Professional Development

How do you like to learn?

      Professional development drives our field. We are constantly trying to better ourselves and our craft. There is a debate out right now about the direction professional development is taking. For example, twitter is a very popular way right now to have enriching conversations over a variety of topics. I personally find Twitter a great way to learn about new ideas, technologies, and strategies in education. I don't typically stop there; if I really enjoy, are intrigued, or am not satisfied with the answers I am getting, I will go seek out books, webinars, articles, or colleague's to help me learn.

      I prefer to a Twitter book study than a traditional one where everyone has to be in the same room. I like the idea of everyone having a voice, everyone can type their thoughts and answer to questions when they are ready. You don't have to wait until someone has finished speaking. We all know there are people that dominate conversations, Twitter helps this. Just by glancing at the twitter feed you can see if you need to monitor your air time. However, I still enjoy "traditional" PD. I am more engaged if I am not always learning in the same manner. 

     When administrators set up PD for their staff, it is important to remember that we are all different learners and we enjoy choice just as much as our students do. By having different mediums for PD you allow teachers to choose and feel comfortable in their learning.