Student-led PD

About 3 years ago when my son was in grade 3 I showed him how to use Prezi.  He quickly became proficient with this tool and started utilising it for some presentations he had to do at school.  When his teachers saw what he was doing they started asking him to show them some of the basics, and when they wanted to do more complex stuff they would ask my son if he knew how to do it.  He felt very good about teaching his teachers and this extra responsibility inspired him to continue learning and pushing the boundaries with Prezi - so much so that I now direct my Prezi questions to him as well.

It is no secret that our students are often more tech savvy than we are.  It is also no secret that school directed and provided PD relating to technology often does not meet the needs of the participants.  As Keane states, " 'One-off' professional development sessions or workshops do not translate to productivity in the classroom, especially when taught out of context." (2011).  So how can we provide more relevant 'just in time' PD for teachers, while at the same time utilise the vast technological skills and knowledge of our students?

The formation of a student tech club can help to identify potential student tutors - students who can work with teachers, one on one or in small groups, to help build their personal capacity with regard to the use of technology in the classroom.  The outcomes of having students lead PD for teachers could be:

1. Student self-esteem is boosted
2. Student skills and knowledge are recognised and valued
3. Teacher skills and knowledge improves (therefore so can teaching and learning)
4. Student-teacher relationships can be fostered in a different environment

If you, like most schools, are struggling to find the time and personnel resources to meet the ever increasing PD demands relating to technology, you may find that you have invaluable resources in your student population who can help.  Find out what you can learn from your students - I am sure they will appreciate it.

Reference: Keane, T. (2011). ICT Leadership in Schools Part 1. The Australian Educational Leader, 33 (4), pp. 20-24.

One Size PD Does Not Fit All!

Recently I prepared a resource for an international online conference run by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust in the UK.  The Prezi focused on individualising professional learning and offered some tools that teachers can utilise to take charge of their professional learning.

Digital Literacy - How to build it in teachers through professional development

After viewing this Prezi you can imagine my surprise today when I was involved in a 3 hour PD session that consisted of roughly 50 teachers meeting in a room to learn about the changes that have occurred from Microsoft Office 2007 to 2010.  We also did some work on integrating ICT into the classroom that consisted of the presenter showcasing a unit she had planned.  It was a very good unit and it would have been wonderful if we were in a small group so we could spend some time discussing and deconstructing the unit and exploring how we could apply the same principles to our own units.  I have no doubt that in that room every single teacher was at a different level in terms of their knowledge and skills relating to the office suite of programs and how to utilise ICT in the classroom.  Therefore the only conclusion I can come to is that these 3 hours were a complete waste of time for all involved.

When are we going to accept that if we aspire to true differentiation and personalisation of learning for our students then we must model these same principles in our PD sessions.  PD like this really fits the mould of 'one size fits none'!