With our ETMOOC focus on connected learning this past week I have been reflecting on the journey I have undertaken in building my own PLN, one that I’ve come to lean heavily on for ongoing professional growth. A few short years (or months) ago I kept pretty much to myself, having a fairly direct line between me and any new information I wanted to bring into my practice. It was the move toward a culture of PLCs in my school division that helped me understand the importance of collaborating with colleagues to improve as a teacher and administrator. Now, I honestly don’t know how I could operate without my PLN.
If you are participating in this ETMOOC you have probably already come to realize the importance of being connected, and all the benefits it holds. We are the “rich” when it comes to connected learning. And you know that old saying, “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” Many in our schools are the “poor” and have yet to embark on the connected learning journey. Some of our most important work will be in encouraging them to take that first step.
So, before they join Twitter. Before they start a blog. Before they open a G+ account. Before they dive into a Massive Online Open Course. Encourage them to open the door of their classroom and connect with the colleague next door. It’s the first step in the connected learning journey.
The following clip illustrates a first step for teachers at my school a couple years ago.
Thanks for sharing how connected learning supports teacher development. I agree that collaboration is a key factor in changing the education landscape. I am wondering if you have considered implementing lesson study as a next step to the classroom walks?
I am a big Lesson Study fan…can you tell me more about how you are using this in your school/district?
I used to teach with a person who always kept the classroom door closed. This person would not even let me watch him teach and I thought that I could learn a great deal from him because he was pretty popular. So, I know what you mean about opening the classroom door. One caveat though, could social media be a beginning for this person’s door opening? Could becoming open to social media lead to a literal opening of the classroom door? Personally, I think it could work either way. What do you think?
After watching the video, I have two comments and a question. First, in my fourteen years of full-time teaching, outside of the first two years probationary period, an administrator had been inside my classroom for more than 5 minutes about 2 times (no exaggeration). Second, even though I had an open classroom door and invited teachers to come in whenever they wanted to nobody ever showed up
Do you have a copy of the classroom form that teachers use when they go into each others’ rooms that you can share?
DM me your email via Twitter and I’ll forward you a copy of the classroom walkthrough form. @millerg6
Thanks for the comment. I think any move toward connecting as a learner, whether is be face-2-face or through social media, is a good thing. I often wonder if we who are active with our PLN are in the minority. I would say we are.
WOW! What a powerful practice! Thanks to you and your teachers for sharing their insights on this walk-through method. This format can help teachers see the power in walk-throughs and learning from each other.
Kathy
I hadn’t thought about making the teacher to teacher observations formal with checklists of instructional strategies. I can see how that would be helpful though.
I know the value of informally watching other teachers. For reluctant staff, I’m wondering if it might be helpful to start with informal observations with time at each staff meeting to share, “I saw something great in Mr. Smith’s classroom. He was…” When teachers are comfortable they might organically create their own sets of “things they want to know” from observations.
Thanks for the comment. The informal observations happen also. This group of teachers have built a great deal of trust and choose to use the check sheet. The data sheets are actually left nameless and collected. Data is then taken as a broad picture of what goes on in our classrooms. Teachers look at the data together and identify strengths and areas for growth through a professional dialogue. We provide release time for “capacity building” projects that come out of these discussions. Seems to work well for us. The key is to give the teachers some autonomy in their professional growth. They hold one another accountable.
I commend your post. I agree that it is very important for our teachers to connect. We’ve recently, last year, started a connection group and I must say that it was great to see the interaction between staff members from different schools and the knowledge that they bring. It was very open door, with small groups watching teachers teach in an area of experitise of their own choosing. It is the first step in connected learning, and from there they are able to springboard into other areas of their connected learning journey.
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