During a professional development session a while back I thought I killed someone. He didn’t respond when his name was called. He didn’t respond I tapped his shoulder. Finally, he responded when I shook him a bit harder. Lucky for me (and him) he was just asleep. But it was a wake up call to…
Source: CodeCampus Academy So you’re burned out with all of the sites out there that help students learn to code, and you are feeling envious that they have options and you don’t. Well, time to turn that frown upside down with CodeCampus Academy, professional development for teachers to learn coding! The service helps you get started…
You don’t need to be a Dickens scholar to understand that for many teachers it is both the best of times and the worst of times. Let’s start with the good stuff. Digital innovation is inspiring imagination. Educators from all over the world are learning how to responsibly blend technology into their teaching, while sharing…
I popped my head into one session: there were only two people in the room — talking about Mentoring New Principals. Initially, I was saddened at the small turnout in this particular session. Until I realized the these two people would not have met and had a professional discussion about a topic both cared about if it wasn’t…
Strategies for doing more with less include adequate PD around new technology, embracing mobile solutions, low-cost high tech, and expanding the ownership of school policy making. Source: Doing More With Less: PD, Resources, and Ownership When talking about PD, I think one piece that seems to be missing way too often is helping teachers learn…
Connecting globally is really powerful, but how do we use this medium in a way to enhance professional learning and empower the voice of teachers in our own building. Sometimes seeing the impact of using Twitter on a global level brings ideas back into our classrooms, but perhaps using Twitter locally could push people to connect others…
Let’s start by giving “professional development” a definition. PD is a process that responds to a phase of personal growth and self-realization experienced by each individual. Professional development allows the person to establish an itinerary of evolution, taking into account the person’s work experience, acquired knowledge and vocation. But good PD is so much deeper…
He told me about an email he got from his district. Over the summer teachers were going to go to some professional development in their content area. The district had looked over where the majority of teachers were weak and were going to provide them some learning in those areas. When he looked at what…
This book reaffirms what I have speculated for a while; the majority of schools and districts gauge the effectiveness of professional development with nothing more than teacher surveys. As Guskey informs the reader, “Sadly, the bulk of professional development today is evaluated only at Level 1 [participant reaction], if at all. Of the rest, the…
A Principal’s Reflections: Waving Goodbye to Drive-By PD There has been a great deal of knocks on professional development as of late and rightfully so. More often than not, professional development is something that is done to educators as opposed to an experience that they truly value for growth. For many, district professional development is…