PD 21st Century Style?

I'm not sure if I would have become as passionate about life-long learning if I had stayed at my very first teaching job for my entire career.  It's possible, I would have become complacent and lost in the day to day minutiae of teaching what I knew.  It's possible that I would have been "dismissive" of those 21st Century literacy trends such as balanced literacy, CCS, and teacher evaluations. 

 

I'll never know what "might have been" but I do know that "being excised" early in my career, moving to accommodate my husband's career, and some inspiring colleagues (Mary Lynn, Mary Ellen, AC) who dragged me to New York State Reading Association conferences (back in the day when my own children were very young) adjusted the trajectory of my career and assured I never felt "I knew it all." 

 

This morning, as I prepared mentally for a busy day of caregiving, chores, and living, I enjoyed the quiet of an early Saturday and reflected on the power of Professional Development in a new form that I could never have imagined back in my early days of my teaching. 

Through my Personal Learning Network as I logged onto "Facebook" and Twitter.  There was SO much I wanted to read! Among this mornings offerings were this link from JoEllen McCarthy over at the Nerdy Book Club.  JoeEllen shared the late Donald Graves quote, "If you have even one colleague with whom you can share ideas, readings, and questions, you can draw from that enough energy to maintain your motivation and ability to grow professionally.”
 

I thenk linked over to @professornana’s blog thread   http://professornana.livejournal.com/tag/unprogram
and was reminded that professional reading and sharing is not just in the hours we accumulate and "log" for our state and district mandated PD.

Then, I headed over to the Two Writing Teachers's suggested link (thanks to Facebook again).  they said, " A friend shared this on Facebook last night. Thought it was important for all educators to read re: test prep and how too much diminishes students' reading levels."
http://betterthantestprep.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/better-bets1.pdf 

Thank you for making my day Mr. Gabriel Feldberg. http://betterthantestprep.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/better-bets1.pdf

 

I spent a while catching up on reading over at the TWT - after all it had been a busy week - first week of the semesters are like that!  http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/21st-century-research/

I then headed over to Choice Literacy  http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/ChoiceLiteracy

and wondered how I could share this link on Tuesday.....
http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=77151&title=Martins_Big_Words

I needed a cup of coffee at that point, but I returned to Twitter  AJF@anitaferreri  where Peter DeWitt, Colby Sharp, the ASCD, Keven Hodgsen and Education Week can always get me thinking and downloading (or ordering) a book or two.  http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ground/2013/01/when_a_classroom_works_and_doesnt.html?cmp=SOC-SHR-TW
http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/
 http://paper.li/dogtrax/nwp#
http://inservice.ascd.org/commoncore/checking-in-with-common-core-implementation-in-new-hampshire/
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/sarameads_policy_notebook/2013/01/no_pre-k_isnt_a_waste_just_because_your_mom_can_read.html

I really would like to have more REAL conversations with colleagues about all of this.....but meanwhile....I have so much to read and so much laundry to do!  How about you?