PD Book Round Up 3

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This post is week 7 of 8 in the #8WeeksofSummer Blog Challenge for educators.  I don't know about you, but I always have mixed emotions as we get ready to go back to school.  I am excited about all the potential each new school year brings, but I'm also feeling like summer passed to quickly.  Can you relate?  Throughout this summer I have been searching out my own training through my PLN on Twitter, PD books and other online resources.  I also stumbled upon some new to me blogs and podcasts that I felt like I could really relate to.  One thing all of these resources have in common is that they are focused on one or more of these topics: 

  • how to engage students with high yield strategies
  • a framework that allows students to represent their ideas in multiple ways and to provide students voice and choice in how they express what they know
  • using backward design to choose technology tools after the learning objective has be set
  • innovative teaching methods 
  • effective coaching of teachers



I'd love to have guided training on high yield instructional strategies that I can adapt to any lesson.  I really love the EduProtocols books and I love seeing them in action.  I've seen Stephanie Howell @goldedullc on YouTube demo some great instructional strategies, including EduProtocols.  You can also check out some EduProtocols in action in this YouTube playlist I curated.  I have read the first two books, however there is something so important to see it modeled.  I think we don't get that enough as educators.  We can read about a strategy (or hear about it) but sometimes when we don't see it's application through modeling we can't visualize how it can be used in OUR class.

Suggested Read: EduProtocols Field Guide 1 & 2 by Marlena Herbern and Jon Corippo



Another topic I'd love more training on is John Hattie's research.  I started reading Visible Learning for Teachers by John Hattie and I really appreciated how he did a meta analysis to draw conclusions about which teaching strategies are most effective for student learning.  I recently saw TCEA shared an app they created that gathers Hattie's research and make it easily searchable.  It includes his score of effectiveness and aligns the teaching strategy with a few suggested technology tools that could be used with the strategy. I would love to have a training that delves into the effectiveness of different teaching strategies and include some suggested technology tools.  I think it is important to be clear that technology tools are always evolving and what works for one class may be completely different for another, but it is great to have a starting point.  Interested in learning more about Hattie's research?  This article on Education Week, John Hattie's Research Doesn't Have to Be Complicated, is a pretty straightforward starting point to learn more.  

Suggested Reading: Visible Learning for Teachers by John Hattie

I'm just delving into Universal Design for Learning and this one is something that I think could benefit all teachers.  It all makes sense to me when I look at the table of UDL guidelines on the CAST website: provide multiple means of engagement, representation, action and expression.  However, for some reason I need more time to internalize it.  Even right now, I had to go to the website to look up the components of UDL.  I know I like the research behind UDL and the overall "gist," but I'd like to be able to confidently talk about UDL without having to look at notes.  I'd like to have someone walk me through how they design a lesson with UDL in mind.  Then I would want to try to design my own lesson with the UDL framework and be able to work with a group to troubleshoot and collaboratively brainstorm any road blocks.

Suggested Reading: UDL Now! by Katie Novak and Innovate Inside the Box by George Courus and Katie Novak



Impactful Technology Integration is also at the top on my list.  I haven't really received any training on backward design and I feel this is something I do already but I am always interested in learning more.  I recently listened to an episode on the EdTech Classroom Podcast and topic was summer reading for teachers.  This reminded me a lot of my PD Book Round Up 1 and Round Up 2 that I've been working on this summer.  In the episode, EdTech Classroom Summer Book List For Teachers, Maddie highlights some of her picks for summer reading.  One that really stood out to me was Tasks Before Apps by Monica Burns.  I would love to attend a session focused on the task and backward design and then choosing the right app or tool.  This reminds me a little of the TCEA app I mentioned before linked to Hattie's research on effective instructional strategies.  

Suggested Reading: Tasks Before Apps by Monica Burns



Finally, as I librarian, I have the dual role of assisting with instructional technology integration as well as literacy initiatives at my campus.  I would love some structured training on effective coaching of teachers.  We have an instructional coach on campus who works with content coaching and reaching goals.  All year, I have been able to attend her sessions and watch her work.  Then I came in during my Tech Tuesdays and took what the teachers were working on during instructional coaching and supported with technology integration best practices.  I went through the self paced Google trainer curriculum and qualified as a Google Trainer this year.  This was one of the best decisions I have made.  It really helped prepare me for the new role I was in.  I also completed the Google Coaching curriculum.  I have not applied yet for certification.  I am still processing the whole curriculum and working on reading the recommended book study book.  Courageous Edventure by Jennie Magiera is such a good read so far.  It focuses on problem based innovation, strategies and solutions for educational technology problems, and transforming your practice.  

Suggested Read: Courageous Edventure by Jennie Magiera

What professional development sessions are you wishing for as you go back to school?  I read recently a quote that really struck me: 

"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." --Toni Morrison

What if we took this philosophy with professional development? What if we took ownership of what we wanted to learn and then became experts in the area and share this knowledge with our peers?  Food for thought.


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