We Are Not Alone
The solitary nature of education is, I believe, one of the biggest obstacles hindering the growth of teachers and students.
The discussion with the editor of the book we used in class was nice. A quick Master Class from someone who spends their life grappling with these questions on the theoretical and research levels is a welcome shot of adrenaline to a group of teachers who generally have to go it alone.
We weren't stuck in the kind of Professional Development Hell where an "expert" (as quotes often seem to be appropriate) are brought in and lecture an entire school about theory. We were able to talk some about theory and also about the realities of what was happening. This kind of dialogue is nearly impossible in a standard, school wide PD experience. We were about to tailor the conversation based on his expertise and our needs.
I wish that we had taped all of our Demonstrations and placed them online in a place that could be used as a storing house for other teacher Demonstrations. What we were able to share and the ideas we were able to bring have reached the room we were in but, probably, no farther.
It seems that the idea of keeping a record of what was done should be the logical end point for this kind of learning. Someone should be able to go online and find the ideas of groups like ours and that of experts as well. A series of 10-30 minute demonstrations from around the world could give so much inspiration and ideas to teachers, who are often starving for them while struggling against the day to day difficulties of our job.
I do like that our conversation with Dr. Prior was taped and broadcast. It's refreshing to see someone so passionate about the act of learning and connect with him on our shared experiences.
The discussion with the editor of the book we used in class was nice. A quick Master Class from someone who spends their life grappling with these questions on the theoretical and research levels is a welcome shot of adrenaline to a group of teachers who generally have to go it alone.
We weren't stuck in the kind of Professional Development Hell where an "expert" (as quotes often seem to be appropriate) are brought in and lecture an entire school about theory. We were able to talk some about theory and also about the realities of what was happening. This kind of dialogue is nearly impossible in a standard, school wide PD experience. We were about to tailor the conversation based on his expertise and our needs.
I wish that we had taped all of our Demonstrations and placed them online in a place that could be used as a storing house for other teacher Demonstrations. What we were able to share and the ideas we were able to bring have reached the room we were in but, probably, no farther.
It seems that the idea of keeping a record of what was done should be the logical end point for this kind of learning. Someone should be able to go online and find the ideas of groups like ours and that of experts as well. A series of 10-30 minute demonstrations from around the world could give so much inspiration and ideas to teachers, who are often starving for them while struggling against the day to day difficulties of our job.
I do like that our conversation with Dr. Prior was taped and broadcast. It's refreshing to see someone so passionate about the act of learning and connect with him on our shared experiences.