The PAWS Learning Academy is a series of face-to-face and online professional learning opportunities available for the McGregor Junior High Bulldog staff members. Since professional learning is most effective if it is sustained rather than a single day lecture, the online options from the PAWS Learning Academy will be available 24/7 for the convenience of staff members. Face-to-face meetings will be offered during teacher workdays, late start days, during conference times, and after school. Staff members will choose the topics that are relevant to their subject, grade level taught, and area of interest. Staff members are encouraged to create Personal Learning Communities (PLCs) to engage in professional learning sessions together. The more PAWS the merrier, right fellow Bulldogs?

Actually, there really isn’t a PAWS Learning Academy…yet! I do plan on presenting the idea to my campus leaders as a form of ongoing professional learning that the staff members at my school can (will?) engage in. My plan is to offer many different types of opportunities or sessions. Some will be led by me, some will be led by other staff members. As stated the professional learning will be ongoing and will involve fellow staff mentors throughout the learning process. All offerings will need to have an outline created so staff members will know what professional learning opportunities are available and what they will entail. The following is an outline for one opportunity that will be offered.

PAWS LEARNING ACADEMY-THE POWER OF VIDEO

Using video in the classroom is a teaching strategy with many advantages. Videos may be created by teachers to present to students. Videos may be created by students to showcase what they have learned. There are many options as to how video can be used, and how to create and edit video. The use of video can move your teaching level on the SAMR model from Substitution all the way to Redefinition! This will help you increase your score on the T-Tess evaluations, too.

Teacher created videos often hold student interest better than lectures. Videos can be incorporated into a blended learning or flipped classroom environment. Videos are available to students to rewatch if something wasn’t quite clear the first time. There are endless advantages to using video in the classroom.

When students are given the choice of how to demonstrate learning, a video could be one of those choices. Videos can improve student skills such as writing, speaking, listening, research, collaboration, and creativity. Student created videos reinforce learning of the material.

This is course is intended to help the teachers learn to create videos so they, in turn, will be comfortable leading their students on the path of incredible video production!

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OUTLINE