Professional Learning Networks

A professional learning network is a place an educator can go to for resources, content, support and overall educational relationships that will build their own learning. I have learned so much from online communities as many that are a part of the community are willing to share information or how they completed a task to make it easier for you.

I can compare online communities to a child's preschool class. Picture some three year olds  playing by themselves for a little bit until a new person comes. Then without fail  one child will go to another child, "Look what I have! Do you want to play?" Before you know the whole class is engaged in the new toy and sharing news, toys, and other information about themselves. All the information is helpful and because you go to these sites fellow teachers from all over the world will share information. A few that I enjoy following are as follows:

Flat Classroom Project Vicki Davis and Julie Linsday   (May have to be in the classes to join the ning)
Educator PLN    Thomas Whitby
The Future of Education Steve Hargadon
Google Reader
Teacher 2.0   Steve Hargadon
Microsoft Partners in Learning

Check one out or share if you have found a new one!! There are many communities through conferences too so keep on looking and you will see new ideas coming into your inbox!

Comment and share the new communities that you find!

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Inquiry Research

While attending the iNACOL Conference, I found that most of the sessions were built around research.  The presenters were sharing their findings and how the research affected their way of thinking, instructing, and planning.

This year our staff will be sharing in this experience of completing an inquiry research and gather data to assist in finding information on any "wondering" they may have.  My question is to find out if I help engage staff in different forms of professional learning will it assist them in extending their own professional development?  Therefore, I have a few willing participates to help me find this information and share different professional learning to them throughout the school year.

I will use this blog to share out information but also reflect on my own thoughts during this research!
It will be a fun ride!

Who is ready to join me:)

Opening Opportunities

Recently I took a course that pushed me further into understanding the tools for Power Point.  I have to say I never really was trained on how to use this resource expect uploading some text and a picture.  Through this opportunity, I have learned to make my presentations more interactive, exploding with information, and a way to share all information with different groups of people.

Now that I have completed this task, I am looking forward to taking the Word and Excel exam to further my knowledge for those tools.  Again, I know from working in the Microsoft products but working through the ITAcademy has given me new ways of utilizing these tools!

I would highly recommend learning these tools as it will help you work more effectively in planning, presenting, and reflecting on any presentation!

Where For Art Thou Portfolio???

As all educators look for a way to secure data from their students, teachers need to think of ways to capture their own data to support their instruction. It seems like an simple idea, but collecting data will be challenging for teachers that do not know how to.  What data should I gather?  How much do I need?  When should I start and end the collection?  Why is it important to gather?

First the idea that collecting data for grades only needs to be revised just a bit.  Education needs to be a more well-rounded, real-life experience in order for students to thrive in a global economy.  Yes we need students to remember certain facts and show ways of comprehension, but could grades only be based off of the paper and pencil assessment; absolutely not!

Second, we can look at Bloom's Taxonomy and how we need students to analyze, evaluate, or create to gain a deeper understanding for any content of study.  This is where the search for thou portfolio comes into play.  With all new technologies, gathering data and reflecting on ways to do this task is easier than ever.   The need to gather writing samples, projects, math journals, pictures, problem solving steps, and more in a portfolio can show more than a quick snapshot of a written test.  If schools could develop a way to have the portfolios travel with students could even get a bigger picture of how a student learns, thinks, and creates.

Now how would that be for real-life experience!  Using project-based for learning which in turns changes the way students graduate, pick a college, and career.  Education could be more then “Open your mind so I can pour the info in it.”  Education  could be “Lets work through ideas for find the best solution.”

Lastly the use of portfolios is not a new idea; however, I think the idea of real-life experiences is becoming a buzz word in education which makes the use of a portfolio ideal.  Students, teachers, administrators  and even parents should keep all student information in one place so when they graduate they have a link that demonstrate their growth as a student since kindergarten!  I can see the commercial now by Google:)  I better trademark my idea before it gets out!

Back to the Basics

Over the weekend I heard Apple sold over 2 million phones world wide!  The funny part is I didn't think that many people needed a new phone; but then again it is the latest and greatest tool out there right!  Now fast forward to back to school night that I was attending for  my oldest son.  Every teacher had EVERYTHING posted on their website.  I want to see homework for the day; website, projects; website, grades; website.  All the teachers I visited thought this was awesome that the students could get their materials at any time, even if they were absent.  However, every class I sat in had me fill out a paper survey about my son!  This must still be the latest and greatest thing in schools.Well every class but one.

There was one teacher that spent two years pleading with the district to get iPads for the kids and he finally won.  In that class, I filled out a Google doc on an iPad in a class that will be using Dropbox for submitting assignments.  This all my sound great, but did I tell you my son is on a team in which the 7th grade Falcons use the same teachers.  So why am I filling out a survey for each teacher when Mr. Tech lover could have just shared the info on Google Drive.

The whole point of this story is one thing:  change!  Schools need to listen to a teacher that is willing to spend two years of meetings, presentations, budgeting, and data collecting for 30 iPads as they are the practitioners.  The teachers are the mover and shakers, but will not be able to move and shake if administration is not willing to change.  Administration will not change unless the state regulations change, and then the federal governments roll in education.

As I see this year, it will be changing for my son as new tools are coming his way!  Especially the mom factor:  accessing homework and projects everyday is awesome.  But to me this is old hat as PA Virtual continues to have this information available and has for a few years.  Again change needs to happen and we need to get back to the basics:  educating child in any avenue possible!

Is Reflection Part of our Professional Learning

There are tons of pull and push resources in which I gather to share with my staff.  I pull information from places like Twitter, FB, various nings, and even Google Reader.  I am able to decide which materials are relevant to me, ones that I could share with others, and those that I may not need just yet.

I also have resources that I like to push information out to others like Glogster or even blogger where I can assist others with resources and materials that maybe others can utlize.  (At that is what I try to do:)

But how do I pull or push out reflection on what I am trying to accomplish in my little world of professional learning.  Where can I go for that information or how can I send it out to others??  So I have to take some time to think for myself and see what I am doing is really working.  I would like to say yes, but data could say no.  Therefore, I am going to start thinking about how I can pull in reflection on a daily basis and push out my ideas or thoughts to those that may be able to pull in one nugget of information.

I am going to start to keep a OneNote book about my daily reflections and see where it takes me.   I am going to review what I do on a daily basis and then see how I can improve my own professional learning and the learning of others.   There is something important to putting ideas down on to open up a place for new thoughts and I am going to give it a shot!   

Does anyone else feel like they are in a tug of war with ideas??