Your PD Summer Checklist

The countdown is over, summer is here!

Teachers have taken to a new routine. They are spending time with their families, catching up on chores or simply, taking it easy.

However, that is not the case for all of our teachers. Not yet, at least. Learning for many teachers is taking place on this second day of summer. The building in which I work is fortunate to host our "Summer Academy". This academy is time set aside for teachers within our district, the Hilliard City Schools, to receive additional professional development on many of the innovative ideas that continue to take shape in our forward-thinking community of leaders and learners. The courses are being taught by our district staff for our district staff. It is purposeful and it is powerful.

Today alone, teachers are spending their time learning about Canvas, our newly adopted Learning Management System. They are also working through iMovie and learning applicable ways to introduce this fun and creative tool to their students when they return. And, for many, they are diving into a deeper understanding of Blended Learning and our One2One initiative for our district. This August we will distribute 3600 iPads to our 6th through 8th graders. There is some intense learning taking place!

Keeping in mind that we are all learners by nature, create some goals this summer for yourself and your learning. Make sure you stay current and keep those new and innovative ideas in the forefront of your mind. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• Inspire. Find a local conference (Innovative Learning Environments Conference) or a workshop through an educational service center. Or even yet, go camping. Find an EdCamp and jump into a great day of learning with like-minded (and not so like-minded) colleagues.
• Engage. Keep the conversations going with our colleagues by connecting every week or so. Reach out via phone or email and stay in touch. Talk about what you are looking forward to in the coming year.
• Embrace. No simpler way to teach yourself something new than reading a good book. There are countless suggestions. Here is my list from this past year: Cover to Cover. Whether something heavy or even better, something light, find a good book and allow yourself a few moments to enjoy.
• Play. With technology being a staple in our work, grab your iPad, your lap top or any device and just spend some time exploring all the options available to teachers and students.

The goal is simple. Keep the learning going throughout the summer months. We encourage our students to head to the library and practice their math over the summer. There is no better way to remind them of that by modeling ourselves. 

Have a great summer of relaxing and learning!