Another school year is about to begin and as always they begin with teacher professional development days. State required and for the most part teacher pure drudgery. I could elaborate as to why this is so and site endless examples and sources but time to move past the obvious and look into the future.
What would happen if professional development planning could think outside the box...literally the physical box of the school building. Technology is here and it is time to use it with teaching staff in the same way it is being developed and used with students. Here is an example of a professional development using a technology mind set....
Staff arrive (not in the school building or classroom but at a site of choice ie. home, library, business, out of district school, student home,etc.)
Staff get on line and open a google document and begin the district wide learning plan.
Staff interact with other staff , parents, students, businesses, schools via chat lines, blogs, skype, twitter and record input on google docs.
Information is shared, lead team organizes the information into a wiki page which all share holders can access and add to.
Next professional development day roles are rotated, sites are rotated, and previous information is evaluated as to a plan to continue with the district wide learning plan.
Now I know I have probably not used all the correct technology resources available. I also know that making sure that computer access is key to success. I also know that if we want to enable students to learn via technology educators have to use it to teach and train their own. It is just common sense! 1 to 1 technology should be starting with educators so let's start!!!
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Your last comment is so true, yet it is the place we see it the least. Educators should be leading the pack, yet because of expectations in other areas (NCLB, budget changes, legalitites, etc.) we don't. I really feel it is because of the learning dip. We know if we change someting, it may initially drop those sacred scores, and we'll be held accountable before the improvement curve kicks in.
ReplyDeleteThis is where educational leadership styles come into importance. The change in professional development will have to start from the top and work down. This looks like I am putting it all on administration and I am at this point. A superintendent can lead the idea and build it with principals , tech people, AEA consultants, and business and community. Next step down would be to have principals locate staff with ideas and abilities to organize at that level. Next level have staff find resources, needs, and evaluate students needs or resources. It is a full circle idea that has to start somewhere. Professional Development time can turn from a required meaningless (and costly to taxpayers) task to a covetted time for staff, teachers, administrtors, and community. I know I am thinkig big but thinking small just gets a professional development day that remains the same, inadequate. Educational Leaders need to lead the pack in the role of what education can be by taking a risk and starting with professional development. The need is there, the technology is available, the resources and people are employed, time to take the risk, time to take the time, time to lead!!
ReplyDeleteProfessional development does not have to exist on PD days. Technology makes it possible anywhere and anytime. Without the building and time constraints what can be in the form of professional development is expotential. Time to take the challenge and become expotential. I will update my progress as the year progresses. Please add your ideas and actual experiments, yes experime.nting with PD is expected
ReplyDeleteLetting staff choose PD topics, times, and places is an interesting attempt to give teachers ownership of the PD concept. Throwing it out there is fine but many teachers do not focus on it or embrace it because they have been trained that PD time is not important because it is never as relevant as what they are doing in the classroom. Sooo how to get staff to take the first bite? Make a list of great choices, discuss the choices by embracing them yourself (administration)and if need be put a time limit on the choice. If no choice is made make a choice for them. Sounds like a classroom procedure. You would be right.
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