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Alternative Professional Learning (PL) Plan Outline​

Professional Learning for World Languages & Cross-Disciplinary Teams
By Guadalupe Marín — AP Spanish Teacher, Pasadena High School

 

Overview

“Learning Without Borders” is my innovation plan designed to transform professional learning by shifting from passive, one-time workshops to collaborative, interdisciplinary, and sustained professional learning cycles. This PL plan equips teachers with the tools, modeling, and support needed to integrate AI-based conversation simulations, digital storytelling, and culturally responsive instructional strategies that enhance student engagement and linguistic confidence across multiple disciplines.​
 

Five Key Principles of Effective Professional Learning (Gulamhussein, 2013)​

1. Duration: Sustained, Long-Term Growth

Professional learning will occur over an entire academic year, allowing teachers to gradually implement, reflect on, and refine their use of AI tools and student-centered instructional practices. Monthly PLC cycles, semester reflections, and coaching meetings will maintain momentum and deepen learning. 

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2. Support: Coaching, Feedback & Implementation Help

Teachers will receive consistent coaching, including:

  • One-on-one support for designing AI conversation tasks

  • Classroom visits and co-teaching opportunities

  • Guidance integrating digital storytelling and culturally responsive elements

  • Troubleshooting challenges with lesson planning and technology

This ensures that teachers are supported beyond the initial training (Hill, 2015).

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3. Active Engagement: Teachers Learn by Doing

All PL sessions are hands-on and interactive:

  • Teachers practice AI conversation simulations as learners

  • Teachers create their own digital storytelling exemplars

  • Teachers analyze student artifacts to evaluate growth

  • Teachers participate in role-play demonstrations

This approach mirrors the active, authentic learning we expect for students.
 

4. Modeling: Leaders Demonstrate the Practice

I will model:

  • A full AI-supported Spanish dialogue activity

  • Digital storytelling with Canva

  • How to scaffold student talk with sentence frames

  • How interdisciplinary teams can merge Spanish, English, and History content.

Modeling demonstrates feasibility, builds teacher confidence, and provides a clear vision of classroom implementation.

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5. Subject-Specific Learning: Relevant, Discipline-Aligned PD

While the innovation begins with World Languages, PL extends to English and History teachers who can apply:

  • AI for dialogue, debate, and written feedback

  • Digital storytelling for narrative or historical analysis

  • Cross-cultural learning tied to global perspectives

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Collaboration

Collaboration is essential to this PL model.
PL will include:

  • Cross-disciplinary teams (Spanish–English–History) co-designing lessons

  • Monthly PLC discussions analyzing student work and sharing strategies

  • Peer observations of AI-enhanced lessons

  • Teacher-led showcase sessions

This collaborative structure turns isolated innovation into collective growth.
 

Leadership

Lead Facilitator:

  • Guadalupe Marín — models AI conversations, digital storytelling, and culturally responsive strategies.​

Supporting Leaders:

  • Spanish Department Chair

  • Campus Instructional Technologist

  • Instructional Coach

  • Volunteer teacher-leaders from English & History

These leaders will facilitate PLC sessions, provide coaching, and help maintain implementation consistency.

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Audience & Needs

Primary Audience

  • Spanish 1–AP Spanish teachers

  • English teachers (literacy, narrative writing, digital storytelling)

  • History teachers (cultural connections, primary-source storytelling)​

Needs Identified

  • Instructional support for using AI responsibly

  • Modeling of student-centered approaches

  • Time to collaborate on interdisciplinary tasks

  • Culturally responsive learning strategies

  • Consistency across grade levels

  • Tools for increasing student talk, confidence, and creativity

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Instructional Design for PL

Model Selected: BHAG (Collins, 2013) + Fink’s 3-Column Table (Fink, 2013)

This approach clearly connects learning goals, activities, and assessments, ensuring alignment across the year.​

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BHAG (Collins, 2013)

By year’s end, World Language teachers will confidently design and deliver tech-enhanced, communicative Spanish lessons that support students’ growth from low-novice to high-novice proficiency.

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The 3-Column Table (Fink, 2013) outlines:

  • The learning goals for teachers

  • The activities they will complete

  • The evidence or assessments that demonstrate growth​​​

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​Timeline

Phase 1:Launch & Foundations

(August–September)

  • Develop PL curriculum with instructional coach and language department

  • Build AI conversation exemplars and digital storytelling models

  • Create resource hub (Google Drive + Canvas)

  • Two-day launch PL

  • Teachers complete hands-on AI and storytelling workshops

  • Teachers set first-semester goals

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Phase 2:
Implementation & Coaching
(October–February)

  • Classroom observations with feedback

  • Lesson co-design sessions

  • Data review: student dialogue samples and writing artifacts

  • Semester reflection & collaborative analysis of student progress

  • Update strategies and set Spring goals

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Phase 3:
Reflection & Scaling
(March–May)

  • Student growth analysis

  • Teacher reflection

  • Continued coaching

  • Cross-disciplinary collaborations

  • Teacher showcase presentations

  • Update materials

  • Expand to more grade levels or departments

  • Plan next-year integration

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Resources Needed​

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References

Collins, J. C. (2025). BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). Jim Collins. https://www.jimcollins.com/concepts/bhag.html

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Daniels, E. (2014). Teacher-driven professional development. Educational Leadership, 71(8), 37–41.

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Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses (Rev. & updated ed.). Jossey-Bass.

 

Gulamhussein, A. (2013). Teaching the Teachers Effective Professional Development in an Era of High Stakes Accountability. Center for Public Education. Retrieved from http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/system/files/2013-176_ProfessionalDevelopment.pdf

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Harapnuik, D. (2018). COVA: It’s about learning – Creating significant learning environments. It’s About Learning. http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6991

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Hill, H. (2015). Review of The Mirage: Confronting the hard truth about our quest for teacher development.

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TNTP. (2015). The Mirage: Confronting the hard truth about our quest for teacher development.

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