PIDP 3260 - Professional Development - Nurturing the Teacher as Learner
Tai Basurto’s TED talk about her passion for life-long learning speaks to me. I will be honest - I have heard more dynamic TED talks. However, I had specifically sought out this topic, so gave her a listen, and I felt that Tai had a number of good points to consider.
When Tai talks about how important she feels ongoing learning is, she truly speaks from the heart. She discusses how formal professional development programs and workshops not only develop her knowledge, but they also facilitate network building and the formation of recipricol relationships, especially with other professionals in her field. These in turn can evolve into new information and additional learning opportunities, and Tai proposes seeking out learning opportunities from as many avenues as possible.
Discussing additional ways she explores her own education, Tai encourages her audience to consider learning potential that goes beyond formal programming. This can include doing simple things, like performing Google searches, reading an article or browsing a book. It can also mean who she learns from - including experts, peers, or her students themselves.
Tai talks about how her quest for on-going learning is beneficial for her students. It exposes her to new ideas that help her to be a better teacher. She finds that when she is equipped to challenge her students with different perspectives and conversations, she becomes a stronger facilitator in classroom discussions. Tai describes that she can model a love of learning for her students, and demonstrate for them how enriching it can be. I personally find that a very compelling concept.
Tai also talks about the ways that lifelong learning has been personally beneficial. She finds it self-fulfilling. She finds it an inspiration for self-reflection. And she finds it reinvigorating. By continuously seeking out gaining more learning, Tai transcends the daily struggles. She is personally challenged to do more, to want more, and to be more.
Overall, I appreciated how genuine and heartfelt Tai’s talk is. She has a lot of great points, and she does inspire me to want to continue to learn too. I guess right now I am on the right path :) ,
Thanks for dropping in, and we will chat again soon!
~ Jennifer
Resources:
TEDx Talks. (2014). Professional development - nurturing the teacher as learner: Tai Basurto at TEDxWellsStreetEd [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Go5DytVEOg
