Building Educator Capacity Through Microcredentials

144 Pages·2022·3.704 MB·English

by  Eric M. Carbaugh, Laura McCullough, Meghan Raftery, Ebbie Linaburg

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Carbaugh, Eric M., author. | McCullough, Laura L., 1954- author. |
Raftery, Meghan, author. | Linaburg, Ebbie, author.
Title: Building educator capacity through microcredentials / Eric M.
Carbaugh, Laura McCullough, Meghan Raftery, and Ebbie Linaburg.
Description: Arlington, VA : ASCD, 2022. | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022011327 (print) | LCCN 2022011328 (ebook) | ISBN
9781416631330 (paperback) | ISBN 9781416631347 (pdf)
Subjects: LCSH: Teachers--Education (Continuing education)--United States.
| Teachers--In-service training--United States. |
Microcredentials--United States.
Classification: LCC LB1715 .C3218 2022 (print) | LCC LB1715 (ebook) | DDC
370.71/1--dc23/eng/20220603
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022011327
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022011328
31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Building Educator Capacity
Through
Microcredentials
Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................vii
Introduction: Why Microcredentials? ............................................................................1
1. The Intersection of Microcredentials and
High-Quality Professional Learning .......................................................................11
2. Meeting School and District Goals ..........................................................................25
3. Selecting Microcredentials .......................................................................................41
4. Designing Microcredentials ......................................................................................55
5. Implementing a Microcredentialing Process ........................................................73
6. Leading for Success .....................................................................................................87
Conclusion .........................................................................................................................99
Appendix A: Microcredential Key Traits Checklist .................................................101
Appendix B: Virginia Beach City Public Schools
Social Awareness Badge Criteria............................................................................105
Appendix C: Microcredential Criteria Checklist for Designers ...........................107
Appendix D: Annotated Microcredential ...................................................................111
Appendix E: Microcredential Reviewers Checklist .................................................117
References .........................................................................................................................121
Index ..................................................................................................................................125
About the Authors ..........................................................................................................129

Acknowledgments
Our understanding of microcredentials and our ability to design and imple-
ment them as tools for professional learning began at an ASCD conference ses-
sion with Sue Z. Beers, now executive director of MISIC: Members Impacting
Students; Improving Curriculum in Iowa. That conference session sparked a
series of conversations, training for our microcredential designers, numerous
phone and Zoom calls, and a lasting friendship. We would not have embarked
on this project had she not encouraged us. Many of the ideas found here origi-
nated with Sue—we thank her for both her inspiration and practical advice. Sue
can be reached at [e-mail].
vii

Introduction:
Why Microcredentials?
Educators know a great deal about how people learn. We know that the
most powerful learning experiences—the ones that “stick”—are authentic and
competency-based. They occur in a real-world context and are designed to
have learners demonstrate what they know by showing what they can do. We
understand that learners vary in their background knowledge, skills, and inter-
ests, so instruction should be personalized to meet diverse and rapidly chang-
ing needs. We know that hearing a lecture (even an interesting one!) does not
equip learners with either deep understanding or competence in a skill. Despite
these understandings, professional learning for educators rarely reflects these
ideas. It is more likely to be standardized than personalized, often involves
listening to or observing experts rather than engaging in active learning, is typ-
ically uncoupled from rather than embedded in educators’ everyday practice,
and seldom includes demonstrations of professional competency.
A variety of professional learning strategies and models are needed to
completely close this gap between what we know about learning and how we
apply it to our practice. We believe that microcredentialing is one of the key
strategies for doing so. In this book, we describe how microcredentials provide
opportunities for flexibility, personalization, engagement, and self-direction
on the part of the learner. We argue that, when designed according to quality
criteria, the process of earning microcredentials occurs within the context of
educators’ professional roles rather than apart from it.
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