Frontline Blog

Implementing professional learning programs to meet the needs of all teachers and staff has always been challenging. Over the past few months, a monumental shift has thrust many schools and districts into what feels like a tailspin: “We have to put together online personalized content using new resources and tools — as quickly as possible!”

Micro-credentials are picking up steam in the professional learning world. From what you’ve heard, you might think of them as merely a series of badges learners can earn (more on that later). But there is far more to micro-credentials than that.

There are so many reasons to use online learning as part of your professional development strategy. Classes available on-demand? Just click a button. The ability for hundreds of individual people, each engaging in unique learning that meets a wide variety of needs? Check. Cost-savings compared to in-person workshops? You bet.

Teacher engagement in professional learning is a topic we’ve talked about a fair amount at Frontline Education. How can school systems increase that engagement? And what does it look like to put teachers in control of their own PD? Providing relevant, just-in-time PD opportunities is part of the answer — and online professional development course libraries can provide a wealth of on-demand learning for teachers. But the district’s role doesn’t stop there. Studies have shown that ongoing district support is vital if such a program will be successful.  

Though many organizations have heard the term “learning management system” (LMS), only those in the educational space have heard the term "Professional Development Management System" (PDMS), and for good reason: the two do not perform the same functions or meet the same objectives. That matters to any educational organization considering which type of system they need.

You’ve probably heard a lot of terms around online learning like synchronous and asynchronous, on demand, blended, eLearning, and if you’re really paying attention, LMS and SCORM. It probably feels like a lot to learn for something that’s just an augmentation to face-to-face learning, right? 

You know how creative learning strategies help your students learn. You see the benefits when students absorb teaching outside of classroom time, then come together with teachers and classmates to practice and apply what they’ve learned. Trying (and sometimes failing) in a safe place solidifies the lesson. ​“Flipped learning” is clearly good for students. Why don’t we offer it for our teachers?

In a time when all can agree that quality professional development (PD) experiences are invaluable, it is harder to get stakeholders to agree on what constitutes quality and what type of PD experiences are likely to be effective. One emerging trend is a “flipped PD” model that is a perfect fit for busy schedules and differentiated learning needs, while making the most of collaboration. Let’s examine existing models and compare them with “flipped PD.”