PODCASTS
Using Audio to design flexible, learner centered Professional Development
Identified Learning Need:​
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In an international school, attending Professional Development seminars or conferences often means long distance, or even international travel. This means that such opportunities are expensive to provide and the number of teachers who can attend such events each year is limited. The value of the knowledge and skills gained through such experiences to the school as a whole is multiplied when staff have the opportunity to cascade back their learning through internal PD events and team teaching.
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Unfortunately, in a large and busy school, it can be difficult to schedule feedback events in a way that is timely and meets the needs and availability of all colleagues. As a result, staff may remain ignorant of the strengths and knowledge existing amongst their peers and the benefits of external training are not having the full transformational impact that they could on the wider school community.
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The Design Solution:
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The Peer Learning Hub podcast series is designed to be an in house podcast series where staff members can share highlights and inspirations from their own Professional Development experiences with colleagues. The aims of the Peer Learning Hub series are:
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To share best practise and ideas gained on external PD more widely within the staff community.
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To increase peer connections, interaction and knowledge sharing amongst colleagues
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To create a reference tool of shared knowledge within our school community
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Rationale:
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By developing a post-PD feedback podcast series, my hope is to increase the sharing of best practice and inspirations gained through external PD events in a way that is flexible and accessible for busy staff, whilst creating a school culture of increased peer knowledge sharing, coaching and self-directed learning.
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The Pilot:
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This pilot podcast Episode takes the form of a Q&A with Junior School Teacher, Linda Wähling, following her PD for Writers Workshop in Berlin.​
Peer Learning Hub 1.1 - LW on Writers Workshop Copyright 2019 by Rachel Dudley
Relevent Audience: Junior School Teachers
Topics: Children’s writing, Literacy, Writers Workshop
Instructional Objectives: By listening to this episode, colleagues will gain an insight into:
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How we listen to what children have to tell us in their writing.
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Using illustration as a way into writing with young children.
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Tips and ideas for effective use of Conferencing and Publishing in Writers Workshop.