CPD in a Box

by Oli Howson

Maybe not the most influential idea I've ever had, but one which has proven effective and others have shown interest in.

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I was once stuck with a decent number of teachers needing CPD. In a pub. In Bletchley. Additional challenges included some teachers being KS3 only, some being A-level, some being new, some being experienced; the traditional stand up and talk CPD was never going to work. In fact, why do we ever think that's best? Teachers are constantly being told not to lecture, then sit there and expect to be lectured at CPD!

So a new concept was needed - and CPD in a Box was invented. While I have the intention of producing these, the concept is simple:

  1. Take a box. This will be the box which your CPD will be in. Choose your box carefully. You should choose for space, compactness, robustness... or whatever you have lying around. I chose your common or garden box file.
  2. Choose a CPD topic. Try and keep it to a single topic. I created the PCH BBC LTE, one on graphics, and two-three others.
  3. Create a booklet to deliver the CPD theory. I made mine in PowerPoint and printed out at about postcard size, laminated, bound (with a treasury tag). These included specification links, QR codes to further information and/or videos, simple step-by-step theory, and anything else relevant.
  4. Include props. I actually think this is the most important bit - props make CPD fun. Be it the mini brown box computers, cards to draw on for bitmap theory, things to sort and search... this is what makes the boxes actually useful.

My teachers split themselves into 4-5 groups, each with a box, and worked through them as a group. Each group had roughly 20 minutes before cleaning, re-packing and swapping around.

The novelty was good, the CPD was effective, and fun was had. What more could one want?

Prebuilt versions will be on sale soon: ask to be kept in the loop.