Using Community Groups

for Professional Development

Facilitate, motivate and design…

Facilitate…

• Keep the group focused

• Stay on pace during session

• Guide activity or project-based learning

Motivate…• Offer a variety of

participation opportunities

• Provide extended materials for independent learning

• Allow faculty to review or make-up the session as needed

Design…• Model good lesson

structure

• Model a variety of TOPIC elements

• Include formative assessments

• Exit ticket: quick and easy

Get started…

• Make a community group for PD – smart group for faculty only (then create a section)

• Use Bulletin Board for general goodies

• Organize PD by Topics

Add a group and then a section

OnCampus – Procedure – Community:

Add a Group, make it a SMART GROUP for teachers only

Community Group Pages: create a section

Then you’ll see it under your Groups where you can add content

Now add general content to the Bulletin Board

I included links to NETS, technology tools on the web like Prezi, TedEd, CitationMachine, Rubistar, etc.

RSS feed from a good ed blog here…

Downloads for lesson plan outlines, tips, news follow-up on PD sessions

Topics for PD

Layout and Content• Use layout and content to model good lesson plan structure.

Provide a graphic template

• Make your Topics showcase a variety of embedded web tools.

• TEST embedded content thoroughly! Set video width to 100%, add “s” to http:// so things display in a secure environment.

• Include review and supplemental materials for teacher who need to repeat or who missed the PD. OR who want MORE on the topic.

• Be consistent so teachers understand the value of consistent layout.

Sample Topic Content based on

“Understanding By Design”

Have FUN with it!• Take your time, develop them as needed. Refine ongoing.

• I also have a blog of my tech tidbits that I link to from Topics

• Create Topics from past sessions or for new teachers

• Use for all kinds of PD, not just tech. Move away from isolating technology from good teaching practices.

• You can post-date or pre-date Topics so only you see them during development.

• You can add group OWNERS if you want others to contribute and work on the Topic with you.