Designing Online Professional Learning to Support In-Service and Preservice Teachers Adapting to Emergency Remote Teaching

Abstract

Service-learning partners, including a faculty of education and local school district, engaged in collaborative inquiry to support in-service and preservice teachers who were engaged in emergency remote teaching during a time of crisis and school disruption. This article illustrates how service-learning partners designed a professional learning series in an online learning environment to support in-service and preservice teachers adapting to teaching online. This article shares the instructional design process used to develop the series, insights about how the participants responded during the sessions, and a set of recommendations to inform design teams involved in developing professional learning or other types of non-formal learning opportunities for teachers.

Soft Landings Creating a Safe Place for Teachers to Take Risks While Learning

“…Furthermore, teacher leaders need opportunities to learn how to lead collaboration in schools and develop collective responsibility; design-based approaches provide them with these learning experiences . During the pandemic, teachers learned in multiple ways (e.g., professional learning communities, social media, webinars, expert support in schools, online), and most of this was job-embedded as they worked to navigate teaching during this crisis (Anderson et al, 2021;Doucet et al, 2020). Previous research highlights the importance of short-term coaching as an effective approach but indicated that longer or sustained experiences were even more beneficial (Showers, 1985;Showers & Joyce, 1996).…”

“…The idea of working collaboratively was also recommended by Cooper et al (2021). Moreover, there are several approaches that promote collaboration, including, but not limited, to PLCs, coaching, mentoring, online webinars, and workshops (Battersby & Verdi, 2015;Brown et al, 2021;Fogarty & Pete, 2009;Joyce & Showers, 2002). Moreover, teachers benefit from developing interdependent relationships and learning with their peers (Willms et al, 2009).…”