Interesting Observations
I recognized that my focus of creating curriculum for early literacy is shared by other educators and most of the research is consistent. Early literacy is a global issue of concern in countries all over the world. The fact that technology is becoming more ingrained within our everyday lives and more often than not, technology is what connects us all over the world without ever leaving this country. The need for early literacy to be taught before kindergarten is there, and with this in mind our educational system needs to provide earlier education opportunities for literacy.
The Status of My Innovation Plan
My innovation plan is currently has not been implemented. This is because of my current duties on my job and the limited time I have one co-worker that is willing to help me. We need to meet with each other to orientate her to the plan. I am hopeful that over the holiday break we will be able to get together.
The Need for improvement
I recognize that I did not plan ample enough time for professional development. I have read quite a bit of research information and most of my plan is based on studies that I have read about that were successful. This is encouraging, but because I sometimes feel over-whelmed with daily required job duties, I tend to procrastinate about starting. As a result, change sometimes comes slower because of feeling unprepared. I reviewed my professional development plan and felt even though; I have an abundance of information for implementation, the section for professional development should be extended.
Getting Additional Help
I decided from my research that professional development is the most important part of my plan. When I initially started my plan I got inspired by the story of KIPP in South Los Angeles (Khan Academy, 2014). After reviewing some of the obstacles they face I recognized that I have some of the same things delaying my plan. Budget concerns have caused me not to have the extra help in the classroom (Horn, 2015). This year my teacher-aide has been taken away because of budget cuts. KIPP uses the station rotation model in the learning environment to incorporate the technology and when teaching early learners the extra help in the classroom makes a difference. Looking at the case study of KIPP, teachers were given time to observe other professionals that transitioned to blended learning (Khan Academy, 2014). My level of experience with this model is very limited, so I think I would benefit from professional development that is includes observation of another professional who has completed this transition into blended learning.
References
Khan Academy. [High-Quality Blended Learning]. (2014). Case study #2: Teaching in a station rotation model at KIPP LA. Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/ssf-cci/sscc-teaching-blended-learning/sscc-blended-case-studies/v/sscc-blended-kippteach
Horn, Michael B.(2015). Blended : using disruptive innovation to improve schools. San Francisco, CA :Jossey-Bass
Empowering Others With Knowledge 