I believe there is so much information out there for teachers to use and learn from, that I will be searching this weekend to find other educators who have tackled, dribbled, or thrown this professional development idea around. Obviously I will be modifying big plans to a smaller one. I have learned that it still can be done despite poor school budgets. People make it happen. I could fold up and remove myself from the game, or stay in. I chose to stay.
I like that West Ed site. It has substantial information to share with colleagues. The rubistar is another supportive site for educators. Language arts teachers would like this site. Our tech geek at school who works one planning period to fill in for a technology person they took away sent me information about Google Squared: http://www.google.com/squared. This is a new and quick way to search by typing in key terms and having relevant searches pop up that are a bit more managed. I tried it. I typed in the words, color activities for education and one of the sites that arrived was the National Gallery of Art. It took me to the exact page. Try it. My tech friend said they are still trying to work kinks out, but I thought it was great. This would provide me with some fast links for professional development ideas, specifically in technology for educators. Let me go plan that play.
I'll keep you posted on what I find. Thanks for reading.
Like you, I have decided that I will stick with my game plan and not give up, and I will keep my spirits high. I do fear that budget and time constraints threaten my GAME, but I continue to look for options that will be inexpensive or free of charge. During my exploration, I learned that the professional and user friendly sites costs money, and money is something that my school system will not provide for a school website at this time. I am hoping to approach my Family Engagement Committee for funds since the school website is for families after all. Wish me luck!
ReplyDeleteAlso, thanks for the Google Squared heads up. This is the first time that I have heard of this site, so I had a look around for fun. I love it, and I do wish that more companies would taylor their products for education since the field is wide open. Many times, good sites charge money, and I think that they would have more luck with offering free access for teachers and getting their funding from advertiser instead. This would be such a help for schools and teachers who already have strained and stretched budgets. Good luck with your GAME.