Edcamp Perris 2016 - On the bongos - Melinda Isham, lead vocalist - Kathy Steele, stringing on the bango- Tracey Smith, electric guitar - (me) Carrie Northcott, and playing keyboard is Yvette Mezzanatto
Professional Development (PD) seems to be a top priority in just about every job and that goes for the teaching profession as well. But how to go about it just right is perplexing. Impossible to correlate all the different schedules, seeking out substitutes that are qualified to cover attending teachers, and where to send teachers to gain the information that is needed to be developed upon?
In my opinion, school districts would be wise to seek out PD opportunities that will focus in on the integration of 21st Century skills with weaving in of technology to enhance the learning experience for both the teachers and the students. Here are a few of my recent favorites:
1. CUE (Computer-Using Educators) annual conferences have been by far the most mind blowing experience that I have come across over the past eleven years in the classroom. Not only were the presenters knowledgeable and convincing but the attendees contribute to the sessions making it powerful and applicable. Ready for CUE 2016 in Palm Springs next month!
2. GAFE Summit - My district hosted a weekend of sessions led by members of the Google Edtech team and other volunteer presenters from our own schools. The energy that the EdTech team brought was contagious and inspiring. Having your own district host and attend made it an opportunity to collaborate, communicate, critically think of how to apply, and create opportunities like this in our own classrooms.
3. Edcamps - I attended my first Edcamp this past weekend at Pinacate Middle School in Perris, Ca. #EdCampPerris. May have found one of the most powerful ways to help differentiate PD on so many levels.
-You go because YOU WANT to be there.
- It was completely FREE.
- A one day thing for a few hours so no hotel accommodations or reimbursements.
- There is no preset agenda or arranged presenters. The attendees write up suggestions for sessions and then you "vote with your feet" by going to attend one that sounds interesting to you.
- Sessions are not led by just one person but rather the people in the room are all co-presenters and collaborate together to come up with awesomeness that benefits all!
- Walk out and attend another session if that one didn't jive with you. No feelings hurt.
This was so well organized, promoted, attended, and a great use of a morning of digging deeper with others who are just as interested. The picture at the top is from this event. These four ladies with me needed no convincing. I merely gave them the link and brief description and they knew this was a first for me also. Yet, they all came purely because they HAVE a desire to learn for them selves to better their teaching methods and enhance the learning for their students.
4. Self Paced PD - My two colleagues and I are wrapping up a four week personal learning community in the area of integration of technology into the classroom. One school, invitation to all staff, and a handful accepted and have been going through the process with us. Looking forward to reviewing the final data that should be coming in to see how successful this type of PD was on impacting teachers with elevating their confidence in the area of technology integration and closing the gap between teachers that are at all different levels when it comes to technology usage. Appropriately we named it - Ease into Technology for Teachers and another post will come on those results.
5. Finally, all those trainings or workshop days that a school district requires you to attend... stop the groaning and complaining about going. Half the trouble is that there is such a negative attitude about being forced to attend something that the individual misses out on any rich gem that was in plain sight being spoon fed to them during the PD if they opened themselves up enough to grasp it!
Basically it comes down to this, I take advantage of just about any PD opportunities that I can get the opportunity to partake in because I will be there either to glean from the information OR my purpose may be to contribute.
It's all about the attitude, and I have plenty of that!
