November 2018

Vol. 1

LTI Professional
Development
PLC NEWS
Professional Learning Community News:
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
The first PLC meeting was held at LuLu Beans in Sharon on Friday, October 19. Instruc-
Classroom Ideas ............................2
tors from both the Sterling and the Broadway Avenue Campuses shared ideas and class-
room stories, engaged in conversations about resources for their classrooms all the while Prof. Dev. .......................................2
enjoying coffee and breakfast. Tools for Instruction .....................2
Classroom Corner .........................3
From the meeting, instructors were able to meet as a team of educators to discuss their
drive for education. PLC News ......................................3
Inspiration .....................................4
Our main objective for creating a PLC is for teachers to have time to meet outside of their
Opportunity Awaits.......................4
classrooms and offices to find out what other instructors are doing; to share ideas, collab-
orate, and then in turn improve instruction. When teachers are given the opportunity to
collaborate and share experiences and expertise, it makes for an even stronger learning MARK YOUR CALENDARS
community.
 October 31 Student Services
Lunch-n-Learn 11:15-1

CALL TO ACTION  October 31 Dean’s List Awards

Prior to the LuLu Beans PLC meeting, there was a survey sent out asking for your input  November 12 Veteran’s Day/No
School
on your classroom needs. If you have not completed the survey, please do so as soon as
possible. The survey will serve as a means to voice the resources needed in your class-  November 15 PLC Meeting TBD
room. Please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5RLMXJD to complete the survey.
 November 21-26 Thanksgiving/
As a reminder, you will have to copy and paste the link into your browser’s address bar.
No School

“Education is improving the lives of others and for leaving your commu-
nity and world better than you found it.” Marian Wright Edelman
(Nowark, 2018).
HELPFUL TOOLS FOR
INSTRUCTION
Mind Meister…...a Concept Mapping
website to use to organize lesson
plans, to-do lists, big ideas
These are
active Prezi…..a presentation website for
links! students and instructors to use to
create animated presentations for
FREE. User-friendly and professional-
looking end result.
Prestigious….a website to use to record
your lectures to make your instruction
more engaging and interactive. Can be
used to “Flip your classroom.”
2
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Professional Development is learning to education will not only benefit you, but also
earn or maintain professional credentials. your students. As we spend time improving
But professional development is even more upon our profession we are modeling a
than just that; PD enables educators to learning community for our students.
“develop knowledge to address students’
Professional Development is about growth.
learning challenges...to improve instruc-
In order to improve our instruction we have
tion…”(Miz 10).
to be ready to grow . Education at all levels
Although many of us are experts in our continues to grow and expand, improve and
fields of study, we are also educators. Being change; we have to be prepared for those
an educator is an important job, you are improvements and changes.
providing future welders, respiratory thera-
Reference:
pists, cosmetologists with the skills they
Mizell, H. (2010). Why Professional Development Matters.
need in order to be successful in their pro-
Oxford, OH. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
fessional field. These students are relying PDF
on you for your expertise, but more im-
portantly, for you to teach them. Profes-
sional development for both your field and
CLASSROOM IDEAS
Word Webs/Concept Maps: These can be pr esen ted w ith a Pr ezi o r Po w er Po in t Pr esen ta-
tion. This can be individually or in a small group, these maps reinforce concepts learned out of class and
build connections between various topics.
 Students map out how concepts, ideas, or theories are thematically related in a visual manner (These
presentations can then be posted to Canvas for the students to use throughout the module/course).
Case Studies: R eal W o r ld Applicatio n s
 Students review a case study concerning a specific, real-life problem or scenario.
 Applying what they learned in the out-of-class portion of the flipped classroom (the screencast or
video lecture) the group will discuss how they would tackle the problem and what solution they
would prepare.
 Each group debriefs with the rest of the class and presents their solution.
Group Investigation: This w o u ld be per fect fo r teachin g r eliable so u rces
 Students should come to class prepared after having read an article for the out-of-class task.
 Split into groups, students will then discuss the article in depth, arguing its findings and their rele-
vance or the general credibility of the article itself.
 Groups can then be asked to produce a one-page summary at the end to be reviewed to ensure they
understood the article efficiently.
References:
Burke, J. (2003). The English Teacher's Companion: A Complete Guide to Classroom, Curriculum, and the
Profession. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
NISOD. (2017, November 1). Student-Centered Mindset: An Attitude of teaching Excellence and Educa-
tional "Hotness". Retrieved from NISOD: https://www.nisod.org/2017/11/01/student-
centered-mindset-attribute-teaching-excellence-educational-hotness/
University of Waterloo. (2018, August 30). Centre of Teaching Excellence. Retrieved from In-Class Activi-
ties and Assessment for the Flipped Classroom: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-
excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/lecturing-and-presenting/delivery/class-
activities-and-assessment-flipped-classroom
 CLASSROOM CORNER
Marbles and Rollercoasters and Team
Work, oh my!

Sometimes when you need to revamp

your instruction or need some new
ideas all you have to do is look right
outside your classroom door.

Just the other day I was invited to be a

judge in Ms. Sandy Young’s classroom.
Her Student Success students had
worked together to create roller coast-
ers. And to my surprise these students
really did create models of rollercoast-
ers that really worked!

While the end product was very cool,

the objective of the project was even
better. Ms. Young’s main focus was for
her students to work effectively as a
team, for all members of the team
were to be actively engaged in the
development of this project. It was
very apparent from the thoughtfulness
and creativity that went into their
rollercoasters that it truly took the
team to create their contraption. The
First PLC held at Lulu Beans, Sharon, PA. Instructors from Broadway and Sterling Campuses. lesson was more than the design of the
rollercoaster, the physics of the speed
and velocity of the marble traveling
through the track of the rollercoaster;
PLC NEWS AND UPDATES the lesson was about working as a
team. When students enter the work-
“It is important for leadership teams and faculty members in higher education to create an atmosphere of force they have to be prepared to work
trust as new and improved ideas are addressed in a professional learning community setting” (Hill 12). in a team. This lesson was a perfect
example of the kind of teamwork our
A Professional Learning Community or PLC is a way for us to step outside of our offices and classrooms and students need to be prepared for as the
share our ideas and experiences with others. This gives us a chance to collaborate and work together as a take the next steps in their field.
team. “Engaging learning communities [at the university] are interested in sharing what they are learning to
If you have a lesson or activity you
improve the [university’s] instructional programs and an attitude of continuous inquiry of solving prob-
would like to share, please email me
lems...thinking in terms of having a systemic-mind set in order to be productive as they train and develop totam@laurel.edu
students to be productive and successful in the career marketplace” (Hill 12). PLCs allows us to model for our
students good professional practice.

The October PLC brought together our faculty that normally would not have had the opportunity to meet on
a professional level. And while our fields of study are different, our teaching methods are not. Our focus is on
our students and helping them achieve their goals. Below are some of the take-aways from this month’s meet-
ing:

 Comradery

 Bulletin Boards: A “shout out” board where students can place compliments/shout outs to instructors

 Show of support for each other

 Opportunity to share creative ideas

Having PLCs is a way for instructors to come together and support each other, build each other up as team-
mates would, and to share in the experiences of teaching. As the school year continues, I would like to con-
tinue these meetings and provide an opportunity for each of us to grow as educators. Our next PLC will be
Thursday, November 15 from 3-4PM the location is yet to be deter m in ed. In the m eantim e,
please mark your calendars.

Reference:

Hillard, A. T. (2012). Practices and Values of a Professional Learning Community in Higher Education. Con-
temporary Issues in Education Research, 5(2), 71-74.

3
OPPORTUNITY AWAITS
Here you will find online resources
for professional development webi-
nars and seminars: “Those who know, do. Those who understand, teach.”
NISOD Aristotle (Nowark, 2018).
STAR 12

**Reminder**

When you complete a professional

development seminar, webinar,
conference, please make a copy of
your participation certificate and
send it to me or place it in my mail-
box. Also, you may need to update
your professional development
plan. If you have any questions
about your professional develop-
ment plan or certificates, etc.,
please see me!

totam@laurel.edu /Suite 130/Ext.

2526

Laurel Technical Institute

200 Sterling Ave.
Sharon, PA 16146
2370Broadway Ave,
Laurel Business Institute and Laurel Technical Institute are dedicated to providing career
Hermitage, PA 16148 focused Education and Professional Certifications for Individuals seeking Employment in Various
Careers in Response to the Needs of the Regional Employer Community
Phone: 724-983-0700
Phone: 724-704-7236
E-mail: totam@laurel.edu
We are a Family-Oriented organization committed to making a difference in the lives of our
students and employees by treating all with Love, Dignity and Respect.

We will be the First Choice for students and employers for quality career education.

Commitment to Excellence
Honesty & Integrity
Consistency