The Impact of Coaches on Changing Practice in a 1:1

Research tells us that one-and-done professional development has very little impact. However, ongoing opportunities for job-embedded professional learning increase the chances of professional development changing instructional practice.  In a study done for the Pennsylvania Institute for Instructional Coaching (PIIC), teachers report that they have changed instructional practice as a result of instructional coaching.  Jim Knight's work suggests "that instructional coaching will increase the likelihood that teachers will use the practices with a higher degree of quality..." than teachers who simply attended a workshop.

What does an instructional technology coach do? In this video, Dianne Krause, an instructional technology specialist in the Wissahickon School District talks about her work. Although she does not have the title of instructional technology coach, Dianne's work reflects the Before/During/After cycle of consultation. In this interview, Dianne discusses how her role has evolved over the years - from one of showing teachers which button to push to one that focuses on collaborating with teachers on the effective use of technology. Dianne also talks about how "technology" is now more than just computers.

Sit back and enjoy Dianne's enthusiasm for the next 5 minutes.


 

References

Aguilar, Elena. (2013). How Coaching Can Impact Teachers, Principals, And Students. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/coaching-impact-teachers-principals-students-elena-aguilar

Charner, I., & Mean, Monica.  (2016). Key Findings from The Pennsylvania Institute for Instructional Coaching (PIIC) Teacher and Coach Survey Report.  Retrieved from http://piic.pacoaching.org/images/PIICdocuments/Research_and_Eval/piic%20summary%20report%202015_01-13-16%20pdf.pdf

Knight, Jim and Jake Cornett (n.d.) “Studying the Impact of Instructional Coaching.” University of Kansas, Center for Research on Learning.