The document summarizes discussions that took place at the MATN Conference on May 7th, 2009 regarding professional development and training for teachers. Key topics included the differences between PD and training, problems with traditional "sit and get" style PD, and potential solutions such as providing short tutorials and tip sheets online for teachers to access anytime. Community building around specific tools was also discussed as a way to encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing between teachers.
PISA-VET launch_El Iza Mohamedou_19 March 2024.pptx
Alternative Professional Development
1. As presented on May 7th, 2009 at the MATN Conference
Created using Wordle.net
2. What’s the difference between “PD” and
“Training”?
What content are we doing during PD?
What are the problems with traditional
“Butt-In-Chair” PD?
What are some solutions to these problems?
A word about “Follow-up Activities”
A word about training by community
building
3. PD:
Ongoing process
Often, but not always, mandatory
Provided to larger audiences
May contain more theory
Training:
May be provided to student and/or teacher
May contain more “hands-on” interaction
Provided to a smaller number of individuals
Content is typically on one specific tool or idea
Note: The answers to the question are summative based
on audience participation and discussion
4. What is AT? (An Overview)
Using available tools to address
student and teacher problems
Note: The answers to the question are summative based
on audience participation and discussion
5. We can’t stay awa…zzzzzzzzzzzz Note: These answers to the question are
Schedule conflicts summative based on audience participation
and discussion
Low attendance
Not necessarily of interest, but is mandatory
I don’t want what is being offered
After school training—teachers don’t want to spend their free time doing PD
Not enough time in the day
If it not mandatory, I have too many other work related things to do!
Need an incentive beyond knowledge gained(stipend, credit, giveaways)
I know it when I am there, but not good follow up for retention
Staff is at different levels of learning (many teachers are not “techies”)
Need to be ready for the information—needs to be “just in time” training
Only reaching a small population (mostly special educators)—we need to reach
out to ALL teachers to convey messages of UDL and Differentiated Instruction
6. Stipends and/or credits
Extending the day
Include everyone (general educators, related services,
paraprofessionals, etc.)
Whenever possible, “hands on” rather than “sit and
get” approach
Access to SHORT tutorials and tip sheets that can be
accessed anytime, anywhere (possibly housed online
in text, audio, or video formats)
Note: The answers to the question are summative based
on audience participation and discussion
7. Strategy-A-Day Calendar
Creation & Distribution
AT Tonight DVDs
Creation & Distribution
Results
AT Tonight Volume 1: ~300
AT Tonight Volume 2: ~200
9. Burn podcasts onto CDs to
play in the car!
Try it with the A.T.TIPSCAST.
Three volumes completed.
Download the question
booklet.
Distribute to educators
Over 3.5 hours of content!
www.attipcast.wordpress.com
www.tinyurl.com/attipscast
10. ADDRESSED UNADDRESSED
Uses available time Only Awareness Level
Watch short videos on TV Training
during commercials with
DVD No follow-up
Listen to podcasts during Still “sit n’ get” style
commute
Not “hands-on”
Read one calendar slide a
day
No “extra” technology
required
Everyone knows how to use
a CD and DVD player
11. Just starting to explore this concept. Haven’t actually
implemented it yet.
The Ideas:
After viewing a DVD and answer the questions in the
booklet, get together to discuss what you experienced,
either web-based (online forums) or in persons
Create a product from what you heard on a podcast or
saw on the DVD and then share that somehow (wiki,
existing online resource depending on the topic)
12. When training on a specific tool that is not available to
general educators (for example, a specific AAC device)
form communities of teachers who are working with
students who are using these devices.
Example: 5 teachers (along with related services) in the
county are working with students who are using a
SpringBoard Lite. Quarterly meetings to bring these
minds together to share strategies, data collection
techniques, and resources may decrease likelihood of
abandonment, decrease time spend recreating same
resources, and increase student
achievement/integration.
14. Check out
Night Light Stories
Free audio stories
for children of all
ages
www.nightlightstories.blogspot.com