Powerful Learning, Powerful Leadership Pt. 2
Action without purpose is rarely effective and often does not serve the real needs of those you intend to help. At the beginning of the professional development training package project, I felt it would be important for me to base decisions about what topic I would address on what was needed in the district and what teachers would actually be able to use. Even if these are not necessary criteria for choosing a topic, it created a sense of purpose for me that would help in crafting a specific plan, one that would potentially be well received and perhaps more effective. On the other hand, I could choose a topic on what I found through external research was most useful or appropriate for the learning environment or type of teacher, and it might well lead to a successful training package, but it would seem to have less purpose outside of the practicum course. I think I have learned this through making the mistake of doing what I thought was best rather than what was needed. I have so far made it a priority in my communications with those I am working with, to mine deeper into not only what teachers may really want and be able to use, but also what initiatives, even if they are soft, the leadership in the district envision. In reference to Couros, in this way, I am trying to infuse the project with intentionality, a package that would serve a genuine purpose, and as such would be more focused and practical.
At a more specific level, the purpose of the training package itself could be less about helping teachers learn how to use a tool, but helping teachers learn how they can take something they already do and make it better. To make it better would mean to make it more student-centered, more collaborative, more creative, more focused on developing conceptual abilities, characteristics that Pink refers to is his TedTalk as the kind of skills that drive better productivity in the 21st-century. This is also the purpose part of what Pink describes. Ideally the teachers don't just show up to learn something new, they use the tool to create something better for their students. In a sense, they are also given the autonomy to use it how they see fit, rather than how someone else has used it in a possibly very different context.
Hi Colin, I found your blog to be very insightful. I keep forgetting that our training package is intended for facilitators and not the organizations learner audience. I always end up shifting back to the learner. Your entry has been a great reminder that I should be thinking about ways I can lead and empower the facilitators to use technology. I also like your idea of straying away from simply showing teachers how a tool can be used but rather making it a more meaningful learning experience by aligning it to what they do. I would assume all teachers would like to be able to do their job better so such a training would great motivation to explore other ways to use the tools in addition to what you already touch on.
ReplyDeleteI love your approach to this training package for teachers- both that it is useful or relevant, but more importantly that it gives them ways to improve what they are already doing. As you know, teachers have a lot on their plate this year, and it seems more is constantly added. I find that teachers are becoming wary of additional training and PD, as it may lead to more work on their end. The whole "less is more" approach Couros takes is reflected in the way you approach the project. Give teachers ways to take the great things they are already doing and make it more effective, more engaging, and more learner-centered while avoiding making them completely add something new to their toolbox.
ReplyDeleteHey Colin!
ReplyDeleteI love that you focused more on reexamining how teachers use the tools they have rather than always trying to push them to use new tools. It's more about how we use things than the specific things. If we're going into things with the right attitude and paying attention to the results we want, we'll get better outcomes and we'll have better training!