Thread: Do you...

HA! I'd love to see that fly with administration

Although, we might be able to make some kind of course out of it . . . .

That'll be the day. I am still trying to get the district to look into online professional development let alone independent study of a book. Their whole argument boils down to how to hold the teachers accountable for it. They wanted some way of documenting how long it took teachers to complete the courses, or read the books, etc... I asked how making them sit in a room for 6 hours guaranteed they "learned" anything or why someone who reads/learns at a faster rate should be penalized by getting less credit. In the end the district doesn't really want us to grow as professionals, they only care about us putting in time.

I designed online computer coursework for the staff. No credit is offered, but they have to take it. (It's part of our last self-study for SACS)

The reasoning for no credit being offered is that while some teachers are taking an enormous amount of time to go through it, others are breezing through it. OK, tell me what in life is NOT like that?

So, we had 8 modules last year and I'd planned on 8 modules this year, but I haven't been able to work up the personal motivation to write next year's course work. While I got a lot of positive feedback on how much teachers were helped - even the most computer savvy learned something - the no credit really bugs me.

Wouldn't that be nice!

One thing I find amusing is that there is an overwhelming belief that if they force us to partake in professional development, it will improve our performance. In truth, the only people who improve are the ones who want to do it in the first place.

For me, the documentation is just a hassle. I voluntarily attend far more than is required.

Originally Posted by dover7science

I was just thinking....there is a lot of collegial sharing and problem solving going on on these boards. Do any of you claim this as professional development for certification hours?

The problem is there's no assessment. There's no documentation for time on-line or what you learned. The only way I could see this happening would be if this site was a subcomponent of a workshop.

My district must have low standards for what they accept then. I had no problem in getting my administrator signing off that I had watched 10 hours of online video from the Annenberg foundation about science inquiry.
I had tons of hours (still taking college courses to finish my Master's....done in Aug.) so even if they hadn't, I would have been fine, but...
It is interesting to me to hear about how different districts around the country/world operate. Puts mine into perspective sometimes!

Originally Posted by David Chin

Originally Posted by dover7science

I was just thinking....there is a lot of collegial sharing and problem solving going on on these boards. Do any of you claim this as professional development for certification hours?

The problem is there's no assessment. There's no documentation for time on-line or what you learned. The only way I could see this happening would be if this site was a subcomponent of a workshop.

I heard the same thing from my administration when I asked about alternative forms of professional development. Ag=fter I got that response I asserted there is no assessment or documentation that a participant at a brick/mortar professional development learned or is applying anything. The only response they had was, but we know they were "there". I stand by my original premise that they do not truly care about us developing as professionals as much as they want us to "put in time". What is really sad is this attitude is pervasive in all other areas of education too. Students are given credit for "seat time" and administrators ask teachers to find ways to give credit to kids so they pass. There is little mention of learning if at all. As much as the NCLB has problems, it is shining a bright light on some of the educational vermin that have infested our schools. Unfortunately we teachers are fighting against the NCLB while the admins sit back and watch when instead we should be embracing it and using it as a sword to affect real change in our schools. The NCLB could be our weapon of choice to attack the idiotic, anti-educational policies of some districts and administrators.

/rant

While battling, ahem, navigating, our state board of education site for HOUSSE to document what core subjects as a special ed teacher I was to be Highly Qualified in, there was one portion which addressed so many points for professional contact with fellow educators in discussion about our students and curriculum, so I accrued those points for that purpose.

Our PD is always scheduled for us, so we don't have to worry about looking for it other places. The part that stinks is that I always have thinks I just WANT to attend or must attend for other duties and always go over my PD.