To fulfill its mission to revolutionize learning, the Los Altos School District has scheduled a variety of opportunities for teacher development this year.
“We want to continue that momentum and enthusiasm that are in the teachers right now,” said Alyssa Gallagher, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. “We are trying to empower our teachers.”
District teachers last week participated in the iLearn Back-to-School Edition, a professional enrichment workshop. After a general session in the morning, they selected three sessions out of nearly 25 different enrichment courses to attend in the afternoon.
The morning session tasked teachers with upgrading one unit of instruction by the end of the year using Common Core Standards as a benchmark.
Teachers could upgrade any unit of their choosing, Gallagher said. During a professional development day toward the end of the year, teachers will have an opportunity to share their redesigned units and learn from each other.
The professional development seed was planted during the summer as local teachers attended a number of conferences that generated new ideas for the classroom. Teachers attended an iLearn Conference, a K-12 Design Thinking Boot Camp, Nueva Design School’s Innovation Lab, a county-sponsored Common Core Standards Implementation event, an International Society of Technology Education Conference and a county-sponsored training for Transitional Kindergarten.
The district sent 24 teachers to the iLearn Conference with the expectation that the teachers would become “Lead Learners” at their respective campuses in the fall. The district adopted iLearn as the broader umbrella for professional development this year.
“The Lead Learners will be the leaders on campus and in supporting teachers,” Gallagher said. “We want all teachers to have exposure to training that will help them where they are.”
To continue the support of professional development, the district is offering classes Tuesdays and Thursdays to improve different aspects of teaching.
“Our teachers are energized,” Gallagher said. “They are excited for this support.”
Working toward some specific goals, Gallagher said iPad training for resource teachers this year would ensure that they have the tools to help special-education students. The district continues to improve its blended learning with Khan Academy and to focus on innovative strategies for its teachers.
In addition to the classes and professional development days, teachers have another tool at their disposal. Three full-time instructional coaches will assist them throughout the year. Donations from the Los Altos Educational Foundation and an anonymous donor fund the Technology Integration, STEM and Innovative Strategies coaches.
“Los Altos teachers are some of the hardest-working teachers I’ve ever met,” said Ellen Kraska, Technology Integration Coach. “As their Technology Integration Instructional Coach, I’m so excited to help each of them transform their practice and create the best possible learning experience for all Los Altos students.”
The district plans to keep parents apprised of changes on practices in the classroom through public sessions.
