This post is for folks attending Anne Smith's and my presentation(s) at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Catholic Schools Tech Weekend. If you have any questions/issues you'd like us to address, please leave a comment.
Here is the web page that has some of the examples we'll be sharing.
How do you get teachers to WANT TO participate in staff development?
ReplyDeleteDo you ever have a problem with inappropriate posts by students?
ReplyDeleteAny suggestions for getting students excited to learn? Even when using current technologies for authentic learning using things like blogging and podcasting, they still don't seem to really get into it or care that the whole world can read what they are writing about.
ReplyDeleteKarl, it was great to meet you yesterday at SLA. I wish we'd had more time to talk. It looks as though your presentation got some good feedback with practical concerns. Wish I'd read your post sooner, would have tried to drop by.
ReplyDeleteHopefully we addressed those questions adequately during the presentation. For those of you following along at home, here's the condensed version.
ReplyDeleteQ: "How do you get teachers to want to participate in staff development?"
A: Invite them in. Show them the possibilities. Let them drive the staff development as much as possible (teachers teaching teachers). Show them how it impact their classroom and students postively. Then try to figure out what to do with all the other teachers that now want to join.
Q: "Do you ever have a problem with inappropriate posts by students?"
A: Yes, a few times, but in every case that I know of (and there may be cases I don't know of), other students have pretty much held the offending student accountable - usually before the adults even found out about it. Have high expectations for your students and they will generally live up to them. When they don't, it's a teachable moment.
Q: "Any suggestions for getting students excited to learn?"
A: Well, it's not like we've achieved 100% success, but I think we've made progress. As much as possible, turn control of the learning over to the students. Let them pursue their passions. Let them figure out the best way to demonstrate their learning as opposed to giving them only one option. Continually have conversations with them about why you feel this is so important, be transparent with them about the reasons we want them to learn about things, and keep asking them to take charge of their own learning, to make it meaningful to their own lives.
@ Mr. Chase - it was nice meeting you as well, albeit briefly. Perhaps another time we can sit down and have a conversation.
ReplyDeleteBTW, love your Change the World project.