Partnering with a Local College to Develop New Teacher Training Opportunities

Overview

“Walking into their rooms, they are so well prepared for the classroom and a PL environment. It was really exciting to see. We didn't know it would play out that way.” (Kristen Watkins)

Challenge: How to build a pipeline of teachers that have experience in personalized learning environments.

Action Steps: As a way of strengthening its pipeline of qualified PL teachers, Dallas ISD, TX, in partnership with Raise Your Hand Texas, developed a graduate program for teachers focusing on personalized learning. Teachers have the opportunity to earn a Graduate Certificate or Master’s Degree in Blended and Personalized Learning from Texas Tech University. This partnership enables student teachers at Texas Tech University to do their practicums focused on personalized learning in Dallas ISD PL-driven classrooms.

According to the program website:

The Graduate Certificate in Personalized Learning Methods is designed to give practitioners hands-on knowledge around the following topics:

• Blended learning/personalized learning (BL/PL) foundations;
• Data literacy and data-driven instruction;
• Fostering student agency;
• Creating community connections and collaborations;
• Creating multiple pathways to mastery; and
• Promoting competency-based learning.

Graduates of this competency-based program will have significant experience in teaching in BL/PL contexts, using BL/PL pedagogical strategies, peer-coaching, and critically using technology to enable better BL/PL learning and teaching.

The program includes courses such as:

• EDCI 5390 Foundations of Blended and Personalized Learning
• EDCI 5391 Student Agency in Personalized Learning
• EDIT 5392: Teacher Routines for Using Data to Support PL
• EDIT 5393: Demonstration and Advanced Models of PL
• EDCI 5394 Personalized Learning Coaching and Critical Communities of Practice