Much like our students, teachers are also looking for a more engaging way to learn. The traditional sit-and-get method is not the most effective when it comes to professional development either. As a teacher who often has to sit through professional development classes many times a year, I have found that the ones I get the most out of are the ones that I have the opportunity to collaborate with other teachers and get to either make plans for use in my classroom or create things to use in the classroom.
The Self-Directed Learning Fundamentals were interesting when thinking about applying to professional development and adults. A teacher is already aware that learning is their own responsibility but if they have a presenter who doesn't allow them adequate time for learning then they are not able to fully learn and apply the information. Many of these fundamentals connect with the 5 Key Principals of Effective PL effortlessly. When using these two together I can see professional developments becoming even more meaningful and effective.
After watching the video of the Modeling Based Professional Development at Rutgers University you can clearly see how different professional development should be to be the most effective. Students were able to collaborate with peers in a "walk & talk" many times throughout the day with a lot of whole group discussions offering insight and different perspectives to think about. They included video lectures that were prerecorded for students to watch at their own pace and used less time. The teachers of the professional had two examples of flipped classrooms that they were teaching about to allow the students to see what it could look like in action. All of this combined made for an engaging and interesting way to learn about the topic. The main takeaway is "practice what you preach". Why should teachers be learning in a different way than we teach our own students?
Dr. Lodge McCammon. (2015, April 15). Modeling-Based (Flipped) Professional Development at Rutgers University - Dr. Lodge McCammon [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBAmcveOnIM
Camp Stomping Ground. (2015, December 4). Peter Gray - Self-Directed Learning Fundamentals [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoE480mzrk0
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