Delsea Regional School District Professional Development

2008-09  and 2009-10

Connected Learning

Rationale and Purpose of “Connected Learning” Initiative

     You asked for relevance and you got it! As the Professional Development Committee Chairperson, Rose Kronberger spoke on our first in-service day in September about the plans for this year’s professional development which, in direct response to your requests, will be very applicable to the content you are teaching. The district wide theme of the training is "Connected Learning" and all teachers will be placed into year-long, professional learning communities, by department and/or grade level. You will be working together on your specific content!  This will be explained in more detail during the Nov. in-service.

     This will be a multi-year professional development endeavor which reflects the new philosophy of the DOE. The professional development will include extended summer workshops including UBD, data analysis, and assessment. The November professional development workshops will focus on essential questions, assessments and rubrics, and data analysis. The professional development committee has made a commitment to preparing us for the changes in the new laws affecting our school district. The committee is providing you with a reference to assist in the professional development endeavors for this school year.  Much of what we are doing this year can be found in the Schooling by Design books. For those of you who would like to gain extra knowledge on the upcoming state mandates for curriculum, this book can help. The chapters do not need to be read in order and are only meant as a tool to help with this year's professsional development.  Grant Wiggins, the author of Understanding by Design helped develop the new state mandates. Grant Wiggins is currently working as a partner with the state on the NJ Standards Clarification Project. Understanding by Design is the backbone for the curriculum changes. Schooling by Design is one component of UBD.  All new curriculum will be written using this UBD format.  We want all our members to be prepared for this change and to be successful in their curriculum writing.                               

Photo of Staff Receiving PD Awards Sept. 2009

View the New Jersey Department of Education Powerpoint on 2009 Revised Standards 

NJ DOE Model for Professional Learning and Growth - Powerpoint 

      Notes from DOE Session on New Standards, Oct. 20, Speakers Janis Jensen, DOE Director of Academic Standards and Alan November

          2009 Standards - fewer and higher level skills. 

          Emphasis in on Accessing, Evaluation, and Synthesizing Content

          Key components - Cross Content, Technology, Global Perspectives,

               Community involvement (face-to-face and online)               

          Collaboration - #1 Skill of global economy

Alan November's website http://novemberlearning.com/

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