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"Seven best practices in professional development"

"The concept of teacher professional development has radically changed due to the boom in digital technologies and social media websites. The web now is replete with a variety of professional learning networks and communities of practice on almost any topic you think of. There is also another type of portals that have seen the light recently and which offer massive courses and trainings on different subjects, these are MOOCs. MOOCs are a great way for growing professionally particularly that most of the courses they offer are free. I have already featured some interesting MOOC resources that teachers can use for the enhancement of their PD and today I want to share with you some wonderful iPad apps that will allow you to pursue your PD on the go."

"It seems like the practice of professional development within schools has witnessed some radical changes throughout the years. According to We Are Teachers, there are ten main areas that have been touched by this change. Starting with the choice of topics of PDs, in the past such topics were particularly chosen by the principal or school administrators on behalf of the teaching staff. However, today, teachers are more inclined to guide their own PD through concerted efforts in professional learning networks. Also a comparison between the delivery style of PDs in the past with what it is now shows a considerable  shift from expert-centred lecture style where teachers were mere listeners to hands-on workshops that view teachers as experts."

"This is part 4 in the series of Building an online Professional Development Hub for your School "

"Traditional teacher professional development depends on external training handed down to teachers after having identified their weaknesses as a professional. If you're not so great at teacher writing, or if assessment is becoming a bigger focus in your school or district, you fill out a growth plan of some sort, attend your training, get your certificates, and repeat until you've got your hours or your school has run out of money to send you to more training. Oftentimes these "professional growth plans" are scribbled out in 15 minute meetings with your principal, then "revisited" at the end of the year as a kind of autopsy. What would happen if we flipped this model on its head? What if instead we created a teacher-centered, always-on, and social approach to teacher improvement? One that connected them with dynamic resources and human communities that modeled new thinking and possibility, and that crucially built on their strengths?"

I've started this article with quite a bold statement, but it's a conclusion that I have been coming too over the course of quite a few years now. I should really put this into context though, as most of the teacher training I do deals with pedagogical training for the use of technology and is most often delivered during intensive face to face sessions, usually with groups of teachers working in a computer lab.

"I've started this article with quite a bold statement, but it's a conclusion that I have been coming too over the course of quite a few years now. I should really put this into context though, as most of the teacher training I do deals with pedagogical training for the use of technology and is most often delivered during intensive face to face sessions, usually with groups of teachers working in a computer lab" Online Teacher Development Works Best - 15 Reasons Why https://t.co/oVSYIbOwAE #elt #efl #esl #edtech #cpd #mooc

"Like nothing else before it, the iPad has provided a means to involve even these students in music making activities that help develop motor skills, attention span, ability to focus and cognition. In developing these all important skills, students can also become a part of a group that is creating something together, thereby learning how to interact with their peers."

"Educators are beginning to see the potential of using mobile devices and apps for ongoing professional development as well as to improve literacy and cognitive development for learners. Apps are equipped with several features that motivate learners to create stories, presentations, and projects that are hands-on and use their creativity as well as their critical thinking skills. Once an app is downloaded, many features can be accessed without an Internet connection. Educators can also use various apps at conferences to connect with other educators or capture a presentation. Below are the various apps nominated by teachers for an Edublog Award so they must be worth checking out. Each has a link and a description. Make sure to check out the Edublog Awards for blogs, wikis, and web tools that teachers worldwide have recommended."

"Ginger Gregory is the Gifted Resource Teacher at Lakeview Elementary School in Yukon, Oklahoma, and currently has 117 videos on her classroom YouTube channel. Ginger has used the six iPads in her classroom and her free, district-provided YouTube channel (since the Yukon school district participates in the Google Apps for Education program) to help her students develop oral communication skills, oral fluency, as well as digital literacy skills this semester. In the following six minute video, Mrs. Gregory and eight of her students explain what they have learned as a result of their assignments this year using iPad videos and YouTube."

"The need to develop critical thinkers has never been as urgent as it is now. In a world that is digitally focused and where there is an outpouring of information surfeit, students need to be equipped with the right tools to live up to the new learning exigencies. Critical thinking as a skill is the mother of all other skills and one that underpins and solidify students overall learning."

"This presentation will look at how easy it is for a district or school to enhance communication with their community through the development of a mobile app, without having to hire a mobile device programmer or a company to develop an app. Participants with their own device will spend part of the session starting to build their own app and should leave the session feeling comfortable in their ability to finish their app after ISTE."

"LEGO games are widely used among young learners to help them develop key learning skills. More and more primary teachers are using them in their classrooms to help with skill development. From teaching numeracy to introducing kids to the basics of literacy, LEGO games have proved to be an essential learning component in the educational ecosystem. In today's post, we have curated for you this collection of interesting resources to help you tap into the educational potential of LEGO  in your instruction. These resources include mobiles apps and tools, printables, tips and ideas on how to use lego with students and several other materials."