Professional Learning Networks (PLN)

Recently I had the opportunity to participate in an online course for administrators using Moodle. Some goals for the course were to gain familiarity with Moodle and to expand my professional learning network. The world of online learning very much suits my learning style as the work day is typically spent running from one place or meeting to another, family once home, and then when the kids go to bed I can continue my learning. I can catch up on some educational blogs that I was exposed to during the course while quickly eating my lunch.

For my final assignment I will talk about what the course meant for me. The best way to describe it is DIRECTION. In reading through many of the articles and blogs aligned with the course, I gained a much greater insight into what my blog should be. There are some really good blogs out there by administrators and with time this can become one of them. I really hope to share out on insights so the Bay Trail community can get a better sense of what I do and what I am thinking. Hopefully I can encourage viewers to comment on some of my postings. I see the blog as evolving and including more personal information. Throughout all of this my PLN will continue to expand. Stay tuned.

Board presentation reflection

Last night I was part of a team to present to the Penfield Board of Education on ELA highlights as part of a program review. One of my administrative duties is as a liaison to the middle school English department. Each level presented and really the task was to give a general overview and answer questions board members may have. Each level could have talked for a much longer time on positives happening in their buildings. Beside the typical thoughts you have after group presentations such as "I wonder how I came across", I thought about direction and a compass. One thought I have had throughout this year working with ELA is the direction the group is going in rather than focusing strictly on past data performance. In schools we tend to dive into data, look at how our school does compared to similar schools, and talk about what is not up to districts outperforming us. In looking at curriculum maps, there is plenty to be refined or added. More can be done assessing student work.
After the presentation I did not think of these things. Instead my thoughts went to how good a group the people I work with are and the direction we are headed.