As you know, coaching is a type of professional development that can be done with teams or individually. Most coaching related to improving teaching or learning how to implement a new literacy teaching strategy is done individually. This week we will look at other types of professional development that could occur in small or large groups and what makes effective PD. What do you think are characteristics of effective PD?
First read the chapter in WSQ about professional development. You might want to note the characteristics of effective PD from the research, the different types of PD besides whole group workshops, and suggestions for creating site based PD. All of these will be important to your PD plan you are doing for your school. Next read the article. As you do, think about how this example of sustained PD fits with the WSQ chapter. You might want to blog about that. Or you might blog about how do the ideas from the article (one example of sustained PD that effected change) and the chapter will help you think about planning your site based PD plan based on your survey.
I'd like to remind you that writing about your reading in your
blog is one way to help consolidate your own understanding. Talking
with others brings multiple perspectives to bear on the ideas, adn that discussion of the ideas is important. Discussion means more than just 1 response to each person's blog. Check your rubric that has been posted for each group. I'm going to remind you that one of my expectations of you is that you spend 2 hours per week online, outside of your reading or working on assignments. You would spend more than that if you were coming to class. Please make the blogs a discussion forum. Thanks.
I'll be seeing you online at 6:30 on Adobe Connect on Monday, Sept. 29. Let me know if you need for me to resend the link. In your blog response, let me know what YOU would like to focus on in our discussion. Be prepared with questions as well.
See you soon.
I think characteristics of an effective Professional Developments are:
ReplyDelete* based off of the needs of the team or faculty
* interactive
* is meaningful and the presenter is able to show the audience how it is applicable to them and their classroom
* presenter understands the community he or she is presenting too
* allows for teacher input
* allows for feedback
* clear purpose for the PD
* The professional development provides resources (whether that be reading material, websites, handouts for educators to refer back to)
* Material being presented is back by research (otherwise teachers may feel less inclined to implement it into their classrooms).
* Aligns with standards
I believe that when considering all of these characteristics, the literacy coach (or whomever is presenting) will be able to create an effective professional development.
First, in order for professional developments to be effective it most be relevant to team or faculty. Also, I think the presenter must know and understand what the content they are presenting. Effective PD should allow for the faculty to offer their perspective and allow for reflection. Lastly, I think in order for PD to be effective it must allow for hands on activities that allow for critical thinking.
ReplyDeleteIn our Monday discussion, I would like to focus on how to make PD engaging and relevant to all participants regardless of their interest level in the topic. Based on my survey responses the majority would like more information on phonics and reading development, but there are a few that listed science and math as their top picks. So how do I make it work for everyone? That's my pick for Monday discussion.
ReplyDeleteEffective professional development, to me, means you walk away inspired and ready to start implementing something you learned. It should be meaningful to your area on teaching and engage you. The most positive PD experiences I've had are ones where I can't stop thinking about the ideas that I even go home and try figuring out how to implement.
ReplyDeleteI would like to focus tomorrows group on how to keep all participants engaged. How to make PD helpful forever no matter their experience, content area, or interest.
I think effective PD is adaptable and flexible so that teachers feel like they can easily bring the new ideas into their own classroom. I think effective PD also allows for teachers to contribute their own ideas during the process, as well as time to think about how it all applies to their situation. I also think it's important for PD to be tailored to the specific needs of the group participating in it, instead of a district-initiative inspired topic that feels irrelevant to the school or department.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of what we focus on tomorrow, I would like to focus on the questions in the notes I sent you from our small group discussion, as well as the types of PD that might be best for each of our PD plans.
I think effective PD takes into account the true needs of the participants. The leader should be knowledgable in the topic/strategy they are presenting, should make sure it is applicable to the participants, and should make it interactive so that participants have the opportunity to collaborate and work with the new information with an expert near.
ReplyDeleteI would like to focus on how to incorporate our ideas into a cohesive PD that will benefit everyone involved.
I think effective PD has a couple of elements that are needed to keep teachers interested, and a lot of those characteristics come from the information we learned about Adult Learners. PD needs to have a purpose, teachers need to stay engaged, their opinions need to be able to be voiced, and there needs to be a direct connection to their classroom. I know from the few surveys I have they liked the idea of being in a small group that allowed them to have discussion and their voice to be heard. I have also liked PD were the small group was at most 5 people because then I don't feel as intimidated and I actually feel like my opinion will be heard. I have been in other PD were there was about 10 people in our "small group" and some of the participants seemed to take over the discussion. The biggest part of PD is the relevance of the information and making sure teachers understand how the information can be apart of their everyday before they leave the development.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to seeing the different options that I could have in creating my PD plan and how "big picture" or "small picture" it needs to be.