A Moveable Mindset?

As an eLearning Coach for the Bosse Attendance District in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation in Evansville, IN, I get the opportunity to conduct job embedded professional development.  Making sure this PD is relevant is key, but I often wonder, "Are the teachers I am working with learning and implementing the content I am bringing to them?"  It is my hope that I can enable them to work smarter, not harder with the use of technology.  It's easy for me to present a tool/strategy and 45 minutes later, send the teachers on their way, but don't I want them ponder the information, contemplate its potential, and follow through with an action plan?  Of course, but how do I get them to consider moving their mindset?  With that, how do I move my own mindset?  Ah, the fun begins!

I have to be willing to engage teachers in conversation that is ongoing on reciprocal.  If the information flows only one direction, from me, they won't make as great of an investment in the tool/strategy.  Getting teachers to collaborate orally isn't always as productive as having an online digital discussion.  Using a Google Classroom Question, an ongoing Google Doc, or Padlet are all great options for digital discussions.  Here are a few ways you might consider when encouraging peer-to-peer collaboration:

Directions: Respond to at least one classmate/peer in one of the following four ways, and label your response type at the beginning of your post. 1.) Be aware of the appropriate ways to respond in online discussions and 2.) Facilitate deeper-level discussion. This strategy is based on Fei Gao’s 2014 research “Exploring the Use of Discussion Strategies and Labels in Asynchronous Online Discussion“

1. Elaborate or Clarify (support your argument with evidence or details)
2. Make connections or build on someone’s response (connect with other arguments/resources or further develop perspectives)
3. Ask a question (Raise a question that moves the discussion forward)
4. Challenge what someone else said (suggest a different perspective

By stimulating conversation, and moving mindsets, a true paradigm shift might occur.  If this happens, student achievement is sure to be impacted too!

Daniel Watson, eLearning Coach

daniel.watson@evsck12.com

http://elearningcoach.weebly.com/

@eLearningWatson