Module 4- Jackson

What are your thoughts about effective professional development strategies? 

After reading the articles in this module, there were some strategies for professional development in education that seemed to resound through most of the studies.  The characteristics of successful professional development I believe would be most effective is for it to be implemented over an extended period of time, collaborated with peers and administrators and recognized by administrators and colleagues.

I believe professional development should not only be spread out over a longer period of time than a one day workshop, it should become a part of the day to day routine.  It should help teachers become more competent in their content area, more efficient in their lesson planning and grading and help them better connect with students so ideally this professional development makes their job easier and more rewarding instead of 'more meetings and paperwork'.  It should be more of a gradual, exploration and implementation with guidance preferably by an alternating mix of peers, administration and outside consultants/experts.  In addition, an ongoing relationship with a mentor or teacher leader to serve as a 'coach' would provide a consistency and comfort level for day-to-day collaboration.  The 'coaches' will get to know newer teachers creating more team moral in the process.  

There should also be a follow up on the effectiveness of the Professional Development.  Teachers should share with each other updates on how they have used the skills they have learned in the classroom and what the outcome is.  They can do this as a group if a group of teachers is implementing the same changes to an administrator or individually to each other.  This gives them an audience that can give them support and feedback.  These meetings must be structured so professional development progress is continually documented.  

Lastly, as someone who comes from a sales background, I believe incentives for teachers who most effectively implement professional development that leads to documented change should be rewarded.  Small acknowledgements, like a better parking spot or a small party, can go a long way when large bonuses are not an option.

What is the PD strategy or strategies you plan to use in your Technology Initiative?  

I would use they same guidelines and characteristics I've just discussed.  Technology initiatives would be done over a long period with support, they would be documented briefly and daily to show progress and findings would be presented to colleagues and then the most effective teacher/group of teachers would be acknowledged and rewarded.

I want professional development initiatives to be a source of comfort for teachers because they are learning new ways for them to become more efficient and effective at what they do.  I especially want this regarding technology initiatives.  Showing excitement for the future of teaching and how it will impact our students and our profession for the better will set the tone.  

In the first link below there is a video where ten year old students compare what they can do now with technology compared to what their parents could do when they were ten years old.  It is a good video to remind us all that we should invite technological changes and adapt to it because it will be worth it in the end!

Please also share any literature or resources you are using to refine your focus and develop your plan.

I believe to improve teacher productivity, there should be less time spent manually grading papers.  There are a few quizzing/survey online tools listed below I am really interested in.

http://webtools4u2use.wikispaces.com/Webtools4U2Use
http://www.glogster.com
http://www.surveymonkey.com
http://www.quia.com/web
http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/professional-development/