Category Archives: Professional Development

Professional Development, Training, Faculty Development, Workshops

Professional Development for 2007-2008

I’ve been planning my professional development for the year in the last few weeks. Today I finished up by putting all the details online for my districts.

  • My online classes are scheduled and registration is open if you want to join an international (usually) learning community for a few weeks. Read more details here: Planning Interactive Curriculum Connections starts September 10 and runs four weeks. Kid2Kid Videoconference Connections starts October 8 and runs for six weeks.
  • I have a new series of sessions meeting the requirement for a “long” course that I required of my distance learning coordinators in the RUS grant. We’re calling it Supporting Videoconferences and we’ll focus on using the new document cameras, etc., scheduling on their own (new procedures here), and troubleshooting.
  • My “short” courses that also meet our RUS grant requirements have expanded greatly due to collaborations based on the Jazz workshop.

I noticed an interesting trend or pattern as I put these online today. The beginning of the year is heavy with PD sessions, and then it fades out towards the end of the year as we get busy with lots of VCs (ASK, MysteryQuest, Read Around the Planet, Michigan Week, etc.). Hopefully by starting with more PD we can help everyone prepare for their videoconferences throughout the year.

Are you making your calendar for 2007-2008? What trends or patterns do you notice?

Jazz Projects

Here are the projects created in Jazzing Up Your Curriculum with VC from last week. Enjoy!

Snippets of Jazz Day 3 & 4

Still Jazzing this week. Almost done! Just group projects left for tomorrow! Don’t forget to follow Roxanne’s blog as well for the daily facilitator summaries and you can browse the whole photo collection online as well. Many of the participant sites were tagging pictures by the vocabulary words (VC, network, Web 2.0), so you can search the photos for terms like “blog”, “Skype” and “mute” to get illustrations of those concepts.

Day 3
In the morning we did MysteryQuest Beaches, the professional development version of all the MysteryQuests out there: MQ World, MQ USA, Where in Michigan, Texas History Mystery, RegionQuest, and LiteratureQuest, to name a few. The participants had a blast decorating and presenting clues. This year they were really hard on each other with clues that were too obscure to figure out. Hmmm. I wonder if that’s because I said not to give any clues that could be Googled!?!

In the afternoon we connected to GNG and enjoyed a simulation of the Pulse program. I wrote about this yesterday.

Day 4
First thing in the morning  we  were able to watch a summer school at Patrick Hamilton, Dowagiac, Michigan connect to Windhoek, Namibia, Africa for a cultural exchange. The connection was amazing and the students really enjoyed the interaction. Students discussed topics such as animals, great things about your country, apartheid, tribes, favorite subjects, and sports. We had a few echoing issues but everyone handled it well and realized there are ways to get around such issues. 

07-08-02namibia.jpg

In the morning all seven sites connected together for Jim Wenzloff’s overview of ASK and then an interview with Don Alsbro, one of our local Vietnam veterans, who also organizes our veterans here for the Lest We Forget programs. Stephan started us off with a rousing rapping roll call.

Right during the debrief of the ASK programs, we lost Internet connectivity for the whole ISD for about 10 minutes. So we soon gave up and went to lunch.

We also took last minute photos and group shots for the culminating video Shane is putting together for us. Region 12’s group had the privilege of access to Shane’s bag of hats for their photo.

During the workshop we’ve had so many Skype conversations going on – the facilitators chat, the communication specialists chats, the group chats, the participants typing to ask questions of facilitators…

I’m in our Tech Center, which isn’t set up for videoconferencing quite as well as our distance learning room. So we put a pig next to the camera to help us look at the camera. “Talk to the pig!”

Tomorrow the groups present and we end with a bang!

Snippets of Jazz Day 1 & 2

Another week of Jazzing Up Your Curriculum with Videoconferencing. I have 4 high school people and 3 elementary people this week from 5 of my districts. Roxanne is blogging it in detail so far, so I thought I’d give you a sample of pictures to give you a flavor of the experience so far.

Day 1
In the morning we had exchange project simulations: Community based on Michigan Week Exchange, Read Around the Planet, Science Exchange, and Monster Exchange.

In the afternoon we connected to Greenbush, Kansas and learned about the rainforest and did activities with Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.

Here are some samples of how the groups are meeting together. We have 6 groups across the 4 sites in our set and I think Ken’s group has 7 groups meeting across 3 sites.

Day 2
Tuesday morning we began with a Math Marvels simulation. There were some very funny math problems, but the Cockroach one took the cake! Participants got more practice with various ways to show visuals.

In between during local time we (BCISD) did a test call with Janie Panagopoulos who just got a Polycom Viewstation last week installed in her house. She talked to our teachers about the programs she offers and her history of 8 years of videoconference experience.

After lunch Shane at Region 12 sang songs and led the participants in the Hokey Pokey, and taught us about videoconferencing etiquette.

Each site’s Word Wall is growing with videoconferencing and Web2.0 terms.

One of the groups meeting in Shane & Roxanne’s office got into the hat bag!

It takes a lot of energy to facilitate Jazz!

So that’s just a flavor of the fun and learning going on in Michigan, Ohio, and Texas this week!

New Projects on the Wiki

Getting ready for another session of “Jazz” next week. So I just finished posted the group projects from the June Jazz session on the Collaborative VCs wiki. Check them out! We had a small group in June, so only four projects. Stay tuned for projects from next week where we have 13 groups!

What Called You Into Teaching?

j0409048.jpg As part of my Leadership studies, I’ve been reading a book called Leadership and the New Science. It’s a book that will blow your mind! Seriously, if you want a paradigm change, add this to your summer reading.

Here’s a little sample that applies to our work (my emphasis):

I’ve worked with some college faculties torn apart by the availability of technology. The more technologically eager faculty accuse the reticent ones of being out-of-date and resistant to change — they berate their colleagues for not climbing on the technology bandwagon. I always suggest that a different conversation is needed. What if we stop assuming that technology’s value to a teacher is self-evident? What if we stop assuming that anybody who doesn’t adopt new technology is an antiquated Luddite whose only interest is to stop the march of progress? If we gitve up those assumptions, we can begin a different conversation, one that helps us connect to one another and learn more about how we each see the world. We can step back from the technology issue and ask one another what called us into teaching. We can listen to the aspirations that are voiced. What we will hear is that most of us went into teaching for noble purposes — we wanted to make a difference in the lives of students and to advance human wisdom. 

If we have this conversation first, we can discover one another as colleagues. Then we are reading to talk about technology. How might computers assist a professor to be more effective at his or her craft?

How might videoconferencing be used to meet goals that teachers find meaningful? (like helping students understand the world?) What do you think? Start by answering this question yourself. What called you into teaching?? Now think about asking a colleague the same question when you get back to school…. Prepare to really listen to their story….

Elevate 2008 Call for Presenters

Have you put the Elevate 2008 Conference on your calendar? Well, now it’s time to submit a proposal! The call for presenters just opened up and they are due in November. I’m really excited about this conference, because it’s in Banff, Alberta, my home province, and because the VCAlberta crew are doing some great things! Any excuse to videoconference with or actually travel to Canada!

So, I thought it might be fun to start a “presentation meme”. If you’re not familiar with memes in the blog world, it’s basically bloggers giving each other assignments. Here’s an example from David Warlick. (TWICE folks reading this, sound like a “professional growth opportunity” to you?)

I’m not on the conference planning committee or involved in any way, but I thought it would be interesting to make a list of people & sessions I’d like to see at the Elevate 2008 Conference. This is just a beginning brainstorm. You can continue it by commenting or making a list on your blog!

  • Roxanne Glaser, TX a session on collaborative tools that support videoconferencing (like we’re using in Jazz etc.).
  • Global Nomads Group, NY with the session including a simulation of Pulse like they did for us in Jazz last week.
  • Jim Wenzloff, MI on the ASK process, with a live interview included. Make us cry with The Wall, Jim!
  • Shane Howard, TX on how bridge guys can be fun and provide cool content too. How to hook up avatars to a Polycom PVX. How to work with creative educators and not lose your cool. Suggested Title: “How to support K12 videoconferencing with two MCUs and a sense of humor.”
  • Bering Straits School District, AK, on how to provide cool content based in your community.
  • Craig Moellerstein from GCI School Access, AK, on how to put a codec on a sled and VC to the world.
  • Karachi High School on all the interesting VCs they are doing.
  • Mike Griffiths, Global Leap, tips on successful international videoconferences.
  • Joyce Chen on how to start a high school videoconferencing club.
  • InteractiveClassroom.ca on how their collaborative community started/is doing and the state of VC in Ontario.
  • Tim Boundy on UKERNA/JANET and how to collaborate with schools on UKERNA.
  • The Megaconference Jr. crew on virtual testimonials, VJs, and how to organize student run VCs.
  • Someone to do a clear explanation of the state of GDS dialing and a discussion of whether the K12 community ought to be embracing this dialing plan as a solution to firewall problems.
  • Angela Conrad on class cheers and creative ways to help classes feel connected to each other. Maybe on podcasting IVC sessions too?
  • A roundtable discussion of those who coordinate the videoconference sessions at their statewide/provincial edtech conferences. We could learn from each other and trade good ideas for speakers.
  • I’d like to see our favorite content providers share best practices and models of quality instruction & interaction. Challenger Learning Center’s eMissions should present too!
  • Carol Fleck and Kim Perry from OH from Keystone a few years ago for the full length classes crowd. They have more tricks for true interaction and blending the classes across the sites than anyone I’ve ever seen/heard present.
  • A roundtable on Read Around the Planet technical problems with vendors coming to listen and learn. What if we all brought our wildest stories to share?! Wouldn’t that be fun!?
  • Someone to try out my IP VCR projects in the new projects booklet & report on how they went.
  • Dave Miller & Paul Hieronymous on their annual professional development series, one of the most in depth successful (i.e. 20-30 connections a year per teacher) PD programs I’ve seen.
  • MAGPI – on Internet2 and all the cool collaborative things they are doing.

I’m sure you can think of many more! Comment or blog your ideas! And start planning now so that you can make it to Banff in August 2008. Figure out a way. It’s going to be an amazing experience I’m sure!

Jazz Day Three: MysteryQuest Beaches & GNG

Another day of Jazz, and great learning happening. It’s so neat to see the progress of the participants and their new found comfort with videoconferencing and collaborative web tools. Today’s hit was definitely Flickr, with participants naming pictures and writing captions beneath them. My group in particular sure had a lot of fun with this today.

We also had a lot of fun with MysteryQuest Beaches, the professional development version of the various MysteryQuests: World Geography, MQ USA, Where in Michigan, Texas History Mystery, Fairy Tale Challenge, and LiteratureQuest. Our group chose Cleopatra’s Beach, and just before time was up to start presenting, we realized we had conflicting information on where it really was! We gave some vague clues based on our confusion, but Region 12 still got it!

Our guest speaker in the afternoon today was David MacQuart from Global Nomads Group. After explaining what GNG does, David led us in a discussion on The Future of America, in a simulated Pulse program. Participants quickly realized the incredible value of these types of discussions within the U.S. and across countries. David’s facilitation skills were a great lesson on videoconferencing as well. In the words of one participant from ESC 12:

I was impressed with David’s ability to mediate and facilitate our very diverse and passionate groups.

Finally, groups finished up the last details on their collaborative projects. Today they spent most of their group time collaboratively working in GoogleDocs. They were amazed at the reality that all 4-6 participants in two or three sites (per group) could actually edit different parts of the same document at the same time.

Tomorrow we finish up with Math Marvels, projects from NOECA, OH and CSD, MO, final group presentations, and a surprise gift from Shane, ESC 12’s talented bridge guy. As soon as we finish, I’m off to the TWICE board retreat, so this is probably it for posts this week. It’s been fun sharing Jazz with you!

Jazz Day Two

Wow! some really great learning in Jazz today. So much that I want to reflect on it too!

You can follow along too.
First, if you want to follow what we’re up to as well, you can subscribe to the Jazz Flickr Photo Feed. You can also follow the participants reflections on their readings and on each day.

Content & Process
Roxanne led the debrief on the ASK simulation this morning. The participants listened to me read The Wall and then journaled, shared their journals, wrote questions, and then interviewed Don Alsbro, our local Vietnam veteran who arranges all our ASK: The Wall sessions and Lest We Forget sessions.

After the session, Roxanne asked the three sites to respond to two questions: What did you learn about the content today? And what do you want to remember about preparing your students for ASK? I know this idea of debriefing content & process, but Roxanne modeled it so well! I want to remember this for the future!

Participant Reflections
Listen to some of their reflections from today:

  • This was such a good experience. I really enjoyed learning different perspectives from regions and experience. I have only limited experience and knowledge of wars, and this opportunity absolutely helped “illuminate the past” for me.
  • This is the most exciting workshop I have been to in years!!! I can’t wait for summer to end, I’m ready to get the VC going in my classes. (never thought I would be saying that….wanting summer to end?) My mind is racing, I have creativity coming out of my ears. The www.orld is my domain:)
  • Today was pretty cool. I am understanding the terms better. The Ask Program was really neat, and I could see where I could use it in the classroom. … Roxanne is right, the best way to do this is to jump in and go.
  • Tuesday was such a varied day. The vc this morning with Don was very serious and moving. The after lunch session was informative and funny at the same time. Sometimes we forget to have fun in education. Janine’s comment: The balance between emotional morning and then hysterically funny afternoon with Shane & Roxanne’s Singing with Shane and VC etiquette worked SOOOO well today!
  • The more I learn about the opportunities, the more excited I get about the possibilities for this coming year. The best things about videoconferencing are student interest and engagement, things that I’ve been wondering how to increase at the Middle School!
  • I really enjoyed the videoconference with Don. The Vietnam War has always seemed to me as a waste of lives. However from Don’s perspective it was very valuable in the fact that it allowed other countries an opportunity to prepare for their own fight against communism. The war actually saved countries from being absorbed by more powerful nations.

It was an eventful day, yet participants are excited about learning and feeling more comfortable with the tools. Tomorrow features MysteryQuest Beaches and Global Nomads. Stay tuned!

Science Exchange with Teachers

Today as part of the Jazz workshop, the participants are doing exchanges with each other. We featured Community Exchange (based on Michigan Week Exchange), Read Around the Planet, Monster Exchange and Science Exchange.

The Science Exchange was my favorite today. Our teachers were matched up with El Paso, TX. The Texas teachers did a presentation called, Are You Smarter Than a Cockroach? The cockroaches are for an activity with Greenbush, KS this afternoon. They used “Hector the Hissing Cockroach” as the source of a peek or copy cheat. They used facts and clues from the NASA website.

Our science group had a wonderful PowerPoint with pictures of ice and snow from this area. Just then the computer died completely. Power switch didn’t work at all. So they came up with plan B. They used the back of our identifying sign to zoom in on an all white screen and told some facts about winter. Then we had a paper snow ball fight with each other.

Teachers learned that videoconferences can be FUN and very interactive. That’s the news from Jazz today!