I have to admit that I was a little nervous about delivering training to my colleagues. I have no problem with talking in front of a group of people, but I don't always feel confident in my ability to prepare to do so or in my ability to appear to be an expert on a given topic.
I chose to deliver optional professional development rather than mandatory professional development. I made this decision for a number of reasons. First, most of my peers seemed exhausted after all the common core workshops and other training activities we have had this year. Second, I remember feeling frustrated when being forced to participate in professional development that I didn't feel I needed or could apply in my classroom. I wanted to target a small group of teachers who would be very eager to incorporate technology integration activities that would enhance their students' learning experiences.
I couldn't have made a better choice. I had a group of about 9 teachers for Quizlet training, and a group of about 5 for LiveBinders. The interesting thing was that it wasn't all the same teachers at both, and some of them were people I didn't expect to come to a training like that! They were really eager to use the tools and strategies that I provided. I even had a few people come work with me outside the workshop time to help them better use the tools.
Quizlet training was really smooth. I had a solid online handout that I began developing last summer and that I completed this spring. Using the handout, I guided teachers through creating an account, creating flashcards, and implementing interactive activities using Quizlet in the classroom. We also had a follow-up session in which the teachers shared their successes and asked questions. I was able to teach them some more advanced tricks with Quizlet, too.
LiveBinders training went well also. It was a small group, but that worked well. I was lucky to be able to use Jason Mammano's handout for the training, and I adapted it to include some additional features that I thought would be helpful. I gave ideas of how LiveBinders could be used in the classroom, and I showed some examples of each. We will have a follow-up training next week on Monday, and I am looking forward to hearing how my teachers have been using their new tool.
All in all, delivering professional development has been one of the most rewarding parts of the Pinnacle process. It renewed my own enthusiasm for technology integration and reminded me that there are a lot of teachers who really want to constantly improve their practice.
