The fifty largest school districts in the US collectively spend an average of $8 billion on professional development (PD) for educators. That translates to $18,000 per teacher annually—an impressive number by any standards. However, the same study found that all that spending isn't getting districts anywhere closer to the goal of improving teacher performance in the classroom.
That's why many districts have turned to technology as a solution, hoping it can solve some of the problems that have plagued traditional PD, including lack of buy-in, personalization, and sustainability. When used correctly, modern technology can have a significantly positive impact on the PD landscape. The key is finding the right balance of technology tools and resisting the belief that more is always better.
That's where MobileMind comes in, as it brings various PD tools into a single, unified hub. It uses modern technology to deliver PD in a way that keeps educators engaged and puts them on the path toward success. In this article, we examine technology's role in the changing PD landscape.
One-size-fits-all and cookie-cutter approaches are two common adjectives that educators use when reflecting on their PD experiences. School districts may not set out to create PD that treats every teacher the same, but they didn't have much room to work in personalized approaches tailored to the needs of individual educators. For years, the PD model was centered on periodic workshops and seminars meant to train many teachers at once. Traditional PD also often unnecessarily took educators away from the classroom or didn't use their time efficiently.
This model began to change as districts began to recognize that their go-to techniques were falling short. New technologies have given districts the ability to reshape PD and make it more effective. Learning hubs like MobileMind have made it more flexible, accessible, interactive, and personalized.
Unlike the traditional model, where training was occasional and inconsistent, providing little ongoing support, modern PD is a continuous process. Teachers have 24/7 access to necessary resources and can study at their convenience. This new technology enables districts to tailor their PD to the needs of individual educators, ensuring that what they're learning is directly related to what they're doing in the classroom.
From tracking and reporting to ReadyMade PD, MobileMind is at the forefront of providing districts with cutting-edge modern technology tools that enable them to create PD that's relevant and engaging.
Personalized Learning Paths and Micro-courses
One of the biggest benefits of using a learning hub like MobileMind is the flexibility that it gives districts to design micro-courses and learning paths on any training topic, ensuring that PD is tailored to the needs of individual educators. While districts can build their PD programs from the ground up with MobileMind, they can also use the pre-built courses available in the MobileMind Community. Districts can then customize these to meet their specific requirements.
ReadyMade Marketplace
MobileMind recognizes that district leaders are busy and may not always have time to put together a comprehensive PD program. If you are in that position, you can access the ReadyMade Marketplace, where you'll find pre-built learning paths, micro-courses, and badges that are created and managed by MobileMind's partners, including Learning.com, Kami, and Screencastify. Along with the MobileMind Community, districts will always have current and relevant content that meets the needs of their teachers.
Guided Learning and Job-Embedded Training
Most people learn by doing, and that's the theory behind MobileMind's guided learning feature. Educators learn new skills in their existing technology environments by following step-by-step instructions and participating in hands-on challenges. For example, if they're working with Google Slides or Microsoft Office to learn a new skill, they'll receive real-time guidance and complete tasks within the software. Approaching job-embedded training in this way enables teachers to practice new skills within the context of their daily work, apply what they've learned immediately, and receive feedback in real time.
Gamification
We all like to be rewarded for a job well done, receive acknowledgment for our accomplishments, and engage in a bit of friendly competition every now and then, and that's what gamification is all about. Digital badges, micro-credentials, and leaderboards all fall under the gamification umbrella and are tools that make PD fun and help motivate educators to stick with it. A digital badge is a reward that educators receive when they successfully complete a PD task, and a micro-credential verifies that they're done with a course. Leaderboards introduce the element of competition by letting teachers know how they stack up against their colleagues.
MobileMind's integrated approach enables districts to concentrate most of their PD efforts in one learning hub. This makes the process of creating a program that’s more efficient and less time-consuming. MobileMind is at the forefront of leveraging AI to create effective PD. With the AI Content Genie, districts can quickly develop an asynchronous PD course. All they have to do is give the content genie a topic and a short summary of what they'd like the course to be about.
Districts can also use MobileMind's extensive library of pre-built, customizable micro-courses to save time when creating and developing PD content. These modern technology tools are intuitive and easy to use, ensuring that leaders can quickly develop programs.
Comprehensive tracking and reporting are vital components of any PD program, and MobileMind provides districts with the tools to monitor their educators' progress, identify skill gaps, and adjust PD efforts as needed. Consolidating all professional learning activities in one learning hub simplifies administration and makes it easy for districts to access data about all aspects of their programs.
Finally, MobileMind's interactive and personalized approach to PD encourages educators to take an active role in their skill development while increasing their engagement and skill retention.
MobileMind provides personalized professional development through ReadyMade Marketplace. Get pre-built learning paths, micro-courses, and badges for EdTech training with one click. Schedule a call to learn more.
