Professional Learning Facilitator Plan

Linda Pchelka

Department of Educational Technology and Literacy, Towson University

ISTC 702: Educational Leadership and Technology

Dr. Robert Caples

October 16, 2023

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Professional Learning Facilitator Plan

Executive Summary
It is almost impossible to discuss technology in schools without recognizing the impact

that the Covid-19 Pandemic had on education and student learning. While some districts were

able to pivot to online learning without much effort, others struggled to figure out not only what

students would use for learning but how they would connect. Remote areas with little or no

access posed some of the greatest concerns.

Now that students are back in classrooms, teachers have had to decide what, if any, of the

many technology tools that they had available are still applicable to the in-person classroom and

what new technologies need to be investigated. The frustration of always trying to hit the moving

target seems to be growing as new technologies emerge and teachers lag behind while still trying

to learn the technologies of yesterday.

This plan was developed to meet the needs of a Professional Learning Community (PLC)

that will focus on Differentiating Technology. Teachers in this PLC will learn about technologies

that can be infused into instruction or can be used as a productivity tool to enhance or redesign

current instructional materials. Careful consideration was given to the Instructional Technology

Plan and the Strategic Call to Action that has been set forth by Howard County Public Schools

with a focus on student-centered learning and staff development. It is also aligned with ISTE

Standards for both Educators and Coaches.

Introduction/Background
Reservoir High School is one of 13 high schools in Howard County. We are at the

southern end of the county, bordering Prince Goerge’s County and Ann Arundel to the south and

east and Montgomery County to the west. Many of our students live in Laurel, on the east side of

our district. When our school was built it was estimated that we would not exceed a student
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population of 1,551 students, however, the total enrollment at the beginning of the 2022-23

school year was 1837 (Howard County Public School System, 2022). Our current staffing

includes 173 staff members that include teachers, paraeducators and assistants, guidance

counselors and mental health support, administrative support, and medical & family support

services staff. Our school is under the leadership of 1 principal and 4 assistant principals. We are

also supported custodial, cafeteria, and Building Resource Officers (rhs.hcpss.org).

According to our 2022 data, our student population in grades 9-12 includes both regular

and special education students along with a special population group enrolled in Allied Learning

Services (ALS). The ethnic breakdown of the school includes the following: American

Indian/Alaskan (<5.0%), Asian (17.8%), Black/African American (33.9%), Hawaiian/Pacific

Islander (<5.0%), Hispanic/Latino (19.9%), White (22.5%), and Two or more races (5.8%).

Students receiving special services were reported as Free/Reduced Meals (24.2%), English

Learners (5.1%), and Special Education (7.5%) (Howard County Public School System, 2022).

The Maryland Report Card (2022) for 2021-2022 details how our school is rated on a

variety of measures. Reservoir was ranked as a 4-star school with a 65.1% Total Points Earned

score which placed the school in the 69th percentile rank. When compared to similar schools, the

Report Card data showed that similar schools earned 61.6% in the Total Points Earned, giving

Reservoir a slight advantage (Msde., 2022). When evaluating the data closely, there are two

things that stand out. One is that the lowest overall rating was Academic Achievement, with

Annual Target and Improvement goals being recognized as unmet. The second, more positive

observation is that the Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino sub-groups both met annual

target and improvement goals in English/Language Arts.

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As of the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, our district has fully implemented a 1:1

laptop program for all middle and high school students. These devices are available to students

for the entirety of their time while enrolled in our district. Once they are withdrawn or graduate,

they are expected to return the device for redistribution. Elementary students have 1:1 device for

use at school only. This plan allows students to participate fully in any online learning. For

middle and high school students, the use of our LMS, Canvas, allows both students and parents /

guardians the ability to access grades, announcements, and email for contact with classroom

teachers and other staff who are connected with the student. Access to assignments is limited to

student use only.

With our return to in-person learning, Howard County Public Schools published a

Strategic Call to Action statement that reflected our district’s commitment to improving the

education and support of our staff and students. One of the goals of that plan focused on Student-

Centered Practices. The desired outcomes can be summarized as follows: (1) active student

engagement in authentic learning experiences, (2) high-quality instruction through individualized

instruction and (3) standards-based curriculum that utilizes meaningful assessments to inform

strategic planning (Howard County Public School System, n.d.). This plan lays out specific

strategies to accomplish these goals and objectives. The most relevant strategy for students is

Strategy 5: leverage technology to facilitate collaboration, enhance instruction, and support

equitable access to instructional experiences for students and professional learning for staff.

A second part of our district’s commitment to improving educational outcomes was our

alignment with Maryland’s Blueprint for Education. Our district published a revised Instructional

Technology Plan that outlines the integration of technology at all levels within our school

system. There are components for both staff and students. With this revised plan, teachers are
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expected to meet four technology goals in order to help students meet their goals (Instructional

Technology, n.d.). Those goals are:

• Every teacher will have the skills to identify and integrate

appropriate technology in their instruction.
• Every school will implement a technology component as part
of their school improvement plan.
• All content areas will identify and integrate appropriate
technology in their curriculum to ensure alignment with state
standards.
• Every teacher will have the skills to utilize technology as a
teacher productivity tool.
Each year our district provides county-wide professional development for each content

area and includes as part of our teacher choice sessions workshops from our Office of

Instructional Technology. Teachers are also able to attend optional workshops during the school

year and over the summer months.

The purpose of this plan is to make professional development more available to the staff

at Reservoir High School and to close the gap that currently exists between the available

technology offerings within the district. This will help our teachers to meet their anticipated

technology goals and support the districts SCAT and ITP, which both support the overarching

goal of supporting student learning and achievement more readily.

Literature Support
Simply making technology available does not mean better outcomes for students.

Technology integration must be done systematically and purposefully for it to translate to

increased achievement and differentiated instruction. Teachers must be provided with a clear

plan to integrate new technology into their curriculum that is supported by targeted professional

development in order for that investment to pay off (Love, et.al., 2020).
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Teachers often view technology incentives as difficult because of two main factors. One

is the perceived difficulty of implementation and the second is the amount of time it takes to

create materials that use new technologies effectively (Love, et.al., 2020). For any professional

development to be received positively, teachers must be able to see the connection between the

technology tool and their content and must be given adequate time to develop competency with

using the tool so that it can be integrated into their content materials or used as a productivity

tool.

Another struggle that has plagued professional development in the past is the perception

that it was not a productive use of teacher time. One frustration that was expressed was that what

we were doing in our PD sessions was focused on teachers and not on how teachers could

provide better quality instruction. A key component of effective professional development is the

ability to connect how instruction is designed with its intended outcome (Curwood, 2013). When

using technology, the features and possible uses need to be evaluated carefully so that instruction

can be designed to achieve the intended outcome.

Love and his colleagues (2020) have suggested that Professional Learning Communities

are one way to encourage teachers to engage with new technologies and then collaborate on how

to best use them in practice. PLCs provide for authentic workgroups to be formed within the

larger school community. The Differentiating Technology PLC is designed to allow teachers

adequate time to investigate new technology tools from the perspective of how they will advance

student learning within the context of their classrooms. The hope is that once teachers within the

group learn how to navigate through the technologies that are most helpful to their content area,

they will share that excitement with their colleagues, becoming trainers themselves.

Learning Needs
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This plan brings together the two main components that are outlined by our district’s plan

to infuse technology into student learning and overall achievement to ensure that students are

empowered learners and are college and career ready when they graduate. The crosswalk

document represented in Table 1will be used as a guide to build a training plan for the teachers at

Reservoir High School.

Table 1

HCPSS Technology Goals and ISTE Standards Alignment

HCPSS Strategic Call to HCPSS System Instructional
ISTE Educator Standard
Action Goal 1 for Students Technology Program Goals
Alignment
for Educators
Students are active, Every teacher will have the 1 Learner
engaged, and empowered skills to identify and integrate Educators continually improve
partners in authentic appropriate technology in their practice by learning from
learning experiences that their instruction. and with others, and exploring
ensure preparation for future proven and promising practices
careers and life that leverage technology to
boost student learning.
Each and every student Every school will implement 2 Leader
receives a high-quality a technology component as Educators seek out
education through access to part of their school opportunities for leadership to
individualized instruction, improvement plan. support student empowerment
challenges, supports, and and success and to improve
RHS Focus – Differentiation teaching and learning.
opportunities.
using Technology was
included 2022 School
Improvement plan and will
continue in 2023
Students are active, All content areas will identify 4 Collaborator
engaged, and empowered and integrate appropriate Educators dedicate time to
partners in authentic technology in their collaborate with both
learning experiences that curriculum to ensure colleagues and students to
ensure preparation for future alignment with state improve practice, discover and
careers and life standards. share resources and ideas, and
solve problems.
Curriculum is based on
standards and best practices,
implemented, and aligned
with meaningful
assessments that provide
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actionable data for

instructional planning.

Students are active, Every teacher will have the 5 Designer

engaged, and empowered skills to utilize technology asEducators design authentic,
partners in authentic a teacher productivity tool. learner-driven activities and
learning experiences that environments that recognize
ensure preparation for future This standard will support our and accommodate learner
careers and life School Improvement Plan variability.
and HCPSS Instructional
Each and every student Technology goals.
receives a high-quality
education through access to
individualized instruction,
challenges, supports, and
opportunities.

With the idea that we will start small and grow the plan over the next 3 years, this plan

begins with our current model that utilizes Professional Learning Communities (PLC). Each year

teachers choose one of five PLC’s where they can focus on one area to improve instruction. Each

area’s overarching goal is to support our School Improvement Plan, which is written in light of

our district’s Strategic Call to Action plan that includes academic, equity and diversity-based

goals. This plan will focus specifically on the Differentiating Technology Professional Learning

Community. According to the PLC Coordinator, the main goals and objectives of this PLC are:

Group Goals/Outcomes: Participants will investigate a variety of

technology tools for the purpose of tailoring instruction to the
diverse needs of their students which will help to promote more
effective learning experiences. The sessions will also raise
awareness of the concepts of digital citizenship and technology
accessibility, supporting Pillar 3 of the MSDE Blueprint for
Education and our school-wide goal of promoting college-career
readiness for diverse learners (A. Lee, personal communication,
September 23, 2023).
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This PLC was created last year as an avenue for teachers to learn more about emerging

technologies. During those sessions it was discussed that when our school pivoted back to in-

person learning, much of the technology that our teachers were forced to learn now seems

irrelevant and has been replaced by previous practices. Teachers are looking for ways to

reintroduce technology into the in-person classroom effectively. Learning new technology for

both student learning and as a productivity tool is very time consuming, so this PLC is being

designed to help teachers form a community of learners who can share not only various tools and

techniques, but best practices and ideas for implementation.

ISTE-C Leadership Reflection

The development of this plan was considered alongside the goals reflected by the ISTE

Standards for Coaches. As a Change Agent, it is important for participants to make a connection

between what they are learning and the impact for them as educators and planners of instruction.

Therefore, this plan not only focuses on how teachers can promote student use of technology but

also promotes the use of technology as a productivity tool for teachers to help them create,

enhance, and redesign their lessons.

Being able to discover new technology tools can be overwhelming, so the Professional

Learning Community (PLC) Facilitator will be involved with investigating, planning, and

creating learning opportunities for teachers that will focus on the main goals as outlined by

school, district, and state goals. Regular teacher feedback and discussion will also be used to help

guide the PLC Facilitator to make sure that topics are relevant to teachers’ needs and goals.

Digital Citizenship (DC) is part of Pillar 3 of the Maryland Blueprint for Education and

has been included in our districts Instructional Technology Plan for all grade levels. Many of our

teachers are not fully aware of what DC actually is so part of this plan is to educate the educators
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on DC concepts. Teachers will then be better equipped to infuse these concepts into their

curriculum if it is not already there.

Project Plan
Standard 1: Learner
Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and with others, and exploring
proven and promising practices that leverage technology to boost student learning.

Performance Indicator 1.a: Set Professional Goals

Set professional learning goals to explore and apply pedagogical approaches made possible by
technology and reflect on their effectiveness.
Action Steps & Person(s) Technologies Benefit(s) Assessment
Timeline Responsible Employed Method(s)

Teachers in the All teachers in the Google docs for Teachers will Teachers will
Differentiating Differentiating reflections enhance their discuss their
Technology PLC Technology PLC own knowledge reflections as part
group will initially Canvas for of technology of the
select 4-6 lessons or PLC Facilitator implanting tools as they collaborative
1-2 units of lessons pertain to their community
instruction that will be Various online content area.
used to apply Teachers seeking
resources Supports CPD credit for
instructional approved for
enhancements through HCPSS certification
instructional use
the use of technology by HCPSS Instructional purposes will
and implementation of Technology create a digital
digital citizenship Laptops / goals: portfolio to
goals. projectors / demonstrate
digital Every teacher mastery of each
Teachers will whiteboard will have the technology tool
maintain written skills to identify that they learn.
reflections pertaining and integrate
to their experiences appropriate
both in the PLC and technology in
as they implement
their instruction
their technology plans
Every teacher
(beginning October
2023 then monthly, will have the
ongoing) skills to utilize
technology as a
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teacher
productivity tool

All staff will attend 3 All RHS staff Various HCPSS Supports Teacher feedback
sessions of technology approved Tech HCPSS
professional learning Instructional Team Tools Instructional
Teachers will
with 1 occurring in Leaders (ITL) submit their
Laptops / Technology
the Fall and 2 in the Administration attendance
projectors / goals:
Spring through a QR
digital Every teacher code at each
(beginning Fall 2024 whiteboard
will have the meeting
and ongoing)
skills to identify
and integrate
appropriate
technology in
their instruction
Every teacher
will have the
skills to utilize
technology as a
teacher
productivity tool

All RHS staff will set All RHS staff Various HCPSS Supports Teacher feedback
1 technology goal that approved Tech HCPSS
Instructional Team Tools Lesson plan
will be reflected
Leaders (ITL) Instructional details provided to
within their content Technology
area for instruction Laptops / ITL or
Administration projectors / goals: administration
(beginning Fall 2025 digital Every teacher
and ongoing) whiteboard
will have the
skills to identify
and integrate
appropriate
technology in
their instruction
Every teacher
will have the
skills to utilize
technology as a
teacher
productivity tool
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Standard 2: Leader
Educators seek out opportunities for leadership to support student empowerment and success
and to improve teaching and learning.

Performance Indicator 2.a: Advance a Shared Vision

Shape, advance and accelerate a shared vision for empowered learning with technology by
engaging with education stakeholders.
Action Steps & Person(s) Technologies Assessment
Benefit(s)
Timeline Responsible Employed Method(s)
Teachers will All teachers in Google QR code Teachers will be Teachers will
attend monthly the held accountable submit their
PLC group Differentiating Google Docs / for attending attendance
meetings Technology PLC folders meetings by through a QR
digitally signing code at each
(beginning PLC Various HCPSS in using a PLC meeting
October 2023 Differentiating approved Tech Coordinator QR
and ongoing) Technology Tools code Online surveys
Facilitator
Laptops / Teachers will be Online shared
PLC School- projectors / accountable for reflections
wide digital meeting HCPSS
Coordinator whiteboard requirements for
15 hours of
Administration professional
learning

Review of PLC group Google Slides Supports HCPSS Teacher

Accessibility members presentation Instructional feedback
Standards for Technology
Online PLC Facilitator Canvas goal: Every ITL department
Offerings: teacher will have meeting
Teachers will Instructional Laptops / the skills to feedback
learn about Team Leaders projectors / identify and
accessibility and (ITL) digital integrate
508 Compliance whiteboard appropriate
for all existing Office of technology in
Canvas materials Instructional their instruction
Technology
(beginning Supports HCPSS
December 2023 SCTA Goal 1 for
and ongoing) Student-
Centered
Learning: Each
and every
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student receives
a high-quality
education
through access
to individualized
instruction,
challenges,
supports, and
opportunities.
Establish a PLC Facilitator Google docs Supports HCPSS Teacher survey .
relationship Instructional feedback
between PLC PLC School- Email Technology
group and Office wide goal: Every Teacher
of Instructional Coordinator Calendar invites teacher will have reflections
Technology to the skills to
foster open Administration utilize
communications technology as a
regarding teacher
optional training productivity
opportunities tool.

(January 2024
and ongoing)
Review PLC group Google Slides Supports HCPSS Student
components of members presentation Instructional feedback and
HCPSS Technology work samples
Instructional PLC Facilitator HCPSS Goal 2 – Digital
Technology Plan webpages Citizen for Teacher
for students Instructional students in feedback
related to Digital Team Leaders Various Digital grades 6-12
Citizenship (ITL) Citizenship
websites Supports Pillar 3
Teachers will Office of of Maryland’s
identify 1 - 2 Instructional Blueprint for
components Technology Education
relevant to their
content area to
begin infusing
concepts into
their curriculum
where it does not
currently exist.

(April 2024 and

ongoing)
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PLC group All Staff Google Docs / Supports HCPSS Teacher

members will folders Instructional Feedback
share new Technology
technology tools Various HCPSS goals:
within content approved Tech Every teacher
area department Tools will have the
meetings skills to identify
and integrate
(beginning appropriate
Spring 2024 and technology in
ongoing) their instruction

Every teacher
will have the
skills to utilize
technology as a
teacher
productivity tool
PLC group Select PLC Google Docs / Supports HCPSS Google survey
members will be group members Slides Instructional on learning
encouraged to Technology effectiveness
lead optional HCPSS Various HCPSS goal: provided by
sessions at the Instructional approved Tech Every teacher HCPSS
mid-year Technology Tools will have the Instruction
county-wide Staff skills to identify Technology
Professional Laptops / and integrate personnel /
Learning Day Various HCPSS projectors / appropriate Central Office
content area digital technology in staff
(Fall 2024 / central office whiteboard their instruction.
Spring 2025) staff

Usage of PLC group Canvas Supports HCPSS Teacher

HCPSS Canvas members Instructional feedback
templates for Google Doc / Technology
lesson pages and PLC Facilitator Word goal: Every Teacher
quizzes / teacher will have collaborations
assessments Instructional Various HCPSS the skills to with content
Team Leaders approved Tech identify and area partners
(Fall 2024 and (ITL) Tools integrate
ongoing) appropriate Canvas page
Laptops / technology in sharing /
projectors / their instruction documentation
digital
whiteboard Every teacher
will have the
skills to utilize
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technology as a
teacher
productivity tool

PLC group PLC group Canvas Supports HCPSS Teacher

members will members Instructional Feedback
become Google Doc / Technology
technology Instructional Word goal: Every Canvas page
liaisons for their Team Leaders teacher will have sharing /
content areas to (ITL) Various HCPSS the skills to documentation
provide approved Tech identify and
guidance and All Staff Tools integrate
collaborate to appropriate
assist with technology in
technology their instruction
needs as they
arise Every teacher
will have the
(Fall 2025 and skills to utilize
ongoing) technology as a
teacher

Standard 4: Collaborator
Educators dedicate time to collaborate with both colleagues and students to improve practice,
discover and share resources and ideas, and solve problems.

Performance Indicator 4.a: Collaborate with Colleagues

Dedicate planning time to collaborate with colleagues to create authentic learning
experiences that leverage technology.
Action Steps & Person(s) Technologies Assessment
Benefit(s)
Timeline Responsible Employed Method(s)
PLC group PLC group Google docs / Supports HCPSS Completion of
members will members sheets Instructional Work Log
log 45 – 50 Technology detailing hours
minutes of time PLC Facilitator Various HCPSS goals:
per month approved Tech All content areas Inclusion of
dedicated to Tools will identify and collaborative
enhancing integrate work done
lessons using Laptops / appropriate within content
technologies projectors / technology in areas
learned / digital their curriculum
discovered whiteboard to ensure Work samples of
technology
 16

PLC group alignment with infusion /

members in state standards. inclusion
same / similar
content areas
will share lesson
enhancements
using
technologies
learned /
discovered

(Fall 2023 and

ongoing)

PLC group PLC group Google docs / Supports HCPSS Teacher self-
members will members sheets Instructional report of
share lesson Technology collaborative
enhancements Non-PLC group Various HCPSS goals: work done
using members approved Tech All content areas within content
technologies representing Tools will identify and areas
learned / similar content integrate
discovered with areas appropriate Work samples of
non-PLC group technology in technology
members within their curriculum infusion /
their content to ensure inclusion
areas alignment with
state standards.
(Spring 2024,
ongoing)

Standard 5: Designer
Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments that recognize and
accommodate learner variability.

Performance Indicator 5.a: Accommodate Learner Differences

Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster independent
learning and accommodate learner differences and needs.
Action Steps & Person(s) Technologies Assessment
Benefit(s)
Timeline Responsible Employed Method(s)
Instructional PLC Group Various HCPSS Supports HCPSS Teacher verbal /
Team Leaders members approved Tech SCTA goal: written
will conduct Tools Each and every reflections
 17

informal walk- Instructional student receives

throughs to look Team Leaders a high-quality Teacher
for specific (ITL) education feedback
usage of through access
technology Administration to individualized ITL feedback
integration instruction,
challenges,
(beginning supports, and
December 2023 opportunities
and ongoing)
Provide all All RHS Staff Email Supports all Teacher
teachers with the HCPSS feedback
full schedule of PLC Facilitator Canvas Instructional
training Community Technology Office of
opportunities PLC messages goals for Instructional
from the Office Coordinator Educators Technology
of Instructional RHS Teacher feedback and
Technology Office of Canvas pages aggregate
Instructional registration and
(beginning Technology course
Spring 2024 and completion
ongoing) information
Teachers in a All certificated Various HCPSS Supports all Teacher
full evaluation teaching staff approved Tech HCPSS reflection
year will include Tools Instructional submitted as part
one component Administration Technology of evaluation
that includes that goals for
use of Educators Formal lesson
technology in plan submission
their evaluation Supports Goal 1
model of the HCPSS Teacher
Strategic Call to feedback
(beginning Fall Action statement
2025 and for Student Administration
ongoing) Centered feedback
Learning
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References
Curwood, J. S. (2013). Applying the design framework to Technology Professional

Development. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 29(3), 89–96.

https://doi.org/10.1080/21532974.2013.10784710

Howard County Public School System. (2022, September 9). Reservoir High School Profile.

Retrieved July 10, 2023, https://www.hcpss.org/f/schools/profiles/prof_hs_reservoir.pdf

Howard County Public School System. (n.d.). Strategic call to action: Learning and leading

with equity. HCPSS. https://www.hcpss.org/scta/

Instructional Technology. Howard County Public School System Instructional Technology.

(n.d.). https://www.hcpss.org/academics/instructional-technology/

Love, M. L., Simpson, L. A., Golloher, A., Gadus, B., & Dorwin, J. (2020). Professional

development to increase teacher capacity for the use of New Technologies. Intervention

in School and Clinic, 56(2), 115–118. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451220914886

Msde. (2022). Welcome to the Maryland Report Card. Maryland State Department of Education.

https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/ReportCards/DetailsIndex/1/H/1/13/0527

/2022