Professional Learning Standards
Professional Learning at FLVS in 2017
By Mary Mitchell on April 19th, 2017
At FLVS, our growing and learning continues daily! Learning isn’t just something our students do each and every day – our teachers do too.
Our professional learning team is an incredible group of educators who work tirelessly to help our teachers grow and learn so they can all reach their students effectively.
There are all kinds of exciting initiatives rooted in the Professional Learning team that we’re focused on in 2017.
We have amazing team members who benefit our teachers and staff with their commitment to providing stellar professional learning opportunities across our district.
Here are a few of the exciting learning opportunities we have for our teachers and staff to keep growing and learning: Continue reading
Professional Learning at FLVS in 2015
By Mary Mitchell on February 25th, 2015
At FLVS, professional learning matters.
Learning that is student-centered, collaborative, sustained and data-driven is what drives success.
Student Centered
This is the year that every department and individual at FLVS is going to refocus. For our teachers, being able to identify and articulate professional learning goals directly impacts student learning, mastery, and performance.
This is what student-centered professional learning is all about.
Learning Forward – Part 7: Action Research
By Mary Mitchell on September 4th, 2013
Photo credit: http://www.learningforward.org/
Action Research is a professional’s systematic, intentional study of their own classroom and workplace practices. Teachers who collaborate and reflect have a direct impact on student achievement.
This form of professional development takes teachers beyond their own classroom and into each other’s. Action research definitely makes for a great Professional Learning Community (PLC). Continue reading
Learning Forward – Part 6: Professional Learning Communities
By Mary Mitchell on August 5th, 2013
Photo credit: http://www.learningforward.org/
Continuing my series on the Professional Learning standards, today’s blog post focuses on Professional Learning Communities. A Professional Learning Community (PLC) consists of educators committed to working collaboratively in an ongoing process of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLCs are intended to improve student learning by providing continuous job-embedded learning opportunities for educators. A PLC utilizes data to identify gaps between learning goals and actual student achievement. Then, through action research, a PLC develops action items to make corrective changes. Continue reading
Learning Forward – Part 5: Outcomes
By Mary Mitchell on June 27th, 2013
Photo credit: http://www.learningforward.org/
Throughout my blog series on Professional Learning standards, we’ve unpacked the core elements of the following standards: Learning Communities; Leadership, Resources, and Data; and Learning Design and Implementation. Now I would like to look at Outcomes and take this standard from paper to practice. Continue reading
Learning Forward – Part 4: Learning Design and Implementation
By Mary Mitchell on May 30th, 2013
Photo credit: http://www.learningforward.org/
In my previous posts, we unpacked the core elements of the first four Standards for Professional Learning released by Learning Forward — Learning Communities, Leadership, Resources, and Data. Now I would like to take a look at the next two standards: Learning Design and Implementation. Continue reading
Learning Forward – Part 3: Leadership, Resources, Data
By Mary Mitchell on April 22nd, 2013
Photo credit: http://www.learningforward.org/
Now that we have unpacked the core elements of Learning Communities (view the previous post here), let’s move into the next three standards: Leadership, Resources, and Data.
The Leadership Standard states: “Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students requires skillful leaders who develop capacity, advocate, and create support systems for professional learning.” Continue reading
Learning Forward – Part 2: Learning Communities
By Mary Mitchell on March 28th, 2013
Photo credit: http://www.learningforward.org/
Professional learning programs provide the opportunity to improve educator practices in the classroom and positively impact student learning. As discussed in my previous post, Learning Forward has revised the Standards for Professional Learning by introducing seven standards that help to ensure that learning opportunities offered to teachers and support staff positively impact student achievement. The revised standards introduce a different paradigm, most notably, the change from a focus on instructor performance to a focus on student achievement – and results. Continue reading
Learning Forward – Part 1: Reflections on the 2012 Learning Forward Annual Conference
By Mary Mitchell on February 27th, 2013
Photo credit: http://www.learningforward.org/
This is the first of an eight-part blog series in which I will explore the Standards for Professional Learning released by Learning Forward in 2011. Learning Forward is an international nonprofit association of learning educators that aims to improve instructional effectiveness through standards-based professional learning (PL). Continue reading