VPD is a Big Deal
I have received an unbelievable amount of attention from the VPD post on Sunday. I think the common thread is that VPD is happening everywhere and we just haven’t known what to do about it. So many of us are stuck in our traditional training models and unfamiliar with how to handle organic migration. Rather than introducing a concept I thought was new, I’ve introduced a confessional and a way for PD’ers to connect on an issue that is more common than any of us knew.
That’s part of the beauty of the read/write web, and we are in the infancy stages of harnessing our true potential. This discussion must continue and I hope people begin to share more about the emerging institutional culture changes that surround VPD. I hope people who feel mired in the bureaucratic nightmare of workshop design, development and implementation feel empowered to share this new information with their colleagues and administrators. This is happening everywhere. It is natural, sustainable and measurable.
In addition to the comments on this blog, I’ve heard from people on Twitter who are doing VPD and just didn’t know what to call it. My post was mentioned in a state board meeting and it was suggested I submit a conference proposal on VPD. I have been asked to talk about it in a podcast and others have mentioned they will use it in presentations. The concept was discussed by students in Alec Couros’ EC & I course webcast, and I have been contacted by others through email.
We need to continue to document this shift in thinking and communication so we can justify our efforts to our leaders. I hope VPD goes viral and tech coordinators begin to share methods, practices, and pitfalls. I hope someone chooses to research and track the progress of VPD, including the hype cycle and novelty effect. I would love to see examples of practice in larger, more mature institutions. Our program is so new, I can’t really compare it to others yet. Please keep the conversation going!
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