Whenever I am presented with the opportunity to participate in any form of professional development, the most important question that I ask is this: Is it worth my time?<\/p>\n
By \u201cworth my time\u201d I do not mean, Will I enjoy it or is it fun? I do not mean, Do I have a free spot on my calendar? Nor do I mean, Is it a short PD session? What I\u2019m trying to determine by asking that question is whether or not the time I devote to that session, that training, or that course is going to be multiplied (or better still exponentiated) and returned to me so that I, in turn, can give more to my students.<\/p>\n
Time is a teacher\u2019s most valuable resource; we can\u2019t get any more of it, and that which we do have seems to disappear more quickly than the hands on the clock indicate that it should. I want to know that the valuable time which I dedicate to edifying myself for my profession is going to have a lasting, meaningful impact on my classroom and each and every individual student in it.<\/p>\n
The Learning Differences Massive Open Online Course for Educators<\/a>,\u00a0offered by MOOC-Ed, part of NC State University\u2019s Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, an Educator Innovator\u00a0<\/em>partner,\u00a0is exactly the kind of professional development opportunity that is worth a teacher\u2019s precious time. From the moment the course begins, light is shed on the most frustrating dark corners of the classroom, and understanding individual learning differences amongst students has an immediate transformative effect on instruction.<\/p>\n Think about how often something like this has happened in your classroom: You\u2019ve planned an awesome, hands-on lesson, and you need to give all of the instructions up front. Thus you begin: \u201cAlright everyone, I need all eyes up here and all ears listening to me. John, Susan, up here. Okay, first\u2026 Frank, right here. Okay there are five steps for this learning experience\u2026\u201d You go through all five steps, checking for questions all along the way. Once you\u2019ve finished step five and there are no questions, you go through all five again just to make sure everyone\u2019s got it. You ask, \u201cEveryone good? Thumbs up? Ready?\u201d They nod; they smile, they give you thumbs up all around the room. You say, \u201cAlright, have at it!\u201d Immediately, five students ask, \u201cWait, what are we doing?\u201d Someone else says, \u201cWhat\u2019s happening; what\u2019s going on?\u201d You sigh and begin again.<\/p>\n