PD on P2PU – Free, open, peer learning for K-12 teachers

I have written previously about how much I like P2PU and its model for peer learning.

Working with the community on this site and constantly thinking about how we in the K-12 community could better model peer- and inquiry-driven learning has led me to brainstorm how P2PU could be used for K-12 professional development.

I am now happy to announce a pilot project to develop a few courses on P2PU for K-12 educators.

This will include several courses to be run in the fall. Each will be approximately 6 weeks long and will emphasize community, peer learning, openness, and specific hands-on projects to be designed by each participant. The focus will be on authentic tasks and peer collaboration, rather than on extensive content. Topics will include differentiating instruction, using open educational resources, teaching in an online or blended classroom, and others.

Collaborating on these courses will be K12 Handhelds (my company and the organization behind K12 Open Ed), the Education Development Center (EDC), and Peer to Peer University (P2PU). This pilot is being funded with the help of the Hewlett Foundation.

All courses will be free, open-licensed (CC BY), and online.

If you are interested in participating in one of these courses, stay tuned for more information. You can also email me if you like.

I’m excited about looking at this new model for PD, and, of course, I’ll be writing and reflecting all about it here.