CHAPTER 11
Planning and Implementing Professional Development
Are professional development days worth attending? They give great ideas, but may not have lasting overall effects of change. Chapter 11's vignettes looked at a professional development speaker that came to a school. Teachers weren't engaged, preparations were not made by the school for the speaker, location, etc. It was a waste of time with the speaker presenting, but not really knowing what the needs of the school were. A waste of time for everyone. Then we took a look at the same speaker, same school, but where planning happened. There was engagment on both parts to create a presentation that would benefit the teachers and school. The presenter had much more information and they were working together to create a learning environment that met the needs of everyone. No surprise that the staff were engaged- it was meaningful. Communication was ongoing and changes began happening.
Multidimensional Professional Development
-addresses shared goals (identified by needs assessment)
-structures planned to work toward goal (structures may include: planning sessions, formal workshops, observations, coaching, consultations, shared resources, specialized materials, self evaluation, classroom support,modeling)
-all stakeholders communicate and are involved
-ongoing assessments and adjustments to reach goals
-individual teacher goals are also supported
Multidimensional PDPs (professional development plan) need to be ongoing and it takes several components to make a difference in the school. All of the structures listed may be part of this plan, with different teachers needing varying levels of support. Groups need to all be involved in the goals and take ownership (which the authors claim is why study groups are so effective). “[They] involve a high degree of choice and ownership” (223).
Elements Needed for a PDP
-Goals
-Materials Already Using/Approaches to teaching
-Professional Resources needed
-Presentations/Workshops
-Teacher support w/ coach, mentor, and classroom guide
First step: Planning
Second Step: Observation
Third Step: Feedback
(Elements of working with teacher include: goal setting, modeling, co-teaching, consulting, observations and feedback)
-Self Assessment
Student Outcomes
-Evaluation
-Budget
-Timeline
Preparation and Leading Workshops and Presentations
-Think about who you are working with in the presentations: Are they “professors” “scientists” “ inventors” or “friends”
The way we word our sentences can help to engage the different personalities: “Research tells us...,” "It works like this", "What if we try this", and telling a personal story "One of my students..." are all different approaches to engage our audience.
-Prepare an opening, introduce self, thank people who helped or invited, state goals, include agenda, -Use humor (not forced humor though),
-Plan more than can do, but don't cram info in at end, provide brief background and research, go with the flow of the crowd. If they are more knowledgeable, don't linger, but move on
-Provide activities to get us participating with each other (it engages us all, not just kids)
-Conclude
-Evaluation (have those participating do an evaluation of your presentation and self-evaluate)