My initial thought when seeing our blog assignment this week asking us to describe the most recent staff development we implemented made me think of the “whole” staff. I haven’t presented a *true* professional development that lasted more than a demonstration since September!
Most of the “staff development” is pushed out by me instead of formal sessions with the hope of someone being interested enough to grab on. I do this through resource guides such as the “20 Ways to Web 2.0 your Classroom during Black History Month” document I created for the faculty and my weekly Wednesday Web blog posts centered around specific topics. I’m able to push out ideas more specifically to the grade levels that blog their lesson plans as well. I’ve presented to classrooms, but does that count as “staff” development?
Another road block to implementing staff development falls under the “its tech so its part of your job” category such as Scantron Testing, creating weekly bulletins, Study Island, tech repair, etc.
So…based on all of that nonsense the last true staff development I gave was to the 2 second grade teachers in one on one sessions. One of them had recently attended a CPS after school workshop on the Web 2.0 tools wikis and Vokis. She now wanted to know about blogging. I was able to give her copies of blogging tutorials I had created and help her set up a class blog.
The next teacher wanted to make a blog as well only her intent was to begin blogging the second grade lesson plans. As with the first teacher we were able to set up a site easily with the one-on-one format.
Both sessions went well. Both teachers were enthusiastic and thought that they would be able to incorporate this into their classrooms easily. There isn’t anything major I would change, except possibly to have formal follow up sessions with them (which I still may do). Being a former classroom teacher I understand how busy the day becomes so I hate to force myself on them, so to speak. But…the downside of that is sometimes when teachers are not nudged a little it becomes easier to push things like this to the backburner in favor of skill sets they already have mastered. In my role as Lead Technology Teacher I am still trying to find the balance between being too hands off and too much of a pest.
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I bet that the one-on-one session was probably more effective than the whole group session. I have yet to have a large group session that was effective for all of the people involved.
ReplyDeleteHow can effective professional development be determined? Do the participants use what was discussed? In your case, do the teachers continue to blog? Do they blog on their own? I have had two sessions using iPods and only one of the teachers has asked for an iPod, and that was so she could be even more familiar with them. No one has tried with students.
Or should pd be judged as to its effect over a long period of time? Maybe that would be the best way to determine pd effectiveness ... long term rather than short term.
And opt for pestiness. Some teachers just don't respond until that happens.
I agree with Ed, the one on one's are more effective. I think the reason our whole groups are not effective for all is because most of the time our teachers are forced to come to the PD and some are truly NOT interested! Not to mention the 15 other things they were just told they had to do during "teacher directed" time of the PD day.
ReplyDeleteOh Nicole, I totally agree. This position is really all about balance. I think there's a little bit of "trust" involved too. When I first started my position last year I didn't even know the upper grade teachers and they looked at me like I was the new person last year so what do I know. Now feel like I'm in a different place with them and they are much more open to my ideas.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with your thought on the follow up sessions. This has always been my biggest gripe when it comes to professional development. We could actually be involved in a great PD but when that day is over, it's often really OVER!