1c Learning and Human Development — Leadership Portfolio

Learning: Putting out new
shoots of growth

Leadership is committed to and practices continuous personal, interpersonal, and organizational learning.

**Proficient Competency Level

The artifacts in this competency begin with personal learning, and continue to interpersonal and organizational learning. Following this are included some special in-depth considerations of a couple select learning theories connected to my work.

Evaluations or verification artifacts are indicated with this icon.
Leadership and Learning Group contributions are indicated with this icon.

Activities	Description	Documentation
A. Personal Learning: Learning New Technologies & Educational Strategies	Overview My personal learning includes constant learning on the job, reading professional magazines and blogs, and attending technology conferences. Because my work is technology related, everything is constantly changing. Without the ability to learn by investigating, practicing, and researching, I wouldn’t be able to successfully support my schools in using videoconferencing and other technologies. Each year I learn at least one new technology or new software so that I can teach it to others. Competency Connection This journal ties my own personal learning to my favorite learning theories: constructivism, social constructivism, and situated learning. It also ties my personal learning to my Strengths, Learning and Input. Artifact Descriptions i. This learning journal includes descriptions and evidence of new learning and how it was applied from 2000 through the present. ii. This reflection examines my Input and Learning strengths in light of my leadership and work in the field of videoconferencing and educational technology. File unlinked for privacy. iii. This reflection considers the book Women's Ways of Knowing and makes connections to my learning, my teaching, current trends in education, and the Leadership Program.	i. My Ten Year Learning Journal ii. Reflection on Input and Learning Strengths and a sample email exchange showing how I lead by sharing information/learning. iii. Reflection on Women's Ways of Knowing
B. Personal Learning: Improving Instruction	Studying Marzano's Research, Universal Design for Learning, and Differentiated Instruction to improve my practice. Overview When I wrote my LLP, I specifically wanted to investigate three learning trends popular in education right now. Marzano's research on Classroom Instruction That Works was a huge meta-analysis on instructional strategies that improve student achievement that resulted in specific recommendations for classroom practice. Universal Design for Learning started with the idea of designing architecture so that it is accessible for all people and has grown to encompass the idea of designing learning for all learners. Differentiated Instruction is based on the idea that not all students are alike and that they should have multiple options for learning and teaching. I also added additional reflections on learning about brain research and communities of practice. Brain research is the application of recent neuroscience discoveries to educational practice. Communities of practice are groups of people who learn together how to do something better. Competency Connection My work in this competency shows my continued learning in an attempt to improve my own instruction and my practice in assisting teachers with the integration of technology and learning. Artifact Descriptions i. I used several approaches to work with Marzano's research. First I did an in depth blog series on the 11 instructional strategies, how they are currently used in videoconferencing, and new ideas for use. Then I took my projects booklet with templates for videoconference projects and updated and added new templates based on Marzano's instructional strategies. ii. In this chart I organized a comparison of UDL and differentiated instruction. Further reflection on UDL is found in my reflection paper. iii. In this chart, I compare the principles of differentiated instruction with learning theory and potential technology uses. iv. This blog post is a reflection on how Brain Research might apply to curriculum videoconferencing.	i. Applying Marzano's research to videoconference projects. VC Projects booklet before Marzano blog posts & reflections Blog comment by one of the authors of "Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works" VC Projects Workshop booklet after ii. Comparing Universal Design for Learning to Differentiated Instruction and learning theory iii. Applying Differentiated Instruction to the Jazz Workshop: Overview Jazz Schedule Local Time & Differentiated Instruction PPT for training facilitators Email comment from one of the lead facilitators (Unlinked for privacy.) iv. Thinking about Brain Research and Videoconferencing. v. A reflection on hearing Etienne Wenger talk about Communities of Practice.
C. Interpersonal Learning: Teaching Face to Face Workshops	Teaching educators how to integrate videoconferencing in the curriculum. Overview 123 VC: Jazzing Up Your Curriculum with Videoconferencing. This workshop is a grassroots collaboration between participants in five states and two countries to put on a week long workshop on K12 curriculum videoconferencing. I serve on the leadership team that helps shape and manage the growth of this collaboration. Competency Connection The "Jazz workshop" is based on a constructivist learning approach, integrated with situated learning. It is only of the few workshops that I still teach face to face. Artifact Descriptions The Jazz website (i) gives an overview of the collaboration, materials, and our methods of working together. A few of the collaborative document sharing files are included so you can see how we work together (ii). The participants create a project collaboratively (iii) and some of the resources used in the class are shown (iv). Each of these I have helped to develop, but none of it was done alone. The planned evaluation data from 2008 is included (v). Some files unlinked for privacy and intellectual property reasons.	i. Jazz Workshop Website ii. Samples of tools used for planning and meeting at a distance. Photo of our Lead Facilitators Meeting GoogleDocs Planning For 2009 File GoogleDocs Facilitators Guide iii. Samples of project work completed by participants: 1 and 2 iv. Resources created to facilitate learning and collaboration: 2009 Participant Handbook, Participants' Blog, How To Guides, and photo archive of workshop v. Evaluation feedback from participants from 2008.
D. Interpersonal Learning: Teaching Online	Overview I've been teaching online since 1999. The materials in this section show some of the resources used in my online courses. I started teaching online in WebCT, then switched to Blackboard. Now at my work I use Moodle, and for my AVLN classes I use Desire2Learn. I am very comfortable with online course management systems and teaching online. Competency Connection These artifacts show my ability to teach online and to learn in community with others. Artifact Descriptions i. Internet in the Curriculum was my first online course written in 1999, then redesigned and renamed to Internet Research and Projects in 2004 ii. Designing WebQuests from 2000, also won a WebCT award in 2000 (an expert outside evaluation). iii. Active Online Teaching, on how to teach online, written for Adventist Virtual Learning Network (AVLN) in 2001 iv. Integrating Technology in the Curriculum, written for Adventist Virtual Learning Network (AVLN) in 2001 v. Technology in the Early Elementary Classroom, written for Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning 2002, taught also for Berrien County ISD and a version for AVLN with faith integration vi. Active Online Courses, a follow-up to Active Online Teaching, written for AVLN in 2003 vii. Planning Interactive Curriculum Connections, a course introduction to using videoconferencing in the curriculum written for Berrien County ISD in 2004 with international participation in 15 sessions since then. ix. Kid2Kid Videoconference Connections, a follow up course to Planning Interactive Curriculum Connections (PICC). Written by the request of a past participant of PICC from Texas. Also offered through Berrien County ISD / Berrien RESA. x. A comment from [name redacted], then Associate Superintendent for the Southern New England Conference on the impact of Technology in the Early Elementary classroom on one of her reluctant learners. Some files unlinked for privacy reasons.	i. Internet Research and Projects ii. Designing WebQuests, won WebCT award in 2000 iii. Active Online Teaching iv. Integrating Technology in the Curriculum v. Technology in the Early Elementary Classroom vi. Active Online Courses vii. Planning Interactive Curriculum Connections viii. Desire2Learn Minis: Managing Group Projects ix. Kid2Kid Videoconference Connections and a sample week introduction movie. x. Superintendent comment.
E. Organizational Learning	Overview A few years ago, I was asked by my supervisor to train the other subject area consultants in using online learning tools. Since then some of them have dabbled in using first Blackboard, then Moodle, but they have not yet taught full courses. However in the summer of 2007 I began team writing an online class on Building Academic Vocabulary, with one of our consultants, and I team facilitated this course with her. Competency Connection Team teaching with a colleague shows my participation in organizational learning. People within my organization began to learn online. Artifact Description The artifacts show a sample week's worth of materials. Some files unlinked for privacy and intellectual property reasons.	i. Teaching Academic Vocabulary Week 2 Materials
F. Make connections between learning theory and the Jazz Workshop.	Overview 123VC: Jazzing Up Your Curriculum with Videoconferencing. It's a cross-state collaborative videoconference workshop. See more details in section C above. Competency Connection This article shows my ability to connect current practice to learning theory. Artifact Descriptions This article is written for ISTE's Leading and Learning with Technology as the first attempted publication. File unlinked for intellectual property reasons.	i. Article ready to publish.
G. LEAD 756	Overview The items in this section were part of my independent study on Learning & Human Development Competency Connection These artifacts show my ability to connect learning theory to my practice, to instructional strategies, and to share with my regional group. Artifact Descriptions i. This chart makes connections between learning theory and e-learning. ii. This chart makes connections between learning theory and Marzano's research based "Instructional Strategies That Work." iii. This PPT is what I used to share my understanding of learning theories with my regional group. iv. I used this chart to make sense of a new learning theory, connectivism. Some files unlinked for privacy reasons.	i. Learning theory and e-learning ii. Learning theory and the 11 Instructional Strategies That Work iii.Regional group presentation, May 17, 2009 and feedback. iv. Understanding connectivism chart

In this reflection paper, I synthesize the learning and work completed while working on the learning competency. I begin with personal learning and several ways to consider my own learning. I move then to the new instructional strategies I decided to learn about during this course of study. Learning theories and their connection to my online courses and the connectedness of the Internet are also included. I end with a description of improved practice and my hopes for future learning.

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Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1). Retrieved from http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm

Siemens, G. (2006). Connectivism: Learning theory or pastime for the self-amused? Retrieved from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism_self-amused.htm

Siemens, G., & Downes, S. (2008, November 24). Connectivism and connective knowledge online course support wiki. Retrieved from http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/wiki/Connectivism

Stahl, S. (2008). Engaging the text: Brain research and the universal design of reading strategy supports. In D. H. Rose & A. Meyer (Eds.), A practical reader in universal design for learning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

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Willingham, D. T., & Lloyd, J. W. (2007). How educational theories can use neuroscientific data. Mind, Brain, and Education, 1(3), 140-149.

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