Shaking Up Teacher Training: Let's Learn Together! Alright, so picture this: in the old days of teacher training, it was all about comprehension with attempts at application. So, let’s picture quizzes, summaries of learning theories, and the eventual sharing of lesson plans. Sounds familiar, right? But here's the thing - the sharing process lacked the organization and engagement that professor Ben Boche of Valparaiso University wanted. And the feedback? Well, it was either shared verbally or in a jumbled set of comments buried in separate documents - not exactly the most organized way to make sense of the interactions. Hear from Professor Ben Boche Ben made plans to raise the stake. He wanted to set up environments where students could learn from each other. Instead of putting students through isolated sequences of learning, he envisioned equipping them in environments where they could answer: How did <my peer> solve this problem?   What did my peers think of my ...

How Lynn Sawyer and Lindsay Prendergast Are Changing the Goal of the Typical Workshop We’ve all been there. You attend a workshop, the kind that sparks fresh ideas and opens doors to new possibilities. The excitement in the room is palpable, educators are inspired, and strategies that could change the way students learn are shared. We leave energized and return back to the classroom.   But then something happens. Life back at school gets in the way. The day-to-day routines, meetings, and endless to-do lists begin to pile up, and the excitement slowly fades. "Both supervisors and teachers want the supervisory process to result in positive interactions and continuous growth in practice." - Lynn Sawyer Whether you're an educator or a consultant, this is a challenge we all strive to overcome. We see it time and time again: workshops that ignite enthusiasm but don’t always translate into lasting action. It’s not for lack of trying. Educators are passionate, committed, and eag...

(This post has been modified since it's original posting.) The pandemic has made everyone far more knowledgeable about online learning platforms than they were 24 months ago. We each know (and feel) the strengths and the limitations of more than a few platforms.  We each have a long and growing list of features we want to see in the next evolution of online learning.  So, it seems a rather good time to step back and explore the evolution of online learning - to see how far we've come, and where we might be heading. One of the best resources out there is a simple progression chart shared in this intriguing article by Tiago Forte. The Future of Education is Community: The Rise of Cohort-Based Courses The evolution of online learning: What's next? We love big-picture reflections like this. While we are all aware of the current disconnect that still exists between the reality of our online learning platforms and the skills and knowledge we want to transfer to learners, we can a...