Through my years of experience in education and technology, I’ve observed a pressing need to evolve the traditional models of professional development (PD), and have often worked hard to do just that at every opportunity. The standard, one-size-fits-all workshops are no longer sufficient. We need a paradigm shift, blending agile methodologies and design thinking to create more impactful and responsive PD experiences.
- Agile Methodologies: Empowering Educators
- Scrum and Kanban in PD: Inspired by my work with agile frameworks, I envision transforming PD into interactive ‘sprints’. For instance, a sprint could focus on integrating digital literacy into curriculum planning. Educators choose sprints that align with their immediate classroom needs, ensuring relevance and immediate application.
- Collaboration and Iteration: In my leadership roles, I’ve facilitated cross-functional teams to drive innovation. Applying this to PD, imagine educators from different disciplines working together to create a new interdisciplinary curriculum, continuously refining it based on student feedback and performance metrics.
- Transparency and Adaptability: Utilizing Kanban boards can offer educators a clear view of ongoing PD projects and priorities. For example, a board might display the stages of developing and implementing a new assessment tool, allowing teachers to contribute and adapt their strategies in real-time.
- Design Thinking: Creating Resonant Learning Experiences
- Empathy and Problem-Solving: My experience in instructional design emphasizes the power of empathy. Consider a PD session where educators first share their challenges with student engagement. These insights then drive a brainstorming session to develop novel engagement strategies, tailored to real classroom experiences.
- Contextual Learning: Let’s move beyond generic technology training. Using design thinking, we could identify specific challenges, grounded in effective pedagogy, that teachers face in using technology for in-person and remote learning. This insight could lead to PD workshops focused on practical, hands-on strategies for engaging students in a virtual environment.
- Leadership and Advocacy for Change
- Championing Teacher-Centered Design: In advocating for PD transformation, I encourage leaders to adopt a teacher-centric approach. An example of this could be forming a PD committee led by teachers, who survey their peers and use the findings to design PD sessions that address the most pressing needs.
- Hacking Traditional Models: I urge educators to creatively disrupt traditional PD. For instance, what if we replaced some PD days with “innovation labs” where teachers experiment with new teaching technologies or pedagogical approaches, then share their findings with colleagues?
The blend of agile methodologies and design thinking offers a pathway to more dynamic and effective professional learning.
Reimagining PD requires leaders to champion teacher-centered design and continuous improvement. We must make space for learning that empowers.
What potential do you see for leveraging agile or design thinking in your school’s professional learning?
How could you advocate for more dynamic, personalized PD?
What ideas do you have for “hacking” traditional PD models by incorporating elements like collaboration, iteration, and teacher feedback?