SHOULD SCHOOLS SACRIFICE CLASS TIME FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT?

ISTE would like your opinion on schools sacrificing class time for professional development. Experience in front of a classroom is obviously crucial to becoming an effective educator, but adopting emerging educational technologies and learning other classroom skills frequently demand that educators take time off from work to attend seminars, webinars, networking sessions and sabbaticals. Should schools support, condone and/or request that educators take time away from the classroom for professional development? There are a number of reasons to vote “yes” or “no” so please leave a comment on the linked post that speaks to why you voted for or against this.

Tags: #NECC09, Education, NECC, Technology

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Permalink Reply by Anne Pemberton on May 12, 2009 at 8:00pm

There are times when teachers need to be people and employees first before they are teachers. Teaching is not like joining a convent where you pledge to sacrifice the rest of your life to God. It is a profession. Look at any other profession and see where time for updating skills occurs. During the workday, of course.

At least where I live, when schools are closed for teacher professional days, the students still make up the full number of days for the year. Teachers are given a certain number of unscheduled professional days per year. They are like sick days - use them if you will, otherwise, be at work. On such professional days, a substitute is hired and the teacher plans activities for the day that do not require the presence of the teacher. In the case of sick days, the teacher often cannot plan so well. And, if the teacher is in an accident, the teacher may not be able to provide any plans at all.

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Permalink Reply by Joseph Corbett on May 12, 2009 at 8:19pm

Anne that is some terrific insight, I'd greatly appreciate it if you made your way over to the ISTEConnects post where you can vote yes or no on this question. Also I'm sure our readers would love to read this comment so please share that with them as well. Thanks again!

http://www.isteconnects.org/2009/05/12/should-schools-sacrifice-cla...

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Permalink Reply by Anne Pemberton on May 12, 2009 at 8:29pm

Joe,

I tried to do that, and there was a run time error on the page that wouldn't let me on it.

Anne

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Permalink Reply by Joseph Corbett on May 12, 2009 at 8:37pm

That is very concerning , please try it again If it doesn't work I'll post it on your behalf because i'd like people to hear your opinion.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Pemberton on May 12, 2009 at 8:59pm

Joe,

It happened again. This time is said the error was in line 0 --- "null" null is not an object

In making webpages, I had this error, and it was due to problems of order in the header of the page, but that may not be the only cause of this error code.

PS: Do you know any of the folks in Virginia's VSTE?

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Permalink Reply by Joseph Corbett on May 12, 2009 at 9:07pm

Sorry about that I'll look into it. I can't say that I know any of the people at VSTE. Most of my acquaintances in the Ed tech universe are virtual at this point, but I'm looking forward to meeting many of them at NECC 2009. Will you be attending? Is it ok if I post your comment for you?

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Permalink Reply by Anne Pemberton on May 12, 2009 at 9:12pm

Joe,

Please do post it with my name, Anne Pemberton. If you meet Danny Arkin at NECC 2009, tell him you have "met" me online. Same with Dr. Glen Bull or anyone else with grey hair from Virginia. Tell them I said "hello".