Personal Learning PracticeStaying ahead of the curve

Vincent JansenLower Canada College

QAIS Heads Presentation

April 22, 2012.

Why change our model?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwM4ieFOotA

Changing concept of Professional Growth to Personal Learning

Why our own PLN?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6WVEFE-oZA

From Pen to these tools..

1. What do you need?

Ask teachers what they need, what are your interests, what do you want to learn? Bottom-up inspired. (teachers primary)

Teachers develop their own professional learning objectives.

Must be self-directed.

Blend personal and professional learning objectives

2. Find the right descriptors

Develop clear terminology

Personal learning, faculty growth, professional development, communities of practice

Personal Learning… for you. Constructivist approach Connectivist approach

3. No need to “present”

Share

Discuss

Collaborate

Network

Personal Growth

My Interests

4. Invest in valuable social capital

Value in professional networking

Self-directed, not conferences!

Regenerate

Reflect

Learn

5. Build personal network opportunities

Encourage teachers to go out

Comment on blogs

Participate in discussions and forums

Join LinkedIn

Ning groups

Create new ideas, and share

Blog and tweet

6. Change PD models

PLN Development – initial development of a personal learning network with the goal of sustained practice, reflection, and linkages to other connected educators.

Steven Downes

The Networked Teacher

Alec Couros

Workflow (informal ) learning

Why this is important?

We no longer work isolation

This does impact student achievement

Leads to improvement of teaching quality and level of learning

Leads to more engaging classrooms

Improves collaboration and morale

Leverages the network for learning

Leverage the collective knowledge and skills, shared impact

Some common PLE diagrams

http://edtechpost.wikispaces.com/PLE+Diagrams

My PTE and students PLE

Key Questions (Adapted form Marzano)

What is it we expect our teachers to learn?

What do I need to do to have teachers learn?

How will I know when they have learned it?

How will I respond when they do not learn it?

How will they respond when they know it?

Creating your own PLN

People (P)

Places (PL)

Resources (R)

Interests (I)

Technology/Tools (T)

News(N)

Discussion Forums/ Lists (D)

Blogs (B)

Productivity Tools (P)

Cloud-based PLN

School 2.0

http://learningmastery.org/2009/06/15/school-20-check-it-out/

Key links – why?

Ning, Discovery channel, any listservs?

FB, LinkedIn and other social media site

What defines your links, resources, people, training, learning, social, news, groups, stumble, blogging, tweeting…

Link to others in the room– network, LinkedIn groups, FB,

Diigo, Delicious – social network sites

Where would you fit? Contribute? Blogs, Wikis

7 habits for a sharper mind

you can do it.. try something new

get fluent with technology (not email!)

multitask smarter

know when you need to focus - single task focus ( creativity, innovation, critical thinking)

practice scanning (Google reader)

identify how you learn best

practice for peak performance

Knowing Knowledge

Knowing about

Knowing where

Knowing to do

Knowing to be

Knowing to transform

G. Siemens, From Shifting: From Knowing Knowledge

Knowing ‘Obsoledge’ Alvin Tofler