Starting

Stevan Kalmon (kalmon@bvsd.k12.co.us)
Mon, 24 Mar 1997 10:11:36 -0700 (MST) 

Hi.

Much of the message below is duplicated from my posts to other of these 
online discussions; I apologize if you're reading this yet again.  It is 
relevant, and I've tried to adapt.

I teach half-time at a non-traditional high school in Boulder, and I work 
half-time with the Center for LifeLong Learning and Design (L3D, in the 
Department of Computer Science and Institute for Cognitive Development at 
the University of Colorado/Boulder), as a research consultant.  (Just 
writing the titles wears me out.)  I don't teach computers, except in the 
context of work my students and I do (e.g., magazine publishing, 
statistical compilation and analysis, Web research, and [with much more 
to come] Web publishing).  At L3D I'm supposed to provide the perspective 
of a practicing teacher-as-lifelong-learner.  My focus has been on 
promoting collaborative processes through which teachers can learn to use 
computer tech in authentic ways in their classes.  

My main concern has been that the investment cost for teachers learning 
new tech (not to mention using it in a meaningful way [much less 
"transform" their classrooms]) substantially outweighs the dividends 
yielded by the investment -- at least in general.  My experience in 
curriculum design suggests, to me anyway, a similar phenomenon -- i.e., 
that really transformative curriculum requires a massive individual 
investment and therefore massive institutional investment.  So, 
preliminarily, I'm more concerned about HOW to help excellent content and 
learning environment designs occur than I am about what those designs are.

All of which is a long-winded way of saying that professional development 
is a whole lot different from "teacher training" and workshops -- 
sentiments already expressed by the posts from Rosalie Moran and 
Rashidah Hakeem.  It won't work if it ain't a part of the regular working 
day:  The work of learning is the way I characterize professional 
development for teachers.  

At my school we're trying a process we call Working Shops.  Our staff 
will work in teams, along with teachers from the CU School of Education 
and L3D staff, to design and implement curricula that uses computer and 
other tech in authentic ways.  While designing and implementing, we'll 
also be learning how to use the tech.  The Working Shop teams will meet 
regularly (generally once every two or three weeks) throughout the school 
year, during the working day.  At least half of the teams will be 
inter-disciplinary, and most (if not all) of the curriculum will be 
project- or product-based.

Through this collaboration we intend not only to grow our learning but to 
transform the learning processes and environments in which we are 
engaged.  Modest goals...  But-hey, if we want to create lifelong 
learning environments and habits for our kids, maybe we should think 
about doing so for ourselves.

			Stevan

				as in,
				Stevan Kalmon
				New Vista High School
				(303) 447-5401

	"Things are more like they are now than they ever were before." 	
			--Dwight D. Eisenhower