It sharpens our skill sets.
It reminds us of best practices and there always seems to be a piece of gold in every training that you can apply immediately to your courses!
Janis
As cliche as it may be, professional development helps with time management by offering new skills and techniques to maximize time and effort. This class tends to be an exact example of that fact.
Thanks so much for this!
Earl
By taking professional development i can keep up with the changes in my profession. This will allow me to be up to date on the latest information and save time when I am preparing for a course. Current knowledge is a real plus.
Robert,
Glad you are enjoying the process and learning from others. It's my opinion that when you quit learning - you're dead. Keep learning!
The CEE courses and forums are a wonderful way to learn from one another. Participating in professional associations both live and on line is another source for advancing our professional development. Online journals keep us current both as educators and practitioners in our select field such as APA, AMA, ACHE and lots of other professional organizations.
Julie,
Me too. I love learning and I think all teaches should realize that it really is a lifelong process - just as the students need to continue to learn and learn and learn. Thanks!
I see much value in participating in professional development classes. Not only do they teach new concepts but also give me time to reflect on my teaching methods. I am able to see what is going well and what I could improve. I like learning about new software/features/social media and be able to incorporate them into my classroom.
Jennifer,
We have to be lifelong learners to keep "up with the times" and technology. It's good to keep our options open.
Thanks for sharing.
I see the value in participating in professional development courses because it is an opportunity to learn “best practices†which helps me to work more effectively and efficiently.
At our online campus we are able to attend “Lunch ‘n Learns†which are excellent opportunities to learn from our peers and hear what is “working†and “not working†in their classrooms.
Quarterly in-service events provide training on new technology and also provide information on university practices that help me to better manage my classroom.
I am an instructor who embraces all opportunities for professional development. This course has been fantastic for helping me find ways to more effectively manage my time spent with administrative tasks and streamlining communications with students. Thank you for the opportunity!
krystal,
We have to be lifelong learners. When you quit learning - your dead. ;-) Tell my students that all the time. Thanks for your input on all these forums.
Professional development is an ongoing process for all instructors. Developing themselves and staying informed of the changes that seem to constantly occur in the online environment is important.
Guerda,
We do, as online instructors, have to stay up to date on th technology and figure out what works for us and our students. I love taking professional development and going to conferences to learn new things. Thanks for sharing.
Learning new techniques and classroom management skills will enhance the instructor knowledge and reduce their workload. Not waiting until the last minute to submit professional development CEU's will also reduce workload.
Mia,
Love the saying. We have to be lifelong learners. I tell my students, when you stop learning - your dead. Keep it up!
There is a saying (not sure of the author, but you've probably heard it before) that says that "a man that thinks he knows everything soon finds that he knows nothing". It's so true. I think professional development as a workload management strategy is important in keeping people who may have done the same things for a while from becoming stagnant in their positions. I remember when I was in high school and even in college, being bored with some of my teachers who were vested because the teachers had stopped trying to improve upon their skills. They had settled on things they had been doing for years and it just didn't apply or inspire kids in my class some 20+ years later. This has really made me think about improving what I have built upon in my 5 years of online course facilitation. I've never considered myself a master at it, but I don't think that I have given as much consideration to staying current and trendy as I want to be now that I have been exposed to these ideals. It's inspiring and that will only benefit me and my students because it stokes the embers of passion I have for my field and sharing my knowledge with others who want to be a part of this field.
Yvette,
Whatever we learn may impact us personally or professionally, but we are impacted. That's the key. Keep learning.
Geri,
We are all a work in progress. We have to believe in lifelong learning as a way to continue to grow.
Thanks!
Amy,
The more we learn, the more we can do efficiently. I like learning about motivating students and simply doing things in a different way. Thanks for continuing to learn.
Dave,
Lifelong learning - how many times have we heard that. BUT - it's so true. Thanks for continuing to learn.
Life is a continuous learning process. Professional development (PD) courses enable you to garner new and improved ways to do things that may lessen your workload stress, thus enhancing effectiveness and efficiency via diversification.
