A look at doing PD a bit differently by setting up learning environments

1. Professional Development
does not have to be an
oxymoron!
Patrick Larkin
Burlington High School Principal, Burlington, MA
PatrickMLarkin.com
@bhsprincipal
larkin@bpsk12.org
Google Voice # - (559) 245-2757

2. From slideshare Presentation by Lyn Hilt and Eric Sheninger

3. "It seems as though we are willing
to accept mediocre as long as the
product, the service, or the
organization isn't totally broken."
Seth Godin - Poke the Box

4. Quick Assessment
of Your PD Experience
A - Great
B - Not so Great

5. Here is how our staff responded

6. How did this happen?

7. The #Edcamp approach -
Learners driving their own learning

8. The Unconference approach

9. An overview of the day

10. One of the most important parts -
Don’t forget “play time”

11. Could this approach work in your school?
Why or why not?

12. Final Thoughts: This day worked because it was
designed by teachers for teachers. I have
heard more positive feedback on this day than
any other PD I have ever been a part of. I keep
wondering why we didn't take our PD in this
direction a lot earlier. If we want classrooms
where we are teaching students to be
collaborative and more proactive in their
learning, don't we have to set up a culture
where we trust teachers to do the same?

13. Another crazy idea for PD - Google 20% time

14. What are some of the qualities of
engaging learning environments?

15. What we look for in our
classroom walkthroughs
• Personal Response
• Clear Modeled Expectations
• Learn With Others
• Sense of Audience
• Choice
• Novelty/Variety
• Authenticity

16. Some other spin-offs from this experience
#summeredcampdays
District-wide model - My Supt’s Plan
#edcampadmin
#edcampsuper

17. Your thoughts and questions