Ready for start-of-the-year professional development? Inservice workshops may prompt a groan or two. That may be from the unforgiving cafeterias seats, the less-than-exciting lectures, or the lack of choice. That last item can be the most stifling for educators. After all, one of our most cherished values is the freedom to choose. In this blog entry, I’ll share some ways to get hyperdoc happiness going in your teacher inservice.
Created by Rachel Marker (@rachelmarker)
Freedom to Choose
The freedom to choose, or the “pursuit of happiness,” is a regular casualty. Our expectations for adult learners may sometimes include “Learn what I have to teach you, even if you find it boring.” And educators seldom have the opportunity to choose how they learn. Not only do they have to sit through inservice trainings, they are often constrained by 20th century technologies. K-12 students, though, can exercise their options about the learning they are interested in.
Consider Dr. Chris Moersch’s H.E.A.T framework. Let’s take a look at each of the main components:
- Higher-Order Thinking: Students learn/question at the Evaluating/Creating levels.
- Engaged Learning: Students collaborate to define the task, the process, and/or the solution. Collaboration extends beyond the classroom.
- Authentic Connections: The learning experience is relevant to students. It involves creating a product that has a purpose beyond the classroom. This purpose has a direct impact on students.
- Technology Use: Task completion centers around student-directed technology (classroom or BYOD) use. It involves new and different ways of learning.
As you can see from the H.E.A.T. framework, what we are looking for is self-directed, relevant learning. This description of learning experiences, however, does not describe or define most teacher professional development.
How can we overcome that? How could we get closer to the potential of engagement and authentic connections? One approach might involve the use of a hyperdoc. Check out the excitement radiating from Kendra’s tweet below. Wouldn’t you like that excitement flowing from your inservice workshop?
Hyperdocs for Professional Learning
How could we get teachers evaluating and creating useful ideas about required school inservice content? This involves a level of engagement that grants teachers autonomy in how and what they use to create, and it offers teachers the opportunity to create useful content. Creating a digital, or even virtual, make-and-take session empowers teachers to design what their classroom needs most. Hyperdocs provide one way of accomplishing that, testifying to their popularity.
This is only a portion of Nadine Gilkison’s hyperdoc collection; see more. Follow @NadineGilkison on Twitter.
Explore the ISTE Standards via the EduQuest Hyperdoc
Curious about a hyperdoc to introduce teachers to the ISTE Educator Standards? Give this EduQuest Adventure a whirl. Grab a copy of the EduQuest Hyperdoc and modify it for your needs.
Get Started Now
Hyperdoc Happiness: Transform Teacher Inservice
As you gear up for teacher inservice this year, consider how easy it is to create hyperdocs. You have a wealth of resources and materials to draw upon. Nadine Gilkison’s hyperdoc collection is only one of many available. Here are a few examples Lisa Highfill, hyperdoc creator, has curated in her Back to School collection. Teachers will relish the opportunity to create content relevant to their work. If you’re worried that teachers lack the technical skills to build hyperdocs, make sure to set them up for success. Why not invite TCEA to facilitate our Google Educator Level 1 certification classes?
