TECHNOLOGY Professional Learning ... in the ‘ making ’
What is it like to learn from Harvard ? Art teacher Barbara Girone knows . This year , she has received days of ongoing professional development in a special regional cohort as a member of the Pittsburgh Agency by Design Learning Community . Agency by Design ( AbD ) is a multiyear research initiative at Project Zero , a research center at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education . The focus of the research investigates promises , practices , and pedagogies of maker centered learning experiences . Mrs . Girone was selected to be one of approximately twenty teachers from around the Pittsburgh region to participate . Along with her participation , the District received funding for substitute coverage during her monthly professional development days as well as an iPad for Girone to document her learnings . Girone narrates AbD , “ Agency by Design is a value-based approach to documentation and assessment for Maker-Centered learning . The values we are asked to consider during our documentation processes are part of the three core maker capacities of looking closely , exploring complexity , and finding opportunity . The main goal of our focus is maker empowerment , which is agency . So each participant of the Pittsburgh Cohort of AbD is asked to focus on a value lens in their own classes , and we have to document through writing , pictures , and video when we see evidence that our value lens is being captured by our students .”
In collaboration with researchers from Harvard University , Graduate School of Education , Agency by Design ( AbD ) is a multiyear research initiative at Project Zero , a research center at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education . Girone was selected because of her outstanding reputation for championing innovative thought in her art classes and through her leadership with other innovative District initiatives . Girone meets monthly with these colleagues from schools participating around the region . Speaking of the opportunity , she says , “ We meet once a month and we share our documentation with each other , giving each other reflection and feedback . We then take what we are sharing and we ‘ zero-in ’ on themes within the values , and how we can create framework and assessment , but still foster student agency . All of our documentation is uploaded to the Harvard Graduate School of Education , so it can be used as research on best practices in maker-centered learning . In our March session at Holy Family Academy , we were able to spend time and directly talk to researchers from Harvard , sharing our documentation and lessons with them . Once a month we visit a different type of learning facility where we also document the value lens of AbD in the learning we see there . We have been to Avonworth Primary , the Pittsburgh Children ’ s Museum , Holy Family Academy , and the Millvale Community Library .”
One benefit Girone notes is the cross-disciplinary diversity of her fellow Agency by Design colleagues : “ The benefits of being part of the cohort is hearing what educators from different areas are doing in their educational placements . It ’ s not just teachers in this cohort , for we have museum educators , afterschool educators in maker spaces , and library educators . The teachers in the cohort are not just art teachers , there are teachers from all subjects and all grade levels plus different types of schools . It has been so inspiring
By Ms . Kylie LaSota
to hear other teachers ’ lessons from across the board . We use prompts during our documentation sharing , but it evolves into lots of questions , suggestions , and compliments beyond the prompts . We share things outside of the sessions as well , like worksheets , videos , and resources to enhance each other ’ s teaching practices . I know that I plan to attend some of my other cohort ' s events at their schools , during Remake Learning Days , and some fellow participants will be attending our [ Remake Learning Day Event ] Acres of Makers . I am also planning to take a class this summer led by one of the members of the AbD cohort .
After each session , which began for her in January , she has started to implement new practices in her classroom and share learnings with colleagues . She remarks , “ I am implementing AbD principles in my classroom . I feel it is really structuring my questioning and reflection that I do with my classes . I ‘ zero-in ’ often on the value lens of creativity and tinkering , with problem solving and evidence . I am looking closely at my own lessons , building upon what works and what needs to be improved . I see my students exhibiting perseverance in difficulty and thinking outside the box . The students , in turn , are excited for the reflection part , where they are having honest discussions about their own work , and constructively provide feedback to each other .”
The goal of the Pittsburgh AbD Learning Community is that each participant will spread the information about understandings and assessments related to “ signs of learning ” in maker-centered learning to their colleagues at their schools . The participants attempt to answer these questions :
• “ How can learners make visible their ability to look closely , explore complexity and find opportunity ?”
• “ How can teachers qualitatively measure students ’ performance within the realm of these three core maker capacities ?”
• “ How can we collaborate with students and teachers to design a suite of documentation and assessment tools best suited to the development of maker empowerment ?”
Girone reflects , “ I have been sharing ideas with my own colleagues . I shared ideas about using stations that include maker resources with some primary teachers to enhance language arts and spelling . I also shared ideas for resources for organization of a maker space with my IS4I team . I just shared an idea of a combined art and library activity to connect with our families , which I just learned about through the Millvale Community Library . The final outcome with my participation in Agency by Design is to collaborate with our colleagues in our own district , and eventually even beyond to other schools and education facilities , to share our documentation and assessment tools so others can develop maker empowerment for their learners .”
Brentwood feels honored to have one of its teachers participating in this collaborative cohort and believes Girone to be an excellent candidate whose leadership and natural collaborative spirit will lead to sharing these new research-based practices with others at Brentwood . Girone reflects , “ I love the process of Agency by Design and look forward to sharing .” rentwood Borough
SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall | Summer 2017 | icmags . com 79