reflectAs a teacher, what do you want from your professional development opportunities? Relevant content? Dynamic presenters? Structured learning? Time to talk and share with colleagues? Well thought out activities? As I planned for my workshop for K-6 teachers entitled, “The Power of Two: Differentiation + Technology”, I kept thinking about what we ask teachers to do: Plan with UbD in mind; Model effective instructional strategies ala Robert Marzano; Differentiate for their learners; So much to consider… don’t teachers deserve the same thought-provoking experiences when they take their seats as learners?

I began my planning with the end in mind, interested in digging past the surface layer of numerated strategies. One of the most essential understandings I wanted the teachers to walk away with was that differentiation is more than a checklist of strategies…it’s a way of thinking. So I knew it wasn’t enough to simply throw a bunch of platitudes at my audience; they had “been there, done that” and were honestly tired of hearing how they would need to add one more thing to their already mile high plates. I needed to inspire, provoke and leave them with further questions that would keep niggling at their brain.

I began my session with my honest attempt to acknowledge and honor the many obstacles that teachers face that make it far too easy to say “NO” to using technology in the classroom and “NO” to differentiation. Obstacles such as lack of time, minimal access to tools and little in the way of support for learning how to use the tools. I then asked them to put those obstacles away for the duration of our time together because, while real and true, they have a way of taking front and center in our brains, thus preventing seeds of hope from springing up all around us.

One of our first experiences was to participate in an Elluminate session with Dr. Grace Smith and Dr. Stephanie Throne, authors of “Using Technology to Differentiate Instruction.” These woman were my instructors for a course I recently completed as part of my master’s program. They spent the next 45 minutes sharing some of the ways in which they differentiate by interest using technology. The session delivered some interesting nuggets of information but the true beauty lie in the teacher’s exposure to how technology can be used to reach out beyond the four walls to connect with experts from other parts of the country. It also lent itself to the idea that our learners are visual, auditory and tactile…that these tools can greatly expand the pathways to learning.

For our final activity, I wanted to introduce some of the Web 2.0 tools that teachers could use with their students to differentiate by content, process and product. It was important to me, however, that the tools be connected to not only the content but the various types of learners in their classrooms. I asked the teachers to identify and list names of students of varying abilities and learning modalities on post-it notes. They also listed content units they teach. We then embarked on a Web 2.0 tour, with our conversation focused on how the tools could be used to support the students and content areas listed on their post it notes. Hopefully, it allowed the teachers to think more deeply about the reasons for using the tools, the reason the tools exist in the first place…to support the learning.

A week has passed since I facilitated the workshop, but my work is not done. As teacher Beth Lewis states, “In a profession as challenging as teaching, honest self-reflection is key. That means that we must regularly examine what has worked and what hasn’t in the classroom, despite how painful it can sometimes be to look in the mirror.”

So how painful is the reflection in the mirror? Well, for my very first attempt at facilitating this particular workshop, it wasn’t bad…maybe a solid “B”. Here are some of the ways in which I would change this session:

–I would plan less. I tried to do too many things.

–I would run this as a series of workshops with this session being the kick-off to five or six more sessions. I just don’t buy the one-shot deals anymore. I don’t believe we see deep changes; teachers go back to their reality of too much to do and they don’t have the benefit of continued conversations and reflections…absolutely essential for true transformation.

–I would give them more time to converse and reflect on their learning…again, too much content, too little time.

What do I celebrate about this session?

–That I had the chance to work with some of my favorite learners…teachers.

–That I had the guts to facilitate the session at all. Pushing past my comfort zone, I can feel myself growing.

–By facilitating this workshop, my own understanding of how technology can support differentiation has deepened. Shifts. More shifts.

How will I support continued learning of these folks? My plans are to send periodic emails providing the group with resources, thoughts/ideas and opportunities to continue the learning. I will invite them to have conversations on our district Ning site. I will be their greatest champion and listener. Why? Because our kids deserve nothing less.