Comments on: Get out of jail free cards http://mindstepsincblog.com/get-out-of-jail-free-cards/ Help any teacher reach EVERY student Sat, 28 Aug 2010 19:09:10 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Frederika http://mindstepsincblog.com/get-out-of-jail-free-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-55 Frederika Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:04:43 +0000 http://mindstepsincblog.com/?p=93#comment-55 I love the name of the card--very clever.  [So much teacher PD is like JAIL.]  But, the rationale does not quite fit.  You really do not want people to get up and leave--to really "get out of PD jail."  What you want is a kind of formative assessment of the PD--a chance for a guided mid-flight correction.  And, with that, total anonymity may not be desirable.  You may need to know more details or have the chance to ask a few questions to make the adjustment as meaningful as possible.  Maybe you need a "Call the Stewardess" or a "Contact the Pilot" card.  "Ground Control to Major Tom,..." The danger in this is generous act is that there may be a member of the audience who comes with a particular or narrow agenda.  We have all been in a classroom or in PD where a certain someone wants to steer the presentation in a different direction that may not suit the needs of the majority.  This can get messy.   Why does so much PD have to feel like jail to so many of us?  Our faculty meetings are now strictly PD.  No faculty business, no staff-wide planning.  Just PD.  Many dread it more than any old-fashioned faculty meeting.     I love the name of the card–very clever.  [So much teacher PD is like JAIL.]  But, the rationale does not quite fit.  You really do not want people to get up and leave–to really “get out of PD jail.”  What you want is a kind of formative assessment of the PD–a chance for a guided mid-flight correction.  And, with that, total anonymity may not be desirable.  You may need to know more details or have the chance to ask a few questions to make the adjustment as meaningful as possible.  Maybe you need a “Call the Stewardess” or a “Contact the Pilot” card.  “Ground Control to Major Tom,…”

The danger in this is generous act is that there may be a member of the audience who comes with a particular or narrow agenda.  We have all been in a classroom or in PD where a certain someone wants to steer the presentation in a different direction that may not suit the needs of the majority.  This can get messy.  

Why does so much PD have to feel like jail to so many of us?  Our faculty meetings are now strictly PD.  No faculty business, no staff-wide planning.  Just PD.  Many dread it more than any old-fashioned faculty meeting.    

]]> By: Mike http://mindstepsincblog.com/get-out-of-jail-free-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-45 Mike Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:25:16 +0000 http://mindstepsincblog.com/?p=93#comment-45 Get out of PD free card?  I would love one if I ever felt that a PD instructor was not meeting my professional needs I could cash it in and  leave. Anonymous?  Doubt it.  To many eyes watching.   Get out of PD free card?  I would love one if I ever felt that a PD instructor was not meeting my professional needs I could cash it in and  leave.
Anonymous?  Doubt it.  To many eyes watching.
 

]]> By: admin http://mindstepsincblog.com/get-out-of-jail-free-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-44 admin Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:58:03 +0000 http://mindstepsincblog.com/?p=93#comment-44 They put the cards in a basket during breaks or other free times during the day. Still exploring ways to use technology to make this process easier but concerned that too much time is taken at the beginning teaching participants how to use the technology. It's a steep learning curve for many participants and others are reluctant to use the back-channel. Still exploring this. Robyn They put the cards in a basket during breaks or other free times during the day. Still exploring ways to use technology to make this process easier but concerned that too much time is taken at the beginning teaching participants how to use the technology. It’s a steep learning curve for many participants and others are reluctant to use the back-channel. Still exploring this.
Robyn

]]> By: Lance http://mindstepsincblog.com/get-out-of-jail-free-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Lance Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:50:35 +0000 http://mindstepsincblog.com/?p=93#comment-38 Really interested in how one can anonymously hand in a card with a question on it. Could one use technology like polleverywhere with a free response question to give that immunity? Really interested in how one can anonymously hand in a card with a question on it. Could one use technology like polleverywhere with a free response question to give that immunity?

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