Last Thursday I became aware of an AIS Executive conference being held today and tomorrow. I scanned the program and, impressed with names like Michael Fullan, Helen Timperley and Brian Caldwell, registered on Friday. Due to other commitments I could only attend today and I was especially looking forward to Brian Caldwell’s presentation on ‘How independent schools in Australia can become global leaders in transforming education’. Unfortunately Brian was caught in the QANTAS kerfuffle and his presentation was moved to Monday. His paper was included in the conference pack though, and I guess that’s all I need.
This morning I listened to Michael Fullan’s presentation. He is a class-act and his presentation was polished. However, I had read his paper on strategic drivers several months ago and his presentation was largely a rehash of the paper.
Helen Timperley’s presentation on ‘Shaping professional and student learning’ was a bullet-pointed powerpoint, and she lost her place twice. I saw large numbers disengage and play with tablets and phones if they had the chance.
Both presenters included around 8 minutes of table talk, which was desperately needed and easily the most constructive use of the time. I learned a great deal from talking with Richard and Jason on my table, and continued the conversation later with Henrietta over lunch. I left after lunch. I had heard the afternoon replacement speaker, Mark Treadwell, many times before. There was a final one hour option offered later in the afternoon where you could choose a session and converse with one of the three presenters, but by that time participants had been talked at for the best part of three and a half hours.
I do appreciate the efforts of people to organise these conferences and I know that organising professional learning that caters to the needs of adults today is a huge challenge. I just don’t think that conferences reflect what we know about how people learn and I’m not sure that I can keep doing the traditional conference format anymore. I get so much more out of Twitter, blogs, TeachMeets, unconferences, edcamps, and instructional rounds.
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I think many of us share the same feeling…
On the other hand, there are still many educators out there who do not engage in conversations on the digital platforms we use. We cannot judge nor impose this type of PD on them but then again…isn’t the students who will eventually be affected?
I haven’t found an answer yet and I think it will remain a rhetorical question for a long time.
I agree with the sentiment of your post Cameron. A keynote presenter that tells you that lecturing is failing kids today leans towards hypocrisy at its best. I get so much more out of Twitter, my Google reader and teachmeets. I have only attended one unconference and found it to be extremely valuable also.
Conference organisers are paying big dollars to have keynote speakers at their events but I’m getting more out of the workshops and conversations I have at those events. I’ve usually already read extensively about the keynote speaker and their views/experiences. This presents a challenge for conference organisers and possible loss of income for professional speakers – how can you engage educators?
I think Alice Leung summed up her PD experience very well with this video: http://youtu.be/NPCqXI_Qus8
C,
Time and time again teacher PD fails the basics. If I presented to my classes as we as a profession present to each other I would be soundly and rightly condemned. And can we count our PLNs such as our Twitter feed towards mandatory PD? Not in any institution I know.
We must shift our learning quickly to the relational, to the constructivist and to the point of need.
I have big hopes for the #planejourney.
Some institutions have Masters subjects called Professional Learning Portfolio where you could feasibly use examples from twitter as a genuine learning artifact. We could also write an accredited PL module that focuses on the development of a PLN. Are you keen to write that one?
Thanks for the point re: relational, constructivist and point of need
I am so with you on this Cameron, I have come to the conclusion that I am hopeless at listening for longer than twenty minutes or so. Hence my addiction to tweeting during such presentations. I am sorry I had to miss TeachMeet Hills but I cant wait for TeachMeet North next week.