Educators as Professional Learners Derek Wenmoth Director, eLearning CORE Education Ltd. http://www.core-ed.net http://blog.core-ed.net/derek

How we remember it… Teacher -centric Group instruction Focus on exam scores Punishments for failure Subject silos Timetabled etc.

Teacher -centric

Group instruction

Focus on exam scores

Punishments for failure

Subject silos

Timetabled

etc.

All trained and ready… “ Unless we continue to grow and learn as teachers after we graduate, within 3-5 years we will revert to teaching in ways we remember being taught” Comment from Dennis Rose, 1993, summarising the findings of his PhD literature review.

“ Unless we continue to grow and learn as teachers after we graduate, within 3-5 years we will revert to teaching in ways we remember being taught”

Continuous Professional Learning… “ The concept of continuous professional development in which teachers are given time to collaborate with colleagues and update knowledge and skills and are expected to assume much of the responsibility for their own professional growth and development has been identified by teachers as a critical element in school reform” Professional Development Through Learning Communities: http://www. edutopia .org/professional-development-through-learning-communities

“ The concept of continuous professional development in which teachers are given time to collaborate with colleagues and update knowledge and skills and are expected to assume much of the responsibility for their own professional growth and development has been identified by teachers as a critical element in school reform”

Training vs. learning “ The dominant ‘training’ model of teacher development – a model focused primarily on expanding an individual’s repertoire of well-defined and skillful classroom practice – is not adequate to the ambitious visions of teaching and schooling embedded in present reform initiatives. . . . The test of teachers’ professional development opportunities resides in their capacity to engage teachers in . . . study, investigation, and experimentation. . . . Reform calls not for training, but for adequate ‘opportunity to learn’ (and investigate, experiment, consult, or evaluate) embedded in the routine organization of teachers’ work day and work year.” Resnick, 1991; Soltis, 1981; Little, 1993

“ The dominant ‘training’ model of teacher development – a model focused primarily on expanding an individual’s repertoire of well-defined and skillful classroom practice – is not adequate to the ambitious visions of teaching and schooling embedded in present reform initiatives. . . .

The test of teachers’ professional development opportunities resides in their capacity to engage teachers in . . . study, investigation, and experimentation. . . .

Reform calls not for training, but for adequate ‘opportunity to learn’ (and investigate, experiment, consult, or evaluate) embedded in the routine organization of teachers’ work day and work year.”

Key Features of Professional Learning… It is centred around the critical activities of teaching and learning—planning lessons, evaluating student work, developing curriculum—rather than in abstractions and generalities; It grows from investigations of practice through cases, questions, analysis, and criticism; and It is built on substantial professional discourse that fosters analysis and communication about practices and values in ways that build colleagueship and standards of practice. Ball and Cohen, 1999

It is centred around the critical activities of teaching and learning—planning lessons, evaluating student work, developing curriculum—rather than in abstractions and generalities;

It grows from investigations of practice through cases, questions, analysis, and criticism; and

It is built on substantial professional discourse that fosters analysis and communication about practices and values in ways that build colleagueship and standards of practice.

Key Features of Professional Learning… It is centred around the critical activities of teaching and learning—planning lessons, evaluating student work, developing curriculum—rather than in abstractions and generalities; It grows from investigations of practice through cases, questions, analysis, and criticism; and It is built on substantial professional discourse that fosters analysis and communication about practices and values in ways that build colleagueship and standards of practice. Ball and Cohen, 1999

It is centred around the critical activities of teaching and learning—planning lessons, evaluating student work, developing curriculum—rather than in abstractions and generalities;

It grows from investigations of practice through cases, questions, analysis, and criticism; and

It is built on substantial professional discourse that fosters analysis and communication about practices and values in ways that build colleagueship and standards of practice.

Centred around the critical activities of teaching and learning… Planning Assessing Teaching Resource preparation Monitoring Feed back etc

Planning

Assessing

Teaching

Resource preparation

Monitoring

Feed back

etc

Key Features of Professional Learning… It is centred around the critical activities of teaching and learning—planning lessons, evaluating student work, developing curriculum—rather than in abstractions and generalities; It grows from investigations of practice through cases, questions, analysis, and criticism; and It is built on substantial professional discourse that fosters analysis and communication about practices and values in ways that build colleagueship and standards of practice. Ball and Cohen, 1999

It is centred around the critical activities of teaching and learning—planning lessons, evaluating student work, developing curriculum—rather than in abstractions and generalities;

It grows from investigations of practice through cases, questions, analysis, and criticism; and

It is built on substantial professional discourse that fosters analysis and communication about practices and values in ways that build colleagueship and standards of practice.

It grows from investigations of practice Would grouping help? What are the best resources to use? Is each child getting enough of my attention? What’s the best way to introduce the topic? What if I integrate my curriculum? Who is helping who? Are my instructions clear enough? Should I teach maths in the morning?

Key Features of Professional Learning… It is centred around the critical activities of teaching and learning—planning lessons, evaluating student work, developing curriculum—rather than in abstractions and generalities; It grows from investigations of practice through cases, questions, analysis, and criticism; and It is built on substantial professional discourse that fosters analysis and communication about practices and values in ways that build colleagueship and standards of practice. Ball and Cohen, 1999

It is centred around the critical activities of teaching and learning—planning lessons, evaluating student work, developing curriculum—rather than in abstractions and generalities;

It grows from investigations of practice through cases, questions, analysis, and criticism; and

It is built on substantial professional discourse that fosters analysis and communication about practices and values in ways that build colleagueship and standards of practice.

Built on substantial professional discourse Closely related to the notion of reflective practice is the notion of a professional community that provides an effective context for teachers to raise questions, share problems, explore, plan, try out and reflect on the effectiveness of learning; to learn and change as professionals.

Closely related to the notion of reflective practice is the notion of a professional community that provides an effective context for teachers to raise questions, share problems, explore, plan, try out and reflect on the effectiveness of learning; to learn and change as professionals.

Learning Communities Knowledge construction in our society is rarely done in isolation. People in a field work together building on the ideas and practices of the group. Learning increasingly takes place in communities of practice or learning communities A learning community is a group of people who share a common interest in a topic or area, a particular form of discourse about their phenomena, tools and sense-making approaches for building collaborative knowledge, and valued activities. Professional Development Through Learning Communities: http://www. edutopia .org/professional-development-through-learning-communities

Knowledge construction in our society is rarely done in isolation. People in a field work together building on the ideas and practices of the group. Learning increasingly takes place in communities of practice or learning communities

A learning community is a group of people who share a common interest in a topic or area, a particular form of discourse about their phenomena, tools and sense-making approaches for building collaborative knowledge, and valued activities.

How can technology help? Facilitating participation in learning communities, irrespective of time/place Creating opportunities to learn at time/pace/place appropriate to each person Providing ability to engage in areas that are relevant Creating opportunity to participate at individual’s own level of concern Providing tools for participation Allowing individuals to create a personal learning environment to manage their online “life”

Facilitating participation in learning communities, irrespective of time/place

Creating opportunities to learn at time/pace/place appropriate to each person

Providing ability to engage in areas that are relevant

Creating opportunity to participate at individual’s own level of concern

Providing tools for participation

Allowing individuals to create a personal learning environment to manage their online “life”

Online Communities Some examples of online professional learning communities: Centre4 (ICTPD clusters, NZ) http://centre4.interact.ac.nz EdNA (Australia) http://www.edna.edu.au TKI (curriculum, NZ) http://www.tki.org.nz

Some examples of online professional learning communities:

Centre4 (ICTPD clusters, NZ) http://centre4.interact.ac.nz

EdNA (Australia) http://www.edna.edu.au

TKI (curriculum, NZ) http://www.tki.org.nz

Tools for participation Collaborative document writing, eg: http://docs.google.com Blogs, eg: http://www.blogger.com Synchronous audio, video, chat eg: http://www.skype.com Wikis, eg: http://www.seedwiki.com

Collaborative document writing, eg: http://docs.google.com

Social Networking tools Some examples of social networking sites: Sharing photos, eg: http://www.flickr.com Finding school mates, eg: http://www.oldfriends.co.nz Professional linking, eg: http://www.linkedin.com Sharing bookmarks, eg: http://del.icio.us Tagging The tags people give to the items they save provide a way of linking with others of similar interests.

Some examples of social networking sites:

Sharing photos, eg: http://www.flickr.com

Finding school mates, eg: http://www.oldfriends.co.nz

Professional linking, eg: http://www.linkedin.com

Sharing bookmarks, eg: http://del.icio.us

Bringing information to me RSS (Really simple syndication) Brings information to me, rather than having to visit booklisted sites to find it. A powerful tool for “feeding” current and relevant information to community members

RSS (Really simple syndication)

Brings information to me, rather than having to visit booklisted sites to find it.

A powerful tool for “feeding” current and relevant information to community members

Managing my life online I use online tools and environments to manage… My time and appointments News and current events Professional reading Communications Communities and memberships Personal study and interests My work and workplace

I use online tools and environments to manage…

My time and appointments

News and current events

Professional reading

Communications

Communities and memberships

Personal study and interests

My work and workplace

Tools I Use… My blog - http://blog.core-ed.net/derek My company website - http://www.core-ed.net My calendar - iCal My email - “POP” accounts - “Mail” or “Entourage” My RSS aggregator - http://www.netnewswire.com My PLE aggregation - http://www.netvibes.com My communities (eg) - http://derekw.ning.com My ‘favourites’ - http://del.icio.us/dwenmoth My browser - http://www.mozilla.com (Firefox) My photos - http://www. flickr . com/dwenmoth My booklist - http://www.shelfari.com/dwenmoth/shelf My Slideshows - http://www.slideshare.net/dwenmoth

My blog - http://blog.core-ed.net/derek

My company website - http://www.core-ed.net

My calendar - iCal

My email - “POP” accounts - “Mail” or “Entourage”

My RSS aggregator - http://www.netnewswire.com

My PLE aggregation - http://www.netvibes.com

My communities (eg) - http://derekw.ning.com

My ‘favourites’ - http://del.icio.us/dwenmoth

My browser - http://www.mozilla.com (Firefox)

My photos - http://www. flickr . com/dwenmoth

My booklist - http://www.shelfari.com/dwenmoth/shelf

My Slideshows - http://www.slideshare.net/dwenmoth

Questions Who do I share ideas with? Where does my inspiration come from? What professional reading do I do? What professional groups do I belong to? Who provides feedback on my teaching? How substantial is my involvement? What technologies am I using - and how are they contributing in ways that I couldn’t otherwise achieve?

Who do I share ideas with?

Where does my inspiration come from?

What professional reading do I do?

What professional groups do I belong to?

Who provides feedback on my teaching?

How substantial is my involvement?

What technologies am I using - and how are they contributing in ways that I couldn’t otherwise achieve?