2007 Summer Event

Until this summer all HRD podcast coaching from me has been with NESS Liaisons at their site. During the summer of 2007 HRD offered two events, Instructional Coach Professional Development (ICPD) and Induction Systems. Both of these events provided participants with information on HRD Podcasts and had opportunities to watch and discuss how they can be used as a teaching resource.

185 potential NESS Instructional Coaches participated in the ICPD event that provided them with the knowledge and skills to be able to:
a) Identify key factors that support a coaching culture
b) Identify the roles and responsibilities of an effective coach
c) Develop a plan of professional support for a new educator
d) Utilize a Continuous Improvement plan to support a New Educator

The following SCA schools/sites were represented: Arthur Ashe Middle, Broward Estates Elementary, Cypress Bay High, Fox Trail Elementary, Gator Run Elementary, Harbordale Elementary, Manatee Bay Elementary, Mirror Lake Elementary, New River Middle, Parkway Middle, Rock Island Elementary, SCA Area Office, Seminole Middle, Sunland Park Elementary and Westwood Heights.

35 NESS School Liaisons participated in the Induction Systems event that provided them with the knowledge and skills to be able to:
a) Identify elements of an effective induction plan.
b) Utilize a variety of support resources
c) Apply Continuous Improvement model to meet the professional development needs of Induction stakeholders

The following SCA schools were represented: Broward Estates Elementary, Cypress Bay High, Dillard Elementary, Martin Luther King Elementary, Mirror Lake Elementary, Stephen Foster Elementary, Sunland Park Elementary, Thurgood Marshall Elementary and Westwood Heights Elementary.

Even though both events have different objectives, the purpose of the HRD Podcasts as a coaching tool was reinforced. A podcast called "Coaching with Podcasts” was developed from one of the ICPD events and is currently available. It shows Instructional Coach Professional Development participants discussing ways to use podcasts as a coaching tool. Suggestions as a planning resource, activating prior knowledge, and effective teaching strategies are shared.

A Two Year Tour?

My question remains at “How does the use of a podcast as a coaching resource for NESS School Liaisons and Instructional Coaches support and develop New Educators in the South Central Superintendent Schools?” This year had a goal of developing a library of teacher podcasts and working with NESS School Liaisons on the value and purpose of podcasts as a coaching tool.

Progress on the Goals:
As of today there are twenty-one posted teacher podcasts on the website. Each podcast is labeled with a specific label and content title (14 Elementary, 6 Secondary, 1 Combined). What I have learned through NESS Liaison interviews and emails is that coaches have focused on the content regardless of the advertised levels. Communication with NESS School Liaisons on podcasts have included: sending CAB email messages with updates on the latest postings, offering to facilitate a group discussion on the use of podcasts, adding a RSS link to the HRD Teacher page, maintaining the alternative HRD Podcast Blog website, updated my iPod with all podcasts for viewing, and sharing the various HRD podcasts resources at individual Principal and Assistant Principal south central area meetings.

Next Steps:
I still plan to offer one to one assistance to NESS School Liaisons on how to access, subscribe and use podcasts as a coaching resource, weekly updates will continue via emails, and podcast resources have been added to the Teacher Development summer events.

My action research data collection plan includes multiple data sources for three areas that I want to learn more about. Since my logic model describes outcomes, this has provided me with the content for most of the surveys and additional data is readily available from the NESS School Liaisons.

Entertaining vs. Informing

When writing, filming, directing, developing, editing, producing (insert another podcast verb here__________), should entertaining come before informing as a priority?

I understand that both are important, yet if I HAD to prioritize, I wonder….

I recently had the pleasure of developing a leadership biography of Mickey Pope. The end result was a 34 minute iMovie that chronicled her college experience, SBBC assignments, and a personal interview. Since I realized that this project was going to be as long as a mini documentary and viewer attention span might be an issue, I found myself spending more attention to the context than in prior productions. Perhaps entertaining had more weight then content. From the feedback I have received, perhaps it does not make a difference. What makes a difference is knowing the purpose of the podcasts.

Interested in watching? Bored on a Friday night? Check out the Leadership clip at rdeich.blip.tv

HRD Producers and Podcasts

iPod Use
Since October 17, 2006 HRD has been posting podcasts at regular intervals. With 31 available podcasts in three different feeds (Administrators (n=2), Teachers (n=20), and PD Providers (n=9), the following table represents how 13 HRD members uploaded their iPod. The majority of HRD podcasts found on the iPod was less than 50%. Additional educational podcasts including John Merrow and Teacher News were also reported as current subscriptions.

Introductions/ Marketing
Twelve of the eighteen survey respondents replied with comments relating to multiple strategies to introduce/ market HRD podcasts. Of those reporting, 58% (n=7) promote podcasts while working with clients through the website, NESS Learning Communities or training events, 8% (n=1) communicate the HRD resource at a Zone Principal meeting, while 33% (n=4) have not yet introduced HRD podcasts to their clients.

These results only focus on HRD; next steps will include examining South Central Area Instructional Coaches.

Where do pods come from?

I was not surprised that by word of mouth received the highest percentage. I wonder if those who are recommending these podcasts learn from other friends too, or a different resource is being used.

If HRD is to produce podcasts as a resource, then how will HRD market the product? How will teacher, administrators, and professional development providers learn about our work? Since coaching is my AR focus, marketing podcasts only became important when the logic model was developed. What I learned today is the value of a quality podcast and the relationship you develop.

This afternoon I was emailed a note from one of the teachers I filmed for an HRD Podcast.
He states, “I just viewed the podcast!!!!! Awesome!!! It was so joyful! After having a great day and then viewing the podcast I don't know if my feet will ever touch the ground. Thanks for the thrill!”

Just one HRD Producer developing just one HRD Podcast, while having one genuinely touched teacher has quite possibly led to best marketing plan yet!.

Podcasts for Principals

Since the start of this study, the focus has been on teachers using podcasts as a coaching resource. I think that has changed.

Two weeks ago, Joy and I met Mickey Pope, a South Central Area (SCA) Director, to discuss the current NESS and Induction support of our schools. When the Induction Rubric was presented, the clouds parted, the skied opened, and Zeus’ almighty lightening bolt struck the South Central office. There was an Awakening! Finally, the bridge to teacher and leadership development was created. The value of Induction, site-based staff development, was greeted and expected of the SCA Leadership.

As a result of our meeting, we were invited to the SCA Principals meeting to present an overview of Induction. Mickey Pope opened the session with general comments regarding the value and importance of supporting teachers through Induction.

We shared the following information:
a) Induction Overview- provided information on what Induction Is Not, and what Induction Is
b) Induction Rubric- discussed the difference between the levels (Foundation, Application, Accomplished)
c) Induction Systems Database- shared a tool that utilizes the Induction Rubric and Induction Guiding Questions to assist in the development of a written Induction Plan (to move from Foundation to Application)
d) SCA Continuous Improvement Plan- shared our plan to support SCA schools as they move to the Application or Accomplished level of Induction.

The beauty is that Administrators will begin to receive Induction podcasts that support their effort to move from NESS to Induction. Today I was able to create a two-minute Induction enhanced podcast. Since the content was already developed as a power point, it took no more than 90 minutes to:
a) adjust the ppt screen size for garage band
b) save the ppt as jpeg images
c) import the ppt jpegs into iPhoto
d) create a new Garage Band podcast file, record and edit the “meat” of the slides
e) save as a m4a file
f) send to team for feedback and adjust as needed

Future podcasts will address areas of orientation, collaboration, and accountability. Already, SCA Leadership shared how to locate and subscribe to HRD’s Podcasts and today began the study of how Principals will use podcasts as a resource.

Marketing ...again!

The second half of the school year begins on March 13; this is the first Monday where FCAT prep is no longer a staple of the classroom agenda. With test anxiety surfacing, podcast filming has declined during the past month; when visiting most classrooms observable instruction did not stray away from FCAT test taking strategies. Go figure! I did manage to film a few examples for next year.

The start of the second half of the year means new opportunities to reach teachers (especially those with FCAT on the brain). Podcast awareness will be given a jumpstart with new Teasers.
Here are a few examples.

What others are doing

The feedback on the podcast product been quite positive and hopefully the focus can finally turn the corner and connect to coaching. Both NSU and BCC have involved (or soon will) HRD’s Teacher Podcasts to their student classes. I plan to meet with Deb and Julia (they just don't know it yet) to discuss their plan for utilizing this as a professional development resource.

The HRD podcast blog (hrdpods.blogspot.com) has promise since it will allow us immediate control of the podcast descriptions. Right now, there are quite a few steps and I am just not sure if retracing steps is possible. One possibility for improvement will be found in the “Tuning Protocol” podcast; this blog post will include links to procedures as listed from the Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) and Looking at Student Work (LASW) websites. A one-stop shop for coaches would be wonderful!

Additionally, the podcast blog allows for LABELS (e.g.- Classroom Management, Instructional Strategy, Primary) to be added with each podcast post. This LABEL might ease the process for users to navigate and identify relevant podcasts. With just 15 up there, there is not much of a challenge, just wait and see when the catalog reaches 500.

Influence

The 67 participants (from the survey above) include responses from new and experienced educators from the South Central Superintendent schools and from HRD’s iPod Study Group.

These responses validate the need to develop the collaboration aspect of the use of HRD’s Teacher Podcasts.

Current AR question: How does the use of a podcast as a coaching resource for NESS School Liaisons and Instructional Coaches support and develop New Educators in the South Central Superintendent Schools?

A School Decides to Do More

Heather Hedman-DeVaughn, Principal of Lauderdale Manors, introduced HRD Podcasts to her faculty during the January faculty meeting. After viewing a sample of the podcasts, they discussed the process of taping (a few of their teachers are featured), the use of how podcasts can add value to their current work, and future plan for involvement (see list below).

My support at Lauderdale Manors has included a portion of new educator observations, leadership team staff development, cNet meetings, NESS Liaison meetings, NESS support group meetings, Leadership Team/ Administration conferences, and teacher taping for podcasts. After discussing the podcast process with her faculty and sensing their level of Energy, Enthusiasm, and Excitement (hmmmm…the Three Es), Mrs. DeVaughn commented to me that the podcast work had value and sustained support far greater than participation in any meeting. This comes at a good time since I have been concerned that my support at schools is still focused on “putting out fires” and not supporting the development of Induction systems. The Lauderdale Manors staff has validated this project.

I recommended that interested teachers explore and consider the ETS events of iMovie and Garage Band. Their Three Es reinforce the value of this work and have encouraged me to maintain this school in the process of my study. Once school down….

School wide for teaching and learning of best practices at Lauderdale Manors, School website - put homework help on - examples of how to do different problem, Introduce staff to parents, Can be used to get fresh ideas by visiting other classes, Can be used for training, Can be use for modeling for teachers, Staff development / Benchmark / help recall information, Good for kids, Self-Evaluation, Student Center, Help when a student missed a lesson

When Being Coached

What implications of my podcast study will be affected by this information?

Even though Collaboration is the most desired form of Coaching, resources for each should be developed. I wonder if current Administrators recognize teacher’s needs and provide time to Collaborate?

Current and Future Work

The first half of the year has been devoted to the development of video podcasts for the development of classroom teachers. The second half will focus on the following activities (identified in the Logic Model) and the coaching connection of these activities to NESS School Liaisons and NESS Instructional Coaches.

•Develop podcast information regarding knowledge, skills and behavior
•Write Podcast descriptions (content)
•Identify Podcast PDSA
•Identify “best practices” on using video for professional development
•Provide Elluminate sessions to model the use of podcasts
•Develop Reflective Questions for podcasts (before, during, after viewing)
•Request to tape effective teachers at high needs schools