GwyneddMercyAcademyHighSchool

TechnologyProfessionalDevelopmentPlan
20162017SchoolYear

Presentation,Communication,andCollaboration
WebToolsforTeachers

Introduction
In the past couple of years, Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School has implemented a 1:1
BYOD policy for its students. Each teacher has been given an iPad and also has access to a
classroom PC and SMART Board. In previous years, professional development for technology
has been sporadic at best, and many teachers have not successfully integrated the use of
technology into their teaching practice, in part, because they have not been required to do so.
Recently, though, theadministrationhasplacedagreateremphasisontheuseoftechnologyby
both teachers and students, and has begun requiring teachers to attendtechnologyworkshops
on faculty inservice days. The administration realizes, however, that in order to improve
instructional practices and increase student achievement and engagement, it must devise a
more formal plan to equip teachers with the skills they need to teach 21st century learners by
creating lessons and assignments that incorporate the use of various web tools. To that end,
beginning in August 2016,theadministrationwillrolloutatechnologyprofessionaldevelopment
plan for the 20162017 school year to instruct teachers on how to use various presentation,
communication,andcollaborationwebtools.

Overview
Whoarethelearners?
Allteachingfaculty(approximately31)atGwyneddMercyAcademyHighSchool

Wherewilltheprofessionaldevelopmenttakeplace?
The professional development will take place at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School. The
faculty willbedividedintotwogroups.Onegroupwillbesentto theMacLab,contains25Macs,
and the other group will be sent to the Lecture Hall, which contains 25 PCs. (Only those who
knowhowtouseaMacwillbeassignedtothegroupthatwillbesenttotheMacLab.)

Howlongwilleachsessionbe?
Each session will be one hour in length and will take place each month throughout the school
yearduringthesecondhalfofthefacultyinserviceonthethirdThursdayofthemonth.


Whowillbethetrainers?
The trainers will be the Coordinator ofInstructionalTechnologyandteacherswhoaremembers
oftheInstructionalTechnologyAdvisoryCommittee(ITAC).

Willtherebeanyopportunityforonetoonetrainingintheclassroom?
Yes. The Coordinator of Instructional Technology and members of ITAC will be available for
onetoone training with teachers. They will assist teachersinimplementingthenewwebtoolin
alesson thefirsttimetheyuse itandwillworkwithteachersbefore, during,andafterthelesson.
Members of ITAC will also be available to modelsuccessfulandeffectiveuseof thewebtoolin
a lesson by allowing teachers to observe them while teaching a class. In order to schedule a
time to meet with the Coordinator or a member of ITAC, teachers can go to the Learning
CommonswebpageontheschoolwebsiteandclickontheSignUpGeniuslink.

Goals/Objectives
By the end of the 20162017 Technology Professional Development series, teachers will be
ableto:
Identify various presentation, communication, and collaboration web tools to usein their
lessons
CreatepresentationsusingPrezi,VoiceThread,HaikuDeck,andTackk
DesignwebbasedlessonsandassignmentswithTackk
CreateclassdiscussionsusingTodaysMeetandVoiceThread
Develop collaborative learning activities for students using Padlet, Titan Pad, and
GoogleApps
Compose digital flyers to communicate with students, parents, and colleagues using
TackkandSmore
DesignstudentprojectsusingDropboxasacollaborativeworkspace

Schedulefor20162017TechnologyProfessionalDevelopment
All Technology Professional Development sessions will be attended by all faculty at Gwynedd
MercyAcademyHighSchoolandwillbeheldintheMacLabandLectureHall.

Date
August30,2016

Occasion
AndLength

Trainers

FacultyInService
(1hr.)

Coordinatorof
Instructional
Technologyand
membersofITAC

Topic(s)
Introductiontothe
Presentation,
Communication,and
CollaborationWeb
Toolsthatwillbe
coveredinthe
Technology
Professional

DevelopmentPlan
thisyearalongwitha
discussionofthe
benefitsoftheiruse
August31,2016

FacultyInService
(2hrs.)

Coordinatorof
Instructional
Technologyand
membersofITAC

HowtoDesign
WebBasedLessons
andAssignments
withTackk

September15,2016

FacultyInService
(1hr.)

Coordinatorof
Instructional
Technologyand
membersofITAC

ComposingDigital
FlyerswithTackk
andSmore

October20,2016

FacultyInService
(1hr.)

Coordinatorof
Instructional
Technologyand
membersofITAC

HowtoUseHaiku
Deckasan
Alternativeto
PowerPoint

November17,2016

FacultyInService
(1hr.)

Coordinatorof
Instructional
Technologyand
membersofITAC

CreatingInteractive
PresentationsUsing
Prezi

December15,2016

FacultyInService
(1hr.)

Coordinatorof
Instructional
Technologyand
membersofITAC

CreatingInteractive
Presentationsand
ClassDiscussions
UsingVoiceThread

January19,2016

FacultyInService
(1hr.)

Coordinatorof
Instructional
Technologyand
membersofITAC

Padlet:Providinga
ToolforCollaboration
andCommunication

February16,2016

FacultyInService
(1hr.)

Coordinatorof
Instructional
Technologyand
membersofITAC

HowtoCreatea
Collaborative
Workspacefor
StudentsUsing
Dropbox

March16,2016

FacultyInService
(1hr.)

Coordinatorof
Instructional
Technologyand
membersofITAC

Developing
Collaborative
LearningActivities
UsingGoogleApps

April20,2016

FacultyInService
(1hr.)

Coordinatorof
Instructional

CreatingClass
Discussionsand

May18,2016

FacultyInService
(1hr.)

Technologyand
membersofITAC

BackchannelsUsing
TodaysMeet

Coordinatorof
Instructional
Technologyand
membersofITAC

HowtoUseTitanPad
asaBackchannel
andCollaboration
Space

ObstaclestotheTechnologyProfessionalDevelopmentPlan
Time may be perhaps the greatest obstacle to theTechnologyProfessionalDevelopmentPlan.
Almost all of the sessions throughout the 20162017 school year are limited to one hour in
length. With such a limited amount of time, it is difficult to instruct teachers in the use of the
specific web tool and also teach them how to integrate it into their own instructional practice.
This is why the Coordinator of Instructional Technology and members of ITAC will beavailable
foronetoonetrainingthroughouttheschoolyear.

Anxiety about using technology may be another obstacle for some teachers to the Technology
Professional Development Plan. The onetoone training opportunities should help to ease
fears, as these opportunities will allow teachers to receive more personalized instruction and
give them an opportunity to ask questions. Teachers will also be able to observe one of the
members of ITAC integrating a specific web tool into alessonwhileteachingaclass,whichwill
enable them to see the instructional practice modeled for them by an expert before attempting
toimplementitintotheirownteaching.

Materials
During all Technology Professional Development sessions, teachers will have access to aMac
orPC(basedonabilitytouseoneorbothplatforms).

Assessment
How will we know if teachers are able to use the new web tools? After each Technology
Professional Development session, teachers will have to submit one lesson they have created
that demonstrates their ability to successfully integrate the use of the web tool covered in the
session into their teaching practice. This lesson will be submitted to the Coordinator of
Instructional Technology and ITAC who will review it and give feedback that includes
commendationsandrecommendationsforimprovement.

Evaluation
How will we know if the Technology Professional Development sessions are effective? After
each session, teachers will be given a survey to complete anonymously (
Technology
ProfessionalDevelopmentSurvey
)inwhichtheyrateeffectivenessofthesession.