I can accomplish this with active learning strategies and providing opportunities for collaboration by using handy tech tools such as Nearpod<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New to Nearpod? <\/strong><\/strong>Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As educators, we have dedicated ourselves to a profession that encourages lifelong learning. Our ever-changing society is in constant flux. As more research on how students learn best, our instructional practices must change to rise to the standard of today\u2019s challenges and be the most effective. The purpose of professional development is to continue building teachers’ capacity to increase student outcomes. A well-designed training program is an avenue to directly impact teacher skills, leading to improved classroom practices and positively impacting student outcomes (Yoon et al., 2007).<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, teachers and administrators across the nation have been working harder than ever. When educators are stretched thin, the last thing they want (or need) is bad professional development. Bad professional development can be ineffective, unhelpful, and downright boring. How do we, as building and district leaders, ensure that we serve teachers well? We can do this by integrating professional development that is engaging and effective. <\/strong>Ensuring that best professional development practices are used is the key to success.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Interactive professional development should integrate active learning<\/a>. Lecture-based learning professional development has low engagement and leaves little room for innovation and reflection. Bates & Morgan (2018) explain that incorporating hands-on experiences into professional development can make learning a more meaningful experience. Active learning can also include watching a model lesson (Garet et al., 2001). Whether you’re leading an online course or boosting employee engagement in person, interactive professional development can be integrated in a multitude of ways. For example, teachers can participate in a model lesson with the materials used in a similar lesson for their classroom environment. This would allow teachers to experience and think about how they would incorporate this lesson or practice into their classrooms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to introduce a new website or app for teachers to integrate into their practice? Great! Use it with them so they have an opportunity to explore the edtech platform and experience how it can support classroom management. Edtech tools, such as Nearpod, create fun, professional development activities for teachers, allowing them to see how they could integrate professional development in the classroom.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Using Nearpod\u2019s activities, presenters can take a lecture-based presentation and turn it into a fun activity for a teacher workshop. Here are a few professional development ideas presenters can use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Discussing classroom practices can be a personal matter requiring teachers to be vulnerable and trust their peers. Building team leaders should encourage community building through activities and discussion before instructional methods. Just like a classroom teacher would build relationships with and among the students in their class, administrators are tasked with building relationships with teachers and encouraging them to build community among themselves. Developing emotional intelligence through a strong teaching community and school culture<\/a> allows educators to be vulnerable and openly share their practices, reflections, wonderings, and concerns. Deep relationships provide the space to encourage teachers to dig in and work to change their instructional practices (Bates & Morgan, 2018).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through professional development activities, we want to encourage collective efficacy within a staff. Giving teachers time to reflect, process, and collaborate throughout a professional development session is another way to integrate interactive professional development. Either in partners, small groups, teams, or as a whole group, have teachers share their reflections, connections, and questions for the betterment of the group. \u201cCollaboration supports a togetherness mindset and develops collective knowledge that extends beyond individual, isolated experiences in the classroom\u201d (Bates & Morgan, 2018).<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to make interactive professional development activities for teachers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Importance and impact of PD for teachers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Shane](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Shane-Saeed-using-Nearpod-1024x1024.jpeg\")
<\/figure>Integrating active learning<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Interactive activities<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Opportunities for collaboration<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Collaborate Board<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Using](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/collaborate-board.jpeg\")
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