Warning! This is a long post...but it has all sorts of great content! :) When designing the 12 Days of EdTech Cheer each year, my purpose is to provide teachers with a flexible professional learning opportunity. This opportunity is not meant just for GLPS teachers, but for any teacher who wish to participate in online professional development. It is also meant to be a continuation of Rebel U, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools' annual kick-off for technology professional development for the year. |
To view the 2013 12 Days of EdTech Cheer, please click the button below.
While browsing Pinterest one day, I came across this quote from Oscar Wilde. Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives you the test first, and the lesson afterward. When reading this quote, it made me think of the 12 Days of EdTech Cheer. So much of the 12 days required teachers to share their insight, implementation ideas, and to think and create outside of their comfort zone. Often times we attend professional development sessions where we learn many great things, but unless we have time to implement them, they can sometimes get swept under the rug. By participating in the 12 Days of EdTech Cheer, teachers were able to have hands-on experience, implementation time and ideas, as well as reflection opportunities. This online professional learning experience allowed many teachers to experiment with new ideas and resources before using them with students. |
Obstacles
For more detailed information about identified obstacles, please click the button below.
Twitter Conversation
GLPS Teacher Challenge
I understand that teachers are busy at any given time, but it seems that the holiday time seems to add additional stress and extra duties. These tasks are important to student learning and school function, but I also wanted to share the importance of carving out some time for professional learning. So, to encourage GLPS teachers to participate, I added some incentives to the 2013 12 Days of EdTech Cheer - mystery prizes and a pizza party. |
Mystery Prizes
Pizza Party
Follow Up
Some of the advice from those who participated to encourage others to participate next year:
- The "lessons" were short, a great time to collaborate together, helped those who did not feel comfortable with tech a quick way to try and to practice
- It's easy, it's fun, it's worth your 15 minutes a day!
- It's easy. :) Just give it a go.
- I would encourage you to do this with a partner or with your grade level team. The fifth grade team had fun completing this together.