Rebecca West-Instructional Design Unit

FRIT 7739 Face to Face Staff Development

General Audience
My target audience for this Professional development unit are elementary level school
teachers from grades Kindergarten-5th. Most of the teachers are females and ages vary
from early 30s to late 50s. Within this group all are educated with undergraduate and
graduate degrees, some of this group have their Specialist Degree or are working
towards this degree. Many of these teachers hold multiple endorsements or are
working to add them including Gifted and Reading. Approximately 50% of the teachers
are technology proficient while the remaining half are moderately proficient. The main
reason for discussing and relaying information about the site learning.com to this group
is that its a new tool the County is rolling out for use at the elementary level.
The HCSD (Hall County School District) has implemented a new tool for all elementary
faculty to use within their classes. Learning.com provides digital literacy curriculum, 21 st
Century skills assessments, project based learning solutions, online safety instruction
and professional development.
Learning.com allows teachers to go in and organize students into classes/groups based
off of ability levels and assign activities to the students/groups. Activities can be
assigned as a need for extra review, additional extension, or as a need if it was missed.
Lessons can be uploaded and assigned to students for use during School at home
days. Teachers can search for lessons and/or ideas for Project Based Learning (PBL)
from the database of lessons already on the site. Teachers can also access
Professional Development lessons on the site.

Instructional Goals
Users will be able to successfully set up groups/classes
Users will be able to upload or create their own assignments for students
Users will be able to access PBL assignments for ideas for students
Users will be able to access lessons on how technology can be integrated into
core curriculum instruction.

Introduction
The targeted groups of learners are elementary level teachers at Mount Vernon
Exploratory School in Gainesville, Georgia. There are 35 female teachers and 2 male

teachers within this school. The group is comprised of all Caucasians. Some of the
educators in this group come from different backgrounds including business and
technology before entering the education world. They teach a variety of subjects daily.
The age ranges of educators at this school are from the early 30s to late 50s. Some of
the educators, while this is not their first year teaching, this is their first year at MVES,
while many of these educators have been at the school since it opened in 1993.
Information regarding the educators was determined after educator interviews and
observations.

Entry Skills and Prior Knowledge

Able to log on a computer

Use basic internet search engines
Knowledge of access to sites

Educators have no prior knowledge of learning.com as this is the first year it has been
implemented in the district. This information was obtained by observations of the
learners.

Attitudes toward Content

When asked about their comfort levels with technology the group as split 50/50. Half of
the educators feel comfortable and knowledgeable using technology within their
classroom. The other half of the group feels less comfortable and is unsure how to use
technology effectively within their classroom. Overall the group mentioned that once
they learn something and become comfortable with it, something new is being
introduced. All educators are motivated to learn new programs that allow them to work
hand in hand with the students to emphasize technology integrated curriculum within
their classrooms. These results were gathered through observation and discussions.

Educational Ability Levels

Based on observations of this group the teachers are highly qualified learners.
Teachers within this group teach students at all different levels and have a willingness to
learn more themselves. Teachers have advanced degrees ranging from Bachelors to
Educational Specialist.

General Learning Preferences

The teachers have a preference for hands on learning and activities. The teachers
enjoy collaborating together on lessons.

Attitude toward Teachers and School

Teachers have a deep respect for one another and the school. This group works
closely and very well together. The teachers enjoy coming to work every day.

Group Characteristics
The school is located in a rural area of North Hall County. This school is a charter
elementary school focusing on project based learning through STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math) or with a Humanities focus. Teachers at this school
are very much open to learning new things and growing in their ability to teach and
reach their students.

Task Analysis
I chose to use a procedural task analysis to introduce the procedures of how to use
learning.com for staff members. I worked with the Media Specialist and Computer Lab
Manager as the Subject Matter Experts (SME) and went through the steps of the task
for the procedural task analysis. In the procedural analysis the tasks are outlined in the
steps that users will follow to navigate and move around the site depending on what
they would like to learn. Within this task analysis I included topic analysis that gives
information and facts about learning.com. The SME are the Media Specialist and the
Computer Lab Manager, which were both trained by the e-learning specialists for the
HCSD on learning.com.

Needs Assessment
The Needs Assessment was assessed by speaking with the Media Specialist and
Computer Lab Manager. In earlier staff meetings learning.com was introduced as a
new tool but teachers have not tapped into the possibilities in which this new tool can be
beneficial to them or how to incorporate it into their classrooms.
The lesson would begin with a question asking if educators have accessed
learning.com.

This would begin a discussion of what the educators have noticed thus far in their
playing around with the site or questioning why they havent accessed the site at this
point.
Next step would be to analyze the questionnaires the educators answered by
discussing what they are hoping to learn more about the site or what they are looking to
use it for. At this point the teachers would be logged on as well as being able to see the
site displayed on the Activboard.
Learners will watch and follow along as we dive into and explore the site. Participants
will move onto creating groups and classes, depending on the grade level they teach.
For example, all 5th grade teachers teach all of the 5th graders so they can access all of
the students in 5th grade but they are not categorized as the class period that, that
teacher has them. Teachers can organize their classes by class period and then put
students in groups also.
In the next step participants will watch as I demonstrate how to create a lesson, step by
step.
Participants will be shown how to access the Project Based Learning (PBL)
assignments and search for grade specific activities for their students. I would then like
for participants to search on their own or as a grade level for an Inquiry PBL they are
interested in incorporating into their classroom(s).
For the final portion of the lesson participants will learn how to access the Integration
projects. Participants will then search by core curriculum subject and grade level to find
an activity or lesson in which they can use to integrate technology into their classrooms.

Site discussion

Needs
Assessment

Watch
demonstratio
n on how to
create
lessons

Share
findings

Access
PBL

Share
findings

How to set up
groups/classe

Access
Integration
of
technology

Discussion about how this site could be beneficial or best

used it in their classrooms.

To make sure this will be appropriate I met with the Media Specialist who also serves on
the governing board for the charter school. The charter for this school aligns with PBL
and integrating technology into the classrooms.

Goals for face to face development

-Demonstrate how to create groups
-Demonstrate how to create lessons
-Demonstrate how to access PBL lessons/activities
-Demonstrate how to access Integrated Core Curriculum instruction lessons

Objectives
Terminal Objective 1: The participant will create a group within their classes.
Enabling Objective:
1a. Understand the basic functions of the learning.com site

Terminal Objective 2: The participant will create a lesson within the site.
Enabling Objective:
2a. Describe why this could be used within the classroom

Terminal Objective 3: The participant will assess the Project Based Learning activities.
Enabling Objective:
3a. Collect lessons to share with students

Terminal Objective 4: The participant will identify lessons integrating technology into
core curriculum instruction.
Enabling Objectives:
4a. Choose lesson integrating technology into the classrooms
4b. Recognize how lessons can be used integrating technology across the
curriculum.

Objectives

Terminal 2
Enabling 2a
Enabling 3a
Enabling 4a

Standards
II. PLANNING AND DESIGNING
LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
AND EXPERIENCES
Teachers plan and design effective
learning environments and experiences
supported by technology. Teachers:
A. design developmentally appropriate
learning opportunities that apply
technology-enhanced instructional
strategies to support the diverse needs of
learners.
E. plan strategies to manage student
learning in a technology-enhanced
environment.
III. TEACHING, LEARNING, AND THE
CURRICULUM
Teachers implement curriculum plans that
include methods and strategies for
applying technology to maximize student
learning. Teachers:

Terminal 1
Enabling 1a
Terminal 3
Terminal 4
Enabling 4a

A. facilitate technology-enhanced
experiences that address content
standards and student technology
standards.
B. use technology to support learnercentered strategies that address the
diverse needs of students.
C. apply technology to develop students
higher order skills and creativity.
D. manage student learning activities in a
technology-enhanced environment.

Content
Fact
Concept
Principals
Procedure
Interpersonal
Attitude

Recall

Sequence
1
2
3
4

Description
Create groups
Create own assignments
Access PBL lessons
Integrating technology
curriculum

Application
2a 3a 4a 4b

1a
1a
3a 4a 4b

Objective
1
2
3
4