My Essential Questions

Because I really want to focus on evaluating podcasting technology as it relates to quality professional development, I think my final essential questions will be something like this:

How are podcasts intended to be used as part of quality professional development? (Someone else from our iPod LC is
pursuing this question, but in conjunction with that action researcher's data:)
How do we know that podcasts are being utilized the way they were intended in quality professional development? AND
How do we know that podcasts contribute quality to professional development?

My target audience will be all professional developers within the district that are utilizing podcast technology because there are a few personnel already incorporating podcasting into their design and delivery of professional development and many others who are planning to do so in the near future, myself included. Also, I am a member of the new Professional Development Support unit in HRD, and I think that because the interest in podcasting is so high in HRD, that it is really important to collect and analyze data related to its intended use, and subsequently, the effectiveness of its use in professional development. I plan on doing a literature review in order to research specifically the 2 latter essential questions posed above to determine what other districts or organizations are already incorporating podcasting into their professional development, and if there is any research already done as to its quality/effectiveness. This action research study will be directly related to my PGP because I want to learn how to gather facilitator/participant data in order to evaluate professional development programs that our unit designs/delivers for the district, and podcasting data is part of that big picture.

Podcasts on Blackboard

I would like to incorporate podcasting into my online design of Professional Development 101. Can this be done? Has anyone tried it?

Here I go...

Hello everyone. I decided to join the I-Pod Learning Community because I'm really curious about its application to Professional Development. Like Rebecca, I am very interested in how the I-Pod can be used as part of the evaluation piece of the events we roll out to the district. I also want to enhance my technological capabilities because I know how important it is for all of us to be on the cutting edge!