School Boards don’t plan staff development, but must be aware of its importance and priority in the total plan. It is wise for the board to explore the reasons for staff development, models of staff development, and incentives.

Guiding Principles

• • Changes require teachers to become part of a professional learning community.
  • Beliefs and behaviors are part of a reciprocal process. Need to examine and change both.
  • It is crucial that the pedagogy of professional development be congruent with the pedagogy desired in the classroom.
  • Issues of equity must permeate the fabric of professional development. The teaching and learning envisioned by the project is for all students.
  • Professional development must be grounded in classroom practice.
  • We must teach all teachers. They are all capable of making the changes.

"Staff Development that Works! A Tale of Four T’s"

• Time. Initially, time for staff development must be provided outside of the school day. Teachers can concentrate on instruction, collaborate with peers, and focus on training objectives without the normal demands of the day. Training provided at the end of the school day in a two or three-hour module has proven useful, however, in follow-up training or to focus on special topics such as using scanners.
• Training. What uses will educators make of the technology? Training provided by commercial providers often uses activities more geared toward the corporate world than instruction. If teachers see the relevance of technology to what they do in the classroom, they are more likely to incorporate it into their instructional strategies.
• Technology. A common complaint among teachers who attend training is that they don’t have the equipment/software in their classroom. Training becomes more valuable when participants know they will be able to use it immediately.
• Teacher-type Tasks. Participants should actively participate in training. They should be asked to reflect on what they have learned, integrate it into instruction, and become resources for colleagues who use technology to teach. Know the will be required to use new skills to develop and deliver instruction can be a powerful motivator.

In this Module:

In the Toolkit: