A Sunday Event

This year, we started off the year jump-starting new teachers with two-half days of tech training with new MacBooks as we enter our fifth year of Teacher Laptop Initiative. Our yearlong p.d. initiative is always a learning adventure and a cause worthy of change.

I'm never sure how much this district initiative is talked about during the interview process, and I always wonder if communicating the vision is not always talked about. I think in that case its a communication breakdown.

I seem to have felt a little resistance in the reactions of some of our new teachers when we explained our programs guidelines during the training. A training program which in my mind has lead the charge for teachers in our district to use technology in their classroom in ways that connect with kids' learning. I've been thinking about the resistance, and finally today can explain why we meet once a month on a Sunday afternoon's and why it's worth all the sacrifice.

I think we looked at the time we gave up as three hours for ourselves. It was our personal learning time. It became an issue of when could I learn at higher levels, participate in conversations about education and change using technology, creating professional learning communities, and now reaping the benefits of professional social networks. It wasn't about being a bad Christian on one Sunday a month.

I won't lie, yes it was a sacrifice of our time but I think everyone will say they sacrificed the time for themselves and for the opportunity to participate and find growth and support in a professional learning community during the year.

I certainly hope my story is a true picture of what we try to accomplish out of the tech department with teaching and learning with technology.