Having a professional learning network is so important. I have included some of my learning communities in my post today. I also talk about feedforward and how I might approach learning how to prepare my someone to recieve feedback by asking my team what I can do to improve as team lead.
I am a part of a few professional learning communities. I have always loved reading blogs and inspirational quotes about teaching. For as long as I can remember, I have always been looking for a new way to engage students and myself in learning. I remember using google classroom with 3rd graders 10 years ago. It was a lot of trial and error, but I was part of the EdTech community on Twitter and would watch their videos on Ed Tech Thursday. I can’t remember exactly, but I remember loving it and so did the kids. Networks are so important because you can reach more people in the most efficient way. Online.
Dr. Catlin Tucker – Find me on Twitter @Catlin_Tucker
I have joined Dr. Catlin Tucker’s learning community because of her blended learning ideas. She has written several books on blended learning. I find new student choice activities on her site almost daily. I also follow her on Twitter @Catlin_Tucker. When you join her blog she sends you a copy of her “Getting Started with the Blended Learning Toolkit”.
I have been using flipgrid for 2 years. I earned my Flipgrid Certified: Level 2 badge last year. I am currently working on Level 3. Flipgrid is a great place to get new ideas for student choice. It is also a great place to put professional development videos for staff members. I like how the responses can be verbal for efficiency or take a picture of your ideas.
I follow loom on twitter for the latest tips and tricks. It is the efficiency all school leaders need right now. You can record and instantly share video messages of your screen, cam, or both. Faster than typing an email or meeting live.
I follow them for the positivity!
They offer ideas, inspiration, and information for your best days—and double that for your hard ones.
I also follow Rachel Hollis for her positive thoughts and ideas. If you haven’t listend to her Resilience episodes 1-3, do it soon. They are amazing.
Feedforward Vs. Feedback
I have been trying to communicate with my principal over the last couple of months on efficiency in training and staff feeling micromanaged. She has even asked for my ideas, but when I say things like “it is more efficient for virtual staff meetings” or “if the professional development is a video why do we have to stay in our classrooms to watch it?” “Why can’t we go home to watch the training?” My ideas and thoughts have not been received well, so I know I am not preparing my principal to receive information. Or maybe I am not using the right words. I want to learn how to find the right words. My principal in a way is asking team leads what can be done to help situations on our campus, because we are short staffed and teachers are getting burned out already. She isn’t asking what she can do to improve. Maybe I should try this out with my teammates. As team lead I will ask them what I can do to improve as team lead. I will see how I receive the information and then share all of it with my principal. That might help her be better at receiving feedback in a feedforward way. I am looking forward to reading Crucial Conversations in 5304.