The experience of the KFP PD Institutes means a lot to me. The fact that they were so thoughtfully planned and tailored to the needs of aspiring leaders in education is what means the most. There is so much PD out there for educators–at the school, district, state, and national level. Often times, the burden is on teachers to sort through and determine what is useful to attend. Other times, our attendance is mandated at certain PD sessions, and the content is inapplicable, poorly presented, lacks context, or is clouded by mandates or paperwork. This is surely not always the case, but I’m sure many teachers would identify with the previous statements.
Unlike these experiences that often seem more burdensome than growth-oriented, the KFP PD Institutes provided us with concrete ideas and examples of instructional technology, curriculum writing tools, and methods for engaging with policymakers. Additionally, they were constructed to ensure that we could grow our own professional networks through the building of meaningful, real relationships with each other.
There are things that I now use regularly (some even daily) that came from the PD at NCCAT. Though Trello was shared with us as a student project management tool, I now use it to keep track of ongoing projects within the many facets of my own job (and even personal life). I have begun working with my media coordinator on a project involving augmented reality that we hope to pilot this year as a case study to share with other teachers in our building. I follow and rely on many of the KF’s twitter feeds to stay abreast of trends, articles, conferences, and more in education.
After our time in Prairie Ridge at the second PD Institute, I have challenged myself to think about place when providing authentic context for my students. I have also been working with science teachers in my building to help them build citizen science lessons that also have a data/math focus.
Most recently, from the third PD Institute, I feel empowered to have an expert voice when I talk about education. While I learned a lot generally about the politics of NC, I think the greatest takeaway for me from that Institute was the idea that our lawmakers have an area of expertise–law, construction, business, etc.–when they come into office, but they are then asked to weigh in on and have expertise on ALL matters. Thus cultivating a relationship in which I might be considered a resource for a lawmaker to learn about public education is a way in which I can get involved. Rather than just being angry that people with no experience in education legislate education, I can position myself to be a voice of expertise to help them better legislation–theoretically anyway.
Not only has the Kenan Fellows Program professional development elevated my practice as an educator, it has empowered me to be a leader in my school, my district, and in my state.