District Leadership: Innovation & Transformation in Professional Development at the Bilingual/ES

Our department strives to offer professional development by promoting innovation using the latest trends. “Today’s professional development requires a shift from the more traditional design of pull-out programs, after-hours training and summer learning to a format that brings learning into the forefront of what teachers experience each day in school.” Here are some of the latest trends we are implementing at the Bilingual /ESL Department geared towards results-driven comprehensive professional development.

Blended Learning

We offer a learning management system to deliver a Blended Learning environment. “This approach combines virtual or e-learning techniques with more traditional, in-person training sessions. Employees can learn at their own pace, while benefiting from group collaboration and instructors' real-time feedback.” This approach was taken as a solution to our TELPAS calibration practice.

Online Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

We have outfitted our professional development courses with opportunities to continue and enhance learning using online PLCs via Microsoft Teams. Schools that have opted to participate in this process have become members of our PLC titled "1:1 Blended Learning PLC to support ELLs." Our PLC has grown to 19 members including teachers, school leaders, and district leaders from different campuses.

Virtual Reality

We arranged Brownsville ISD’s first 360 Virtual Reality classroom visit with cooperating campuses: Pullam, Keller, and Brite Elementary. Mrs. Clint, the principal at Brite Elementary, along with two of her campus teachers participated via a live 360 YouTube stream. Using VR headsets and their cellular phones, Brite faculty observed Ms. Denise Gallegos’ Pullam Elementary classroom. After conferring virtually, the teachers met face-to-face in the afternoon, and asked questions about what they saw; the limitations of the physical space were overcome!