Internship
Approach
To best support my internship requirements, my lead supervisor allowed me to create my own course or repository based on a needs analysis conducted with my current employer, Wicklow Elementary Magnet School for Global Pathways.
Educators within SCPS can access this website for clarity and direction on curriculum and procedures pertaining to the Response to Intervention (RTI) or Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) processes.
Deliverables
Wicklow Response to Intervention (RTI) Hub
The theme of Wicklow Elementary School as of 2022-2023 was racing and related to "High Velocity Learning", with the school logo "We've Got a Need for Speed!". The theme, implies that faculty and students can work quickly and diligently while having fun, to increase proficiency, overall school grade, and morale.
Using the link provided, anyone within SCPS can access any hyperlink to county purchased and licensed resources. For those outside of SCPS, restricted content may be present due to curriculum copyright parameters.
The site includes nearly 30 pages of laymen's information between ELA and Math RTI resources for K-5 Tier 1-3 instruction.
Process
The process I followed was the ADDIE Instructional Design Model. Though my project was a repository rather than a course, the model was perfect. A summary of the process is detailed below:
Analysis
What are the school's needs? The school has a need to bolster student performance for all tiers of learning K-5 in all core subjects, specifically in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics.
What are objectives? An RTI repository will allow teachers to inquire and research a multitude of resources at their own pace, leading to confident and correct implementation of interventions in a manner that is consistent with district and curriculum expectations.
What is currently in place? Teachers attend an RTI/MTSS Professional Development in the early weeks of the school year to receive information. Often, teachers are not present, misinterpret or misunderstand the information and are too busy to follow up or hesitate to ask for support.
Teachers often continue using the resource that is easiest or most familiar to them, rather than what is best for the student, simply out of necessity.
Design
What kind of engaging methodology can I select? The school has adopted a race car theme, the design will include elements related to racing and speed. I have chosen real images in comparison to illustrations due to the target audience and of the important nature of the content. Ironically, the school theme also aligns with the new statewide standardized F.A.S.T Assessment.
What will the end-to-end learner experience look like? From start to finish, the learner can choose the resource they wish to learn more about in either ELA or Math. The learner can gain clarity on the intervention process for the resource chosen for Tier 1, 2, or 3 instruction without attending a PD or meeting with an instructional coach. The design is relatively simplistic and desired information can be easily found through the home screen links.
Develop
What feedback do stakeholders have on draft materials? The feedback obtained from my internship supervisor pertained to accessibility, reminding me to ensure Alt-text was used for all images. I also received feedback in regards to color scheme, avoiding red or choosing a deeper version of my initial font.
I researched what the intended RTI instruction should look like with posted curricular resources and relayed "how-to" information in laymen's terms for educator convenience. I consulted with SME's, i.e. instructional coaches and educators to ensure the information was not only accurate, but perceived as helpful.
I used Google Sites as a website platform as SCPS has taken on Google platforms for the majority of their shared content. Learning to navigate Google Sites was not difficult but involved some learning curves as I wanted the theme to be unique; I would have liked the ability to include learner interactions which would have been permittable using a more advanced authoring tool.
Implement
How can I support facilitators to deliver information? Needing no true facilitator for the repository, instructional coaches and grade level team leaders need to be informed of the site, it's navigation, and be provided with a brief explanation of data collection hyperlinks.
How will leaders be engaged? The RTI Hub provides leaders with an up-to-date and district approved information system which explains the basics of implementing interventions and streamlines practices for recording and sharing RTI/MTSS data. The information, serving as a guide for educators to conduct interventions within their classroom effectively, allows for administrators to feel confident their teachers understand schoolwide procedures and new curriculum.
Leaders now have a resource they can share with teachers who may be new to the field of teaching, new to the district, or unclear of the school's procedures in terms of RTI/MTSS policies.
Evaluate
How have learners shifted in skills, knowledge, and behavior? Learners have gained knowledge through self-paced learning. This site allowed teachers to develop required skills and allowed them confidence in providing instruction.