Testimonials

Completely changed

PLP has completely changed the way that I think about teaching me. Through the PLP network, I feel that I have grown as a teacher and the support has helped me to change my practices in the classroom in a way that enhances the learning of my students to be prepared for the world which they will enter.

Dana Livne
5th Grade Teacher in Maryland

Stretch & push

The PLP experience forced me to stretch and push my thinking out of my comfort zone. It encouraged me to think of ways to “push out” what we were doing in school with technology and connect with other schools and educators. PLP infused an incredible amount of energy into our PLP team and also into our school. We made great strides with working towards total integration of technology into all of our curriculum and it was the PLP experience that spurred us on.

Pat O’Donnell
Principal, St. Patrick’s Elementary School, Malvern, Pa.

Remarkable Leadership

I think your leadership was remarkable. You are both so credible and knowledgeable. While at first the problem based learning was mucky for me, I look back at it as a wonderful experience. I am so empowered by the experience.

Patti Rodger
Middle school teacher in Alberta, Canada

Stretch myself

…the experience shook me out of a comfortable position of being “The Teacher” and encouraged and cajoled me back into being “The Student.” PLP gave me a forum within which to stretch myself.  It gave me people to talk to along the way, to share confusions and frustrations as well as successes and joys. It allowed me to move slowly, step by step, out of one comfort zone into another, one where the colleagues I share and learn from circle the globe. As I live that, I can share it with my students and empower them for the world that will be their future.

Hadley Ferguson
Springside School, Pennsylvania

Recapture my love for learning

PLP was a chance to recapture my love for learning in a cerebrally challenging environment.

Scott Kemp
Teacher, Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute, Ontario, Canada

Best PD experience in my career

In my opinion, PLP has been the best PD experience in my career thus far. From this experience, I have learned that teaching isn’t just teaching, but learning as well. We can’t expect our students to develop amazing, innovative projects if we aren’t giving them the chance to do so. Also, with the constant changes around us, it is imperative that we open our eyes and those of our students in order to allow them to make the connections necessary for a strong future.

Danielle Cripe
Language Arts Teacher, Nagel Middle School, Ohio

Mind expanding

It has been an mind expanding experience.

Wayne Wittenberg
Fourth Grade teacher, Ben Franklin School, Glen Ellyn District 41, Illinois

Phenomenal experience

PLP was a phenomenal experience that introduced me to endless resources through the creation of a Personal Learning Network. It was an energizing and inspiring year that has completely transformed my role as both teacher and learner!

Patti Grayson
3rd Grade Teacher, Hampton Roads Academy, Newport News, Virginia

Increased understanding

PLP was a thought provoking challenging experience. My increased understanding of the 21st century learner has changed the way I present lessons every day!

Lauren Wiethorn
First grade teacher, Ayer Elementary School, Cincinnati, Ohio

From bits and pieces to total picture

I knew many bits and pieces of this 21st century learning environment, but this project gave me a total picture of where we need to be five years from now. I understand now how critical it is to advance beyond having PCs and internet in every classroom.

Barbara Niederriter
Technology Administrator, St. Bede School, Philadelphia, PA

Highly proficient

We are thrilled to be working with Will Richardson and Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, two internationally recognized educators and leaders in technology, to create a core of teachers who are highly proficient in the use of 21st Century skills with our students.

Scott Warren
Director of Technology, Northbrook School District 28, Illinois

Thanks for the restart!

PLP expanded my understanding of using the internet and on-line tools exponentially. I have been doing workshops for helping small business professionals use on-line tools to build their business and get connected, but I was completely unaware of the tools for educators, in spite of going to every technology workshop that the college I worked for gave up to the time I left 4 years ago. I was stunned at what was newly available since that time. Thanks so much for getting me restarted!

Janet Ott
Science Program Coordinator, The Chinquapin School, Houston, TX

Driven to the edge

PLP was a very challenging experience. You not only got your feet wet a little, I felt you were challenged, inspired, and driven to the edge and then totally immersed.

Marie Williams
First Grade Teacher, Our Lady of the Angels School, Columbia, PA

Absolutely stellar

Our experiences with PLP and with Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach and Will Richardson have been absolutely stellar.

Billy Peebles
Headmaster, Lovett School, Atlanta, Georgia

Sky is the limit

The sky is the limit! If you are ready to launch your professional growth into the next century, buckle up and join PLP.

Rose Arnell
K-12 Gifted & Technology Specialist, Nagel Middle School, Cincinnati, OH

Co-created

We created OUR own education here!!

Rita Stebbins
Principal, St. Helena Catholic School, Philadelphia, PA

Awesome event

The Powerful Learning Practice celebration was an awesome event to attend. There was a buzz in the room and it was wonderful to see adults sharing their learning. The pride was so evident. The level of achievement was amazing. I am so encouraged to have witnessed the use of Web 2.0 tools in use in classrooms of western NY. Teachers and administrators took risks, stretched their minds and tapped into each others’ expertise and experience.

Carol Barber Troskosky
Associate Superintendent for Planning, Chief Technology Officer, Erie 1 BOCES, Buffalo, NY

Self driven

The PLP process has been the least structured professional learning experience in my career and because the learning has been self-driven, we have learned more than any conference or workshop we’ve ever attended. Participation in Powerful Learning Practice has changed our school because the PLP process gave our seven participants the power to do so. I believe that PLP is changing the educational world from the inside out.

My advice to other administrators…understand that change doesn’t happen by chance. Your faculty, and more importantly your students, need you to quit considering PLP and instead, “Just Do It!”

Leanne B. Reynolds
Associate Head of School/Dean of Faculty, Hampton Roads Academy, Newport News, Virginia

New thinking

PLP pulls participants into new thinking about 21C teaching and learning.

M.E. Steele-Pierce
District superintendent for West Clermont Schools, Ohio

Passion

What drew me to PLP was the passion in the words Sheryl and Will used to describe the work they were doing. I had never heard of anything like this before, but it totally intrigued me as it felt part of that missing link in the work we are trying to do in education and professional development. Being an active participant in the PLP Canadian Cohort has provided me with relationships, PD, and a personal and professional understanding of teaching in the 21st Century. This experience has changed, moved, and inspired me to work on becoming the educator that our students need.

Margo Nygard
Learning Services Coordinator, Chinook’s Edge School Division, Alberta, Canada

Life changing

A unique professional development experience. Not only professional, but life changing.

Lauren Wiethorn
First Grade Teacher, Ayer Elementary, Cincinnati, OH

Huge leap in professional growth

PLP has enabled me to become the educator I have been wishing I could become. I knew I was falling behind in new technologies in education and I had a very impressive “to-do list” created from attending conference sessions and reading journals, but I could never take it to the next step until I connected with the community in PLP and also with the others in my small cohort group– that has been invaluable as well. I have made a huge leap in professional growth.

Teacher in the Canadian Community

Challenged to grow

Powerful Learning Practice is different than traditional face-to-face PD. It’s not just about meeting other teachers and sharing ideas; I feel like I’m being challenged to grow in ways outside my comfort zone. No one else is pushing me to grow as a teacher and a leader like you are. Thank you so much.

Renee Hawkins
Educator and Director of Instructional Technology, Garrison Forest School, Baltimore, Maryland

Authentic opportunity to learn

Participating in Powerful Learning Practice is an effective way to introduce yourself to the critically important role social networking is assuming in professional practice. The experience provides an authentic opportunity to learn and grow through Web 2.0 applications.

Alan Stange
Elementary teacher, Moose Jaw, Canada