Having students partner with, or teach teachers how innovative tools can enrich learning can prove to be an effective strategy in teacher professional development. Who better to support this learning than the students using the technology in their classrooms? Not only is this model meaningful and relevant to teachers, but it also provides students with an authentic audience to share their learning and ideas, and empowers them to become leaders in their schools.
In these two videos (followed by their respective PowerPoints) we'll see students from the United Network of Student Leaders in New York City present ideas for teachers using Smart Pens, Google, Moodle, and iTouches. You'll also see me Tweeting in the background about these fantastic students.
Kwame Ocran Presents Google, Moodle + iTouch from Ted 21C on Vimeo.
Shamim Ahmed Presents Livescribe Pens from Ted 21C on Vimeo.
If you're not incorporating students into your teacher professional development, the only question to ask yourself is why not and when do you plan to change this?
bravo...
ReplyDeleteThis strategy has been around for years, it's called cooperative learning. Stop insinuating that it's an "innovation."
ReplyDelete@marksrightbrain, having students present to teachers at teacher's professional development is not the same technique as cooperative learning. Partnering with students for professional development delivery to teachers is an innovative strategy that educators have found quite effective.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, you aren't the first to have done this. I saw this type of presentation fifteen years ago in a school district where I taught.
ReplyDeleteAnytime students and faculty are working together it's called cooperative/collaborative learning.
@marksrightbrain, I certainly hope I'm not the first one to have done this. I've been doing this and pushing this since 1997. I very much hope others are doing this as well.
ReplyDeleteWhile this has been around for awhile, I think it is a good idea to remind teachers of the multiple resources out there. Sometimes we forget that our students are a wealth of knowledge and would be excited to share with us what they know.
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