Human Performance Technology

1.Chapter 14 discusses the concept and evolution of human performance improvement. Several sections of chapter 14 present a variety of non-instructional solutions (e.g., p. 137 on the top left) to performance problems. Identify a performance problem in your area of work and identify non-instructional solutions that may help solve the problem. Choose one that you believe as practical, feasible, and important, yet instruction alone is not the only solution. Choosing one after reading 4 chapters can be also helpful.

An issue I’m currently facing, is getting teachers come to afterschool professional developments and trainings. Principals ask me to create and teach trainings on various technology integration, such as Google Suite, Office 365, or how to implement iPads in the classroom, etc. The problem I have is teacher attendance if the PD is during the summer or afterschool. The principals communicate well with the staff, so that they are aware of the trainings. So, I know that communication is not the issue. The issue is getting teachers excited to stay late, or to come in when they aren’t being paid. Teachers are expected every year to obtain 6 technology PD hours. Even though my trainings are TEA certified technology hours, the teachers are just so overwhelmed, they don’t feel like they can add “one more thing”. I began to bring prizes, or food to try to entice people to come, which has helped, but that gets costly. The textbook says that a system that rewards people for their accomplishments, rather than behavior, is effective. Based on what I read, I can implement this by taking pictures of teachers integrating technology well, and send it to their principals, highlighting the great work they are doing. (This could also be good documentation for the TTESS technology rubric.) This will help, because then teachers will get affirmation from the principals and feel like their work is recognized.

2. Chapter 15 presents performance support systems. Define performance support systems and explain how a performance support system might (or might not) help solve the problem you identified above.

Performance support systems are the systems in place that give teachers support and tools at the moment of need. For teachers to feel compelled to dedicate spare time, they must feel like the training is meeting a need. Knowing this, I need to make sure that my trainings are created with the mindset to meet a specific and current necessity. If I teach on something that does not apply, why would teachers want to come? I have to make sure that teachers feel that I am their support system. They need to feel like I am providing them support, and giving them a tool that they need right now.

3. Chapter 16 explains knowledge management: the way we manage information, share that information, and use it to solve organization problems. Organizations, such as schools, accumulate a great deal information/data, which must be organized in a way that we can make sense of it in order to use for making decisions. What knowledge would help solve the problem you identified above and how would that knowledge need to be collected and managed, and shared to help facilitate problem solving?

Low training attendance could be for several reasons like; overwhelmed teachers, lack of interest, no enthusiasm, etc. I have to consider new ideas on how to boost afterschool trainings and create a better sense of morale.

For example:

·      observing teachers to see where they need help, this will guarantee that a campus need is being met

·      asking teachers what they want to learn, this will make it more enjoyable and engaging and create a sense of ownership at the training

·      make sure to celebrate when the teachers accomplish a goal made in the trainings, this will help boost confidence

·      create a fun environment for trainings, who wants to come if it’s not fun?

4. Chapter 17 describes types of informal learning. What informal learning experiences have you participated in at your organization? Could those informal learning experiences be shared with others? Could the knowledge gained in those settings be codified and managed? And should it be managed or should the informal experiences be replicated or broadened for others?

I have participated in student-teacher mentoring and mentoring first year teachers. Being on both sides of a mentor/mentee relationship has definitely taught me something. Through this, I’ve learned that you have to be open and flexible on both sides. On the mentee side, you have to be open to criticism, and willing to change your techniques and comfort zones. On the mentor side, you have to be able to comfortably evaluate and have support ready for the mentee. All the information, I’ve learned through being a mentee, could’ve been taught through formal teaching, like a textbook and class. (And to be honest, probably was taught to me this way.) However, there is something about being thrown into a situation and through trial-and-error that really makes you learn how to teach.

Raiser, R.A. and Dempsey, J.J. (2012) Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology 3rd Ed.

Evaluating, Implementing and Managing Instructional Programs & Projects

1)First, select one of the evaluation models you learned from chapter 10 or from your web search and describe how you would use it to evaluate your instruction (alternatively, you can choose a program or initiative at your current or former school). If necessary, revisit the relevant section on chapter 10 and refer to exemplary questions to ask within the model. Reflect on what other questions that instructional program evaluation should address besides whether the new instruction/program leads to comparable amounts of learning and learner satisfaction as traditional methods. What else would be useful to know? 

I chose to look at the Stufflebeam’s CIPP Evaluation Model. In chapter 10 of the textbook, it explains that CIPP is an acronym and a four part evaluation system, however you can evaluate based on only one part. Below is a brief summary of the four evaluation criteria.

1.    Context Evaluation. This is the assessment of the environment in which the lesson is being taught. This can also be called needs assessment. The evaluator should be involved in the lesson planning process to see how the teacher is looking at the students’ specific needs and how to better address them. This is also where the evaluator can see what TEKS are being taught.

2.    Input Evaluation. This is where the evaluator will analyze what resources are being used in the lesson. They also can see how the resources are being implemented in the lesson.

3.    Process Evaluation. This is also known as the formative evaluation. This is where the evaluator actually assess how the lesson is performed. They also see how the resources are being implemented and how the lesson planning was executed.

4.    Product Evaluation. This is where the teacher is evaluated based on how the students performed. Did they understand the TEKS? Were the students successful?

I like this model because the evaluator is more involved in the whole process. The evaluator does not just walk into a classroom and observe for 40 minutes, they truly see all the work that was put into the lesson. I think this takes the pressure off teachers to “perform perfectly” in a single moment. The evaluator can see how the teacher evaluates themselves. Did the lesson work? How can they fill those gaps, if the lesson was not successful? Etc. Evaluators are very quick to judge a teacher’s whole year based on one lesson. The only thing I do not agree with, is that in the CIPP model, you can evaluate someone only using one of the four parts. I think that this evaluation system shows every part of the teacher’s process, and that is what really needs to be evaluated. Is this teacher planning, implementing, AND evaluating him/herself to get maximum student success?

2) For the second part, congratulations, your school leader noticed your good use of technology in teaching and appointed you to develop a series of professional development sessions focusing on technology use in the classroom for teachers during a time of economic challenge. (If you like to modify the scenario to better fit your personal interest, such as one-on-one laptop initiative, that is perfectly fine). You were told that the school will provide necessary support and you can form a team. Based on knowledge from chapters 12 & 13, which people at the school and the district will you include in the team, and how will you use Situational Leadership to facilitate this project and manage scarce resources?

In my current position, I do teach professional development on technology to the district. If I was asked to create a team to implement strategies for the title one school, I would involve:

·      An instructional media specialist, because they can discuss how to use the technology.

·      An instructional coach, because they can address examples of TEKS to hit and implementation in the classroom.

·      An assistant principal or a principal, because they can address how their expectations based on the technology portion of the TTESS

I would chose my team wisely because the textbook explains that there are key elements to great management leaders. These leaders must be able to motivate, problem solve, communicate, and analyze resources.

I rarely work with a team, so this would be my “dream team” of staff to work with. However, you really have to make sure that you can motivate and communicate when addressing teachers. I have learned that teachers can be the worst students. I have found that you have to make sure that everyone understands “why” you are teaching the PD and that it is 100% applicable to their classroom, or they will not pay attention. I didn’t realize how important these elements are to PDs, until I thought about the first one I had taught. I taught a PD over how to use all the Skyward features, and even though I planned and created a beautiful presentation. I was not great at motivating my audience to care. I was just reading the presentation. This caused me to realize I have to problem solve during my lesson, I could tell that teachers were not paying attention or understanding. I had to be flexible and quickly change my presentation to make sure that everyone was involved and realized how this could make their grading and assessments much easier. 

References

Raiser, R.A. and Dempsey, J.J. (2012) Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology 3^rd Ed.

Theories and Models of Learning and Instruction

         Chapters in this section discuss three contrasting epistemic (the study of what and how we come to know) stances: positivist, relativist, and contextualist (or hermeneutical). Positivists believe that the only truth or knowledge is objective truth. Relativists don’t believe that objective truth is possible and that all knowledge is subjective to perception or relative to a particular frame of reference. Contextualists believe that truth or knowledge is relative to context rather than individual, subjective understanding. While designers and educators with a positivist stance generally apply behaviorist principles to the design and development of instruction, those with either a contextualist or relativist epistemological framework employ constructivist theories and methods. Reflect on whether your stance is primarily positivist, relativist, or contextualist. Then, identify an instance when your perspective or stance as a learner conflicted with that of your instructor. Describe the conflict that you experienced and analyze whether opposing epistemic stances may have been at the heart of the conflict. How was the situation resolved by you (effectively or ineffectively), and what could/can be done?

Based on the explanations provided in the textbook, I connect more with the contextualist point of view. When I plan out my lessons, I try to look at the whole picture. I start with the necessary TEKS, and student objectives, then I try to active student’s prior knowledge to previous lessons we’ve learned or something from the outside world that is applicable. (This is also a popular ELPS, which is imperative to address based on the community I work with.) I have found that if you do not try to see the outcome before planning the lesson, it’s hard to set the students up for success.

One time when I was in college, I had a statistics professor who would lecture us and basically read the textbook. This is not very helpful for me. He never addressed real world problems, or how to apply the skills to outside factors. Once I read the textbook myself and met with other students in the class, we started to see the patterns between polls, standard deviations and the real world. This helped all of us connect what we were learning, or more so listening to, to the real world. We all did very well and ended up enjoying the class much more. Once students can apply what they are learning to the whole picture, everything begins to click. This is also, why I’m a big fan of hands on learning! 

 Various theories/models of learning and instruction are discussed in multiple chapters in this section. Which theories/models of learning or instruction are the primary one(s) you apply to your teaching or you can relate the best, and why? Then, please pick one project or instructional unit (briefly describe title, target audience, and learning goals/objectives) where your designing/teaching or learning was most successful (or less than successful), and describe which theory/model or principle(s) from these chapters can be applied to improve design/teaching or learning. * You can reuse an instructional unit you used for Section 1 (or you can use a different one. In section 1 discussion, 6 components of good instructional design in chapter 2 was broad, and these chapters in section 2 should have given you more specific ideas about different approaches to teaching and learning.

Over the years, (through trial and error of course) I have grown to use the constructionist model. I have always tried to engage my learners into taking control and accountability of what they are learning. Whether it be students in a classroom, or professional developments for teachers, the learners have to take the lead of their learning. When I plan lessons, I try to keep my ‘lecturing’ to a mini-lesson, then I allow the students to dive in and discover through hands on, student centered activities. For example: This summer I taught a professional development over how to integrate iPads into teaching. (Our district gives each teacher an iPad to use in the classroom). I began the lesson doing a KWHL chart. We went over what everyone knows, wants to know, how they can continue to learn, and what we have learned by the end of the lesson. This began quite a discussion. Some teachers had a lot of experience with the iPads, some had none. I gave the teachers a few minutes to share and talk about what they have done in their classrooms. (This was a 6 hour PD.) And that really opened the door for the students' learning. They began to share their favorite lessons and activities. This also helped me, the teacher, know who needed more help than others, and where to direct my teaching towards. (Did I need to direct more towards high school teachers? English teachers? PreK teachers? Etc.) I went on to introduce apps or ideas on how to integrate smoothly. Then I let the teachers create their own lessons based on the apps I included. Each table group shared out what they created and practiced with the whole class. It went great! I had to start with the end result in mind. I could not have made a blanketed PD and expect that each teacher would take away exactly what I had in mind. I had to get a feel for the group as a whole and the needs of each teacher. I think flexibility and attention to student needs is what made this lesson successful.