Professional Development Planning
(reimagined)

The "Why"

Traditional professional development often falls short in producing meaningful change because it lacks engagement, relevance, and ongoing support. To promote real teaching improvement, educators need a new, interactive, and engaging form of professional learning that mirrors the kind of dynamic instruction we want to see in classrooms. This modern approach fosters active participation, collaboration, and continuous growth. One essential component of this transformation is the integration of ePortfolios into teaching. ePortfolios not only encourage student reflection and ownership of learning but also serve as a powerful tool to support the continuity of education from one grade to the next. They allow teachers to track student growth, showcase accomplishments, and use the portfolio as an authentic assessment tool that provides a deeper understanding of student progress beyond traditional testing methods.

Today’s classrooms are evolving—and our approach to professional development must evolve with them. This presentation introduces a new vision for professional learning, one that moves beyond traditional, one-time workshops and embraces a model grounded in sustained support, active engagement, and meaningful application.

At the heart of this shift are five essential principles (listed below) for effective professional learning.

5 key Principles

Time / Ongoing Support – Professional development must extend beyond a single event, offering continuous opportunities for growth and reflection.
Implementation Coaching and Support – Teachers require consistent support and coaching from both school and district leadership as they implement new strategies, such as incorporating digital portfolios.
Active Engagement – Learning should begin with dynamic, hands-on experiences that mirror the kind of instruction we want to see in classrooms.
Leadership Modeling / Examples – Administrators must model the practices and expectations they hope to cultivate across their campuses and provide examples to guide the creation and implementation of ePortfolios in their classrooms.
Content-Specific Focus – After introducing the training goals, follow-up learning should be tailored to specific subject areas and grade levels for maximum relevance and impact.

The "What"

Before the beginning of every new school year, Crowley ISD hosts professional development. The first few days are spent at your specific school to review the topics that each principal deems necessary. For the next few days, you are required to sign up for "sessions" to introduce different topics. These "sessions" are first-come-first-served and many times fill up quickly, and you are forced to find a "session" that does not interest you or that does not apply to your content area. I see the value of the quick nature of "tips & tricks" form of professional development. Still, it often lacks application in the classroom to make real and lasting improvement in teaching instruction.

I wanted to take that concept a step further with an introduction to "What are ePortfolios" and "Why they are beneficial in education." Capitalizing on Duarte’s storytelling techniques highlights the issues with passive learning and the advantages of adopting a hands-on approach, as well as the benefits of using the COVA model (Choice, Ownership, Voice, and Authentic Learning experiences). After that introduction, the professional learning can move to each specific school, and the principal will lay out the plan for 10-15 minutes of ongoing support and coaching during their conference time to incorporate ePortfolios into their teaching and which platform they will be using.

Fostering Collaboration: My course plan includes a week for ePortfolio introduction, creation, team collaboration, and implementation planning. Weeks 2 through 6 discussion times help foster consistent and ongoing collaboration during the teacher conference time. Additionally, there will be the option for both in-person and online meetings to allow for continuous communication and coaching.

Leaders: I will be the primary instructor of the course and will lead group discussions. Other Technology Specialists on campus will assist with mentoring and boot camps. Administration and Department Heads will be the support team during the implementation phase.

Audience and their needs: The audience will be classroom teachers who will incorporate ePortfolios into their instruction. Teachers will need materials such as access to laptops and any previously created content to create their ePortfolios. Teachers will also need time to collaborate weekly with the administrator and department during their conference period for coaching and Q&A sessions to implement ePortfolios into their instruction effectively.

Professional Learning Plan

The "How"

I created my presentation using Google Slides and the accompanying material. I added my personal anecdotes from my experiences in Crowley I.S.D. and my teaching experience at previous school districts. I have attended many "Ed-Camps" and technology conferences that employ the workshop model. I have even presented at various Ed-Camps myself. In reflection of the long-term effectiveness of improving teaching instruction, I see the "one-off" nature of these trainings. In this presentation, along with my innovation plan, I am promoting a more consistent and ongoing approach to professional learning, improvement, and growth.

Connecting Ideas

References

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Associated with Student Learning in a Random Sample of College Biology Courses. CBE

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Bates, A.W. (2019). Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning.

https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/

Duarte, N. (2013). Resonate: Present visual stories that transform audiences. John Wiley & Sons.

An online media version of Resonate can be accessed for free

at http://resonate.duarte.com/#!page0

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Instruction Partners. (2022, October 4). Seven conditions for effective professional

learning. https://instructionpartners.org/2022/10/04/seven-conditions-for-effective

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Texas Education Agency. (2025). Continuing professional education (CPE).

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professional-education cpe#:~:text=Continuing%20Professional%20Education

%20(CPE)%20is, must%20complete%20150%20CPE%20hours