Educator-led peer professional development workshops on learner variability¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

This strategy has educators who have learned a framework lead short workshops for their colleagues rather than receiving expert-led training. Teachers received instructions to "complete a short professional development workshop (30 minutes–one hour; virtually or in person) with at least three colleagues", using resources such as a self-study guide, example tasks exploring a problem of practice, workspace design around a school-wide goal, or structured brainstorming with the LVN explorer tools. In Task 2, 163 educators led such workshops, ultimately reaching about 500 more educators. Helpful elements included time for discussion and self-reflection, walkthroughs of the design tools and workspaces, and exploration of factor connections and strategy videos.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• A facilitator who has completed prior engagement with the resources, at least three colleague participants, and provided materials such as the self-study guide

Constraints¶

• Colleagues did not complete surveys, so their engagement was inferred rather than measured; educators noted a need for scheduled time to sustain collaborative use

Target Learners¶

• K-12 educators and their school-based colleagues across elementary, middle, and high school settings

Target Learning Goals¶

• Building peer capacity to understand learner variability and apply LVN resources to instruction

Related Strategies¶

• Use peer-led, project-based professional development led by teachers in similar contexts
• Teacher-led workshops and freely downloadable materials to scale video analysis and modeling practice

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Medha Tare, Alison R. Shell, Jessica Jackson. (2022). Shifting Mindsets: Designing Lessons for Learner Variability. Digital Promise. https://digitalpromise.dspacedirect.org/items/c1921acf-1964-4f4d-8232-1e8af6ad7367