Teaching and Learning Academy

The BPS Teaching and Learning Academy is happening this summer, and is truly unlike any PD we have had in our district before.  Teachers from throughout our district have been working together to create a meaningful experience that will help innovate the way we use formative assessments.  

There will be four short workshops delivered throughout the academy, each focusing on a different element of formative assessment.  Feedback is a critical piece of our assessment practice, but does it look the same for each assessment we give?  What can teachers do to enhance student metacognition, and empower kids to take control of their learning?  When are knowledge-level questioning/activities appropriate, and how can teachers structure a rich assessment that allows students to show they are able to apply what they have learned in class and extend those skills to real-world situations? These are just some of the questions we hope to begin answering during the summer academy, and each workshop will challenge participants to reflect on their own practice to identify opportunities for growth.  

There are only so many minutes in a classroom/prep period/day that we can use, so our development team thought that teachers could benefit from using their technology to add efficiencies to their daily routines.  Why even have the technology if it isn’t doing anything that couldn’t be done with an overhead projector and some dry erase markers, right?  The goal of our technology tips sprinkled throughout the academy is to give teachers the tools to work smarter, not harder, so that they can maximize their time in class with students.  

Summer can be a busy time for teachers.  Kids, vacations, part-time jobs, and other commitments can make it difficult for teachers to participate in many different professional development opportunities.  This is why the academy has been designed in a way that accommodates busy summer schedules, and each of the required sessions for the academy are offered multiple times throughout an academy window. Teachers can set their own pace for completing the academy by choosing which sessions work best for them.  You can find more information on the academy website:  https://goo.gl/ycrcw9