The HWDSB 21st Century Learning team has launched a new initiative today called a U-Service. This is a play on the in-service model of PD that we regularly offer to teachers. A few years ago we ran a Livescribe event in the Gym at Maple Lane. Teachers from across the board came and shared the ways in which they were using that tool in their classroom. They set up at small tables and teachers wandered around checking out what their colleagues were doing, chatted about implementation strategies, and mingled together. It was a great success (thanks to @lisaneale and @mpolling who organized the day).
Since then we have had a number of requests to repeat it on a different theme. This first one will shirk that thematic idea and attempt to host a variety of different “stations”. The hope is that we will get a large cross-section of contributors, and people will drop in, perhaps just to see one specific session, or perhaps to get inspired by something new. Thanks should also be extended to Gurdeep Gill, who has kept it on the front burner and is helping to organize the day. We owe a debt to the folks from @ecooweb too: their “Minds on Media” setup is one of the models we are emulating here.
I’m hoping we can run something like this once a month. Please help us promote this within your schools. Nudge people who are doing cool things in their classrooms to come out and set up a table. We are hoping to make this less intimidating than leading a “lecture” in front of a large group of people. Come hang out and teach us something new.