Professional Learning Plan

Shawn Allison

2017-2018
2

• Faith Goal
• Essential Question
Contents • Why did I Choose…?

of my •
•
What’s the Plan?
What’s the Timeline?
Professional • Evidence of
Implementation
Learning • Impact on Student
Plan Learning
• Final Thoughts
• References
 “Connect with Something Bigger”

My Faith Goals
2017-2018

My goal is to embrace my unique skill sets and use them to foster

valuable skills and talents in students with similar skill sets and
interests: (Coaching/Sports/Physical/Guitar/Education/Science/Ma
th/Technology/Leadership/Mentorship)

I will create webpages for my Religion 9 course

I plan on creating projects that will include Religion and Health
outcomes.

I will create a Year End mass with my grade 9's

I will attend mass on a weekly basis and get our marriage blessed
in the Catholic Church.
 Essential Question

September: How can Gamification allow me to engage every student in

my classroom and drive learning forward?

Note: After researching gamification I have decided that the process is not
worth the product although it would be really fun and engaging. I feel that
it’s just another way to do what I already do – develop engaging hands on/
authentic activities that foster/promote strong learning ties to the content.

May: How can I use hands on/authentic tasks to foster accelerated learning
in a shorter amount of time? (Prior to the end of the year/P.A.T.) While
covering important curriculum that has been covered by other teachers
(while I was out) but needs to be reinforced.
 Why did I Choose (Gamification/Hands on Authentic Tasks) ?
Why does your particular topic move student learning forward?
What do we know about the topic you have chosen?
Sept: Students(most people) tend to enjoy games and using their hands – which encourages greater
learning.
May: Learning while using their hands in a meaningful way will promote a stronger tie to the
material.

How does your Essential Question align with your Program of Studies?
Sept: I will construct units that are based off of the Science 7 curriculum. Possibly one Science 8
unit.
May: The hands on assignments and Labs with have a direct tie to the most important concepts in
each unit of studies.

How does your choice align with the particular set of students that you teach?
Sept: A majority of the boys in my classroom are developing their ability to stay attentive. They all
are gamers and I believe they will be more focused.
May: My grade 8’s and 9’s are have been doing authentic tasks and building projects with me for
several years. All of them have shown a greater retention of the information from year to year.
 What’s the Plan?

Choose a method to explain your plan in an organized, detailed

manner that is clear, concise and thought-provoking.
Will you use any “before and after” data?

Sept: I will read/study the gamification book from Scott Hebert. I will visit Mr.
Barber’s classroom and have discussions with him about the design of his and my
classroom. I will build my first units in Science 7 and 8. I will incorporate: Online
Socrative testing and current projects to see if student learning is . I will compare
student results during and at the end of each unit – through data in Powerschool and
Socrative tests from last year.

May: I will use the following hands on activities: Sci 7: Plant project/dissection,
Electrocity Online Game, Sci 8: Pulley LAB and class Rube Goldberg, Sci 9: Pond
LAB, Azimuth LAB, Chemistry build, Electricity circuit build – with Power and Energy.
I will use socrative testing and P.A.T. data to compare. I have also used the P.A.T. data
from the last few years to focus what needs to be improved or reinforced this year.
 What’s the Timeline?

To ensure consistent and continuous growth, plan out your actions

and activities.
This is a sample timeline you could use:

WHAT AM I DOING ON…..? WHAT DID MY GROUP WHAT DO I NEED TO DO

DISCUSS? ON OR BEFORE THE NEXT
PD DAY?
SEPT 22 Research gamification and
N/A visit Barber’s class
OCT 27
N/A (Out) N/A (Out)
DEC 1
N/A (Out) N/A (Out)
FEB 2
N/A (Out) N/A (Out)
APR 20 Discussing with my Plan and setup Labs and
principal, I will create Authentic Tasks
these activities for the
most important outcomes Pulleys (Mechanical
and any that need to be Systems), Water(LAB),
reinforced since I was out. Rollercoaster……
JUNE 1 Outside Ponds Lab (gr 9
Science
 Evidence and Reflection
This is a collection of information and a series of reflection pieces that shows what
you did to drive student learning forward and your thought process throughout the
year.

Students have already been engaged in the Science 9 doing a rocket lab and
chemistry in a lip lock bag lab, building atoms with their hands.
Sci 8: developing a large rube Goldberg with their class
Sci 7: Playing Electrocity – online game about Electricity and Environment For
example:
 Impact on Student Learning

Did my actions have an impact on student learning?

I believe my actions did have an impact on student learning. I have
covered and recovered the most important outcomes while using
hands on authentic tasks – which has reinforced strong learning ties.
How do I know?
Conversations
Product
Socrative testing
P.A.T.
 Final Thoughts
What would I change if I were to do this again?
I had to deal with being out – I would change that however, I didn’t have a choice. I would have
asked the outgoing teacher to place a copy of all assignments into a folder for me for when I got back.

What was the biggest challenge for me?

May: To figure out all that has been covered and all content that needs to be reinforced while I was
out. Then to timeline all I need to do prior to the P.A.T. and the end of the year.

What was the most important thing I learned?

Certain progressive teaching practices look very interesting and can be very beneficial, however, they
can be a version of reinventing the wheel. I feel that over the past 5 years I have been incorporating
many new progressive teaching strategies and have shaped my classes in a way that really promotes
differentiation and engagement for all. I do like gamification but I think its just an engaging cover of
what I do already.

What am I most proud of?

To be in a place with my teaching practices that I am comfortable to know what is important in the
curriculum, that I can teach using non-traditional practices with a tight deadline and that I fostered
relationships with my students so when I came back they were ready to just go like nothing had ever
happened.
What is the next step in my learning?
Continue to incorporate Health/Religion/Aboriginal aspects into my projects/hands on authentic tasks
 References

Please list all sources that you utilized.

This can also include any Personal Learning Network(s)

EXAMPLES:

Scott Hebert – Gamification

Mr. Barber – Game and Website
Science in Action 7.8.9
PHET – Science Website
Electrocity – Website
Conversation with Dan Standring – Pulley Lab, Water Testing Lab
Conversation with my principal while making a plan for the rest of the year May-
June