Looking for Quick PD Activities

When I attend a GREAT conference or workshop session I feel energized and motivated! When I look back at those learning experiences, I realize that they all have a common denominator... the instructor's ability to transition in and out of the learning with meaningful, reflective exercises.

So... I am looking for some short and simple activities that I can use in my own professional development that can 1) introduce a concept by capitalizing on my audience's interests or prior knowledge, 2) provide a reflective pause during the learning, or 3) help solidify/generalize/summarize the learning. Thank you for sharing!

Tags: activities, development, professional

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Donovan Goode on January 22, 2010 at 9:52am

Hi Jenny,

There are two sources I would suggest to you from PBS Education. One is free, one is fee (but has a free 30-day trial).

PBS Teachers has free classroom resources for educators.

PBS TeacherLine Peer Connection is a tool built for those in a professional development role such as a coach, mentor, or staff development specialist. There is a free 30-day trial to this service.

Donovan

Permalink Reply by Tracy Richardson on April 18, 2011 at 12:44am

http://www.workshopexercises.com/Engagement.htm#E3

I've used some of these before. They're not cheesy and legitmately useful, but engaging.

Permalink Reply by Ryan Goble on May 15, 2011 at 12:38pm

Jenny - come check out the Connect the Minds article HERE and the Making Curriculum Pop Playlist.

Permalink Reply by Rachelle Wooten on June 16, 2011 at 1:52pm

Hi, Jenny!

I just facilitated a training last week on Best Practices in Tech Integration to teachers. In order to introduce the concept and activate some prior knowledge and gain interest I asked them to tell me their role on their campuses and why they chose this session. It really helped me to see what their specific interest levels were. This worked out great because session 1 had totally different expectations than Session 2. See, the complete session title was: From PowerPoint to Podcasts: Best Practices in Tech Integration. Session 1 was more interested in Podcasting and Session 2 was more interested in the best practices. This really helped me to guide the session so that everyone left with something they wanted. Needless to say, it also meant I facilitated two different sessions. :)

For debriefing I like to use some thing like a Think-Pair-Share or a 3-2-1 activity. The first gives them an opp to reflect with a partner and share their insights. The other is perfect for having them prioritize and recognize what they are learning.

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