PD seasoned with humor

A couple years ago I suggested a way we might "gamify" professional development efforts in "Gamifying PD," August 22, 2013. At the time I listed some things we were considering:

1. Identify the technology skills and uses we think would be useful to teachers and create ways they can demonstrate the mastery of these skills. I believe we already have about 40 separate online activities teachers can work on in 10 areas, each with Substitute, Augment, Modify and Restructure levels.
2. Create a means for teachers to report completion of each activity and mastery of the skill. Design a badge for each area of mastery and assign points. Badges could be put in e-mail sig files or on webpages.
3. Re-design each activity as a "quest" with hints, clues and maybe even humor. I'm thinking that something like the old graphic adventures like Zork might provide a model.
4. Create levels of overall mastery based on the number of points earned. For fun, let's call them Apprentice, Magician and Wizard levels.
5. Run a tournament among buildings to determine which building has the highest percentage of staff at each level. Update it weekly. Give prizes???

I am glad that at least one school district has seen the benefit of games - and especially humor - when applied to tech PD. Check some of these course offerings by the Bettendorf (IA) Community School District:

Who fixes my stuff when I break it?  -A short introduction to members of the technology department

Passwords & Plug-Ins & File Names Oh My! 

FirstClass, you mean WorstClass... (they didn't hear me say that) 

To Infinity and Beyond! -An Introduction to Infinite Campus 

Where did I save my crap? -An introduction to server structure and where things are saved 

Why I need to work for NSA to make a phone call around here. -An introduction to our phone system

 

Planning Lessons using START...Your first of many acronyms in these lessons... make flash cards

Ahhh the Library, Remember When It Had Books! -A look at services that are available through our library

Mickey Mouse is Pissed -A look at copyright law. 

 I Tawt, I Taw a Twitter  - Uses of and Creating a Twitter Account 

   **Reward: Title- Tweenius

Facebook: Redefining a friend (loosely) - Facebook in the Classroom 

   **Reward: Title- Facebookaholic

Google +....nothing, just +  - Purpose and creating an accoun  

   **Reward: Title: Googlehead

For those of you with something useful to say... - Introduction to Google Blogger 

    **Reward: Title: Blazing Blogger

 I like my Moodle with marinara.

    **Reward: Title: Moodle Magician

Edmodo sounds like my dad's first car

    **Reward: Title: Edmodo Dragon

Wiggio, what kind of name is that? It just SOUNDS stupid!

     **Reward: Title: Wiggio Wizard

Probably the most needed but least used words in education today are "lighten up!" We, are indeed, in a serious business, greatly impacting the lives of our students. But being serious about our work does not necessarily mean we have to remove humor from our environment. It may be, infact, the only thing that keeps many of us going.

Love your work, Bettendorf! I hope your staff appreciates your 'tude.

Comments

[Randall Lindsey]

Love the humor and the reality!! Thanks, Doug!!