I don’t know if I should post this to the team or not, but I just read Potty PD and didn’t have my phone. I have to go back in and capture one of the QR codes. I wanted you to know. (Leaves my desk giggling.)
Potty PD: Issue 1, all laminated and pretty, was quietly posted today.
When I talked about the idea to some of our leaders, there was distinct skepticism and a little bit of gross-out. A couple of folks wondered how many folks take their phones to the restroom with them …. which lead to a hilarious conversation about our teaching experiences.
The idea of Potty PD intrigued me from the get-go. The idea of literally surrounding folks in learning is so much more subtle and powerful than a constant conversation about PD. It’s a message of importance but it’s also the autonomy to choose what you find interesting. And, let’s not understate this, it’s not a huge time commitment.
It’s also just odd enough for me to find it amusing! I never underestimate the power of the amusing!
Here are some things I learned while putting it together, in no particular order.
Figure out your theme first.
I didn’t and it took longer than it should have. That said? I had an absolute blast putting this together!
Remember that you can make as many of these as you want – weekly, monthly, whatever!
As you find good stuff, have a place to store away if it doesn’t fit into your current theme or issue. I actually just created another document and threw them all in there!
Provide something for everyone!
My team is super diverse in both need and interest. I started with a topic that is an intersection for the group as a whole. When I move to other topics, I’ll need to think of that topic from multiple perspectives to reach as many people as possible!
QR Codes and short URLs are your friends.
There’s an economy of space on a single sheet. Use enough words to give something meaty and then lead them to more richness off the page. Adobe Spark is one way to set up a quick page for something that isn’t consolidated into one URL! Google or the MS 365 shared documents would also provide ways to expand the offering!
Images are important.
Even though most of the images I used are not providing content themselves, they are providing visual cues for focus. They also provide interest … it’s even important when you have an uhmmm, captive audience!
Commit to finding 1 or 2 things that are new to you!
One of the things I loved about this was uncovering deeper understandings as I worked to curate what I wanted to share. I find if I commit to learning as I prepare for learning, I’m much more enthusiastic and that spills over.
I’m looking forward to hearing more responses from my team (and, frankly, others in our building who share the facilities!).
What tips and hints did I miss? What would you recommend to those building Potty PD for their teams??
I have begun this too, here is mine and I hope you will add yours to the Padlet of ideas. They are there to share and take advantage of, just getting started too. But hoping it grows into a great resource and we can all help each other. https://www.cyndikuhn.info/pd-in-the-privy.html