Often professional learning opportunities can lose their impact upon the return to school.  Day to day pressures can easily erode the memory of these days.   As a team we spent quite a bit of time reflecting on what we had learnt and ideas that resonated with us.  This was a most important for us to ensure we would keep the learning alive.

In their research Joyce and Showers (pdf) tell us that Coaching (Peer Coaching) is the most effective way to ensure skills and knowledge are transferred to the classroom. We all know how easy it is to lose IT if you don’t use IT!

Type of training -

Theory: Knowledge Mastery = 85% Skill Acquisition =15% Classroom Application = 5-10%
Practice: Knowledge Mastery = 85% Skill Acquisition = 80% Classroom Application =10-15%
Coaching, Study teams, Peer visits: Knowledge Mastery = 90% Skill Acquisition = 90% Classroom Application = 80-90%

As a classroom teacher myself for many years, I fully appreciate the need to have the real person right there by your side or just around the corner to call on for support. However, I also see the great advantages of the read/write web and that there are many opportunities to call on support in an online world.

So I am very excited about the possibilities of Peer Coaching and developing Professional Online Learning Networks – especially in the area of embedding ICT across the school and the curriculum.

I am running training in the Western Metropolitan Region this semester and look forward to meeting many teachers from both primary and secondary levels.

Training dates :- August 26th and 27th, September 12th, October 20th, November 10th, December 4th

Is it because students are more motivated? Or engaged? Or is more than that?

Is it because they are interacting more with each other, analysing their own and peer’s work, collaborating and creating products as a response to other learning? Reviewing, revisiting, rewriting? Reflecting and questioning?

Tonight I am reading an article by Carole Kimble, Ed. D called The Impact of Technology on Learning Making Sense of the Research 1999 (pdf download). It reminds me of some of my previous posts here on my blog about the way ICT is integrated or embedded into learning. Kimble explores the notion of doing more than just teaching the skills of technology. She highlights higher order thinking skills and problem-solving as way to maximise learning with ICT.

I recently had a comment on my blog by Jo McLeay about the way I think of ways that students can use new Web 2.0 tools to help them learn. I think as teachers we do this. However, not all teachers are on the same page with the use of ICT or with teaching and learning practices. And I guess the assumption that we all know how to effectively teach with ICT just because it has landed in our classroom, is one of the problems facing us now with so many advances in technology in such a short time.

Kimble writes, “Care must be taken to focus future research on understanding how learning and instruction should change to best use technology…”

As teachers or leaders I think we can make a difference to the learning of our students and each other. The ideas and the research explored in Kimble’s paper are certainly worth considering when I embark on delivering Peer Coaching training in my region this semester, and generally the work I do in schools.

Now I have to say that the networks on Classroom 2.0 and Twitter have been major players in introducing me to a world of Web 2.0 apps. Where do I start each day? I read my tweets in the morning, follow links to blogs and apps, and touch base with Classroom 2.0.

So even though I have been on holidays and relaxing, I have found the time to explore the many, many apps out there. I have loved seeing what’s new (for me anyway!) and giving them a go. I have played, created, book marked and shared so much already. I’ve read people’s blogs and left comments, listened to live streaming and podcasts, and become a part of a global network.

Not bad for PD during my holidays!