Moving Forward.....

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.