Realizing the Power of Professional Learning

Realizing the Power of Professional Learning

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  • Author: Helen Timperley
  • Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education (UK)
  • ISBN: 033524405X
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 226

Teacher professional development is often promoted as a panacea for improving schools but it rarely lives up to its promise. This book develops an approach to professional learning that has motivated teachers and resulted in impressive improvements in student learning, particularly for students who traditionally underachieve in school. As the underpinning research shows, the approach has proven successful in several countries with consistently positive outcomes. The book begins by identifying the shifts that need to happen for the power of professional learning to be realized in promoting student engagement, learning and well-being. Some shifts in thinking include: Moving from professional development to professional learning Putting student learning at the heart of professional learning Focusing on the knowledge and skills to be learned rather than the forms of delivery Focusing on the double-demand of being both immediately practical and developing underlying principles so that new problems can be solved in the future At the heart of the book is an inquiry and knowledge building cycle for teachers that is central to realizing the power of professional learning. The cycle is underpinned by research on how people learn and what it means to be a professional. Later chapters identify what leaders in schools and beyond can do to support teacher learning in ways that directly benefit students. Throughout the book there are case examples of real experiences of primary and secondary teachers and leaders across three countries (UK, Canada and New Zealand) that bring alive what it means to engage in professional learning in ways that excite teachers and benefit their students. This is essential reading for teachers who want to take control of their own professional learning in ways that make a difference to their students and school leaders with responsibility for promoting professional and student learning.


Improving Professional Learning

Improving Professional Learning

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  • Author: Alan B. Knox
  • Publisher: Taylor & Francis
  • ISBN: 1000977366
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 136

Given the tremendous importance of keeping up with the explosion of knowledge in professional fields—from medicine and health to teaching in schools and colleges – getting the most out of every learning opportunity is vital to the growth and vitality of our society, as well as to the development of professional practitioners themselves.In this concise, practical guide to improving professional learning and performance, Alan Knox brings decades of experience and study to bear on 12 key tasks for the leader of professional learning activities. Illustrated with examples from a wide variety of learning settings across the helping professions (e.g., health care, teaching, social work), the chapters will provide essential guidance to instructors and facilitators seeking to improve learning activities and thereby enhance professional performance. The combination of evidence-based concepts and practical examples is designed to enable readers to improve the learning activities they lead, and thereby enhance the performance of learners in their ongoing professional practice.


Improving Professional Learning through In-house Inquiry

Improving Professional Learning through In-house Inquiry

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  • Author: David Middlewood
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
  • ISBN: 1472570855
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 176

Improving Professional Learning through In-House Inquiry shows how to identify the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) needs of an individual or team and then to meet those needs through carrying out specific inquiry within the organisation. Middlewood and Abbott demonstrate how the most effective professional learning occurs when the the needs of an organisation are identified at all levels and provide clear support for following this approach. The authors also show that effective student involvement is key because it clearly links CPD with the ultimate aim: to meet students' learning needs. Examples of how this has been achieved successfully in schools and colleges are drawn on throughout, showcasing a variety of settings in various countries. Four extended case studies from different types of educational institutions are provided to illustrate learning journeys.


Leading Professional Learning Communities

Leading Professional Learning Communities

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  • Author: Shirley M. Hord
  • Publisher: Corwin Press
  • ISBN: 1452207887
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 185

Imagine all professionals in all schools engaged in continuous professional learning! Education experts Shirley M. Hord and William A. Sommers explore the school-based learning opportunities offered to school professionals and the principal's critical role in the creation, development, and support of an effective professional learning community (PLC). This book provides school leaders with readily accessible information to guide them in initiating and developing a PLC that supports teachers and students. Using field-tested examples, the text illustrates how this research-based school improvement model can help educators: Increase leadership capacity Embed professional development into daily work Create a positive school culture Develop accountability Boost student achievement


Improving Professional Learning

Improving Professional Learning

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  • Author: Alan Boyd Knox
  • Publisher:
  • ISBN: 9781003445265
  • Category : EDUCATION
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 0

Given the tremendous importance of keeping up with the explosion of knowledge in professional fields - from medicine and health to teaching in schools and colleges -- getting the most out of every learning opportunity is vital to the growth and vitality of our society, as well as to the development of professional practitioners themselves. In this concise, practical guide to improving professional learning and performance, Alan B. Knox brings decades of experience and study to bear on 12 key tasks for the leader of professional learning activities. Illustrated with examples from a wide variety of learning settings across the helping professions (e.g., health care, teaching, social work), the chapters provide essential guidance to instructors and facilitators seeking to improve learning activities and enhance professional performance. The combination of evidence-based concepts and practical examples is designed to enable readers to improve the learning activities they lead, thus enhancing the performance of learners in their ongoing professional practice. -- from back cover.


Strengthening and Enriching Your Professional Learning Community

Strengthening and Enriching Your Professional Learning Community

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  • Author: Geoffrey Caine
  • Publisher: ASCD
  • ISBN: 1416612718
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 219

How can educators create a collective method of professional development that results in the genuine, sustained teacher learning essential to improving student achievement? That question is at the heart of this comprehensive and practical guide to process learning circles, a unique and powerful way to develop, strengthen, and enrich professional learning communities. Authors Geoffrey and Renate N. Caine have dedicated more than 20 years to researching how people learn naturally. From this foundation, they describe in detail how process learning circles work, and they provide readers with a clear understanding of how powerful and successful this approach to professional learning can be. Along the way, they explore * The three critical elements of great professional development * How to create a field of listening * The logistics and phases of process learning circles * Tips for success as a process leader * The effects of individual differences and group dynamics * Principles for developing a process that works Examples from schools that have implemented process learning circles provide evidence of the method's success, and the authors also include an explanation of 12 underlying brain/mind learning principles, guidelines for using online tools, and broader suggestions for how to move from teaching for memorization to teaching for understanding. Written with both teachers and administrators in mind, Strengthening and Enriching Your Professional Learning Community: The Art of Learning Together is an essential guide to professional learning and development that works.


Connecting Inquiry and Professional Learning in Education

Connecting Inquiry and Professional Learning in Education

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  • Author: Anne Campbell
  • Publisher: Routledge
  • ISBN: 1136032061
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 226

How might inquiry enhance the professional practice of student and practising teachers, teacher educators and other practitioners? What effect might this have on the learning of young people in and outside of the classroom? Based on the findings of an international colloquium and drawing upon a range of practices from the UK, USA, Canada, Europe and Australia, this book is designed to make explicit the connections between Practitioner Inquiry and Teacher Professional Learning in Initial Teacher Education and Ongoing Teacher Professional Development. Considering issues such as the relationship between practitioner inquiry and pedagogical content knowledge whether it is possible to scale up from small local and intensive innovations to more broadly-based inquiry inquiry’s role in professional identity, both individual and communal prevailing socio-political contexts and consequences for social policy formation. It brings together writers who work in designing teacher education courses, and those who are practice-based researchers and policy makers. Crucially, many of these writers inhabit both spheres, and their accounts of how they successfully combine their multiple roles will prove vital reading for all those involved in examining and improving practice leading to enhanced teacher professional learning.


The Teacher's Guide to Successful Professional Learning Networks: Overcoming Challenges and Improving Student Outcomes

The Teacher's Guide to Successful Professional Learning Networks: Overcoming Challenges and Improving Student Outcomes

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  • Author: Cindy Poortman
  • Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education (UK)
  • ISBN: 0335251099
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 105

“The establishment of professional learning networks can be transformational for you personally and professionally. This book takes you step by step through the process of developing an effective Professional Learning Network (PLN) to create and realise a new status quo!” Catherine Carden, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK “The book impressively underscores the relevance and opportunities of Professional Learning Networks for innovation in school, while also addressing the challenges and pitfalls of successfully establishing, running and sustaining PLNs from the perspective of teachers.” Colin Cramer, University of Tuebingen, Germany “This book is a must read for practitioners, policy makers and researchers interested in Professional Learning Networks! [It] provides readers with concrete recipes with all the necessary ingredients, including leadership, trust and collaboration, to ensure PLN success.” Prof. Dr. Kim Schildkamp, University of Twente, the Netherlands The Teacher’s Guide to Successful Professional Learning Networks supports educators with practical guidelines developed from the authors’ practical and research-based experience in this area. Taking a step-by-step approach, the book guides readers through the different stages of inquiry and influencing factors involved with successfully running a PLN. The authors explore how teachers can participate in networks to achieve deep reflective inquiry and make positive changes in teaching and learning. The book: -Builds on international research into professional learning networks (PLNs) -Uses illustrative case studies from a range of contexts across the world -Provides step-by-step guidance to help readers establish sustainable PLNs Drawing from a diverse range of international contexts and with content stretching from early years to secondary, this book is essential reading for any educator looking to create, expand or enhance their Professional Learning Network. Cindy Poortman is Associate Professor at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. Her research and teaching focus is teacher and school leader professional development in PLNs. She has co-founded and is coordinating the PLN network within the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI). Chris Brown is Professor and Director of Research at the Department of Education Studies at the University of Warwick, UK. He has co-edited two books on Professional Learning Networks, is co-editor of the Professional Learning Networks Book Series, and is co-founder and co-convener of the ICSEI Professional Learning Networks research network.


Reach the Highest Standard in Professional Learning: Learning Communities

Reach the Highest Standard in Professional Learning: Learning Communities

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  • Author: Shirley M. Hord
  • Publisher: Corwin Press
  • ISBN: 1452291799
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 129

When teachers learn from each other, students reap the benefits. The first in a series exploring each of Learning Forward’s seven Standards for Professional Learning, this book helps readers understand what it takes to establish and maintain professional learning communities (PLCs) so they increase educator effectiveness and provide the best outcomes for students. This definitive volume details how the Learning Forward standards for professional learning can be applied successfully in any school, and includes: An original essay designed to stretch readers’ thinking by introducing the underlying theory, research, and practice behind learning communities A guide to implementing the Learning Communities standard, with an overview of six critical attributes of PLCs and the seven-step cycle of continuous improvement A case study of the district-wide implementation of PLCs, containing detailed analysis of what worked.


Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Workâ„¢

Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Workâ„¢

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  • Author: Richard DuFour
  • Publisher: Solution Tree Press
  • ISBN: 193400989X
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 96

This 10th-anniversary sequel to the authors’ best-selling book Professional Learning Communities at WorkTM: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement merges research, practice, and passion. The most extensive, practical, and authoritative PLC resource to date, it goes further than ever before into best practices for deep implementation, explores the commitment/consensus issue, and celebrates successes of educators who are making the journey.