By Angela M. Ríos Zuluaga
The Story Behind the Story
This video represents the personal narrative behind my alternative professional learning proposal. I created it to explain the backstory of my idea, the motivation that guided me, and the relevance this shift has for my school community.
Connection to My Innovation Plan
This PL Strategy is rooted in my original Innovation Plan, which outlines the vision, purpose, and long-term goals behind Tech Time: My Time in Kindergarten.
👉 Innovation Plan – Tech Time: My Time in Kindergarten
The Why
This project emerged from years of observing that traditional sit-and-get sessions rarely support teachers in ways that meaningfully impact classroom practice. Research confirms that effective professional development must be active, sustained, and connected to real work (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; Gulamhussein, 2013).
My goal is to advocate for a model where teachers learn by doing, reflecting, collaborating, and practicing with ongoing support. This work is meaningful to me because my purpose as an educator is to empower both students and teachers to grow through authentic learning experiences.
The What
In this section, I present the media I created: a video narrative and a slide deck. These pieces work together to communicate why our organization needs to shift toward alternate, active, extended professional learning models aligned with meaningful instructional change (Duarte, 2010; Harapnuik, 2018).
My Call to Action
My presentation outlines why our organization must move away from traditional one-time training and toward a model of professional learning that reflects real learning principles.
Following Duarte’s presentation structure, the slide deck moves between the current challenges and the vision of what is possible. It emphasizes what we lose when we stay in outdated models and what we gain when we embrace professional learning rooted in:
✔ Extended Duration
✔ Ongoing Support
✔ Active Engagement
✔ Leader Modeling
✔ Subject- or Grade-Level Specificity
The goal of this presentation is to start a conversation with my audience my colleagues and administrators and encourage them to imagine a more connected, purposeful, and powerful learning environment.
Reflection: What I Learned from This Creative Process
Designing this assignment helped me understand that the process is as important as the final product. As I built the media, I paid close attention to the story, the structure, the emotional connection, and the design decisions that would help my message resonate.
I learned to embrace visual storytelling through Duarte’s principles (Duarte, 2010) and to connect every point back to the literature on effective PL. I also became more intentional about crafting messages that honor teacher expertise and acknowledge the real challenges of implementing new strategies in the classroom.
This assignment reaffirmed that professional learning must be dynamic, reflective, and supportive. When teachers experience learning in this way, they feel encouraged, valued, and empowered to make meaningful changes for their students.
The How: Behind the Scenes of My Creative Process
To create my video, I filmed directly in Canva using a clean layout, purposeful imagery, and thoughtful transitions that supported the narrative. I added captions, animations, and visual cues aligned to clear communication principles such as simplicity and emotional connection (McCammon, 2015).
For the slide deck, I used whitespace, consistent color palettes, and minimal text to highlight key ideas. I ensured that each slide supported one main message rather than multiple competing ideas.
Both media projects required careful reflection, alignment to the literature, and intentional design as a communication tool.
Closing Invitation: A Moment for Reflection
As you reach the end of this call to action, I invite you to pause and reflect on what meaningful professional learning could look like for our community. Imagine a space where teachers feel supported, not overwhelmed; where learning is active, not passive; and where growth happens through practice, collaboration, and purpose.
This shift is not only possible it is necessary. Each of us plays a vital role in shaping the culture we want to see. My hope is that this work opens a doorway for honest conversations, shared vision, and the courage to reimagine how we learn together. Our students deserve teachers who are empowered and inspired, and we deserve a professional learning environment that helps us thrive. Let’s build it together.
References
Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute.
Duarte, N. (2010). Resonate: Present visual stories that transform audiences. Wiley.
Gulamhussein, A. (2013). Teaching the teachers: Effective professional development in an era of high stakes accountability. Center for Public Education.
Harapnuik, D. (2018). CSLE + COVA: Creating environments where learners thrive.
McCammon, L. (2015). ENGAGE: Five essential steps to creating video-based learning [TEDx Talk].
Ontario Catholic School Board. (2014). Innovation that sticks: Risk taking [Video]. YouTube.