PD Magazine 356 OECS PD Magazine NEW (2) | Page 10

USE OF VIDEOS LEARNING WALKS Professional development is provided as teachers open-up their classrooms to other teachers, collaborating and learning new ideas. EDCAMP This type of professional development session is fairly new. However, the concept is one that is not strange to our region. A typical Edcamp starts with teachers coming together to identify topics in education that they want to learn about. You enter the room arranged with mini conference tables and sticky notes and/or papers. Your role is to go to a table and write a topic or idea you wish to discuss and place the note on a display board. The most popular topics are identified and teachers lead the group discussion based on their topics of interest. LUNCH AND LEARN Teachers designate lunch periods with professional leaders to share meaningful information and respond to questions and concerns of their colleagues. WEBINARS The word ‘webinar’ is a portmanteau word from ‘web’ as in internet and ‘seminar’. Essentially, then, webinars are professional development meetings or training sessions conducted over the internet. This is an effective way to identify strengths and weaknesses, particularly through reflection on authentic instruction taking place in the videos. PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES Why don’t you consider professional learning communities (PLCs)? PLCs, currently in vogue, see both teachers and students as learners. In PLCs, teachers come together to answer essential questions to make informed decisions with the goal of enabling all students to be successful. By working collaboratively and focusing on student learning, teachers are given opportunities to grow as professionals. 5