Takeaways from MassCUE Fall Technology Conference (part 1)

Last week, I attended the 2015 MassCUE Fall Technology Conference and I wanted to share some of my highlights from the conference.

I thoroughly appreciated Jonathon Werner,  Library & Instructional Technology Specialist (LITS) from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, who spoke on "The End of the Sit & Get Era: Applying Pedagogy to PD".  He spoke about the little time that was available each year for professional development and how it was important to use that time to provide effective professional development. 

The main ideas that I got out of Werner's talk were:

• The amount of time each year that we have for PD is minimal, so make the time effective and PD worthwhile.
• Create a Hub for Innovation.  
• Teachers are adult students!  Teachers, just like students, have different learning styles and levels of accepting change.
• Try. Try. Try.  Foster the idea that we shouldn't fear failure.
  We tell our students to try, when we are students - we need to try, too!
• Mistakes are important to the learning process.
• Effective PD must encourage and nurture your PLC's.
  Since we started PLC's last week, is there some PD that would help make your PLC more successful?  Suggest it to your principal or to the assistant superintendent.

Remember that change is a process. We are well into the 21st century and need to be using and fostering the skills that will make our students, and ourselves, successful.