Sit and get, drive by, spray and pray. These are some of the terms to describe ineffective approaches to professional development. No learner—regardless of age—acquires new skills solely by absorbing the words of an expert who has dropped in for a one-time offering, or being inundated with information with the hope that something will stick. It's no wonder many teachers report feeling that professional development doesn't "prepare them for the changing nature of their jobs" (Boston Consulting Group, 2014).
In contrast, research shows that successful professional development programs typically target specific skills and knowledge and continue to support educators for an average of 49 hours over the course of six months to a year (Yoon et al., 2007).
Such findings are important to keep in mind when it comes to supporting teachers as they implement personalized-learning frameworks. Although many schools and districts want educators to leverage various iterations of personalized learning (such as project-based learning, design thinking, and competency-based education), there are significant stumbling blocks in the way. These challenges include our education system's orientation to standards and standardization, a compartmentalized approach to teaching subjects, and educators' lack of experience in adopting personalized-learning strategies. As the Center for Public Education advocates, teachers have to learn "ways to teach they likely never experienced themselves and that they rarely see their colleagues engage in. Creating this type of teacher development is one of the biggest challenges school districts face today" (Gulamhussein, 2013).
Supporting Personalized Learning
So, what does teacher development for personalized learning look like? To address this question, our district, Ottawa Area Intermediate School District in western Michigan, designed the FuturePREP'd program in 2012. FuturePREP'd is a series of intentional, immersive learning experiences for educators that covers the basics of project-based learning, design thinking, and the teaching of career-readiness skills; models the process of using these strategies; gives teachers opportunities to practice related skills; and allows for reflection on and planning for how educators will implement what they learn. Since implementing the program, we have seen a dramatic increase in student and teacher engagement as measured by self-reports and assessments.
Designed to provide ongoing, purposeful learning, the program takes place over the course of six months (with 60 hours of training for elementary educators and 120 hours for secondary educators). K–12 educators from across our area district (which works with 13 local districts) are invited to apply to the program each winter. After submitting an application with letters of recommendation and taking part in an interview process, approximately 100 educators are selected to enter the program each year. The selection process is based mainly on teachers' interest in learning about and implementing personalized-learning strategies. To support and honor educators' engagement in this extensive process, our district provides a stipend and continuing education credits. The program is coordinated by the FuturePREP'd staff at the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District and also leverages the expertise of educators who have already completed the program.
There are multiple aspects of FuturePREP'd that make it quite different from other teacher development programs for personalized learning. For one thing, participating educators spend a third of their time experiencing personalized learning as students. Program facilitators guide educators through the process of forming small teams and creating a solution to a real issue or opportunity at a local business or organization. For example, in 2016, FuturePREP'd educators were challenged to think through how the Grand Rapids Art Museum could redesign its education space and programming to make it more usable for K–12 teachers. Educators worked in teams to get to know their own strengths and challenges (plus those of their colleagues). Then they investigated the museum's work, explored and evaluated potential solutions, and presented their proposed solutions to the museum's leadership team.
Throughout this first stage of the program, educators continually reflect on their experiences, specifically what they're learning and how they're feeling about the process. When educators engage in this kind of reflection, they gain empathy for what students will likely experience in their own classrooms. This personalized-learning-based process also encourages teachers to anticipate the stumbling blocks or confusions that students may encounter.
Another unique aspect of FuturePREP'd is the opportunity for teachers to practice new skills with students outside of their own classrooms and school district. In these settings, educators are often more willing to try out new and complex skills without the fear of failing. Educators work with a small group of K–12 students during the summer, investigating and creating a solution to an issue or opportunity at a local business or organization. For instance, one group of educators spent four afternoons with elementary school students as they researched and designed a new sundae for an ice cream shop, which was later added to the establishment's menu. Another group of teachers met with high school students to investigate how a local hospital could provide more mammograms to underserved populations. With projects like these, FuturePREP'd teachers experience personalized learning and witness firsthand how learning connects to the real world.
Teacher Reflections
After FuturePREP'd educators have had the opportunity to experience personalized learning as students and to practice what they have learned with actual students, we intentionally set aside a day for additional reflection. This reflection period helps participants make sense of what they have learned and how they will use it moving forward. The FuturePREP'd staff and educator facilitators use specific protocols to invite these reflections, including fishbowl conversations and the collective-wisdom protocol.
These reflections have revealed how much educators have grown from the learning experience. For instance, take Nate, a middle school math and science teacher with 14 years of classroom experience. Prior to his participation in FuturePREP'd, Nate described his classroom as being "hands-on." He also said that his students "like defined structure and script" and that he saw his role as "more of a director than a facilitator." During the program, Nate found that although he was excited about what he was learning, his teaching style was being challenged. He was both nervous and excited about the possibility of making project-based learning a bigger part of his classroom. Through the program, he gained enough confidence to implement project-based learning and design thinking. In Nate's words, his experiences resulted in "giving kids more opportunity to learn in ways they are excited about."
This type of professional growth is also evident with new teachers. Ashley, a middle school math and science teacher in her second year, stated before the program that she had thought about implementing project-based learning but "never really knew how to go about it." She admitted that she "didn't want to challenge students too much and struggled with giving up control of the classroom." After completing FuturePREP'd, Ashley reflected that she still had a lot to learn and needed more practice with design thinking, but she was more confident in her ability to help students complete a project-based learning unit. "Taking the kids through the design thinking process and having a more hands-off approach was one of the most beneficial things I could have done to enhance my practice," she said. "It was extremely uncomfortable, anxiety-filled, and stressful, but in the end, I couldn't have been more proud of my students, and quite frankly, myself."
We've also used FuturePREP'd to support preservice teacher learning. This past year, through a pilot program with Grand Valley State University's College of Education, two preservice teachers participated in the program during their student-teaching semester and in the summer after they graduated. Although Clare, a K–12 music major, had learned about project-based learning and design thinking in one of her education courses, she didn't have experience implementing it. "FuturePREP'd helped me make connections between what I learned in my education courses and gave me a way to think about how to integrate this type of personalized learning in my own classroom," she reflected.
Questions to Ask
Although implementing a teacher development program like FuturePREP'd may seem like a daunting challenge, there are certain questions educators and administrators can ask to get started.
- Where and how can educators experience personalized learning as students? Brainstorm real settings where educators can put themselves in students' shoes. For example, if educators are learning how to identify and promote individual strengths so that student groups can work together more effectively, an educator group could identify their own strengths, work to understand the strengths of others within the group, and set up practices and protocols to capitalize on one another's strengths—thereby helping the team become more effective. The strategies we use with our educators—and students—for this purpose include personal values cards, the Gallup StrengthsFinder, and locally made assessments, such as a design thinking preference assessment.
- Is there an opportunity for teachers to practice their new skills and strategies with students? Educators can obviously practice the skills they learn with students in their own classrooms, but we have found providing educators with the chance to experiment in lower-stakes environments (in others words, not tied to evaluations) to be more effective. Can educators try new techniques with students in a summer or after-school program? Can you partner with community-based organizations that serve students outside of school?
- When and how often are educators reflecting on what they've learned? Learning does not happen without reflection. Yet, teacher development programs are often so packed full of content that the act of reflecting seems like an afterthought. When creating personalized learning opportunities for teachers, it's important to identify and embed key moments for educators—both individually and as a group—to reflect on what they're learning and how their classroom practice will change as a result. The more concrete and specific the reflections, the more likely teachers are to use their new skills to affect students' future learning. Reflections can take many forms, including discussions, journal writing, and responses to prompts.
Equipping Educators for Change
The skills, strategies, and behaviors that today's teacher must learn to effectively support personalized learning are multifaceted. Given the rapid changes in our society, including how and where we work and how we communicate with others, supporting personalized learning for students will require that teachers continuously update their toolboxes. To ensure that educators know which tool to use and how to use that tool, we need to provide teachers with experiences that mirror the type of personalized learning we—and they—hope to see in their classrooms.
