Serving Multilingual Learners of All Ages
  • *Home*
  • Articles for Educators
    • Home
  • Resources
    • ReadingWritingELs
    • Books for Educators
    • Culturally Inclusive Books for Students
    • Videos
    • Infographics
  • ABOUT VALENTINA
    • Experience
    • Presentations
  • Advertising Disclosure
Picture
Tweet

Registration is open for the Seidlitz Literacy Conference

Picture
Click HERE for details and registration, 

Is Face-to-Face PD Passe?

9/1/2017

 
Picture
Back in the day, not too long ago, the only way to receive professional development was to attend a training or workshop. No longer is that the case. Now, there are many options for us. So, with Twitter, online learning, and newer opportunities out there, is face-to-face professional development a thing of the past? As a professional development specialist, I find this an interesting question to ponder.
I describe myself as a a life long learner. I'm definitely the type of person who actively seeks out personal learning that meets my own needs. I read professional books and I research topics that intrigue me. I enjoy learning in a variety of ways. I love face to face PD just as much as like twitter chats and online learning. But I can respect that not everyone is like that. Some don't care for Twitter, while others despise sitting through a day of training. 
​
Twitter
Twitter is a an easy, low stress way to grow as a professional. Following people and organizations in the field you are interested in is the way to start. I can't say enough about building a Professional Learning Network (PLN). These are your people. The ones that share your vision and mission. Your go to people. It doesn't happen overnight either. Be patient but persistent. You will find your tribe, your PLN. The next step is to plug into Twitter Chats. Find chats that discuss issues you want to learn more about or concerns you are facing. Twitter Chats are great for finding resources and people with fresh new ideas from around the world. Two of the beauties of Twitter are that you can participate anywhere at anytime and it's totally free. Win, Win!
One of the best Twitter PDs I've discovered is #ELLchat_BookClub. This book club selects a book and designates a period of time for participants to chat about it on Twitter. The founders, Dr. Katie Toppel and Tan Nguyen, release questions and anyone can join in. Educators from around the globe have collaborated using the hashtag. 
​
Online or Virtual PD
Many educators participate in online or virtual professional development. For example in May of 2017, Peter Cameron and Derek Rhodenizer organized over 60 educators to hold a day long free professional development on google hangouts called MadPD. Anyone interested could watch the sessions throughout the day. Sessions varied in topics, so educators could choose what they wanted/needed to see. The turn out was fabulous because this type of PD was offered by choice, it was free, and people could attend from the comfort of their home (no travel necessary).
Another such virtual PD took place in June and was tailored towards ELL educators. Carol Salva and Tan Nguyen organized a group of ELL experts to present various topics in June 2017. The session was called VirtuEL17 and can be accessed by educators even still by clicking on this link. VirtuEL17 Link Teachers participated and interacted with one another during the sessions and are able to use the presentations with their own campus staff as well. 
Other online learning opportunities include MOOCs which are Massive Open Online Courses. They are much line taking online college courses. If you recently graduated from college or went back to get your masters or doctorate, you might have taken some courses online. MOOCs are similar but they are larger in that they're open to more people, usually free, and usually self paced. 
On campuses in the district where I work, we have implemented something similar to MOOCs. They are Canvas courses which incorporate a book study and job embedded implementation. Teachers read a chapter of the professional book, implement the learning in the classroom instruction, and interact online in the Canvas course. Then we meet face-to-face for debriefing, modeling and coaching of the instructional strategies. Here's a link to learn more about how to implement something similar on your campus. Click here. 

Face-to-Face PD
Face-to-face PD is often described as the sit & get type of training. But not all Face-to-face PD is that boring. I've been to many that were highly interactive and quite engaging. Not only do I enjoy attending workshops and conferences, but I also love presenting at them. From small, intimate campus trainings to large state conferences, I love the energy and connections that are created at face-to-face professional development opportunities. 

Is face-to-face PD passe?
I don't think we can say goodbye to face-to-face PD. Just because it doesn't meet the needs of some people doesn't mean it's bad or wrong. We have to remember that everyone has different preferences and some content has to be delivered in person. What I know for sure is that when we meet face-to-face, relationships are built that technology can not create. I have met many wonderful friends on Twitter who I respect greatly and learn from everyday. But I hope to meet them in person soon because I know that when we do meet in person, face-to-face, we will be able to work together to change the world. Our shared sense of mission and purpose will become something greater than it ever was virtually. Nothing can replace or match the connections, community, and collaboration we create when we come together face-to-face. 

Don't get me wrong. I love online learning, Twitter, MOOCs, all the new technology and being able to learn from home. But there is no one size fits all when it comes to PD just like there's not one size fits all when it comes to classroom instruction.  
​
All in all, I think we each need to find the type of PD that fits our needs at the time. What do you think?
Follow @ValentinaESL
Elyse Hahne link
9/2/2017 04:37:35 pm

I 100% agree! We have to find what works best for us! Just like our students, we as learners have individual needs.

Valentina
9/17/2017 09:44:03 am

thanks for reading, Elyse. I hope you have a great year filled with awesome PD!


Comments are closed.

    Subscribe to Newsletter

    ​Archives

    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    May 2016


    Categories

    All
    Academic Conversations
    Academic Vocabulary
    Accommodating
    Accommodations
    Administrator
    Advocacy
    Anchor Chart
    Art
    Assumptions
    Balanced Literacy
    Beginning Of The Year
    Bloom's Taxonomy
    Book Study
    Brain Research
    Building Background
    Building Relationships
    Collaboration
    Communication
    Comprehensible Input
    Conferences
    Conferring
    Connecting With ELL Families
    Content Objectives
    Cooperative Learning
    Cooperative Strip Paragraph
    Coteach
    CoTeacher
    Co Teaching
    Co-teaching
    Courses
    Creativity
    Critical Thinking
    CRT
    Culturally Responsive Teaching
    Curriculum
    Differentiate
    Differentiation
    Discourse
    Distance Learning
    Diverse Books
    DOL
    Ear To Ear Reading
    ELLs
    ELPS
    Empathy
    End Of The Year
    Engaging
    English Learners
    ESL
    Exit Criteria
    Expression
    Fluency
    Foundations
    Four Cs
    Games
    Getting To Know Your ELLs
    GLAD
    Goal Setting
    Gradual Release
    Guided Math
    Immigrant
    Instructional
    Interactive Lecture
    Interactive Read Aloud
    Interactive Word Walls
    Language Development
    Language Level
    Language Objectives
    Language Rich
    Language Structures
    Leaders
    Learning Walks
    Lesson Planning
    Levels
    Library Media Specialist
    Linguistic
    Listening
    Literacy
    Long Term ELs
    Maslow's Hierarchy
    Math
    Memory
    Misconceptions
    Model
    Modeling
    Multilingual
    Native Language
    New ESL Teacher
    Nonfiction
    Observation
    Observation Charts
    Online PD
    Oral Language
    Paraprofessional Educators
    Parent Teacher Conference
    Personalized Learning
    Phonics
    Picture Word Inductive Model
    Planning Instruction
    PLDs
    PLN
    Primary Language
    Principals
    Procedural
    Professional Development
    Professional Learning Network
    Programs
    Q Triple S A
    Readers' Workshop
    Reading
    Reading Workshop
    Revising & Editing
    Scaffolding
    Science Of Reading
    Secondary
    Sentence Patterning Chart
    Sentence Starters
    Sentence Stems
    Shared Writing
    Sheltering Instruction
    Sketchnotes
    Small Group
    Social Studies
    Somebody Wanted But So
    Structured Conversations
    Summarization
    Summer
    Supporting ELLs
    SWBS
    Systematic Change
    Talk
    Talking Heads
    Teacher
    The Power Of Talk
    Toolkit
    Total Physical Response
    TPR
    Twitter
    Verbal
    Virtual Learning
    Visuals
    Vocabulary
    Wait Time
    WIDA Can Do
    Workshop
    Writers' Workshop
    Writing
    Writing Workshop

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Tweets by ValentinaESL
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • *Home*
  • Articles for Educators
    • Home
  • Resources
    • ReadingWritingELs
    • Books for Educators
    • Culturally Inclusive Books for Students
    • Videos
    • Infographics
  • ABOUT VALENTINA
    • Experience
    • Presentations
  • Advertising Disclosure