Distance Learning

The Penn Charter faculty and administration gained experience and valuable feedback last spring when PC switched to distance learning. Over the summer, teachers continued to build proficiency by engaging in a variety of professional development opportunities.

• Middle and Upper School faculty, as well as some Lower School teachers, enrolled in their first choice for a professional development course with Global Online Academy (GOA), the organization that sets the industry standard for professional development in online and hybrid learning. Course topics/themes include: Online Course Design, Assessment, Student Agency, Wayfinding, and courses specifically designed for building relationships and for Lower School teachers. Over 20 faculty members chose to take a second GOA course and there is the opportunity for others to enroll in a second course if they are interested.
   
• Lower School faculty are engaged in Google Certification training, along with specific professional development related to SeeSaw, a platform used to showcase student work.
   
• The Technology Department and Professional Development subcommittee of the Contingency Planning Committee developed a list of technology-related professional development resources for all faculty. Through our Teaching & Learning Center, we will also offer a series of in-house “teachers teaching teachers” sessions in late summer specifically related to these tech-related resources.
   
• In all three divisions, faculty committees have been formed to look specifically at assessment policies and practices for online and hybrid learning.
   
• School directors and assistant school directors have been engaged with consultants from Leadership + Design on schedule prototyping and formation. Each division has also engaged faculty in their work on schedules.