Thanks for your feedback, Wendy. I understand about the busy-ness of the
beginning of the year, but the reality is it seems we are never NOT busy.
I've finally accepted that the quiet summer when you get to catch up on
everything is a myth! 

In California our K12 system has a required teacher technology
self-assessment that takes maybe 45 minutes to complete. This was received
as quite burdensome for teachers, and we tried to learn from that to keep
the assessment shorter. The PD plan does add extra time, but, as Tim
pointed out, you can quit and come back. 

In adult ed we have a staff skills assessment that I mentioned before.
Many programs have teachers do it online together in a lab at the
beginning of the year. That way they are there to support each other, and
also to discuss questions and issues that come up. That seems like a good
way to go, when possible. Also, the first year is the hardest. Once people
get used to using the tool, it doesn't seem so time-consuming, especially
if you have received some benefit from using it previously. 

Anyway, I hope MA will find it useful at some point, and please keep me
posted. I would like to be able to share examples among states and
programs.

Marian
The Technology and Literacy Discussion List <technology at nifl.gov> on
Friday, October 05, 2007 at 8:59 AM -0800 wrote:

>Marian and all,

>Sorry to be late responding.  I tried making a PD plan, and had to quit

>and save because I felt quite overloaded with what it was asking me to

>do.  I set up 4 competencies, but now I think I will go back and reduce

>it to two.  That in itself is a useful exercise -- seeing what I could

>realistically fit into my schedule at the moment.  I also agree with Tim

>that breaking good intentions down into manageable tasks helps us

>actually accomplish them. 

> 

>I also forwarded the TISA to several administrators where I work.  The

>trouble is that in Massachusetts, at least, we are all so overloaded with

>paperwork and student testing and accountability tasks that both teachers

>and administrators just groan when any new materials come up, however

>useful they may be.  My learning center has everyone develop a

>professional development plan, so I think this assessment may be useful

>in the future -- arriving as it did in the chaos of beginning a new term,

>just when PD plans are due, wasn't the best timing!  We have been making

>a big push for teachers to use more technology, so I think that with time

>to integrate it into our regular PD process, it would be well-received

>and extremely useful. 

> 

>Wendy Quinones

>

> 

>On 10/3/07, Marian Thacher <[ mailto:mthacher at otan.us ]mthacher at otan.us>

>wrote: 

>

>

>Another aspect of the Technology Integration Self-Assessment is the

>ability to create your own professional development plan. I hope some of

>you have had a chance to take a look at this feature. 

>

>Once you have completed the assessment, you can proceed to choose a few

>competencies that you'd like to learn more about this year. (We encourage

>people not to choose more than four, because to learn a new skill or area

>takes time.) 

>

>The steps are:

>- Choose the competencies you want to work on

>- Choose the learning strategies you will use for each competency

>- Choose or add your own objectives

>- Add a timeline or due date for each objective 

>

>Once these steps are completed, you can save or print your plan, and

>choose to receive montly email reminders if you wish.

>

>This is a new way of planning professional development. What do you

>think? Would you use an online professional development plan? Can you see

>teachers going back to update and edit the plan a few times during the

>year? Is a professional development plan something you might share with

>colleagues? Work on as a group? Share with your administrator? 

>

>I don't want to send an attachment to the list, but if you would like to

>see a sample of the professional development plan, email me off list and

>I will send you one.

>

>Marian

>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>Marian Thacher, OTAN 

>[ mailto:mthacher at otan.us ]mthacher at otan.us

>P.O. Box 269003

>Sacramento, CA 95826-9003

>(916) 228-2597

>[ http://www.otan.us/ ] www.otan.us 

>

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