After my last blog post, the thought of "viral" professional development has been at the forefront of my mind. Have I been approaching things all wrong? I think the answer to that is - maybe. Slowly, but surely I'm working to incorporate non-traditional method of professional development into my arsenal. Yes, arsenal. I am at war after all and plan to win it one small battle at a time. But what I have been doing thus far has seemed haphazard at best. My opportunity for some one-on-on time with a teacher last week just "happened". I have been flying so long without a sense of structure that I know I'm losing focus, and for me that can be dangerous.
I was on twitter when @techchick94 tweeted about a blog post from @injenuity . So, I followed the link and found the following post:
- injenuity » Viral Professional Development - Annotated
- Great article on making professional development go viral and ways to get the word out to others on new tools, applications, etc.
- Great article on making professional development go viral and ways to get the word out to others on new tools, applications, etc.
But beyond those wonderful bullet points, two things really struck me. One was this quote I pulled from her post:
"...but I have found a strategy that is working well and keeping pace with my goals, expectations and work load"This has been my main struggle. Trying to find that balance has been so difficult. I think I am my own worst enemy about biting off more than I can chew in my effort to try and do it all. However, the more balance I am able to find, the more effective I'll become. I know that. Now, I need to follow through on it.
After I read this, however, I honestly felt like I could breathe a bit better:
"You cannot spend time worrying about the instructors who refuse to adopt instructional technology. Just let it go."Just let it go. Four simple words, but they meant a lot to me. Between letting go, creating a better structure for my professional development, and finding that much needed balance, I'm more hopeful about what I can accomplish! Here's to spreading viruses all over the place and watching them fester. Let's hope it's like the common cold - easily spreadable and without a cure!
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professionaldevelopmentFlickr credit: www.flickr.com/photos/djloche/73368648/
2 comments:
Well said! The most exciting thing to me, is when I discover everyone's already doing this! It just isn't in the professional repertoire we learned in school, so we have a hard time accepting that it's alright. I can't wait to hear more about how this is working for you.odmbnsgq
Thanks so much for pointing me to @injenuity's post! It was exactly what I was looking for, but didn't know I needed!
The part of her post I really connected with was the need for both f2f and online avenues for pd.
We've been concentrating solely on f2f for the past few months, but I really think we need to bring in an online element for those teachers that are especially engaged or ready for the next step - it may seem intimidating for those who aren't ready, but those who are will be appreciative, I'm sure. Thanks again for sharing!
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