We had guest speaker John Evans in with us this week for class. John works for MAPLE, which stands for the Manitoba Professional Learning Environment. Essentially it is an online community where educators and people in the education field can connect and collaborate. It is a private community which means you have to be accepted into it. This is what makes it such a valuable resource because you know all the content is coming from Manitoba teachers. Its not only content from other teachers you will see on maple. Maple is the venue where government documents regarding education, ex) curriculum updates, first get posted. For example right now they are completely redoing the ELA curriculum. Before it can be officially released it needs to go through an extensive review/ approval process. However they can keep Manitoba educators updated with the new curriculum by posting the unofficial prototype on maple. If teachers are on maple they will be able to get familiar with the new curriculum and starting implementing aspects of it in their classrooms. That way it will be much less overwhelming when the new curriculum is released. That's just one example of how teachers can use maple for professional development.
John's knowledge on professional development was what I really took away from his presentation. He called it your professional learning tool kit and what he really made me realize was how all the online social networks and platforms we use as teacher are forms of professional development. I guess I had never really thought of it as professional development but I have got many great ideas from teachers pay teachers, Pinterest, and even Facebook. Technology has made it so that we can have this sharing of ideas between teachers more frequently and conveniently. As we no longer have to all gather in the traditional professional development session ways. Professional development is something that is always going to come up in the job interviews that come with applying for teaching positions. My eyes have really been opened up to all the different ways professional development can happen. I feel way more prepared to speak to professional development now as I will include how I will use platforms like Maple and social networks to grow as a educator.
Very Well put Wade. I really never thought of using internet to do my professional development. I find this pretty crazy because when ever I need answers or need to fix something like my dryer I look on google and than use YouTube and I can get it done. I am really excited to use some of the resources that John talked about. I also have used Pinterest quite a bit to find cool activities to do in the gym. Perhaps we will be part of the same groups on Maple.
ReplyDeleteI like this new resource MAPLE and that useful for teachers. Inventing new technologies and way to use the internet for the different uses for human who needed their regular life are essential. Here, MAPLE and other websites which gives tonnes of information for teachers and educators. All need to go deeply in particular websites and familiar too. Educators gets content about government as well as educational documents and thoughts on this technology. I agree with you that Pinterest, teachers pay teachers are useful. I think if we include technology in teaching that can give great result.
ReplyDeleteLot people are like to use social networks like Facebook, twitter. On those websites people can create network of many men and women, they can make solutions of all problems. In this way, Educator and teachers gets knowledge as well as they save time by get together on social network instead of gathering physically. I was absent in class on Thursday but I got lecture information but when I read your post than I get whole conversation. I also would like to use Pinterest because I could get lot ideas for mathematics. So, I think that depends on person that how they are using technology without wasting their time.
ReplyDelete