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End of Course Reflection


           Initially, my assumptions about this course were quite different than the learning that took place throughout the course and the understandings I have now.  When thinking of communication and collaboration, I knew it encompassed almost all aspects of working in the field of education; however, I didn’t realize the importance that adult learning theories had in engaging others in their own professional learning.  I started realizing a lot of the research behind the professional learning strategies that take place in my district and within my building, and I also have identified some areas of possible growth for my building and district based on my new understandings.
                Looking at our course objectives, we were to understand and apply adult learning theories for professional learning, demonstrate our knowledge about effective professional practices, analyze the context and needs of a school, and plan actions for appropriate collaboration within a school setting.  Initially, I knew what I preferred when being engaged in professional learning: the assumption that I was a competent educator, opportunities for creativity and space for individuality, and time for reflection.  It wasn’t until this course that many of what I look for in professional learning are consistent with the pillars of andragogy.  While I was extremely familiar with considering pedagogy in almost all aspects of my teaching, I really hadn’t taken the time to consider aspects of adult learning in the same way.  I now have the language and research to use when planning for adult professional learning, which will be key in ensuring that the learning is appropriate for all teachers. 
                The five assumptions of an adult learner is something that I will now use to gauge professional practices within my building and district.  Especially when considering one’s own independent self-concept, it is imperative that administration allows for individuality and assumes self-motivation in their educators.  It is also extremely important that the practical nature of the professional learning shines through and applications for immediate use are offered (Merriam, 2001). 
                Using this information and considering the need in my building, I was able to construct a professional learning plan for my building that will both help with our school improvement plan but will also engage teachers in collaboration and new learning.  My plan, linked here, uses the strategies mentioned above and research from Zepeda to construct a year long professional learning series focusing on increasing teacher use of technology to reach parents in the area of reading.  Considering that the professional learning needed to be centered around data and research (Zepeda, 2008), it consisted of many pre and post surveys as well as research around reading at home and engaging families through technology.  It also significantly focused on teacher leadership, using other teachers to engage the building in the learning process through modeling and allowing other teachers to observe.  I now feel that having a component of teacher leadership is vital to all professional learning, as it allows the planner to consider the state of continuum each teacher is in (Zepeda, 2008) and it draws out the best efforts in teachers. 
                When interviewing my principal, it was clear that there will always be challenges and issues raised with professional learning within a building.  It was enlightening to see, though, that many of the issues addressed can be reduced when considering each adult as an individual learner and providing a variety of opportunities for teachers to feel like their needs are individually met. I appreciate the new understanding that planning a professional learning series has given me, as I didn’t fully realize the work that goes into planning a building series previously.  I am excited to continue with the work that I started in this course, as my principal has asked that we work components of my professional learning plan into our current building professional development series. I am excited to see where this learning takes me next as we work with our building on this. 


Resources:
Graham, S. (n.d.). A Simple, Easy To Understand Guide To Andragogy. Retrieved from        https://www.cornerstone.edu/blogs/lifelong-learning-matters/post/a-simple-easy-to-understand-guide-to-andragogy
Merriam, S. B. (2001). Andragogy and Self-Directed Learning: Pillars of      Adult Learning Theory. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education,2001(89), 3. doi:10.1002/ace.3

Zepeda, S. J. (2008). Professional development: What works. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

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