There are lots of opportunities for professional development in healthcare IT, especially for instructional designers. Over the past few years, I have engaged in formalized higher education, regional and national organizations, and countless webinars, conferences and seminars. Some of my experiences have been unexpectedly excellent, while others have left me wanting more. I can actually recall one event that I had paid to attend and was greatly
anticipating. At the lunch break, I decided to leave and go back to work
because it was clear my time would be better spent catching up on emails.
So my question is... how do you vet opportunities and ensure that they are a good investment of your time and money?
I think the two obvious answers are word of mouth and research. By default, both of these methods are what I typically use. However, there are times when, even after asking around in my network and performing my own research, I am still disappointed with the experience.
Do you focus on certain organizations with good reputations? Do you avoid anything offered for free? Do you attend whatever opportunity your job requires or budgets for? How do you decide which professional development opportunities are right for you?
Hi Adrienne,
ReplyDeleteSometime the decision for professional development is taken out of my hands, it is assigned by specific dates and required topics as chosen by the administrators at the school or district level. This is especially true when we are trying to align the curriculum across all schools, and make our own district tests. I will go for a free opportunity to network with others if it seems worth my time, but usually, I look for classes online that will improve my skills. The good thing about this last choice is that I can determine which direction I will go.
About 3 years ago I had decided that technology was here to stay and that I needed to learn how to use this in my classroom. I tried using a free LMS but my students were not ready for a wiki format, and I am sorry to say, neither was I. Although I knew that I needed to put some of my work online, I also knew I needed to use a LMS to get the students to participate. At this time I did not know anything about blended learning, or its implications for the high school. Last year there was a MOOC about teaching online. I took that and realized there was so much more for me to learn. That is how I ended up in this class. I researched different graduate schools, and I decided that this course is exactly what I needed. I could earn a graduate certificate which would be proof of professional learning and improvement. The program gives me options so if I decided that I liked the subject well enough to earn a second Masters, then I will have at least finished 3 classes that could apply towards the degree. All in all, I try to work on professional development when I want and I go or topics I want to learn. This rule of thumb has allowed me to keep up my teaching certificate through the years, and improve professionally at my own pace.
This is a very good question, Adrienne. I have done a lot of professional development that was required of me by administrators. Some of it good and some of it not so good. I get frustrated when I feel a training is required just so that the administration can say that we have done it, regardless of its usefulness. And there is nothing worse than feeling like you are wasting your time when you have a lot to do. When I have been able to choose my own professional development I have usually valued the content and experience more because it’s what I am interested in or need. I do usually attend whatever opportunity my job budgets for, mostly because I like learning. I think it’s always wise to choose professional development that’s from a credited organization or recommended by a reputable company.
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