Leveling Up: Gamified Ed Tech Clubs for Teacher Growth and Collaboration

Purpose & objective

Abstract:
Join us on a transformative journey into the realm of Ed Tech Clubs, where we redefine teacher development. Dive into the world of gamified Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and explore their potential to revolutionize teaching and learning with technology. Discover practical approaches, tools, and resources to create engaging, collaborative, and results-driven Ed Tech Clubs that cater to teachers at every point in their ed tech journey.

Description:
In this engaging session, we will address the formidable challenge of catering to a diverse range of tech expertise among teachers. We'll explore how Ed Tech Clubs, underpinned by the Universal Design for Learning approach and driven by S.M.A.R.T. goals, serve as the solution to this challenge. Additionally, we'll delve into gamification theory, drawing insights from groundbreaking research.

Key Takeaways:

Customized Professional Development: Learn how to organize, structure, and program Ed Tech Clubs to empower teachers at all tech proficiency levels.
Universal Design for Learning: Discover how this framework is integrated into the structure of Ed Tech Clubs to facilitate personalized learning experiences.
S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting: Explore the power of setting Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals within the club context.
Gamification Insights: Gain insights from the latest research on gamification, as exemplified in the paper "Practices of Professional Learning Communities" by Markku Antinluoma, Liisa Ilomäki, and Auli Toom.
Interactive Experience:
Attendees will actively engage in the Ed Tech Personality Finder quiz, gaining firsthand experience of a teacher's perspective and stimulating meaningful discussions. Furthermore, all resources, including guides to create personalized quizzes and facilitate SMART goal setting, as well as club programming materials, will be made available to participants post-session, empowering them to drive teacher independence and innovation.

Outline

Introduction (5 minutes):
Welcome and session overview.
Brief explanation of the challenges faced in teacher development regarding ed tech.

Ed Tech Clubs: A Solution (10 minutes):
Defining Ed Tech Clubs and their significance.

Evidence & Theory (10 minutes)
Highlighting the Universal Design for Learning approach in club structure.
Introducing the concept of S.M.A.R.T. goals within clubs.
Gamification Theory, drawing insights from the research paper "Practices of Professional Learning Communities."
Exploring gamification theory and its relevance to Ed Tech Clubs.

Interactive Experience & Resource Showcase (20 minutes):
Ed Tech Personality Finder Quiz
Participants take the quiz to experience the teacher's perspective.
Presenting ready-made resources for Ed Tech Clubs.
Guides to create personalized quizzes and facilitate SMART goal setting.
Club programming materials to drive teacher independence and innovation.

Q&A and Discussion (15 minutes)
Open floor for questions, discussions, and sharing of experiences.
Encouraging attendees to brainstorm ways to adapt Ed Tech Clubs in their institutions.

Throughout the presentation, we'll encourage audience participation through:
Interactive questions/polling to gauge the audience's familiarity with the topics.
Group discussions and sharing of insights and experiences.
Ed Tech Personality Finder Quiz
The use of real-world case studies to illustrate the effectiveness of Ed Tech Clubs.
Q&A sessions after each major segment to address immediate queries.

Supporting research

https://www.iste.org/explore/professional-development/4-benefits-action-professional-learning-community
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563221002867
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.617613/full