LearningTimes Green Room

In this episode Susan and Dan interview Greg Stevens, assistant director for professional development for the American Association of Museums (AAM) about the organization’s transition to web-based professional development. Anyone involved in a large organization offering professional development to a variety of levels of staff might be interested in the lessons he shares.

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Show Notes:

In this episode Susan and Dan interview Greg Stevens, assistant director for professional development for the American Association of Museums (AAM) about the organization’s transition to web based professional development. Anyone involved in a large organization offering professional development to a variety of levels of staff might be interested in the lessons he shares.

The AAM professional education program has been in existence for 20 years. Last February, the organization offered their first webinar series in association with LearningTimes. A series that ran throughout the year, this online venue has broadened their audience and made professional development more accessible and affordable to its members. Whereas the organization may have seen 300 participants in face to face training, at last count more than 3000 had participated in online programs.

A major lesson learned is that about three times as many people participate than register. In other words, one member might register and have two or three colleagues sit in on the webinar with him or her. That makes interaction among participants and presenters broader and richer. For example, a survey following recent raining showed 240 registered, yet revealed 1000 listeners. What is exciting about this is the community that is developed as a result.

Greg discusses the philosophy of practice in trying to help all professionals regardless of the stage of their career development. Programs are differentiated for a variety of target audiences. He also repurposes presentations that may have been delivered live at their traditional conference. These may be offered online later in the year. The organization plans programs based on a “circle of influence model.” The idea is to offer professional development for their members so that members can be better at their jobs and then strengthen their institutions, therefore enhancing not only what they offer the general public, but reinforcing the importance of museums with the general public.

Toward the end of the interview, Greg reflects on how planning professional development is a lot like staging a theater production.

Listeners, feel free to share how you address professional development in large organizations. What moves have you made to web-based program planning and offerings?

You can offer your thoughts using the “Comments” link below or talk to us in LearningTimes. Or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada). Join us!

In this episode, Susan and Dan interview Karen Franker, an expert in graphic organizers, instructional tools used to visually represent information.

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Show notes:

In this episode, Susan and Dan interview Karen Franker, an expert in graphic organizers. Karen is an instructional designer for the adult student initiative program for University of Wisconsin Colleges, but she also teaches an online class for the University of Wisconsin at Stout on Inspiration & Kidspiration: K-12 Strategies to Build Study Skills & Comprehension.

A graphic organizer is in an instructional tool used to visually represent information. Venn diagrams were probably our first exposure to graphic organizers. Even a calendar could be considered a graphic organizer in that it visually organizes our information. Some other terms you might hear include webs, web diagrams, or concept maps or mind mapping.

Publishers of reading curriculum seem to be using graphic organizers more frequently in their materials, and Karen surmises that this is because more kids prefer and respond to a visual learning style, perhaps because of how they are “wired” differently due to their exposure to technology. She believes this provides an opportunity to present 21st Century learning skills to help students comprehend, organize and think critically about the information they are reading.

The teachers who are taking Karen’s class report favorable results as they use these tools with children. Graphic organizers do not teach to the test, and therefore are some schools are reluctant to introduce them. They are seen as frills or a waste of time. Writing teachers sometimes report that students moan and groan at having to organize their writing before they begin, to which Susan relates a story.

Older learners sometimes resist these tools only because they are unfamiliar. Making a diagram of important points or summarizing a chapter would be an example of an assignment Karen might give. She reports that some students are visually resistance and take a little longer to learn how to do this. Susan asks about auditory learners and Karen explains that some of these tools provide auditory support.

Favorite Tools: Inspiration and Kidspiration rise to the top. Webspiration is a new web-based tool in beta form. Vizio is another possibility. C-Map is available online.

Susan asks listeners to provide examples of how they use graphic organizers with all ages.

You can offer your thoughts using the “Comments” link below or talk to us in LearningTimes. Or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada). Join us!