I have a plan!

Question from Dr. Terri:
So I am making you create a professional development plan when most schools are freezing their pay scales - what value do you see professional development offers you as a teacher? a person? A parent? A Professional?  What can you be your intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to stay current?

My Response:
Assuming this question is specifically referring to me as a teacher, professional development plans add value to my role as a...

• ... teacher because they provide a opportunity to brainstorm different methods that could be used in the classroom. Effective, efficient, and appealing teachers are not stagnant. They want to grow, learn, and experiment. Professional development plans provide the ideas and the goals.
• ... person because they encourage growth. They force someone to take a step back, analyze their current abilities, and make a plan that may take them out of their comfort zone.
• ... parent because it is a snowball effect. Creating a professional development plan for my job as a teacher may lead me to think about other areas of my life that need improvement.
• ... professional because they help me stand out among other teachers. Even with schools freezing their pay scales, I can still be recognized and sought out for advice. Pay scales will not be frozen forever, and there may be other opportunities for advancement. Additionally, a teacher who creates and follows through on a professional development plan shows great character and drive. Administrators will notice this.

Professional development plans should not be created simply to get ahead, although that is one benefit of them. If a teacher evaluates students on their progress, it is reasonable for the teacher to do the same for him or her self. Having clear, reasonable goals encourages growth and makes the job more interesting and fun.

For me, intrinsic motivation must come from a desire to improve. Additionally, the goals I set for myself must be reasonable, attainable, and interesting. Generally, I can tell whether or not I will fulfill a goal the moment I think of it. If I have a long-term goal that is overwhelming, setting a plan with many steps to reach that goal will be more motivating because I can see progress.

My extrinsic motivation will come from the opportunities that I will have through making and keeping a professional development plan. I may apply for grants, seek a raise, or desire to have more responsibilities. Additionally, part of my extrinsic motivation will be having a deadline. Since there is a school calendar, I can set due dates for myself, knowing that if I miss the date, my students may not reap the benefit of my work.

Dvorak's Interpretation of the Pew Data

Dr. Terri's question:
I read this posting about a study that came out at the turn of the year on Internet use. Do you agree with the author? Do you think that children's internet use could be compared to adults?
Source site: Misinterpreting the Pew Data from pcmag.com


Response:
My first impression of the article was that Dvorak did not really analyze the graph, he simply gave his opinion about social networking sites.

I have to separate Dvorak's conclusions about the graph and his personal beliefs about social networking sites. His interpretations of the chart are ill-stated and invalid. (An "ignorance graph"? Really? I didn't see that in the data.) In his thoughts on social networking sites, on the other hand, I can understand from where his arguments are coming. Younger users of social networking sites tend to be more open, post more questionable pictures, and have less concern about privacy. Even so, Dvorak's statements are over-generalizations based on his own personal experiences, not on the results of this graph.

He starts by saying, "The chart (shown [above]) clearly reflect an age bias that on the surface appears to be age biased in such a way that you'd come away from it thinking to yourself: 'these kids are getting more out of their computer than the older users.'" I'm sorry, Mr. Dvorak, but you're putting words in my mouth. That's not how I interpreted the graph at all. All the chart shows us is that there is a general trend for a larger percentage of younger Internet users to use social networking sites. The chart claims nothing about whether this is good or bad, just that it is.

He then goes on to say, "The simple fact is that anytime you see a graph that is lock step with age, it's a maturity chart, nothing more." Again, I disagree. One of the difficulties with longitudinal/cross-sectional research is that it runs the risk of having data influenced by certain cohorts, but this is not a cut-and-dry answer. More research is necessary before conclusions should be made. Dvorak should not make interpretations like this simply by analyzing one graph. The chart was not intended to be interpreted in this way, so his statement is not valid.

He says, "Test scores, lack of ambition, falling IQ's, addiction to pop culture and Lady Gaga, are all indicators [of a dumber age group]." These are apparent effects of young adults' overuse of social networking sites. However, younger generations will supposedly be burned and wise up. Will that change how much they use social networking sites, or will that just change how they use them?

To summarize: Let me see your data, Dvorak.