Commencement ceremonies occurred at GCU this week. At events such as those, graduates are often reminded that commencement means the beginning, not the end. Although graduation marks the conclusion of earning a degree, it also signifies the start of a profession, promotion, or perhaps graduate school. As instructors, we want our students to graduate and then continue to learn and grow in their personal and professional lives. We, too, should continually strive to improve. Participating in various Professional Development opportunities is one way we can do that. As can be seen from this month’s discussion, there are numerous options for us as teachers when it comes to Professional Development. It does take time and effort, but it is worth it because it benefits our students.
During this month’s discussion I became more cognizant of my family’s reliance on the expertise of other professionals. In April, we needed the expertise of a dentist, eye doctor, plumber, and mechanic, just to list a few. We expected all of those people to be trained and skilled experts, and they were. However, none of them will ever get to a point where there is no room for improvement or there is nothing left for them to learn in their respective professions. The same is true for teachers: our students rightly expect us to be experts, and we can be, but even as experts we have ahead of us room for improvement and learning regardless of our degrees or years of experience we have behind us.
66 Replies
Hello Brenda:
Professional development from my perspective is to enhance one's ability to grow and develop in a specific area. For me, I have continuously participated in professional development for the past 20 years in order for me to become a better teacher, mentor, husband to my wife, to my son, and to all I seek to serve. I have participated in professional development opportunities ever since I have been with GCU and other institutions of higher learning. While working for a Christian college, I served as the Chair of Faculty Development, which we received grant in order to facilitate ongoing training and development of our faculty to ensure their skills were at a high level and to facilitate effective engagement in the classroom.
Best regards,
Joseph
Brenda, When I think of "professional development" I think of growing in my area of professional expertise. Professional development is related to professional identity. As Licensed Professional Counselors we are encouraged to have a professional identity as counselors just as engineers have a professional identity as engineers. Professional identity is established by adhering to the profession's recognized Code of Ethics, by practicing within the bounds of best practices, and by being a member of the professional association of the profession. Professional identity means that I am developing and growing in my area of expertise. Today I attended th 15th Annual Cesar Chavez Conference to improve my professional expertise as a culturally competent counselor. I know that I picked up knowledge and skills today that will make me a more culturally competent educator.
Joseph and Ron, You both have hit on areas that are important to this discussion:
I'm looking forward to reading what others might want to contribute as we all sort of crowdsource a working definition of Professional Development.
Last week I noticed the following sign when I stopped at a local hardware store.
Their rhetorical choice to use the word “expert” was to persuade people to get their keys cut there, instead of somewhere else, and to communicate that they can be trusted to cut our keys well. I wanted to, but didn’t, ask them what it means to be expert at key cutting. However, it did make me think about expertise and if I would call myself an expert at what I do, or how I would know if I was an expert, or how to become an expert if I thought I wasn’t.
Joseph, in his first comment, talked about achieving high-level skills in specialized areas. Ron, in his comment, mentioned expertise and gave the examples of counselors and engineers. So based on our discussion thus far, the concept of expertise or being an expert has to do with Professional Development.
Regarding expertise and teaching, a few questions came to my mind. Feel free to share your thoughts on any or all of them.
What does it mean to be an expert teacher?
How does a person become an expert teacher?
How do we identify an expert teacher?
Hello Brenda and fellow colleagues:
An expert teacher is a person who can teach based on relevant research and applied abilities and skills in their discipline. The person became an expert through:
1. Experience in the profession
2. Formal education: Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, and Doctoral Degree
3. The ability to apply what that person has learned in the classroom, either synchronously or asynchronously by engaging their students effectively.
The three above traits identify a person as an expert teacher. In addition, one other most important trait an expert teacher should have is service, service to their students’ during their courses. To ensure the standard of the course content is applied based on the students' assigned tasks for the course.
Regards,
Joseph
Brenda and Joseph,
Expertise in a field is usually acknowledged by peers, clients and the general community. This recognition may come in various forms in the career of an individual. Some years I developed expertise in the area of grief counseling. This recognition came in the form of being invited to lead grief groups around the Phoenix area for over 15 years. It also came in the form of specialized certification as a Certified Thanatologist by the Association of Death Education and Counseling (ADEC). I was also invited and privileged to train over 700 priests, deacons and lay persons in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix over about 10 years.
As we all know from our educational experiences, expertise in a field of endeavor does not automatically translate to being an expert teacher. I defining an expert teacher as an effective communicator of the information being presented. I have been teaching at the collegiate level for 15 years now. When I am evaluated by various institutional experts I have always been complimented for my ability to practice an adult learning model that engages all of the students. My stuidents also give me feedback which I take seriously. On occasion I have asked student to give my their anonymous feedback apart from the End of Course Survey the university asks for. I have found this as an excellent way to improve my teaching skills.
Ron
So when it comes to being an expert, we have had three important elements mentioned thus far. (Joseph and Ron, if I have misunderstood or misrepresented your comments, feel free to post a clarification.)
Education
Degrees certainly are part of becoming an expert and when it comes to higher education a PhD is recognized as a terminal degree. However, a person who has a PhD might not be a very effective teacher and a person without a PhD might be a great teacher. I recently read about a university that started providing an opportunity for their PhD students to also earn a graduate teaching certificate because having a PhD does not necessarily mean a person is prepared to be an expert teacher even though they might be a content or research expert in fields such as history, biology, computer science, etc.
Evaluation
A couple of days ago I received an email from an organization that focuses on Professional Development for Higher Education that asked the question “How are you overcoming your ‘expert blind spot’?” As teachers become experts they could become less effective when they forget what it was like to not know what they now know. Evaluations help us become experts, but they also help experts see any blind spots that might arise. We pursue Professional Development for the purpose of helping us become experts or maintain our expertise so that we are effective, yet becoming an expert could actually result in us being less effective.
Estimation
People who are effective in their field or profession might be recognized as such by others. As they become more esteemed, they then might have opportunities to train their peers. It’s not just teachers, but people in numerous professions, who need to be continual learners regardless of their level of expertise. That is what I see as the core function of Professional Development: peer-to-peer training, learning, and collaborating. Faculty members at any level of education or experience can benefit from Professional Development.
Starting next week we will get into specific opportunities available to anyone and everyone, but in the meantime let’s continue identifying and discussing general purposes of and for Professional Development and what it means to be an expert.
Brenda,
Thank you for separating these three issues in distinct categories.
Education
I find it interesting to learn a university is taking the teaching of doctoral students to learn to be effective teachers. One of the most effective teachers I had in my undergraduate life was an instructor who had a Master's Degree. I do not believe he was a doctoral candidate.
Evaluation
Yes, some days I forget that my students do not have the background knowledge I have. I pay very close attention to my students' body language. Their non-verbal language quickly tells me if I am not connecting with my information. I stop and go back and repeat the information. I ask if I am making sense. Evaluation is not a one-time event; it is on-going throughout the class.
Estimation
I have expertise in two fields: theology and clinical counseling. I am being increasingly being asked to give presentations on the integration of Christian faith and psychology. Last year, I gave a keynote address to about 200 ministers and counselors. One of the audience as has asked me to bring a modified version of the address in two weeks to a new audience. I am humbled by these requests and this validation.
Ron
Yes, those who teach in a face-to-face classroom setting can look at body language or other non-verbal communication from students. In that regard, those who teach online are at a bit of a disadvantage. I remember a while ago, I posed a general question iin an online discussio forum asking students if things were making sense or if anyone had any questions, and nobody responded. I took that to mean that everybody was understanding, but I didn't have the benefit of body language to help me know if that was correct or not. Then, a couple of years later I read an article that challenged me in that regard and I realized that vague questions might not be the best method for me to use, especially in an online setting. Because I was subscribed to receive that teaching newsletter (and because I read it), I was challenged to do some self-evaluation.
Professional Development, even if it comes in the form of reading a newsletter, can take place if the articles we read prompt us to stop and evaluate ourselves. Additionally, when we are evaluated by others (such as through the peer evaluation process that GCU uses), that also can be a form of Professional Development if we read those evaluation reports and use them to help us improve.
Ron, it sounds like you've been given great opportunities to train your peers and other professionals. One of the criticisms I've read recently of the usual conference style Professional Development is that an audience listens, then leaves, and that's the end.
To those who are privileged to present at conferences: how do you gauge if your audience learns from your presentation? To those who attend conferences: what do you do to apply what you've been taught at a conference?
Brenda, Thank you for your post. I read the article you mentioned. I see it refers to Classroom Assessment Tools (CATs) as a way to gauge students' understanding of the count. I have used them when online teaching; the challenge is that not all students respond to the CATs. In a cohort class I ask specific questions to judge comprehension. I have asked each student individually, even in classes of 20 students.
About knowledge gained at a conference, it depends on the conference. I use material I gained from a conference 10 years ago! I use therapeutic information in my therapy. I have also passed on some of the material in conferences to my students.
Week two objective: Discover where and how to find Professional Development opportunities
Last week our discussion got started with Joseph and Ron helping to identify purposes of and for Professional Development. They both gave great insights and examples based on their years of experience. Others are welcome to revisit or add to that week one discussion.
One of the themes that emerged, thus far, from that discussion is the idea that we should be skilled teachers and that we need to work at developing and maintaining those skills not only so we are experts in the content we teach, but also in how we teach that content. With that in mind, let’s get into specific Professional Development opportunities that help us do that.
Professional Development opportunities are many and varied and I think it’s good to diversify the types of activities in which we invest our time. I prefer taking free online courses and would rather spend my time doing that than participating in other forms of learning. However, I’m working on making sure I have exposure to other forms of Professional Development.
In a day or two, I plan to start providing links (and asking others to provide links) to specific Professional Development resources that are available. For now, though, I thought it would be helpful if we start by compiling a list of general resources. Some resource types that come to my mind are newsletters, courses, journals, and conferences that could be on-site, off-site, in-person, online, employer created, or created by other institutions or organizations.
What other types of resources or opportunities should we add to that list?
I would add in virtual world conferences to the list. The Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education just took place inside the virtual world of Second Life. The recordings had some technical glitches so they may or may not be at https://vwbpe.org/watch
I prefer live sessions, so those provided by GCU, Educause, EdWeb, and ASCD events are great. I also like to follow on the ground conferences via social media, often getting a ring side 'seat' via technology.
Writing jounrnal articles and conference presentations can also develop our learning further as we research for these works.
Lisa, Thank you for sharing your ideas.
Lisa and Brenda, I have not availed myself of any programs of professional development in regards to improving my teaching skills besides those offered by GCU. I did attend some of the webinars as well related to adding more technology into my classroom. I found those educational experiences difficult to follow and translate into the classroom. My learning style is mostly kinetic and auditory so I struggle with webinars that require a of technical expertise.
Those are my thoughts for the moment.
Lisa has helped get us started this week by pointing to some resources aimed to help teachers in their teaching skills. Just as we need to be knowledgeable in the content we teach, we also need to be skilled in how we teach. Below are links to the resources Lisa has suggested.
Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education (You can watch their recent conference presentations.)
edWeb.net (You can receive free continuing education certificates for watching their free webinars.)
ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) (Some resources are free and some are not.)
Educause (Some resources are free and some are not.)
Additionally, Lisa and Ron have both mentioned that GCU offers free Professional Development opportunities for faculty. I’ve participated in GCU’s on-demand workshops, 3-day online training courses, webinars, and discussion threads all of which can be found here on the CIRT webpages.
Each of us has preferences. Some might prefer in-person, while others prefer online. Some might prefer synchronous online, while others would rather it be asynchronous. However, all of those methods can be beneficial to each of us regardless of our preferences. In the first week of this discussion I mentioned that it’s good to diversify our Professional Development. Just as it’s beneficial to diversify a financial investment portfolio, it’s helpful to diversify our Professional Development so that our learning is not from only one person, institution, or organization or is not in only one or two formats. Through exposure to a variety of methods and formats (even those we do not prefer), we are stretched and challenged to learn and it fosters a growth, rather than fixed, mindset.
Below are some resources I have participated in that can help teachers become more skilled at teaching.
NC State University Friday Institute for Educational Innovation (They offer free online courses and you can earn free microcredentials.)
@one Online Network of Educators (They offer free and fee-based training specifically for online teachers.)
Faculty Focus (They offer free articles on higher education teaching strategies and some fee-based training.)
What other resources could be added to our growing list?
Brenda and Lisa,
I used to get Faculty Focus in my email box regularly and read most of them. I have not had them for a long time. I should sign up again, I guess.
I just completed the survey sent out by GCU about professional development and training. Interesting survey. I recognized that I am not taking advantage of the offerings. I think what happened is that the changes in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) discouraged me from keeping involved. I recall when I was new (2010) the LMS was ANGEL, then we had Loud Cloud and now we have LMS. With each switch I found the professional development offerings more difficult to negotiate. During the ANGEL days and early Loud Cloud days I participated in offerings at least 6-8 times a year.
Can anyone else relate to these frustrations?
Ron
Brenda, I just signed up again for Faculty Focus.
Ron
Ron, I can't remember how long I've been subscribed to the Faculty Focus email newsletter, but I do find some articles to be helpful even if they just make me stop and evaluate what I'm doing or not doing.
One of the downsides with subscribing to Faculty Focus is that you will start receiving other emails advertising for Magna's paid training. I haven't ever purchased anything from them.
I'm sure you are not alone in the frustrations you mentioned in your previous comment, and I hope others will respond to your question. One of the reasons why I take free online courses from a variety of institutions is that it gives me experience with multiple Learning Management Systems.
Brenda, I wonder if that was why I unsubscribed in the past.
I wish more people were participating in this discussion.
Ron
Ron,
You bring up a good point about low participation. That’s something I have noticed lately in the FAB discussion threads. I have participated in a few discussions, but in others I have just lurked. My level of involvement is affected usually by my level of interest in the topic at hand, my schedule at the time of the discussion, and/or whether or not I have anything to add to the discussion. In the March discussion, I didn’t join in until the last week when a specific topic came up that interested me and to which I thought I had something to contribute. Perhaps others are feeling that same way about this discussion.
Transitioning the discussion
We have had some good suggestions, thus far, of Professional Development resources available to us. One of those types of resources I would like to get more specific about is free online courses. A couple of years ago I wrote an article about the benefits of teachers becoming students.
To all of you who are reading this discussion thread, feel free to share your thoughts here (either agreement or disagreement) on that article I wrote.
In the past decade, perhaps one of the things teachers and students have had to adapt to the most is the increasing use of online components in their teaching either in a fully online or blended format. Even teachers and students who are mostly in face-to-face learning environments have to sometimes adapt to online formats, especially when you step out your front door on April 11 and see this:
That was my view this morning and it’s supposed to keep snowing with gusty winds all day. Our youngest is in high school and we received notice early this morning that students would be having an e-learning day today at home because schools are closed due to the weather. Online learning is becoming more prevalent in education. With the growth of online learning we also have more online learning opportunities available to us. Below are some more links to a few, of the many, free online learning resources that I have participated in as an online learner.
Canvas
OpenLearn
Hillsdale College
Dallas Theological Seminary
Lynda (One note about Lynda: I don’t pay to take those courses because my local public library provides free access to everyone with a library card. Check with your own local library system to see if they offer the same free service to its patrons to take Lynda courses.)
For now, I encourage you to just explore the resources that have been listed thus far. Next week I plan to have us discuss how we should evaluate free resources and choose which ones we want to try out.
Does anyone have any other free resources to add to our growing list? If so, please share those. If you aren’t sure how to post a link, feel free to just list the website(s) or organizations/institutions.
Snow! I do hope we are past that. Our local elementary schools don't do the elearning thing, so when the grandson is off school, he hangs out with me. I wanted to add another free source of weekly PD -> Future Trends Forum- here's the link for this week https://shindig.com/login/event/ftf-ferguson
Another source might include listening to podcasts - I believe GCU has two educational podcasts.
Hello Brenda and fellow colleagues:
Professional development for me is conducted in two main ways:
1. Ongoing professional development during the year, such as this, through synchronous methods or in a self paced setting where I will learn new modalities to increase my effectiveness in the classroom with my students.
2. Research, presentations, and publications in my discipline: Throughout my professional career I have sought research in my discipline within Management. The areas I choose to conduct research are:
I use online libraries to conduct my research to further my ongoing professional development.
Regards,
Joseph
Lisa, Thank you for that link. I've heard of Bryan Alexander, but didn't know he had that forum.
Joseph, Do you have any particular journals that you would recommend?
A few of the internet resources that I tend to read are listed below.
Also, maybe some of you are not aware that GCU has a couple of online journals.
What other online events, publications, or websites could we add to our list?
Hello Brenda and fellow colleagues:
Yes, these are the journals I review and have published in:
Regards,
Joseph
Joseph, Thank you for sharing those journal titles. The GCU library is a great resource for faculty to use to read journals and do research. I'm glad you mentioned writing/publishing as that is one of the areas I hope we can further discuss in the final week of this month's discussion when the focus will be on applying/using what we've learned in and through Professional Development opportunities.
Transitioning from week two to week three of this discussion
In week one we discussed what Professional Development is and why we should participate in it. This past week (week 2) we discussed specific opportunities that are available to us. In this third week I would like us to discuss how we evaluate and choose, or not choose, Professional Development opportunities.
Week three objective: Evaluate Professional Development options
What factors attract you to or repel you from participating in certain Professional Development opportunities?
I intentionally seek out PD opportunities that are online (or in a virtual world) and are synchronous. I especially enjoy those with an active backchannel going on during the event. I also enjoy reading in my field. I very much like conferences that let me attend from my couch.
Lisa,
The convenience of online PD opportunities certainly makes it possible for people to participate in more events than they might otherwise be able to join. I agree that being able to interact with others at the same time helps participants be more engaged, rather than just passively listening.
Sometimes I have taken online courses hoping that there would be others there to chat with in a discussion forum, but it ends up that there aren't many in the course, or maybe I'm the only one. I've had that happen with some of those 3-day online training courses that GCU provides. I think that's one of the reasons why I haven't been very interested in listening to the podcasts that GCU links to in the faculty newsletter. I'm sure they are well done and have good information, but I wonder if faculty would like to have some sort of forum where they could discuss the topics of the podcasts with each other and with those who created the podcasts.
Hello Brenda and fellow colleagues:
I seek professional development in my areas of my discipline and the areas that interest me.
I also seek professional development in areas I need to work on professionally. As Lisa stated, I seek professional development opportunities that are online that are either synchronous or asynchronous (when I have time available).
I am not interested in professional development courses that are taught like an academic course. I have obtained my degrees (Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate). I seek courses where we can share our experiences with fellow faculty and administrative colleagues, to learn from each other in a setting like this.
Regards,
Joseph
Yes, Joseph, it used to be that if you wanted interaction with others, you had to attend an event in-person. Now, more and more organizations and institutions are offering synchronous online events with an interactive component that many teachers desire.
Based on the comments of those who have joined this month’s discussion so far, there appears to be a preference to participate in events related to our specific fields of interest that offer interaction with others, whether those events are online or on-site. The evaluative criteria mentioned thus far are listed below.
Some other factors not yet mentioned, but that might play into how we evaluate Professional Development options could be related to how much it costs, who is offering it, and what professional benefit(s) it offers. For example, when I evaluate whether or not to take an online Professional Development course, I first look at the cost. If I am able to access everything in the course for free, then I evaluate it on the basis of who is offering it. Is it someone well-respected in his or her field? Is it a recognized institution or organization? After considering those question, I then evaluate it on the basis of the benefit(s) it offers. If I am able to receive some sort of recognition for successful completion (perhaps a digital badge for my LinkedIn page or a certificate for my CV), then that might persuade me to expend the time and effort to complete it.
That doesn’t mean that I’ve never paid for a non-credit online course. Because I do some writing in addition to teaching, I am always trying to improve as a writer. One of the ways I seek to do that is by taking writing classes. The International Writing Program at The University of Iowa periodically offers free online writing classes allowing people to complete entire courses for free, but they also offer an optional completion certificate for a small fee. A certificate from a well-known and respected program/university such as that could be beneficial to a writer’s CV and worth the expense of their time, effort, and money.
Since this week’s focus is on evaluating Professional Development opportunities, what are some ways that faculty could or should evaluate the quality of a PD opportunity before deciding to participate in it? Have you ever begun a PD course, workshop, seminar, webinar, etc. and not finish it? If so, what caused you to decide to drop out?
I go where the crowd is most often. My colleague Peggy George and I follow each other around the web - popping up in many of the same PD spaces. I vett the value of a PD experience on my interest in the topic, and because I need PA hours to keep my certificate, whether PDE accepts the credits or not.
Have I left? Yes, if the topic is not what I thought or too commercial (as free things can be) I have quietly backed out.
Lisa,
I, too, bump into some of the same people in various online courses. Some of them I have known for several years and we keep in contact even though we've never met each other in person and likely never will simply because of distance.
I recently joined a Slack group where some of us (who met taking free online courses) talk with each other through a private, online chat forum. A couple of us in the group are here in the U.S., but others are in the UK, Croatia, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, and some in South America (but I don't remember the exact countries). Fortunately for me they all can speak/write English. I've even been in live google hangouts with some of my international friends. I've also been able to engage in email correspondence with faculty members at various universities. I actually have more education-related conversations with people not associated with GCU simply because there aren't many opportunities for me as an online adjunct to talk with and get to know other GCU faculty.
I'm glad you mentioned the caution about some things getting too commercial. That's why it's important to evaluate all the different PD options before giving them your email address (sometimes I've had to unsubscribe). Speaking of email, I generally don't use my GCU email address to enroll in PD opportunities (unless it's for GCU PD) because I want to use contact information that I probably will have for a long time. Being an adjunct, one has no guarantee of longevity and you can't take your GCU email address with you if you leave or retire.
Hello Brenda and fellow colleagues:
Yes, I do agree with you Brenda, especially the availability of the professional development courses that are free to us, especially at GCU. However, the cost of attending specific scholarship activities, such as when I presented at conferences or published in their journals can be expensive. I have done those things, however; it would be a great idea if GCU had its own journals for us to collaborate together online/asynchronously and submit to have online/remote conferences to publish findings in publications from colleagues.
Regards,
Joseph
I think GCU has 3 journals and 2 conferences. I think as an adjunct I can submit to these.
Lisa,
Earlier in this discussion I mentioned two GCU journals. If you are aware of others, please add those to this discussion not only as possible places to get published, but also as reading resources for others.
Joseph,
Yes, GCU has some good Professional Development opportunities for faculty and, based on their recent PD survey asking for input and feedback, I think they are open to new ideas or ways to improve what they are currently doing.
I read an article yesterday that summarized how three different universities have changed how they offer Professional Development to their faculty members. It’s good for universities to evaluate their own PD programs and figure out what works best for their goals and the needs of their faculty. The article was a good reminder to me that every instructor, regardless of experience or education, can benefit from additional and ongoing training.
Those of you following this discussion (whether you are posting or just reading comments) might be interested in reading that article. For those of you who read it, is there something in it that resonated with you, challenged you, or with which you disagree? If so, feel free to share your thoughts.
I went back and read again - you're right - two of the journals merged into one.
Lisa, Thank you for checking on that. I want to make sure we're giving out correct information during this month's discussion and I appreciate your help.
Hello Brenda and fellow colleagues:
I know GCU provides sessions on Loud Cloud, however; I do think GCU should provide specific areas for faculty to identify areas within the new Loud Cloud system for GCU. As stated in this article: “If our focus is on Canvas, we want folks to share Canvas,” Pacansky-Brock said. “Take us inside your course and show us.”
I had issues in the new Loud Cloud Learning Management System with team assignments, in some areas this still has not been corrected, especially the rubrics within my MBA MGT 660 course. The other concern I have in the new Loud Cloud system is the course content for students and the reliance of LopesWrite for student access. I have informed my students' to please submit their assignments that are required to be submitted to LopesWrite earlier in the week, if you wait until Wednesday when your assignment is due, it could take you several hours to get the LopesWrite report back.
Regards,
Joseph
Peers, I have been away for awhile. I have been dealing with lots of tasks at my day job away from GCU as well as some personal issues.
I see lots of good discussion here. I am not sure I have much to add today except to say that I am becoming increasingly involved in the trauma-informed perspective in the psychological field. Interestingly, my colleague, Rev. Sanghoon Yoo, Mdiv, MSW, is actively engaged in creating trauma-informed congregations. The goal is create a consortium of trauma-informed congregations in Arizona.
I thought I would do some research - and, yes, universities are also developing programs to be "trauma-informed canpuses." I have encountered some of this among the students I have taught. I would like to see a training at GCU to become a trauma-informed campus.
https://www.acha.org//documents/Programs_Services/webhandouts_2015/TH2-322_Hoch.pdf
Welcome Back Ron. I went to the article and the wordcloud caught my attention. PTSD - isn't that what soldiers have? As you can see, I know nothing about the topic. Perhaps this would be a good training to have at GCU - preparing us to be future ready....
Ron, thank you for pointing out that instructors need to be trained not only in the content they teach and how they teach it, but also in relating to students in areas outside of content or teaching method.
I think Joseph's latest comment also points to the importance of instructors being adequately trained in areas outside of content and method. Faculty should desire to be adept with the required LMS and institutions should provide adequate training on the LMS for their faculty, especially if they change versions or vendors. From what I’ve seen, there isn’t a space for formal training on GCU's new LMS or regarding LopesWrite where faculty can learn and ask questions together as a community.
I think that training opportunities (with a discussion forum) about the new LMS and LopesWrite system could be beneficial, not only for helping faculty learn to use them, but also for helping identify bugs or glitches. I've seen some issues with LopesWrite that appear to be confusing to some faculty and students.
Transitioning to the final week of this discussion on Professional Development
A few months ago I wrote an article about how instructors can demonstrate their expertise both with the content they teach and with the LMS they are required to use. We soon will be in our final week of this month's discussion where I would like us to get specific about how we apply to our classrooms and to our teaching what we learn through various Professional Development opportunities.
Week four objective: Apply Professional Development to your Profession
It was after taking a couple of courses (one about developing an eportfolio and another about emerging technologies) that I decided to create a couple of websites where I could post resources for students. I also became more active in Twitter after taking a course about humanizing online teaching.
What are some specific things that some of you have added to or adjusted regarding your teaching as a result of having taken a Professional Development course or after attending a workshop or conference?
Just briefly interrupting the discussion this morning to say He is risen!
Hello Brenda and fellow colleagues:
Praise the Lord! Yes, he has risen indeed!
Brenda, I agree with your assertion, through training opportunities, within a discussion forum concerning the new LMS and LopesWrite; we all could benefit by learning specific nuances of the new LMS and identify issues. Once that is accomplished, GCU then can correct those areas within the new LMS.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Joseph
Based on the comments from Joseph, Ron, and Lisa throughout this discussion, I think they have rightly conveyed a desire that characterizes most, if not all, instructors: we seek out meaningful Professional Development that we can apply to our teaching and to our classrooms for the benefit of our students.
As instructors, we are always seeking to improve and we recognize that can’t happen only in a vacuum. It certainly is possible to improve as a teacher by doing some things in isolation, such as reading or listening to lectures or podcasts, but we need venues and opportunities to openly discuss and debate what we have read or heard. Our students are told that discussions are a key aspect of their learning and we, as instructors, need that as well.
One of the reasons I gravitate toward free online courses is because it gives me an opportunity to learn and interact with a number of people in our own private online learning space. I enjoy virtually rubbing shoulders with fellow professionals and having opportunities to challenge them and be challenged by them in a space reserved just for us. [side note: this current GCU discussion forum we are using on CIRT is viewable by whoever is on the internet.] When I take online courses, I not only observe how other instructors teach and see methods new to me, but I also am able to ask questions and join discussions.
One of the challenges I experience being an online adjunct for GCU is not even knowing who else teaches the same course that I teach, who all the other faculty members are in the same College as I am, and not having opportunities to interact with them.
An article on medium argued that collaboration and community among teachers can help make for meaningful Professional Development. In that article, the writer linked to another article on the topic of Rhizomatic learning. One of the takeaways I had from reading those two articles is the intriguing idea of giving instructors an opportunity to observe their fellow instructors, be observed by their fellow instructors, and then have an opportunity for some give-and-take, non-anonymous feedback that is not part of your permanent employment record. Having a more casual opportunity to observe and provide/receive feedback could be beneficial in helping us see immediate ways to make applications to our teaching and participate in some meaningful Professional Development.
What do some of you think about the ideas presented in those two articles? Do you see things in those articles with which you agree or disagree as relates to Professional Development and applying it in meaningful ways to our teaching?
When I saw the title of the rhizome article I started laughing, thinking of Dave Cormier. And guess is the author! I knew Dave from EdTechTalk and also when he keynoted at a VWBPE conference in SL. I will have to reread his article after I finish chuckling about how small a world it is.
Rhizomes as Dave's metaphor for learning reminds me of Pachysandra roots. They spread quickly in all directions, usually not where one wants them, and they are really difficult to eliminate. My Dad found this out in our yard - the Pachysandra took over our yard, the neighbors yard, and were moving swiftly towards the adjacent golf course...
All this to say, it is exactly what educators want - to enable rhizomatic learning connections in all directions.
What do you all think?
Lisa,
Small world, indeed. Sounds like you and I both try to keep up on what's going on in edtech.
Yes, we want our students to make connections in all directions so they are connecting new things they learn with old things they've already learned and connecting ideas in an inter- or cross-disciplinary fashion. Making mental connections also helps solidify learning and apply it to various situations. Teachers can model that for their students, especially when we take what we learn from a Professional Development activity and apply that to our classrooms. There are many ways we could do that. One simple way is to just let our students know the books we are reading. Sometimes I do that through Twitter.
Other times I might mention a book I've read in the discussion forum and connect something from that book to the course material and to a DQ.
I used to tell middle school students that those connections caused fire in their brains (neurologically this is true but not in the way a middle schooler would think) as more synaptic connections are created.
Hello Brenda and fellow colleagues:
RE: Application oriented course
I enjoyed these articles, especially the one on application. As a business professor application is the main premise behind the business discipline. We should be applying leadership and management in an ethical conscious methodology for our students' to apply the perspective to their fellow employees within their organization. I want to take this one step further; for my graduate courses, especially the MGT 660 Strategic Management Course, there needs to be a practical application process within this course where the student actually applies this. The current MGT 660 course is outstanding course, however; with the element of primary research within this course, it would make this course a greater course. In addition, the course required strategic management plans should be referred to as applied research and the title of the course should reflect the name Capstone within the title of this course to relfect actual application of the course content based on their MBA degree.
Regards,
Joseph
Lisa, yes, learners of all ages can make new brain connections.
Joseph, your comment reminded me of a Professional Development course I took last summer. The course was about how to review and evaluate the courses we teach. Even though instructors at GCU might not be able to make changes to our courses, we still should evaluate them (as it sounds like you have done) and either make suggestions to GCU or figure out ways to try and make up for the gaps or shortcomings we might see in the courses we teach.
Evaluating our own courses is a great way to apply what we know and have learned. In case anyone is interested, I've attached to this comment the review form that we were given. It has a Creative Commons license, so anyone is free to use it. It is interactive, so you can click the check boxes and insert comments in the form.
Attachments
Wow, this is a head-spinning discussion. I am reading about horticulture metaphors that I have not read before.
I am going to have re-read this material for a while to see how to applies to my classes.
Ron,
Yes, that was a recent sharp turn we just came out of in our discussion as we accelerate into the home straight. Take all the time you need to get your bearings. Even though this formal public exchange of ideas will be done at the end of this week, the discussion doesn't need to end. In case some of you aren't aware, you can click on the name(s) of people who have commented and then a private message box will appear so you can continue communicating if you wish with me or with others.
Thank you for the attached course review information Brenda!
Joseph
Hello colleagues:
There is a GCU Webinar for CCOB Adjunct Faculty on the New LMS. The webinar will provide tips, best practices, CLC group information and more on Thursday May 2, 2019 at 10:00am Arizona time:
Web address for CCOB Adjunct Faculty registration:
https://gcu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vU5kvl1STbyo1Mgs-AwDJQ
Regards,
Joseph
Joseph, You're welcome. Also, thanks for the webinar information. I wonder if other GCU Colleges will host a webinar for their adjunct faculty so that all can benefit from that type of training.
Since we're discussing how we can apply our Professional Development to our classrooms, I thought I would include another freebie. Back when GCU used turnitin I attended turnitin webinars and also received free tools from turnitin. One of those tools was a form designed to help students evaluate online sources. You tick the appropriate boxes and it makes the calculations for you. I've passed this form along to students in my online classes. It's under a Creative Commons license, so feel free to use and distribute it if any of you would like.
What are some specific tools, resources, or knowledge/ideas/methods that some of you have gleaned from Professional Development events or activities that you have applied to your teaching?
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As we near the end of this week's focus on applying to our teaching what we learn through Professional Development, I also want you to consider other ways you might make use of PD accomplishments. As teachers, we want our students to know that we are always seeking to improve. As employees, we want our employers to know that we are regularly striving to sharpen our current skills and acquire new knowledge.
What are some ways we can demonstrate to our students and employers that we are continuing to learn and grow as professionals?
I'll provide two examples:
1) Earlier this week I completed a free online course about FERPA offered by the U.S. Department of Education. I already had completed the FERPA training offered by GCU to its faculty, but I decided to refresh my knowledge by taking another course. I will probably list this latest training on my CV and maybe on my LinkedIn page.
2) A few months ago I attended an evening lecture event at a local university. That isn't something to put on a CV, unless I was a presenter (which I wasn't), but I wanted to put it to use somehow. What I decided to do was write up a report of the event and I shared it with my students (I've attached that report to this comment). Taking the time to write about the event helped me practice my writing skills, commit to memory what I learned from the lectures, and demonstrate to my students that even though I am their teacher I strive to be a lifelong learner.
How have some of you demonstrated your Professional Development activities or achievements to your students and/or employers?
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I attending a zoom PD event,
It’s All About Relationships: Effective Online Classroom Management Strategies
Where Dr. Jeff Martin talked about the importance of creating relationships with students. Click here to view the recording.
One of his suggestions, I used in my class and the students LOVED it. He mentions pictures of leaves, I live in the northeast and have plenty, thank you. So our class focused on the important people in our lives.
Now that I have their attention, I hope the quality of learning increases!
HI Brenda,
I agree that professional development in many ways has changed, but also is very similar to what it was 25 years ago when I became a teacher. What I find most interesting today are "Ted Talks" that provide experiences and wisdom from others that I can benefit from. I set myself a goal of listening to a Ted Talk weekly, and find the topics I view vary, but assist me in becoming more aware of diverse viewpoints and interests.
Christine Burke
Lisa, Thanks for providing a link to the recording. I do remember watching his presentation. I've heard of some teachers who sort of break the ice by having their class talk about pets.
Christine, Thank you for add Ted Talks to our list of possible Professional Development resources. I have used a TedEd video in a class that I teach.
Hello Brenda and fellow colleagues
The question, how have you demonstrated your Professional Development activities or achievements to your students and/or employers?
I have performed this through implied areas within my teaching and research for my students. As a professor in Business, the essence of my courses; especially graduate level courses are based on application for a leader. I inform my students' when they are required to assess programs or processes they are required to conduct research in order to find the best way to solve applied concerns. The research can either be secondary, where it was already performed, however; the student must be able to synthesize this research for their own. The other way would be to conduct primary research and determine the best methods to actually receive the results they need to make their processes or procedures better for their organization.
Regards,
Joseph
Joseph,
Yes, we should model what we want our students to do and how they should do it. Those who have expertise can and should help others learn to become experts. I witnessed that first-hand this past week in two situations. One day I was in a shop that sells eyeglasses and while I was there a locksmith came in to fix a broken lock on the door. The locksmith had a younger man with him and he explained everything to that young man as he was working to fix the lock. He was also talking him through other aspects of the job, such as customer service, etc. Come to find out, that young man was his son and he was teaching him how to do his job. Another day I was at a clothing store and while I was waiting for an available cashier, I noticed that a manager was standing next to a young woman talking her through and teaching her how to work the cash register.
Commencement ceremonies occurred at GCU this week. At events such as those, graduates are often reminded that commencement means the beginning, not the end. Although graduation marks the conclusion of earning a degree, it also signifies the start of a profession, promotion, or perhaps graduate school. As instructors, we want our students to graduate and then continue to learn and grow in their personal and professional lives. We, too, should continually strive to improve. Participating in various Professional Development opportunities is one way we can do that. As can be seen from this month’s discussion, there are numerous options for us as teachers when it comes to Professional Development. It does take time and effort, but it is worth it because it benefits our students.
During this month’s discussion I became more cognizant of my family’s reliance on the expertise of other professionals. In April, we needed the expertise of a dentist, eye doctor, plumber, and mechanic, just to list a few. We expected all of those people to be trained and skilled experts, and they were. However, none of them will ever get to a point where there is no room for improvement or there is nothing left for them to learn in their respective professions. The same is true for teachers: our students rightly expect us to be experts, and we can be, but even as experts we have ahead of us room for improvement and learning regardless of our degrees or years of experience we have behind us.
Brenda,
I am definitely not a perfect instructor at every moment. So, given the opportunity to learn something new or refresh my skills is an opportunity that I will take. I am open-minded about professional development and the benefits I can gain. I try to participate in an on-demand workshop, other professional development offered to us at this university, and submit to present when I can. At times, I search for free webinars from higher educational organizations. Any opportunity allows me to grow as an educator. I look forward to collaborating here with many of you.
Mirta
Hi, Mirta. Thanks for listing those professional development options. If you want to share any specific higher educational webinar resources, please do so.
I haven't become involved (yet) in submitting presentation proposals, so any insight you could provide regarding that would be welcomed : )
Brenda
Brenda,
GCU offers opportunities to submit proposals, so always be on the lookout for that. In addition, https://tacc.org/tacc/events has conferences you can submit to present, any local college and university also offer opportunities to faculty and outside faculty to present as well. I am always on the hunt. I usually Google university or community college professors or adjunct faculty and go from there. There are specific organizations for higher learning per state as well. Webinars and other free resources are always available. Luckily, GCU has a plethora of resources on CIRT including free professional development.
When I submit a proposal, I always focus on what my experience is coupled with my academic knowledge. There is usually a proposal template and I follow it. You usually have to submit your CV and write a brief rationale or abstract and include a reference list.
https://www.aacte.org/
http://www.aahe.org/
https://www.aaup.org/
Hope this helps.
Mirta
Mirta, Thanks for adding those resources to this discussion.
Brenda
Brenda,
Have you submitted proposals with GCU? They have a fabulous group of individuals that are always eager to collaborate and present. Thank you for the resources on obtaining additional free professional development. I will save all those links.
Mirta
Mirta,
No, I have not, but maybe I will in the future. Thanks for the encouragement!
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