REFLECTIONS:
At the start of this course, I must admit that I was thoroughly
confused. I thought I signed up for a
PLC (professional learning community), the strategy of job-embedded
professional learning groups. Although
my position is personnel evaluation, I am in the professional development
department. I was looking for
strategies and clarity of PLC’s so that I could integrate this form of
professional development into my repertoire.
The state of Alabama has adopted a formative evaluation system and
teachers and leaders are searching for more relatable forms of professional
development for growth.
So I was thoroughly surprised and slightly confused to realize that I
had signed up for a technology course.
But this has become more than a “technology” course. Once I understood that Web 2.0 was not
another kind of internet activity or technology course, I could see and
understand what was being offered to me.
Web 2.0 is simply a more innovative and connected way to use the
technology that is accessible to us.
E-mail is not simply a means to say Hi.
Used appropriately, information can be shared, lessons can be taught,
and connections of practice can be made.
When you learn to avoid the “chatter” of other social media (Facebook
and Twitter, for example), internet activity can be used to teach each others
and fine tune our instructional practice.
It is and can also be used to teach, motivate, and innovate our
students. As educators, our ultimate
goal is the academic achievement and success of our students. We cannot successfully achieve this without
the use of the modern conventions that the students are most familiar
with. As adults in the classroom, we are
no longer a step ahead of our students; change is inevitable. The flip side is that if we – the adults –
don’t aspire to use the technology, we will never be able to catch up to our
students.
Although I am still figuring out
the RSS Feeds and the Twitter, I think I like the Blog and the Podcast. I saw an article last week or so, that
indicated that Google would stop their RSS service. I don’t know what that really means,
though. But I was appropriately
alarmed. My next steps will include Web
2.0 strategies.
My Action Plan:
It is MPS policy that teachers and leaders are provided annual
orientation to the evaluation process.
This process adopted by Alabama is not brand new, but it is still quite
challenging to a lot of staff. Once the
initial annual training is provided, it is difficult to provide
training/guidance/assistance to teachers in such a large school system. The blog and the podcast are going to be
great. I envision setting up the blog
and embedding the podcasts. The podcasts
can also be posted on the system intranet.
The blog will allow for comments from teachers also. The ability of everyone to see the comments
is a good thing. I received numerous
email questions last year. Only I could
see them along with the sender. On the
blog, everyone can see the response, which should be helpful. Of course, sensitive subjects would only be
addressed in email.
The blog would start almost immediately. The podcasts would be periodic postings with
hints and guidance for completing the evaluation process.
There is one challenge – the firewall.
I tried to access ipadio and my blog at work last week – no luck. As a system, we need to determine what the
options are and what will be available.
Locking down everything from access may have been a good place to start,
but years later, more selectivity should be engaged.
I am very hopeful about the opportunities of engaging our system in
tools and hints to make the evaluation process more meaningful. Using Web 2.0 tools make me feel that it is
even more possible.
