Is the Water any Good?!

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink."

We’ve all heard it before, but implicit in the adage is the underlying assumption that the water is good.  In the case of Professional Development (PD) this is not always true!

I have been guilty of serving-up PD that didn’t hit the mark.  It's in humble reverence for the amazing educators in our school that I share my "epic fail."

I was recently reminded of the most basic PD principle; if something is content-heavy or complicated make sure the path and process are light.

 

We are in the midst of a two month “Flipped Faculty Meeting” series.  The content delves into some intensive reading research and learning about culturally responsive teaching.  It is scholarly and involved.  This complex content is paired with an online learning approach that utilizes our school’s Moodle platform along with some faculty online forum postings.  The online forum process is also new to many staff members.  Both the content and the process are complex.  How did I miss it?!

Fortunately I’m surrounded by an amazing team of teachers that communicate their professional needs in an open and trusting manner.  (Best of all....they are gifted. They truly "get" the importance of relationships and are doing inspiring work with technology integration.)  A leader on staff met with me to solution-seek a means to moving forward on our PD plans so that each and every staff member was learning in a manner that was responsive to their needs.  When collaboration along these lines occurs our kids are the winners!

I’m hoping the short story above highlighted two things:

•  Planning PD for the digitally connected age requires leaders to be more purposeful than ever before.  We cannot assume that an entire staff or building has the same exact needs.  Nor can we project our own readiness-level with regard to a content area, tech/tool, etc. on anyone else.

• Listen to your people.  Put the power of their learning in their hands and support them in an unswerving and wildly passionate manner.  By collaborating with the all-stars on staff you can successfully plan PD that offers multiple pathways to collective growth.

Remember…we can’t always assume that the “water” is inherently good.  Be reflective and critically evaluate the process you’re using to move to new frontiers.  Here’s to wishing you the best of luck in moving forward.   

Photo Credits:

www.bubblews.com

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=664578

Teach me to teach better - some ideas for better PD

Widely agreed upon by all tweeps was the idea that professional development (PD) needed to be a learning experience that allowed teachers to do rather than just listen passively.

Too often, PD is treated like a college lecture, the complete opposite of what we are asked to do as teachers with our students. The most successful sessions that folks remembered were those where choice was involved and the opportunity to learn something new and practice it were provided.

Turns out teachers do want to learn and be inspired, but enough bad experiences with PD have put them off in a way that is sometimes hard to get them back.

We all just want materials that we can take back into our classroom the very next day. If the ideas are too esoteric, they won’t translate the way they need to


Not too ironically, teachers are a lot like the students we teach. We want to be a part of what is going on so that we can have some ownership in what we learn AND we are not all the same. Since our needs are wildly different, one size can’t fit all.

Here is some of what I’ve learned:

• PD can be flipped the same way a classroom can be – as per Sharon Plante
• PD should include a way to get teachers involved, hands on activities
• PD should provide choice – perhaps allowing teachers to take part in a G-survey and then allow that to drive sessions
• PD should be differentiated and meaningful to everyone
• PD should be planned with teachers – organized with purpose and in advance
• PD should be led by teachers sometimes
• Guest speakers should sometimes be brought in for PD: Folks like Alan November from November Learning or Dave Burgess, author of Teach like a Pirate
• PD should include the opportunity to learn new technologies and the time to play with them and brainstorm ways to use them effectively
• PD should be collaborative with our colleagues – a conversation, something worthwhile that engages us
• PD should offer variety – like an edcamp  - teachers should be able to choose on the day
• PD can happen in the back channel and we should be aware of what is happening that isn’t in front of us
• PD should encourage open minds and inspire further learning – it doesn’t have to happen in the meeting – Twitter Chats are really useful PD
• PD should offer and allow time for reflection of learning – make it important
• Blogging about PD is one way to reflect on what is learned and how it will be used

Professional Development is integral part of how we improve as educators. We want to be treated as our students do, with respect and professionalism.

What was your most memorable PD experiences and why? Do they fit into any of the above categories? Please share