J.P. Prezzavento - The Bits and Bytes of Education:

After attending my first edcamp in Kansas City, MO about a year and a half ago, I immediately began to see how the edcamp model could be applied to PD on a building level.  As I prepare for EdcampSTL on February 9th, I have started to think about what I have learned about PD from attending both EdcampKC and EdcampSTL. 1.  Everyone is an expert. The great thing about attending an edcamp is that discussions can be started by anyone in attendance.  I have been a part of professional discussions led by brand new teachers and other sessions led by veteran superintendents who have been in education longer than I have been alive.  The common bond all of those sessions and "presenters" have shared is that they are there to learn just like everyone else. No matter what one's area of expertise, experience level, or passion, there is room for everyone to facilitate a session at an edcamp. Don't look too far when you need presenters for building or district-le...

Last night I locked myself in the guest bedroom to wrap my wife's Christmas presents.  I didn't think this would be a difficult task since I have been wrapping presents for many years.  I wrapped her "main" present easily; it was a standard box shape, so I didn't have to put much thought or effort into it.  Her second, smaller gift was slightly more complicated, so I had to think about how I was going to wrap the present before I started, but in the end I used the same basic method I did for the box.  When it came to her third gift, one of those travel cups that has a built-in straw (sorry for the spoiler alert, Kim), I decided to use the same process that I did for the other two gifts, but low and behold, I wasn't successful...at all.  I tried to wrap it several times before I had the stroke of genius to use the gift bag you see to the right. After I put her gift in the bag and admired my handiwork (or lack thereof), I started thinking about some of my cu...

Today I was at my district's professional development committee meeting and was talking to my building's co-chair, @Thompson_shs , when an interesting question was posed: What does high quality professional development look like? Seeing as we were at a district-level meeting, there were representatives from elementary schools, middle schools, and of course the district's two high schools.  Since the needs of learners in each level of school is different, should professional development look different at each level?  Or should it look the same at each level since strong instructional practices are similar all across education?  I am not sure that PD should be similar or different in each level of education, but here is what I do know about high quality professional development: High quality PD meets the needs of all the participants. http://goo.gl/YFfMd High quality PD is not quiet .   Teachers are talking, moving around, and interacting. Hig...

http://goo.gl/t6QgJ This past spring, I prepared my first group of students for the Missouri End of Course exam, and I have a confession to make:  I taught to the test.  That's right, I did it.  I was that teacher that all the good teachers complain about.  Now that testing season is over and I've had the summer to reflect on my last school year, I feel like I'm on a perpetual walk of shame.  Did I let my students down by focusing too much on test preparation and not enough on what really matters  in education?  Was I focused too much on the big picture and not enough on the little things that make up a school day?  Of course none of these thoughts crossed my mind while I was worried about 3s and 4s, but the day after my testing sessions ended, something amazing happened... My first child, Giuliana, was born April 26th, the day after my students finished testing.  The birth of my first child has helped to  put a lot into per...

Does the talk of professional development in your building make teachers cringe and hope to plan their next root canal on a PD day?  Professional development doesn't have to be painful or boring for teachers.  Under the guidance of a forward-thinking principal, @MrGrimshaw , and with the help of an awesome present and past PD rep, @thompson_SHS and @justintarte , respectively, at Seckman High School , we have been able to add fun and interactivity  to our PD days. Now teachers are getting more out of professional development and more teachers are getting involved with PD.  Here are 5 strategies we have used to increase teacher engagement and enjoyment of our professional development days. 1.  Make sure each activity is part of your PD plan. The first step to a successful PD day is to have a long-range professional development plan.  Scheduling random sessions with no rhyme or reason to them will leave teachers unsure of what to expect on professional d...

 http://goo.gl/16Zut  The past few days, @wmchamberlain   has been tweeting reasons to attend #EdcampSTL , a participant driven unconference.  As I have been reading and retweeting, I started thinking about why I can't wait for Edcamp to get here in19 days. Here is my list of ten reasons I'm excited about #EdcampSTL.   1.  Edcamp is a day of FREE learning.   Many educators are attracted to edcamps instead of traditional conferences for many reasons, but in my opinion, one of the most attractive aspects of #EdcampSTL is that it is totally free.  Edcamps do not advertise world-renowned speakers but sessions and professional discussions led and facilitated by the participants.  2.  A chance to reconnect with educators I met at #METC_CSD and #EdcampKC .   Professional discussions and Twitter chats are a great way to stay connected with members of my PLN throughout the year, but it's always great to get to meet with lik...

http://goo.gl/OS0V2 During passing time today I was making small talk with a colleague I typically don't see or talk to much throughout a normal work day.  The topic of lesson planning came up during our 3 minute chat.  This person told me in no uncertain terms that it has been about 15 years since he has updated his lesson plans because his content doesn't change and he has found what he believes to be the best way to teach students his curriculum. http://goo.gl/JJMnB I didn't have much to say in response to this person partly because I didn't want to start screaming at a colleague in the middle of the hallway and partly because I was dumbfounded that an educator could feel that he or she is doing students, parents, and our profession justice by not changing or modifying lessons year after year.  Personally, I rarely reuse lessons from year to year.  I regularly tweak lessons to make them apply to my current group of students. ...