Viral Professional Development and the Importance of Momentum
Based on my online presence and frequent discussions with others about VPD, I think most readers are not aware of the actual status of educational technology infusion at my institution. I’ve now been there six months and for the first four, had been doing well flying under the IT radar. That’s not to say I deliberately did anything against policy, however, the tools and examples I had been sharing with faculty were things that, according to policy, could not be implemented without the support of IT.
Last week I met with our IT director to discuss how we could have a more collaborative relationship. I was advised that the Assistant Attorney General had visited and emphasized the importance of tracking every single application used by faculty and staff, and required of students. The process involves not only tracking, but analyzing the tools for compatibility, malware, spyware, etc., as well as contracting with each vendor, whether or not the tool is free. This is done to ensure that in case of potential dispute, accounts can be frozen and access can be gained for discovery.
I supposed I’m sliding a bit off topic, so I’ll bring it back in. Essentially, I feel like I have been spinning my wheels for the last two months. I have mostly referred instructors back to IT for in-house tools. I feel like they are starting to get frustrated, and I know I’ve lost some connections that were already tenuous. I met with my boss, the VP of instruction, and she told me not to worry. She says it is not reflecting poorly on me, and that there are plenty of other changes going on with our campus, that this is not causing major problems. I told her I understood, after all, the students are still learning, right? I just have the desire to give them the best possible learning experience, and I don’t want to lose the momentum I had when I first started.
Fortunately, a few good things have happened. Last week I received a call from an instructor who couldn’t remember the name of a software tool he had used in an external workshop. At the same time, another instructor sent me an IM from a workshop he was attending with 7 or 8 more instructors. I told him I was on the phone with the first instructor and it was odd to connect to both at the same time. He told me to say hi, and then I realized the instructor on IM was in a workshop with the teacher who had taught the first instructor the tool he had called to question me about. I asked the instructor on IM to find out the tool and within a few minutes had gotten an answer for the instructor on the phone.
The IM conversation happened in the Google chat client, which won’t run on our main campus network. If I hadn’t brought my own computer and connected to the wireless network, I never would have had this experience. They didn’t just solve a problem, the instructor on IM shared with me the excitement of the other instructors in the workshop. Within minutes of that chat, we had received approval from IT for all the workshop attendees to receive Camtasia licenses, and the Dean will be ordering Flip cameras for them as well.
I need to capture this brief bit of momentum and spread it like wildfire. I think there were 8 instructors at this workshop. I have asked them to share with others. This week I am starting a new PD activity, called Show and Tell. I will be running an Elluminate Live! session every Thursday from 11:00 to 11:45 PST. The room will be available a half an hour before and after, if people are interested. When the session starts, I will show some interesting discoveries I’ve found, and then I will turn it over to others to share what they are doing. This PD activity will be conducted entirely online. I am hoping this will increase access for instructors that can’t get away from class, and adjunct who are not on campus during that time. I have also extended the invitation and told instructors they are welcome to invite students. I don’t see any reason why not to share this with the students. I would love to see them participate and start to drive more of the technology use.
Another great thing that has happened is that we’ve hired a new eLearning Designer. She won’t start until mid-July, but everyone is so excited to welcome her to campus. She’s got an amazing instructional background and impressive technical skills. I am thrilled about her desire to continuously learn, but the main reason she was selected, was to balance out my department. She’s very different from me, and I hope she will connect with those I have difficulty reaching. She’s already reading some sites I’ve recommended, and I expect to send her off the social web high dive fairly soon!
May 25th, 2008 at 7:05 am
Hi Jen,
I guess any road to progress requires a few bumps. Great to hear that you’re finding ways to sustain momentum. I’ve been sharing your concept of viral professional development with educators. I think you’re on to an important concept. We can’t centrally reskill our entire base of educators. It really needs to be networked, self-directed, etc.
On a total unrelated note - your use of the acronym VPD might not make sense to newcomers to your site….perhaps a link to the original article would help readers understand what you’re referencing…
Take care
George
BTW - enjoyed reading your TLt reflections. It was great to meet you in person. You have so much passion for improving teaching/learning through networks/technology. Your staff and institutional faculty are fortunate to have you as a resources and guide!
May 25th, 2008 at 10:11 am
It would seem that the safe tools to use might include chalk, slide rules, and pencils.. oh no, someone might poke their eye with a pencil, take that one off.
If education is preparing students for some real world experience beyond The Walls, I struggle to see where else do people operate under such purse strings of protection. It is embarrassing how we are allowing fear of liability to muffle innovation.
And to me, virality exists in an open environment, not a tube.
That said, which sounds very cranky, I applaud your efforts to work within the system. I would think you could make a lot of progress of extending te open principles (basics of sharing resources, being connected, etc) with the “approved” tools — then send everyone to go home to do the real deal
May 26th, 2008 at 5:55 am
“I was advised that the Assistant Attorney General had visited and emphasized the importance of tracking every single application used by faculty and staff, and required of students.”
Is the IT department required to track every Web site staff, faculty and students visit as well? How long do they keep that information for? Do they share it with anyone outside of the institution?
These are all questions that I have about our IT department as well.
May 26th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
A friend sent me a link to your post and wondered if the faculty in the external workshop were attending the one I gave last week at Green River Community College. I’m betting they were and I am on cloud 9!
Hats off to the IT department and the dean who acted quickly to provide the faculty with the tools they needed to put the training they’d just received into practice for their students.
I’m also quite amazed (and pleased) by the community that is created in this Web 2.0 environment. Thanks for sharing your story.
May 26th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Jean, that was the crew at your workshop! Our faculty adore you! I met you at the NWMET conference, right? Glad you found me.
Jen
May 27th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
This is way cool, Jen. I was pretty sure I’d met you at the Microsoft event but it was the end of a long week and two presentations for me that day.
I loved working with your faculty and Jeff Curtis and Earl Steele were both stars in the 4 day podcasting workshop I led last summer. I’m hoping to see some of them at the Camtasia training in August.
Sounds like they are lucky to have you!