Hi Heather and Others!
Is it really "Viral" PD?
I work at WestJet Airlines and I'm an instructional designer. My business cards say "E-learning Designer", and my title on the company website is "Learning Specialist".
My participation in professional development has been sparse since leaving the world of academia. I do my best to stay current by reading various blogs and articles. In the last few months, our department hired a manager who is working on his M.Ed. in Instructional Design, so we will have chats about what he is learning. I also meet on a semi-regular basis with an alumni of the program at the U of S, who is now working at the U of C, and is very embedded within the field.
Everything works to a degree. The biggest factor is time. When I finally have time to sit down and read something, I can usually find many other items on the same "to do when I have time" list. I enjoy the coffee clutches with my U of C contact and the conversations I have with the new manager. It'd be safe to say my PD is more of a "hit and miss", rather than planned, endeavour.
I'm definitely looking forward to this discussion!
Sharon Porterfield
