Professional development is an incredibly valuable and often misused lever for improving education. Many schools have a culture of treating PD as a necessary evil, something that must be endured rather than a space for true collaborative learning and growth. As Schmoker (2012) explains, “Every year, teachers and administrators are subjected to a torrent of artfully marketed, seductive, pedagogic fads, technology, products, and programs cooked up by commercial entities that promise them the world” (p. 68). In fact more than 90 percent of teachers participate in PD that consistents mostly of short-term conferences or workshops and most teachers say PD is not very useful for improving their practice (Darling-Hammond, 2009). In fact research shows that “one-shot, ‘drive-by,’ or fragmented, ‘spray-and- pray’ workshops lasting 14 hours or less show no statistically significant effect on student learning” (Vega, 2013, p. 2).
Conversely when PD is effective it can drastically improve student learning (Vega, 2013, p. 2). For PD to be effective, it must not be “an event or a workshop” (DuFour, 2010, p. 8), but instead “‘just-in-time’ learning specific to issues confronting a team”(DuFour, 2010, p. 8). PD must be intensive, ongoing, connected to practice, collaborative and conducive to developing the connection among teachers (Darling-Hammond, 2009). Support for this type of learning is evident in the recent increase in professional learning communities in schools. Professional learning communities are groups of teachers that “share and critically interrogate their practices in an ongoing, reflective, collaborative, inclusive, learning-oriented, and growth-promoting way to mutually enhance teacher and student learning” (Vega, 2013, p. 3). One of the key tenets of this structure for learning is that collaborative leads to dramatic improvement in teachers’ practices. Professional learning communities require that educators engage in “a systematic process in which teachers work together to analyze and improve their classroom practice” (DuFour, 2004). To be valuable, professional learning must be relevant, continuous, and collaborative.
References
Darling-Hammond, Chung Wei, Andree, Richardson, and Orphanos. (2009). State of the
Profession: Study Measures Professional Development. Journal of Staff Development, 30,
2 (Spring 2009), 42-50.
Driscoll, M. Embracing Coaching as Professional Development. Principal Leadership, 9, 2
(October 2008), 40-44.
DuFour R. and R. Imagine. Education Week, 30, 14 (Dec. 8, 2010), 8.
DuFour R. (2004). What is a professional learning community? Educational Leadership, 61, 8
(May 2004), 6-11.
Schmoker, M. (2012). Refocus Professional Development. Phi Delta Kappan, 93, 6 (March
2012), 68-69.
Conversely when PD is effective it can drastically improve student learning (Vega, 2013, p. 2). For PD to be effective, it must not be “an event or a workshop” (DuFour, 2010, p. 8), but instead “‘just-in-time’ learning specific to issues confronting a team”(DuFour, 2010, p. 8). PD must be intensive, ongoing, connected to practice, collaborative and conducive to developing the connection among teachers (Darling-Hammond, 2009). Support for this type of learning is evident in the recent increase in professional learning communities in schools. Professional learning communities are groups of teachers that “share and critically interrogate their practices in an ongoing, reflective, collaborative, inclusive, learning-oriented, and growth-promoting way to mutually enhance teacher and student learning” (Vega, 2013, p. 3). One of the key tenets of this structure for learning is that collaborative leads to dramatic improvement in teachers’ practices. Professional learning communities require that educators engage in “a systematic process in which teachers work together to analyze and improve their classroom practice” (DuFour, 2004). To be valuable, professional learning must be relevant, continuous, and collaborative.
References
Darling-Hammond, Chung Wei, Andree, Richardson, and Orphanos. (2009). State of the
Profession: Study Measures Professional Development. Journal of Staff Development, 30,
2 (Spring 2009), 42-50.
Driscoll, M. Embracing Coaching as Professional Development. Principal Leadership, 9, 2
(October 2008), 40-44.
DuFour R. and R. Imagine. Education Week, 30, 14 (Dec. 8, 2010), 8.
DuFour R. (2004). What is a professional learning community? Educational Leadership, 61, 8
(May 2004), 6-11.
Schmoker, M. (2012). Refocus Professional Development. Phi Delta Kappan, 93, 6 (March
2012), 68-69.