1.cdn.edl.io · Web viewsection 2: recommendations and tips for writing sections of a salary point course proposal

Planning, Posting and Leading PD

Online Coursework Component

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1: PLANNING, POSTING AND LEADING PD COURSE GUIDELINE REVIEW 2

SECTION 2: RECOMMENDATIONS AND TIPS FOR WRITING SECTIONS OF A SALARY POINT COURSE PROPOSAL 3

2.A: Tips on Writing the Special Populations Items in Section III 3

2.B: Tips on Writing the Course Syllabus in Section IV 4

2.C: Tips on Writing the Homework Section of the Proposal (Section VI) 5

2.D: Checklist of Items to Include When Creating a Flyer (Section VII) 6

Reflective Questions for Section 2 (in Green) 7

SECTION 3: GAINING PERMISSION TO USE LEARNING ZONE TO MANAGE COURSE ENROLLMENT AND SALARY POINT CREDIT SUBMISSION 8

SECTION 4: USING LEARNING ZONE TO MANAGE COURSE ENROLLMENT AND SALARY POINT CREDIT SUBMISSION 9

4.A: Learning Zone (LZ) Login 9

4.B: LZ Main Screen 9

4.C: LZ My Classes Tab 10

4.D: LZ Course Screen Pop-Up 10

4.E: LZ Course Screen Pop-up (Red Section): Basic Course Information 11

4.F: LZ Course Screen Pop-up (Green Section): Attendance and Enrollment Buttons 12

4.G: LZ Course Screen Pop-up (Blue Section): Participants Enrolled 14

4.H: Using LZ to Submit for Course Credit 14

Reflective Questions for Section 4 (in Green) 15

SECTION 5: REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS 16

Planning, Posting and Leading PD – Online Coursework Component (2015-2016) Page 1

SECTION 1: PLANNING, POSTING AND LEADING PD COURSE GUIDELINE REVIEW

In order to be eligible to apply the hours for the Planning, Posting and Leading PD course in Task 2 instead of Task 5, you are responsible for all of the following items. Use this form as a checklist to monitor your progress.

Check When Completed

Attending Session 1 of Planning, Posting and Leading PD (in person)

Attending Session 2 of Planning, Posting and Leading PD (in person)

Reading this document and responding to the reflective questions (which also appear in Section 5, for your convenience.)

Writing, submitting, and getting approval by the Joint Salary Point Credit Committee a course proposal for EITHER a full salary point class (using the Salary Point Course Proposal Form) or PD Workshop (using the PD Workshop Proposal Form.)

o Both forms can be found here: http://achieve.lausd.net/Page/1851o PD Workshops MUST have a minimum length of three hours to qualify. o Approval takes place at monthly JSPCC meetings. You must submit a signed hard

copy to Greta Enszer (Salary Point Credit Adviser; 14th Floor Beaudry Building); this can be done in person or via school mail.

Gain permission to use Learning Zone to post and submit credit, as described in Section 3 of this document.

Teaching the approved course/workshop at least one time.

Submitting participant credit through the Learning Zone process, as described in Section 4.H.

Completing the written reflective tasks described in Section 5 of this document, and submitting them to Brian Muller ([email protected]) and Aleeta Powers ([email protected]).


mailto:[email protected]


http://achieve.lausd.net/Page/1851

SECTION 2: RECOMMENDATIONS AND TIPS FOR WRITING SECTIONS OF A SALARY POINT COURSE PROPOSAL

Most of these sections can be found on the Salary Point Credit Adviser’s Writing Salary Point Credit Proposal webpage (http://achieve.lausd.net/Page/1851) but they are included in this material for your ease of use. They are derived from the most common reasons that proposals are not initially approved, so that you can write a winning proposal the first time around.

Please keep in mind that you can ask the Salary Point Credit Advisers specific questions about how to address questions via email or phone before you submit your proposal. Their contact information is on the Salary Point Credit Adviser’s webpage (http://achieve.lausd.net/Page/1848). You can also email Brian Muller (a former Salary Point Credit Adviser) for assistance and advice at [email protected].

2.A: Tips on Writing the Special Populations Items in Section III

Salary Point classes are intended to provide material that will help educators work with all students. The Special Populations part of Section III is where authors identify their support for five major groups of students in LAUSD. The questions that the reviewing committee asks as they read are:

1. Does the author address all five groups (or, for workshops or events, at least one group)? 2. Are the approaches listed for each subgroup appropriate? 3. Is each section presented in definitive terms (that is, “participants will” as opposed to

“participants may” or “participants could”)? 4. Are the approaches supported in Section IV (the Course Description)?

Descriptions of Each Subgroup, with Some Appropriate Pedagogical Approaches

Each of the sub-populations has its own characteristics and needs. This section provides a brief description of the subgroup, as well as some sample appropriate approaches. Please note: you must provide at least one specific approach for each subgroup – general statements like “This course will address methods for supporting Standard English Learners” or “This course will address SDAIE methodology” (which is an umbrella term for many approaches) will not be approved.

a. English Learners are students who come from an environment where a language other than English is dominant, and they are in the process of acquiring English proficiency. Some appropriate strategies include vocabulary and language development, guided peer-to-peer interaction, the deliberate examination of thinking processes (metacognition), the connection of universal themes, and the use of visuals and graphic organizers.

b. Standard English Learners are students who communicate in a non-standard dialect of English, and who require support in developing academic English proficiency. Some appropriate strategies include the creation of affirming environments with guided peer-to-peer interaction, helping students build connections between their experiences and cultures and the content, the explicit development of academic vocabulary, the use of graphic organizers that emphasize the relationships between pieces of information, and the inclusion of culturally diverse texts.





c. Special Education Students require specialized support for any of a number of cognitive, emotional, or physical attributes. Any explicit strategies that will support or include students in this wide range of categories are acceptable.

d. Culturally Diverse Students are reflective of myriad cultures and backgrounds. Appropriate strategies help teachers both understand the attributes of students’ cultures and apply engagement techniques that build the academic relationships between students and teachers. Other appropriate strategies help teachers identify students’ learning styles and develop strategies to support them, and include culturally diverse texts.

e. Gifted and Talented Students possess aptitude in one or more areas. Appropriate strategies involve helping students develop their own learning goals, expanding the challenge of materials, and connecting with students’ personal interests.

2.B: Tips on Writing the Course Syllabus in Section IV

The Course Syllabus section in Section IV of the proposal is a blank table that you need to fill in with the details of how your course will be taught. As the JSPCC reviews the section, they will be looking for the following:

1. the objective for the section,2. what you (the instructor) will do,3. what the participants will do,4. what materials and strategies will be used, and5. how long the section will take.

There are a few other items that the JSPCC requires in terms of allocation of time:a. Each of the lines in the syllabus is intended to represent the work completed in 60 to 120

minutes, so if you have shorter activities you can combine them into one section.b. It is important to provide short breaks integrated into the course to allow for participant

restroom use and to seek clarification from instructors. Typically, this is 15 minutes per 2-3 hours, and is included in the total contact time.

c. It is important (if you are meeting for more than 4 hours, like on a Saturday) to include a 30 to 60 minute meal break for participants. This break is NOT included in the total contact time. For example, if you are meeting from 9:00 to 3:00 (six hours), you must include at least a 30 minute break (which would yield 5.5 contact hours total for the session.)

In the left column of the syllabus, write the start/stop times (e.g., 9:00 – 10:30) or the duration (e.g., 1.5 hours). The JSPCC members will compare the amount of time that you allocate for the activities on the right to that timeframe to make sure that it is appropriate.

In the right column,


a. Start by writing the objective(s) for the block of time. It could be something like “Introduce the goals for the course; read and discuss samples of student work,” or “Break into subject-alike groups to identify and answer questions about applying strategy X.”

b. Identify what the instructor will do. It could be something like “Instructor will present the goals for the course in a PowerPoint, check for participant understanding, and identify any additional desired goals,” or could be a series of bullet points. If this section has more than one objective, you will want to have more than one entry like this.

c. Identify what the participants will do. It could be something like “Participants will, in small groups, review student work samples provided by the instructor to identify areas of student misunderstanding; groups will then share out their findings with the whole group,” or “Participants will watch a 20-minute segment of Great Schools and take notes on how these elements are applied at (or missing from) their school site; participants will post two findings on posters around the room, and conduct a gallery walk.” As with the instructor items, this can be bullet-pointed.

d. If the materials used are not indicated in the descriptions of what the instructors and participants will do, make sure that you list them as well.

2.C: Tips on Writing the Homework Section of the Proposal (Section VI)

This section is required for courses that are based on the 15 contact hours/30 homework hours model. Please note: If you are writing a course that is based on the 30 contact hours/no homework model, or are writing a workshop proposal, this section is not required.

The JSPCC reviews the section with an eye for a few major elements: 1. Is there clarity about what the participants are supposed to do, and when they are supposed to

do it? 2. Is there clarity about what the participants submit to verify the time dedicated to the

homework? 3. Do the activities support learning about the topic(s) of the course? 4. Is the time allocated for each activity appropriate? 5. Are there 30 hours of homework per 15 hours of contact?

For the homework section, be sure to include what the participants are going to do, and what kind of product will be required at the end. Homework that includes reading is fine, but there needs to be some kind of produced outcome that will allow you to verify that the work was completed – for example, “Read Act I of Othello (1 hour)” would not be sufficient, but “Read Act I of Othello, and analyze four places where the characters present their views on race (1 hour)” would be.

With regards to appropriate time, consider how long it would take a college graduate (as all of your participants are) who is only as familiar with the content as you have made them, based on the activities in the contact hours. For example, a history teacher may already be extensively familiar with the U.S. Constitution (which would reduce the amount of time he/she would take in writing a response


to elements within it) but you should allocate time for a task based on the familiarity a typical educator would have. Please note: you must include an estimated amount of time for each activity.

If participants need to complete homework in between sessions, this should be indicated in this section (and referenced in Section IV, where you spend time going over those requirements before the end of the contact time).

One option for you is to provide choices for participants in their homework. You could make some of the activities mandatory and allow flexibility in others, or allow choices across the board. The key is that the total of completed activities must meet the required total for the course.

Sample Homework Section

Take, for example, a course where participants are learning about teaching science to elementary school students. In class, the participants are involved in discussion and gaining hands-on experience with experiments and approaches that they can use with students. Some of the homework hours might be listed like this:

After Day 1 Participants will write a 2-page reflection on the appropriateness for their students of the

strategies and techniques from the class (1 hour) Participants will develop a lesson plan that incorporates one or more of the strategies and

techniques discussed in class, and identify additional supports they provide for English Learners, Standard English Learners, Special Education Students, and Gifted and Talented Students. (2 hours)

Participants will read Chapters 3 and 6 from Science in the Classroom, and write notes on questions or key ideas that emerge for discussion at Day 2 (1.5 hours)

Participants will analyze student work for common errors and misunderstandings, to share at Day 2 (1.5 hours)

2.D: Checklist of Items to Include When Creating a Flyer (Section VII)

The goal of the flyer is to have all of the relevant information in one place, so that advertising your course can be done efficiently. Even if you are not planning to broadly advertise your first time teaching the course, this section is required for your application. Be sure to include:

the deadline for registration the dates of each class meeting the time(s) of each class meeting the location(s) of each class meeting the contact information for the project leader/instructor if there is a fee, what is the amount, and how should it be paid the title of the class a short description of the class


the number of salary points (or workshop hours, if you are completing a workshop application) the course is worth

the expected audience (what grade level or subject matter teachers is the course is designed for, if there are any limitations)

the maximum enrollment any other useful information about the class

Be sure to make the flyer clear and appealing. Check to make sure that it prints well in black and white, as most people who will be accessing them online will not be using color printers.

Whenever you are anticipating offering the course, send an updated flyer (with the new dates and any other changes) to the Salary Point Credit Advisers by email so that they can be posted on the list of courses that they maintain – this is a good way to recruit participants!

SECTION 2 REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS (1 page/300 words minimum)

Based on the information provided in the section, please provide your response to the following questions:

1. What parts of this section were helpful in your completion of your proposal?

2. What insights did you gain (or what ideas were reinforced) about designing professional development as you went through the process of creating a salary point or workshop proposal?

3. What additional advice would you provide for another educator who is designing PD as part of this process?


SECTION 3: GAINING PERMISSION TO USE LEARNING ZONE TO MANAGE COURSE ENROLLMENT AND SALARY POINT CREDIT SUBMISSION

Once you have received an approval notification from the Joint Salary Point Credit Committee contact members (the Professional Development Advisers), complete the following steps in order to gain access to Learning Zone to manage your course enrollment and (for salary point courses) salary point credit for people who complete all required contact hours and homework.

1. Complete the current year LZ Role Modification form. All sections must be complete. Please note: You must print and sign the document, and then scan it into a PDF.

2. Complete the current year Request to Post Class on Learning Zone form. All sections must be complete. Please note: the Confirmation Message at the bottom of the form is critical. It must have a pleasant tone, and include all of the required information – include the end date (which, for salary point classes, is when the homework is due.)

3. Send Aleeta Powers ([email protected]) a single email, with a brief request for permission to use LZ and to have your course posted. Please note: The usual turn-around time for permission and posting is three weeks, so please plan on this timeline.



SECTION 4: USING LEARNING ZONE TO MANAGE COURSE ENROLLMENT AND SALARY POINT CREDIT SUBMISSION

4.A: Learning Zone (LZ) Login

You will already be familiar with Learning Zone from completing the LAUSD Child Abuse Reporting training. Go to lz.lausd.net to find this screen:

Enter your username (your LAUSD email address without the “@lausd.net” part) and password (circled in red.)

4.B: LZ Main Screen

Once you log in to Learning Zone, you will see all of the options you have as an LAUSD employee. For the purposes of being an instructor, all of the material you need will be on the My Classes tab (circled in red.)


4.C: LZ My Classes Tab

The top half of the My Classes tab lists the courses for which you are the instructor. Clicking on any of the blue links will take you to a pop-up Course Screen for that course.

The bottom half of the My Classes tab lists the courses you are taking; this section is not relevant to your role as an instructor.

4.D: LZ Course Screen Pop-Up

When you select a course you are teaching, the pop-up will include three major parts: The basic course information section (circled in red), the enrollment and attendance buttons (circled in green), and the enrollment section (circled in blue). Each of these sections is further explicated below.


4.E: LZ Course Screen Pop-up (Red Section): Basic Course Information

This section includes information that can’t be changed once it is in place. When you are starting a class, you need to have all of the information ready for inclusion:

Proficiency Level – Usually Introductory, unless it builds on an introductory class and requires specially developed skills of the participants beforehand.

Subject(s) – The content area(s) that the course focuses on. For courses that are broadly applicable (e.g., a multicultural course, or one on classroom management), this can be left blank.

Grade(s) – The grade level(s) that the course is applicable to. If the course is applicable to everyone, please enter PreK-12 (this is the same as in Section III of the Salary Point Course Application.)

Hour(s) – Indicate the contact hours that the course will require (this is the same as in Section IV of the Salary Point Course Application.) Do not include the homework hours.

Description – A brief description of the course’s content and purpose. Be succinct (40-75 words), but make the course sound appealing; consider that this information is what most teachers who are using Learning Zone will see about your class. This is the same as in Section IV of the Salary Point Course Application.

Additional Class Info – This will usually be blank. Prerequisites – This will usually be “none” (this is the same as in Section III of the Salary Point

Course Application.) Objectives – A succinct (20-40 word) description of what participants will know or be able to do

at the conclusion of the class (this is the same as in Section III of the Salary Point Course Application.)

Followup Feedback – This will usually be blank. Dates – When the first class meeting will take place, and when the course is ended. The latter

date is typically when the homework is due (and all of the contact hours are complete.) Please note: as an instructor, you MAY allow an extension of no more than one month past the last date, but you will be responsible for resubmitting all of the appropriate paperwork. Contact Aleeta Powers if you have questions.

Meeting Dates – The dates when contact hours will take place. These hours should align with the pacing of the Course Syllabus in Section IV of the Salary Point Course Application.

Time – The start and end times for the Meeting Date contact hours. Delivery Format – This will be Instructor Led Training, or ILT. Instructor – Your name, and your LAUSD email address. Co-Instructor – Usually will be blank, unless you have one. Class Location – Where the contact hours will take place.

On the right side of this section, you will also see the number of participants who are enrolled, as well as the number of those on the waitlist.


4.F: LZ Course Screen Pop-up (Green Section): Attendance and Enrollment Buttons

These buttons are located in the middle of a course screen, beneath the Course Description section but above the Course Enrollment section. They allow a lot of functionality in managing course enrollment!

Click on the Excel button, and select “open in Excel.” You may get a number of messages that suggest that there was an error, but if you click through them, you get an Excel spreadsheet that contains the following for each participant:

Employee # Last Name First Name Location Name (with Location Code)

Roster Status Enrollment Date Completed Date Email

Click on the Print Rosterlist button, and click “OK” when the “Please select landscape to print” box pops up. This generates a list (alphabetized by last name) of all participants, with check-off spaces for each session, a space for you to sign at the bottom, and whether the person completed the requirements for a salary point. Please note: It is critical to keep all hard-copy attendance rosters for your records.

The option to print is in the upper right corner; make sure that you select “Landscape” and not “Portrait” so that the sheets print correctly.

Click on the Sign in Sheet button, and click “OK” when the “Please select landscape to print” box pops up. You have to choose one of four options in the “Sort Order By:” menu:

Employee Number (which sorts from lowest employee number to highest) Employee Name (which sorts alphabetically by last name, the same as the Rosterlist above) District – Employee Name (which sorts first by local district, then by employee name) District – Employee Number (which sorts first by local district, then by employee number)

Each choice provides these columns for each participant enrolled in the class:

Name Employee Number Local District

Sign-In Time Sign-Out Time

These sheets are designed to support attendance-taking; keep them for your records.

The option to print is in the upper right corner; make sure that you select “Landscape” and not “Portrait” so that the sheets print correctly.


Click on the Edit Waitinglist button. This will allow you to review the waiting list, and either add or remove people on it.

Click on the Add Employee button. You can search for a person based on last name, first name, or employee number. Please note : if you search for a person and then click on their name in red below, they will be automatically added with no further actions! If a person is added erroneously, they must be “INSTRUCTOR DROPPED” via the main screen for the class.

Click on the Add Waitinglist button. You can search for a person based on last name, first name, or employee number. Please note : if you search for a person and then click on their name in red below, they will be automatically added with no further actions! If a person is added erroneously, they must be “INSTRUCTOR DROPPED” via the main screen for the class.

The Sync button is intended to allow for multiple participants to be moved from the waiting list to the roster list; however, it is highly recommended that you make such transitions individually to verify the accuracy of such changes.

4.G: LZ Course Screen Pop-up (Blue Section): Participants Enrolled

This section lists all of the participants who are currently enrolled in the course, with their Employee Number, Email, and Location. Keep in mind that there may be more than one page of participants.

You can use the button on the Contacts column to send mass emails to participants’ lausd.net emails. This saves a lot of time if you need to send information to the people enrolled in your classes.

Please note: This section is the most critical, as it is how you will be tracking attendance and course completion, and submitting completed work for salary points.

Each of the date columns requires a check for each date that a participant attends. If the participant misses the date, leave it unchecked. This must match your paper records.

Sal Cr. is if the participant has completed BOTH the contact hours and the homework, and the course is established as being a salary point course.

Gr. Hours is the number of contact hours, as established in your Salary Point Course Application.

Class Status defaults to “Enrolled.” The other options include: o “Completed” – for individuals who have completed the courseo “Incomplete” – for individuals who did not complete the course by the deadlineo “Instr Dropped” – for individuals that you as an instructor dropped from the courseo “Noshow” – for individuals who signed up but never attended.


Eval Reminder is a column that sends an email to all participants who have not completed the online evaluation of the course. If there is no online eval, then ignore this.

Please note: Any time you make changes to this section, you MUST click on the button at the bottom of the window in order for them to take effect. If you time out or go to a different page, your changes WILL be lost and you will have to start over.

4.H: Issuing Salary Point or Workshop Credit Through LZ

For both workshop and salary point courses, once the course is over, you are responsible for reporting the outcomes for each participant who has signed up through the LZ. Make sure that you sign in to LZ, and click on the course/workshop you are reporting.

For each participant, there are spaces to report the completion/non-completion of the course/workshop. First, click on the drop-down menu that defaults to ENROLLED. There are five choices – COMPLETE, INCOMPLETE, ENROLLED, INST DROPPED, and NOSHOW – but all people should be indicated as COMPLETE, NO SHOW, or INCOMPLETE as appropriate.

Second, indicate the contact hours in the column. For workshops, this is the number of contact hours. Please note: for all salary point classes (regardless of format), indicate the Gr. Hrs as 15 hours per salary point, assuming that the participant was in attendance for the entire time. This is an LZ processing quirk, and will prevent confusion going forward.

For salary point courses only, the third step is to click the boxes in the column ONLY for participants who have completed all of the work. Please note: this step is not for workshops.

The last step is to save the changes, and email Aleeta Powers ([email protected]) to inform her that your course is ready for processing. Please note: this electronic submission replaces the P/NA paper forms you will get with your course approval email from the JSPCC; please do not complete or submit that documentation.

IMPORTANT: Please remind your participants that it will take approximately three months for the final processing of salary points to be completed, but that they should check their salary points online to verify their award at that point. Participants in workshops will be able to print certificates through LZ verifying their attendance within a month of the processing date.



SECTION 4 REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS (1 page/300 words minimum)

Based on the information provided in the section, please provide your response to the following questions:

1. What parts of these instructions were the most helpful in supporting your ability to use Learning Zone to post and report the class/classes you taught?

2. Describe your experience in using Learning Zone as this section describes. Be sure to include if there were any complications that you encountered.

3. What additional support would be useful to you in the use of Learning Zone?


SECTION 5: REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS FOR PLANNING, POSTING AND LEADING PD

You are responsible for completing and submitting reflective responses for each of the sections below. Please place them all in a single Word file titled “PPLPD Reflections [Your Employee Number]” and send them to Brian Muller ([email protected]) and Aleeta Powers ([email protected])

SECTION 2 REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS (1 page/300 words)Based on the information provided in Section 2, please provide your response to the following questions:1. What parts of this section were helpful in your completion of your proposal?2. What insights did you gain (or what ideas were reinforced) about designing professional

development as you went through the process of creating a salary point or workshop proposal?3. What additional advice would you provide for another educator who is designing PD as part of this

process?

SECTION 4 REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS (1 page/300 words minimum)Based on the information provided in Section 4, please provide your response to the following questions:1. What parts of these instructions were the most helpful in supporting your ability to use Learning

Zone to post and report the class/classes you taught?2. Describe your experience in using Learning Zone as this section describes. Be sure to include if

there were any complications that you encountered.3. What additional support would be useful to you in the use of Learning Zone?

OVERALL COURSE REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS (2 pages/600 words minimum)Based on your overall experience with the course (including both the in-person and online sessions), please provide your response to the following questions:1. What parts of the course were the most effective in supporting your planning, posting, and leading

professional development?2. How did your first presentation of your salary point course/workshop go? Provide descriptions of

interactions and responses from participants.a. How does what you experienced connect with what you learned in the course?b. What did you learn from the experience that you will take into account when developing and

leading future PDs?




Documents

1.cdn.edl.io · Web viewsection 2: recommendations and tips for writing sections of a salary point course proposal