Evolving Learner: Shifting from Professional Development to Professional Learning From Kids, Peers, and the World by Lainie Rowell, Kristy Andre, and Lauren Steinmann

While some teachers teach in a student-centered collaborative way that allows for creativity, most professional learning efforts feature direct instruction lectures. We need to shift to an approach where teachers independently pursue learning based on their interests.

Becoming an Explorer

The main idea here is that teachers should become edu-explores and to share what they find with others. You need to develop your tribe of individuals who will help you grow. Some may be in your building, while others may be on the other side of the world. In some cases, you will find articles to read and in other cases, you will interact directly with one or more others who have common interests.

The Rest of the Internet: Social media is just part of the Internet. YouTube, for example, has videos for all kinds of instruction. Top educator blogs are a great resource for professional learning like the ones I use to harvest my daily “Net Nuggets.” People you run into on the Internet can act as mentors, mirrors for your reflections, or people who challenge your beliefs. You can also learn from educational rock stars, like the people who write the books I summarize on this blog. Combined they can act as your ‘compass’ as you search for ideas to help you create your own professional learning plan. There are many tips here to help you get more out of your Internet time along with an encouragement to do more than just lurk.

In Closing

This book has dealt with learning from your students, your peers, and the world around you. It’s vital to see yourself as and evolving learner and one who takes responsibility for their own individual professional learning. Good luck and thanks to Lainie, Kristy, and Lauren.

About the Authors

Lainie Rowell has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Educational Technology from California State University, Long Beach. She is a distinguished international speaker and a consultant with a long list of high profile clients. She has experience teaching at the elementary and university levels. For more check out her blog.
Kristy Andre has a Doctor of Education in educational leadership from the University of Sothern California, a Masters in Education, and a Bachelors in liberal studies and theatre from Concordia University. She is a Connect Coach in the Tustin Unified School District. Kristy has taught in elementary and middle school settings, including teaching in South Africa for two years. She is an adjunct professor at Concordia University, Irvine where she teaches in the Masters in Educational Technology program. For more check out her blog.
Lauren Steinmann has a doctorate om educational leadership from the University of Southern California and a Masters in educational administration from Concordia University. She is currently an elementary principal in Southern California. She is a frequent speaker at many state and national conferences with a focus on STEM. You can follow her on Twitter @LaurnMSteien.