Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Job-embedded Professional Learning?

I just participated in a webinar which I enjoyed immensely. Actually, I have realized that webinars really work for me as a professional learning option. They are short, convenient, and filled with valuable information. Still, I wonder, is this job-embedded professional learning at its best? Webinars are great learning tools and certainly have gained a solid place in the field of professional development. I could see us using them to convey critical information to teachers, but what must we do to make the learning even more collaborative and meaningful. I propose a concept call "webinars plus". The question is plus what? Any ideas?
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5 comments:

  1. D GreenbergFebruary 24, 2009 at 5:41 PM

    i think the plus is more authentic contact between teachers and professional developers. webinars are great, but clearly not interactive, save for the Q&A that some provide at the end. the plus, to me, is the support we provide and learning experience we create the go beyond the webinar, and in the end, i believe that is what is going to create a lasting learning experience.

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  2. SteveFebruary 24, 2009 at 8:55 PM

    I think another plus is the overall convenience that it provides for the teacher/administrator. At a roundtable discussion with representatives from the North Region, we realized how we would only be able to have a face-to-face meeting with principals once before the end of the year due to their many demands and reluctance to leave their prospective campuses. As a possible option to continue our ongoing dialogue, I suggested webinars where we could create a virtual learning lab where ideas can be shared. The team was very open to the idea and enthusiastic to implement this ASAP. Again, this proves that we are approaching a time when this will become a norm rather than alternative option.

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  3. Jeri CookFebruary 24, 2009 at 9:48 PM

    Webinars are just a starting point for getting the learning/information process started.
    One of the best ones I've seen was conducted about a year ago by the Organizational and Development team. It was on a compliance topic, yet the presenters were skilled in streamlining the information to include the most salient points. This professional learning tool requires narrowing the conversation to the issues that really matter. Relevancy is a key factor when planning a webinar--I think it's one more effective tool for changing the face of staff development.

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  4. kvanekFebruary 25, 2009 at 6:20 AM

    Webinars certainly need a plus. They're one dimensional and flat to me. Yet they do yield promise in getting information out to a wide audience. If we could just combine the features of Skype with the webinar it would be more engaging for me. I also like it when the webinars are archived so I can listen at my own time frame which could be in the car from my ipod.

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  5. Heather PollackFebruary 25, 2009 at 10:21 AM

    Another component would be training the teachers how to give webinars. They are presenters of knowledge also.

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