minute discussion on design considerations for online teacher development. 3. Choose at least one topic or key point from the background information. Be prepared to share your key point, comments and/or questions, especially as they relate to being a teacher trainer. You'll leave this webinar ready to continue building your PD plan. See you then!
3. Review Background Information: Designing online instructional activities Online courses are planned and sequenced very much the same way we sequence a f2f class. First, review this template for designing an online course. Next, read the information in Instructional Strategies. Use what you learn to make customized modifications to the instructional activities in your course to better support your teachers.
4. Review Background Information: Designing assessment of online teacher professional development What options do we have for assessment in online education? Watch this presentation for an overview of online assessment tools and strategies. As a teacher trainer, it's important to not only assess your teachers' learning, but to also assess the quality of the online course and materials used to support the learning process. As you read the information contained in Assessment you will glean more information regarding assessment and online teacher professional development.
4. Continue to Construct your Professional Development Facilitation and Management Plan Learning Activity: In the last unit, you began a Professional Development Facilitation and Management Plan. Now you will continue to flesh out further details of your plan. Locate the plan you submitted in the last unit. Here is the Planning Template again, if needed. Drawing on the resources provided, update your plan with additional information on how you will modify your instructional activities and assessment options in order to address best practices with your teachers (sections include Consider Best Practice, Instructional Activities, and Assessment) Use the Quality Matters rubric to evaluate your work at this point. What further adjustments can you make based on your assessment? Post the second draft of your Professional Development Facilitation and Management Plan to the discussion forum titled PD Facilitation and Management Plan. Provide constructive feedback to a minimum of two peers. Did they answer the questions asked? Point out at least one strength of their plan. What additional suggestions do you have for their consideration.

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