This document discusses the need for personalized professional development (PD) for educators. It outlines shifts from traditional PD, including moving from isolated to connected learning. Challenges of traditional PD like being unfulfilling and ineffective are highlighted. The benefits of a personalized PD approach through a personal learning network (PLN) are described, including encouraging networked learning, regularly sharing learnings, and engaging with learners on social media. Key aspects of a personalized PD program are recommended, such as creating a digital knowledge base with curated resources and communication tools. Popular PD learning tools including collaboration, communication, and resource curation tools are listed. The document provides examples of using blogs and digital portfolios to reflect on practice and showcase work.

1. Professional Development
Personalized
http://goo.gl/9YWAT5
@robert_schuetz
ICE #ICE14
February 27, 2014
Sapphire Room

2. WHY?
Who is telling your story?

3. The Big Learning Shifts
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Analog to Digital
Tethered to Mobile
Isolated to Connected
Generic to Personal
Consumption to Creation
Closed to Open

4. WHY?
Challenges to Traditional PD
1. Unfulfilling experiences
2. Not enough time
3. Forgotten - on to the next thing
4. Ineffective
“What Do We Know About Professional Development?”

5. WHY?
● To encourage networked learning for colleagues
and students
● To regularly obtain and share relevant “learnings”
through a PLN
● To engage with learners “where they live” through
social media
● To foster a “learner-first” mentality that drives
information curation & creation of fresh content

6. What Does Personal PD Look Like?

8. Traditional Networks
“Old School” Teacher Network

9. Personal Learning Network
“New School” Teacher Network
1. Local community: Purposeful F2F connections -“PLC”
2. Bounded community: Committed, collective, group - “CoP”
3. Global network: Individualized online connections -“PLN”

10. Recipe for Personal PD
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Create a Digital Knowledge Base
Curated resources & content
Self-produced resources & content
Provide online communication (including archive)
● Key Starting Points
1. Create a culture of shared learning &
knowledge
2. Provide resources & central repository
3. Nurture leaders with tools & support

11. Popular PD Learning Tools
1. Collaboration
2. Communication
3. Resource Curation
4. Creative Media
5. Presentation

12. Personalizing Learning
Audio
Video
Photos
Bookmarks
Readers
Information
Networking

13. How PD? / Why Blog?
● Reflect on your professional practice
● Record & document your thoughts & ideas
● Share teaching & learning resources
● Showcase best practices with examples
● Engage in professional conversations
● Establish or enhance your leadership voice
● Inspire others to learn & share

14. Using Blogger to Create a Blogfolio
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Define the purpose of the portfolio
Keep a learning journal (blog)
Digitize, organize, and store digital artifacts (Google Drive)
Create a first page - introduction & table of contents
Set up a structure using goals as organizing framework
Upload artifacts/create hyperlinks (organizational table)
Write reflections for each goal/skill and each artifact
Write future learning goals
Publish Portfolio - seek comments & feedback
Evaluating Portfolios - rubrics, peer/self review

15. Blogfolios - education examples
Learning Domain
Expert Blog
Learning Resource
Class Blog
Teacher Blog
Student Blog
Group Project (class)
Group Project (world)
EdTech Blog

16. Next Steps...
● Build expertise with one particular tool that supports
your PD
● Brand yourself & establish a positive digital footprint
● Focus on outcomes not PD hours
● Create a digital portfolio that tells your story, shares
your competencies, and highlights exemplary works
● Hitch your wagon to online mentors that can take your
networked learning to higher levels
● Allow your passions to feed your learning, model this
for others
What important pieces should be included in your personal professional development program?

17. Credits & References
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The Educator as Social Networked Learner
Jackie Gerstein, Ed. D.
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Blog as ePortfolio
Melissa A. Venable, PhD
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Dr. Helen Barrett’s ePortfolio
Google Sites
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Blogs & Information Literacy
Langwitches Blog
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Social Media Tools for Personalized PD
Lucy Gray
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How to Use iPads for Personalized Professional Development
Jennifer Carey - “Indiana Jen”