Google Teacher Academy and Collaboration

“If you walk away learning one new thing, it was a good workshop.”

Really?  Are our standards so low in the world of educational professional development that we’re willing to spend hours on sub. plans to waste 6 hours at a workshop where we’re hoping to learn ONE new thing?  I’ve heard many veteran teachers (whom I deeply respect) talk about the cycles of educational pedagogy.  Techniques they used their first year of teaching are suddenly “in fashion” again under a different name.  How would a typical lecture based workshop ever expose these experienced teachers to anything new?   If so many educators are proficient in content, teaching styles and of course… the oldie but goodie, classroom management…. why are so many professional development sessions dedicated to those topics?  Why not aim for:

“If you walk away learning all new things, it was a life changing workshop.”

That’s how I felt about the Google Teacher Academy.  Obviously, I had test-driven many of the Google Apps. before.  I’m not a proficient user of any of the tools, but the sections of the day that were dedicated to “how” to use the tools simply built upon my prior knowledge.  Here’s the best part:  although the day was “officially” dedicated to teaching educators about these tools and how to use them in the classroom, that’s the topic I learned the LEAST about!  Believe it or not, that’s a good thing…I’ll explain.

I am sure that some of the GTA attendees were proficient at using Google Apps. with their students and in their personal/professional lives.  Obviously, there was a promise of learning bigger and better things at the academy.  So what made it the absolute best day of professional development I’ve ever had?? 

Collaboration

from: http://www.everydaygivingblog.com/enthusiasm/

 I watched this video posted on Edutopia this morning and made some connections.  Randy Nelson, from Pixar University, spoke about the difference between collaboration and cooperation in the workplace.  Collaboration allows people to amplify others they are working with.  That is the perfect way to explain how I felt at Google.  I was with my own people.  Some people knew more than I did and some people knew less.  But we all managed to amplify each other in one way or another.  Ideas, stories, concerns and solutions were shared during breakout sessions, lunch, dinner, bathroom breaks, on the stairs, you name it!  The atmosphere set by the GTA team inspired me to learn from and about the person next to me.  There was no underlying competition to look like the “smartest” person in the room.  I felt like I was part of a living, growing organism. 

It was life changing and I plan on putting that
inspiration and amplification to good use!

Hand Holding

 

 

From: http://workingwriterscoach.com/2007/09/17/are-you-ready-to-receive/

Techie Wedding Bliss

My fiance’ is now my husband thanks to an absolutely wonderful wedding attended by friends and family from near and far.  The experience was mind-bending and holding his hand on that day meant more than words can explain. 

But enough mushiness for now…

Maybe this is my claim to super-geekiness, but I can’t help but make some connections between my experiences with wedding planning and technology integration.

Being a techie-bride, one of the first things I did for our out of town guests was create a wedding wiki.  My husband’s family is from the rural south and I knew driving around New Jersey with our jug-handle turns and toll roads would be a huge culture shock for some of them.   The wiki had everything:  links to hotels, travel sites, Google maps and directions, a weekend agenda, sight-seeing suggestions… I was very proud of it.  However, as we got closer to the wedding date, I received many questions via email and phone that the wiki answered:  “How can I rent a car from the hotel?” “We want to go site-seeing in Philadelphia.”  “How do I get from the airport to the hotel…how much does it cost?”   It drove me a little nuts as I tried to prepare for these questions ahead of time because I was busy with last minute wedding details.  Rather than take a few minutes to explore the sites I had prepared for them, they wanted me to hold their hand through the process.  It was almost like they didn’t trust the websites, or that I knew secret information the websites wouldn’t provide (not true).  Now, I love my new in-laws and they are great, technology using, people.  I realized that they just wanted a little bit of hand-holding for a trip to a new, possibly over-whelming place. 

Have you run into educators like this?  I’ve recommended very easy to use, online tools to teachers and some of them refuse to try it  without a formal workshop (with paper handout!).  Sometimes, they are fairly fluent technology users, but don’t realize their own skill level.  Still, there can be great hesitation to try a new tool because they might “do it wrong”. 

Here’s a secret I tell as many teachers as I can.  I DON’T KNOW IT ALL.  Honestly, I don’t.  I am mostly self-taught, but cherish the times I’ve had the privilege of one-on-one assistance.  My secret is:  I test drive a lot of things.  If I like it, I put in a few hours/days/weeks learning how to use it to address my needs.  I follow people on my PLN who are using the same tool to see if they have any new tips/hints about using it.  Here’s the real kicker:  I may use a tool for months without really using it to its full capacity.  I just don’t know what I don’t know!  But it doesn’t matter!!!!    If my needs are being met and I’m becoming more proficient at using the tool, I feel successful.

Asking for help is a wonderful and necessary way to empower oneself and learn.  But don’t forget to be daring…. 

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