Hacking PD at ISTE

This year I was fortunate to co-present a session at ISTE on "Hack Your PD to Engage Teachers and Save Time." Ever since I hosted a viewing party at our school for Microsoft's Hack the Classroom event in the Fall of 2016, I have used the "hack" model to help promote tech integration at my school.  I started using this model in faculty meetings by asking teachers to show hacks that were working for them.  This was so successful that teachers began asking me if they could present hacks!  Not only that, but they were talking to each other after and asking questions such as "Is this really something that will benefit my students and me?"

According to a Microsoft presentation on teacher hacking personas, a hack is defined by the Urban Dictionary as a "clever solution to an everyday problem." In the same presentation, a classroom hack is defined as an "innovative, possible solution to a common classroom problem that can be universally implemented."  For our ISTE presentation, we focused on Professional Development (PD) hacks. 

We provided 1-2 minute hacks that support each component of a successful PD program, which my co-presenter, Sandra LaGrange, identified as the following:

1. Time - Make time for PD
2. Inclusion - Include all stakeholders (Teachers, Students, Parents, Support Staff)
3. Choices - Personalize PD
4. Support - Give encouragement
5. Accountability - System of planning, tracking to see where one is going or what one has accomplished
6. Sustainability - Keep the learning going

The following Microsoft tools were featured in our hacks during our ISTE session.

1. OneNote Class Notebook - PD class notebook that I used to curate hacks at faculty meetings as well as other information so teachers can easily review; also use with OneNote Student Avengers (student tech mentors) to plan, record help given, share instructions
2. Office Mix - flip PD
3. Microsoft Educator Community - resources, lessons, etc. for teachers; used this summer to share specific courses with teachers & a place for them to turn in badge for credit for our PD program
4. Sway - create training guides, newsletters, etc.
5. Snip - share information in 3 easy ways (includes ability to ink)

We all left the session with a padlet full of hacks to possibly add to our toolbox for the new school year. To see how the "hack" model generates ideas, click HERE.

While at ISTE, I also attended a TeachMeet and Microsoft's Hack the Classroom Live.  It recently occurred to me that TeachMeets have elements of the "hack" style because topics are presented in 2, 7, or 20 minutes.  I believe TeachMeets, Hack the Classroom, and similar events work because they provide people with the big picture of tech integration in a style that is not overwhelming.  If you can show something in a couple of minutes then it helps people realize that the implementation may not be difficult.  If something catches their attention, they can get the how-to details later or become inspired to make it their own and integrate the technology in a meaningful way.  Let's all continue to share hacks in order to inspire, discover, and learn.