VPD Not for Print
I was asked to write a short (300-400 word) article about VPD for our State Board of Community and Technical Colleges eLearning Council newsletter. I started writing about community-building and hit 555 words without mentioning VPD. I started over. I discovered it is a concept that is just not fit for print. I am not sure I can properly describe my feelings, but I will give it a shot.
I don’t think it’s something that can, or needs to be taught. It isn’t a concept I own. As soon as it is mentioned online or in person, it grows! It almost feels like if I put it in print, it will stop the progress. Whenever I meet someone and describe it to them, they say, “Oh yeah! That’s what I do!” Then they pause and think of examples and we talk about the opportunities we may be missing.
The best thing about it is the way we are able to share our stories and learn from others with similar experiences. I love when I mention VPD and someone tells me something new they are trying, or how they finally feel people are listening to their messages, because they are not being delivered from a podium. I love the way the concept has taken on a life of its own and each person who picks it up, forges their own path. There is no set direction. VPD is whatever you want it to be.
March 30th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Print would suck the Viral out of VPD. The VPD stuff you talk about (and do) is cool because it is so agile/nimble/flexible. Something about distilling that into print would fail to capture the essence of it. Certainly in 300-400 words. Maybe a series of blog posts or articles, showcasing various examples, strategies, techniques, and outcomes might be able to capture some of the real magic of VPD, but not a tiny blurb in a newsletter…
March 30th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
D’Arcy is right, VPD is not meant for print, but you need to recognize that the concept is already out there because of how many of us who pay attention to what you have to say and share that with others. VPD is meant for blogs, wikis, twitter, and the face-to-face conversations we have with others.
March 31st, 2008 at 2:42 pm
I’ll agree that it would be difficult to define VPD in print. It’s possible though.
Maybe it would be more effective to tell stories about how VPD has worked for us. Stories sick with people. We’ll keep providing examples on our own blogs and twitter and whatever else we’ve got, and the concept will emerge.
I would say that VPD is everything except traditional methods of workshops, etc. It’s putting minds together.
April 1st, 2008 at 10:45 am
I’m so intrigued by this whole VPD concept. I agree with Laura, that a good way to put it into print…to explain it… is through a story. Even a snippit of a few hours out of your day would say a lot about the power of VPD.
I just got the news that you and Heather Ross will be facilitating a SCoPE seminar on the topic in June. http://scope.lidc.sfu.ca Terrific! I just added it to the calendar for June 2 - 22. We can be flexible on those dates. Hey, maybe during the seminar we could pick a day and each document our VPD activities, sort of like a “day in the life” series.
Look forward to the seminar and everything inbetween!
April 6th, 2008 at 10:49 am
I agree that this concept is hard to put in print. Unfortunately too many good ideas in education that are put in print become canned programs or one-size-fits-all approaches. However, as an administrator, I also know that there are many who do not know about VPD. I think there are a few good ideas mentioned in previous comments for discussing and creating an awareness of this concept. It is helpful to have a reference for this concept when I talk with others about vision for PD in schools.