Leveraging Instructional Rounds as an Option for Professional Development Rather Than the Standard Approach
Transforming Professional Development with Instructional Technology Coaching Rounds
In an innovative move to enhance teacher-to-teacher learning and educational collaboration, Aimee Bloom, the Supervisor of Instructional Technology for Buffalo Public Schools, is spearheading a new approach to professional development (PD) for teachers. This new method, known as instructional technology coaching rounds, is modeled after medical rounds and aims to significantly improve the quality of instruction within school districts.
Instructional technology coaching rounds involve educators visiting each other's classrooms or participating in collaborative sessions focused on specific instructional practices or technology integration. This structured, reflective, and peer-supported approach fosters ongoing reflection, mutual learning, and collective problem-solving.
One of the key advantages of instructional technology coaching rounds is the opportunity for structured peer observation and reflection. Teachers engage in focused visits, which allow them to observe and gather meaningful insights about effective practices and areas for growth. Each visit concludes with reflective dialogue among peers, creating a safe space for discussing and analysing successful strategies.
Another benefit is the fostering of mutual learning and solidarity. Collaborative coaching relationships built through instructional technology coaching rounds create a sense of solidarity and trust between teachers, encouraging experimentation with new instructional technologies and strategies. This leads to richer professional growth and a more cohesive professional culture within school districts.
The scalable and sustainable nature of coaching rounds is another significant advantage. Organizing coaching in rounds or cycles provides a systematic approach, allowing for consistent progress tracking and greater transformation across the teaching community.
Instructional technology coaching rounds also integrate real data and live modeling. Through side-by-side coaching cycles, educators can utilise real-time classroom data and modeling of best practices, which better equips them to implement and adapt technology effectively.
Resource sharing and personalised support are also crucial elements of instructional technology coaching rounds. Coaching rounds create opportunities to blend digital resources and live coaching, enabling teachers to access personalised learning materials and support tailored to their development needs.
In addition to these benefits, instructional technology coaching rounds also emphasise authentic learning experiences and encourage starting small and gradually expanding within a building. Teachers observe students all the time, and translating this to instructional rounds allows them to observe and learn from one another, fostering a culture of continuous professional learning communities.
Crucially, Aimee Bloom does not express any concerns about potential blowback or adverse comparisons to traditional PD. Instead, she emphasises the importance of avoiding judgments in the instructional technology coaching rounds, providing a stress-free environment for teachers to collaborate about what and how they teach.
Moreover, instructional technology coaching rounds may lead to more well-adjusted students by promoting a culture of trust and shared responsibility for student learning outcomes across the district.
In conclusion, instructional technology coaching rounds promote peer-to-peer learning by formalising observation and feedback cycles, leveraging real classroom data, and encouraging collective reflection. This methodology leads to enhanced collaboration, improved technology integration, and a more cohesive professional culture within school districts, ultimately aiming to bridge the gap between curriculums and grade levels.
- Aimee Bloom, the Supervisor of Instructional Technology for Buffalo Public Schools, is leading a new professional development (PD) approach for teachers, known as instructional technology coaching rounds, which mimics medical rounds aiming to elevate the quality of instruction within schools.
- Instructional technology coaching rounds encourage teachers to visit each other's classrooms or join collaborative sessions centered on specific instructional practices or technology integration, fostering ongoing reflection, mutual learning, and collective problem-solving.
- Structured peer observation and reflection is a key component of instructional technology coaching rounds, empowering teachers to observe and learn from effective practices and identify areas for improvement.
- Instructional technology coaching rounds promote mutual learning and solidarity, fostering a supportive environment where teachers can experiment with new instructional technologies and strategies for richer professional growth.
- The coaching rounds approach provides a scalable and sustainable method for transformation, enabling consistent progress tracking and greater impact across the teaching community.
- Instructional technology coaching rounds integrate real data and live modeling, allowing educators to learn from and adapt best practices directly, resulting in more effective technology integration within the educational curriculum for better student outcomes.
