Informal Approaches
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Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:1387] informal approaches to trying online pd
From: Eileen Eckert (eileeneckert_at_hotmail.com)
Date: Wed Apr 14 2004 - 18:41:23 EDT
Hi all,
I've been getting so much information about how organizations and individual instructors can plan and implement online professional development. I'm currently having a rather different experience, and I wondered if others could relate to it.
I'm in an organization where online learning had not been used (though I've used it for about 5 years in other places, and am a big fan). There's some active resistance, but mostly disinterest. A few months ago, a colleague and I decided we were never going to be able to adopt an online learning system, or try it out, if we tried to do it formally. So we set up an online component to our course using Blackboard's free 60-day trial. Then I did the same for an online professional development course for teachers. Then my colleague did the same for all the courses she teaches. Then some of the other teachers set up Blackboard courses on their own for other reasons, including informal sharing of concerns, practices, etc.
Now we're at the point where there is some recognition of the value of
online learning, and some interest in exploring how to use it officially." I'm very grateful Blackboard has the free 60-day trial feature, and I hope we can start using the "real" Blackboard here.
The tips and experiences from people who have used a deliberate, purposeful approach to adopting online learning are great. I hope that others will find ways to jump in and try it, even if they are in organizations that are not as willing or able to take that purposeful approach. Personally, I think the key there is to let participants know that it is an experiment and relies on their patience, collaboration and activity, and feedback in order to work out the bugs.
Have others experienced the informal approach to adopting online pd?
Eileen
