One of our MS initiatives for faculty this year has been the introduction of the JIT (Just in Time) technology training sessions. These optional sessions are offered every Wednesday for those faculty and administrators who are interested in the week's topic, and whose schedules will allow them to attend. Sessions are run by faculty who volunteer (or who are approached) to share how they have been using technology to improve learning, communication, collaboration, and sharing.
These sessions have been growing in popularity and have been attended by faculty from all 3 divisions - we have also had presenters from all 3 divisions deliver and share a range of topics. The goal is that those who attend a session will go out and share what they learned with 1 or 2 of their colleagues, creating an organic growth of tech skills and knowledge amongst the faculty.
Today I had the opportunity to share some of the tech tools I have been using over the past couple of months - Prezi, Chatzy, Evernote, Diigo, Wordle, Twitter, and Commoncraft. The real value of this session came from the discussion that was generated amongst the participants who willingly shared their knowledge of the different applications and how they have found them useful in the classroom, as well as in their professional and personal lives.
Professional growth occurs when opportunities are provided for professional discussions and sharing of practice. The JIT Tech sessions are one way that we are providing these opportunities.
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