DIY Professional Development

Post date: Jun 27, 2012 4:03:05 PM

From an NCTE email, an article in THE Journal about do-it-yourself professional development makes the following suggestions:

1. "Watch and learn ... every day"

Do something everyday: Un-conferences, YouTube (including the author's channel), Reading

2. "Take it to the back channel"

"I define the back channel as the conversation behind the back of the presenter, recorded using a social networking platform. It is behind the back of the presenter, but also out in the open for everyone globally. At first this was a scary concept for me, but as a professional it encouraged me to really bring my A game to each presentation, offering new and fresh content each time I present.

. . .

I look at the back channel as group-structured note taking and an ongoing conversation that is more polite than whispering to your neighbor during a session."

3. "Share something new"

This seems really important to me (obvs): Keep track of what you are learning and make it available to others! Diigo (see, e.g., the "Some things to read" feed in the Social Studies Forum on this site), blogging, dude's YouTube channel.

Then model this for your students! Yeah lifelong learning!