It’s summer. I spent the school year working and enrolled in different programs. Those programs have finished and I’m not spending my summer training new teachers so I’ve begun a program that will help me continue to learn and grow in how I support adult learners. I am pursuing Leading Edge Certification for the Professional Learning Leader.

The program began two weeks ago and these are my sketchnotes for Module 2 on Professional Learning. (I’m slowly getting caught up on my draft blog posts!) The module readings have gotten me to thinking about content vs. process. To borrow the words from Elle Woods, unlike the rules of hair care the rules of professional learning are not simple and finite as any Professional Learning Leader knows. Most professional development focuses on content and with this being the sole focus its easy to understand how even the most well-intentioned professional learning experience can quickly become a dreaded sit and get. Process must get equal or perhaps even greater consideration than content in the design phase. Content that is experienced through a thoughtfully designed process not only encourages better retention but it models effective classroom practice. Content vs. Process communicates that these two things are at odds with one another and competing for attention. Content AND Process are the necessary ingredients for instructional design that supports student-directed learning.

It seems hypocritical when we get upset at teacher-centered classrooms when teachers consistently experience staff meetings where they are talked at or professional development via passive webinar or powerpoint read aloud bullet point by excruciating bullet point! On the same note, if we are delivering training for our administrators using similar methods, what are we communicating as a system in terms of what we value in the classroom? We need to hold ourselves to a higher level of accountability in our professional learning design. This is one of my goals for the upcoming school year and look forward to learning more in this program.