As I watched teachers busily engaged in building curriculum maps yesterday, images of Superintendents' Conference Days - old school style - flooded my mind!
- If you've been to a meeting where someone drones endlessly about something distantly connected to you life, but on very little day-to-day practical value to you, you know what I mean.
- If you've ever been to a conference where someone talked, and talked, and talked, and talked....you know what I mean!
- If you've ever been at a meeting and spent time (or watched your friends, neighbors, colleagues) emailing, texting, Tweeting, Facebooking, Pinning, writing notes, correcting papers....or doodling, you know what I mean!
Yet, yesterday, we had "one of those days" that really wasn't so bad; in fact, most considered it a good and productive day! We used internet-based software and peer-based shared learning to organize our curriculum maps. We were busy, all of us, thinking about our teaching and students' learning, while learning to fish in a brand-new ocean!
- Our maps turned out to be beautiful (see the example below).
- We will be able to find "fish" more readily, now that we have cleaned up and organized the "oceans" of papers and files that each of us had!
- Our fishing for ideas and activities will be easier thanks to technology!
I'm confident "those" who wrote that ol' Chinese Proverb were smiling at our maps!
9 comments:
Oh, how funny! I, too, had a PD day yesterday and truly could. Not reframe to be positive about it. My resentment was thick and heavy. I'm so glad you had a different experience. Have a great weekend!
I tried to upload the photo again...hope it works this time.....
And I managed to avoid having to do some mapping yesterday! (The standards are not set so why do something we will have to redo later?) I am glad you had a positive and energizing experience. I love the tie in to finding the fish.
I love how you connected to your quote!
I tend to detest most inservice days - I'd rather be with the kids, and the things I'm asked to do often aren't directly applicable to MY teaching (I'm not a classroom teacher, but we often have to participate in the standard PD days).
Glad you had such a great time, and I loved the contrast between other "old school days" and this one.
It's nice to know that PD is moving forward. I am seeing similar things in our district. Thank goodness! It sounds like you had a very productive day.
Our PD last week was everyone doing what was needed, no big meetings this time. We were all grateful! So glad yours was productive, Anita-always good to hear!
Hee hee, oh yes, you've described those days well! I'm glad this one was a positive day! I'm sure the teachers are thrilled to have something that will help them move forward, as well!
PD days in my building are definitely still old school. Bu I love reading posts like yours that describe other, better PD worlds. I know it can be done!
Glad that you had a positive experience yesterday. I like how you turned the negative list around to an opposite picture.
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