Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Providing Effective Professional Development for Educational Leaders

Hope this finds you well & having a great school year.

Wanted to tell you about two "experimental" groups that started this year.

One Tuesday each month, educational leaders (principals, tech coordinators, assistant principals, staff development directors, etc.) get together for an hour for a virtual session over the phone (10:30 to 11:30 AM Central time). Superintendents get together on the same day (1:30 to 2:30 PM Central time).

We ask them in advance what issues or topics they need to learn more about and discuss in the session. Research summaries and a powerpoint are prepared on the topic & sent out to all participants in advance.

The original idea for the sessions was to:

1) Assemble a group of educational leaders that would like to expand their group of professional contacts across multiple states (currently MN, WI, SD).

2) Provide customized professional development in shorter sessions on needed topics with researched topics & presentation materials provided.

3) Allow busy leaders to participate without giving up travel time & time away from the job.

The response has been good & the format works despite a few reservations on my part. The groups have passionate, energetic participants that put to rest my initial concerns about working together over the phone.

Evaluations comments from participants have been reinforcing:

"I really have appreciated the powerpoint and resources made available. I also enjoy and appreciate the discussions from Educational Leaders from a large geographic area!"

"The networking with other leaders has been beneficial. I have gained additional perspectives toward issues and/or I have had my own perspectives affirmed by my peers."

"The timely topics & sharing with really cool, intelligent, up-to-date leaders."

"The most beneficial piece has been the topics and selected materials. Opening minds."

Please contact us if you would like more information about the groups, or the resources that we have developed for them.