Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development: findings from a literature study Maarten de Laat [email_address] http://www.open.ou.nl/rslmlt/

So…How valuable is our network for professional development? Networks provide access to information Networks provide access to resources Networks provide access to shared practices (Onderwijsraad, 2001) Network characteristics: -Non hierarchical -Match between questions and answers -Evolve and adapt  response to change -Come and go -Have strong and weak ties

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development Societal trends ‘ Rise of’ the network society (Castells, 1996) -Knowledge economy -Strong focus on innovation -Globalization – everybody can be involved, everybody can have a say -Network relations are becoming the main drivers instead of hierarchical structures (peer-to-peer connections) The network society refers more to learning than education. Learning is linked to innovation and results accomplished by groups in dialogue with their ‘customers’ (Onderwijsraad, 2001) Consequence: Decentralization of structures and organization Participation and involvement Knowledge sharing Continuous access to information Power to adapt and innovate

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development

Societal trends

‘ Rise of’ the network society (Castells, 1996)

-Knowledge economy

-Strong focus on innovation

-Globalization – everybody can be involved, everybody can have a say

-Network relations are becoming the main drivers instead of hierarchical structures

(peer-to-peer connections)

The network society refers more to learning than education. Learning is linked to innovation and

results accomplished by groups in dialogue with their ‘customers’ (Onderwijsraad, 2001)

Consequence:

Decentralization of structures and organization

Participation and involvement

Knowledge sharing

Continuous access to information

Power to adapt and innovate

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development Educational trends National initiatives -’Wet BIO’ and integral HRD (Personeels Beleid: IBP)  new demands on teacher competencies and professional development / lifelong learning -Governance report (OCW, 2005) stimulate teacher involvement with policy development and evaluation of their own schools Modern school (Coonen, 2005) -Schools decide and develop their own policies in dialogue with a ‘decentralizing’ government -Schools become a learning organization -External training doesn’t match or suffice  attention to workplace learning and collaborations -Increasing acknowledgement for personal and implicit knowledge of the employees -Strong focus on sharing knowledge and knowledge creation (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1997) -Importance of external relations / connection (innovation)

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development

Educational trends

National initiatives

-’Wet BIO’ and integral HRD (Personeels Beleid: IBP)  new demands on teacher competencies

and professional development / lifelong learning

-Governance report (OCW, 2005) stimulate teacher involvement with policy development and evaluation

of their own schools

Modern school (Coonen, 2005)

-Schools decide and develop their own policies in dialogue with a ‘decentralizing’ government

-Schools become a learning organization

-External training doesn’t match or suffice  attention to workplace learning and collaborations

-Increasing acknowledgement for personal and implicit knowledge of the employees

-Strong focus on sharing knowledge and knowledge creation (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1997)

-Importance of external relations / connection (innovation)

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development Professional trends Modern teacher -Let go of traditional teacher autonomy  hinders professional development. Teams and peer networks increase realization of ambitions and innovative projects (Coonen, 2005; Park Rogers, 2006) -Teacher are expected to collaborate with teachers and experts to develop new learning materials and environments -Teachers are expected to act as lifelong learners during their career and invest in their own professional development -Teachers should actively involve themselves in current debates and take charge of the agenda on educational reform -Teachers from consumers  active producers of change

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development

Professional trends

Modern teacher

-Let go of traditional teacher autonomy  hinders professional development.

Teams and peer networks increase realization of ambitions and innovative projects

(Coonen, 2005; Park Rogers, 2006)

-Teacher are expected to collaborate with teachers and experts to develop new learning materials

and environments

-Teachers are expected to act as lifelong learners during their career and invest in their own professional

development

-Teachers should actively involve themselves in current debates and take charge of the agenda on

educational reform

-Teachers from consumers  active producers of change

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development Importance of networked learning -Teachers participate in communities and networks: local, regional, national and international (Van der Neut, et al., 2007) -Participation provides teachers with a social structure and context to support professional development (Stijnen, 2003). -Professionalization is most successful when embedded in communities and networks where experienced teachers, researchers and novice teachers work closely together (Ponte et al., 2002) -Link professionalization with experiences of daily practice – focused on real change of this daily practice (Tytler, 2007)

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development

Importance of networked learning

-Teachers participate in communities and networks: local, regional, national and international

(Van der Neut, et al., 2007)

-Participation provides teachers with a social structure and context to support professional

development (Stijnen, 2003).

-Professionalization is most successful when embedded in communities and networks where

experienced teachers, researchers and novice teachers work closely together (Ponte et al., 2002)

-Link professionalization with experiences of daily practice – focused on real change of this

daily practice (Tytler, 2007)

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development Some inspiring examples Teacher in the Woods : a collaboration between science teachers and ecological researchers Network project on professional development on real world ecological research (Dresner & Worley, 2006) Short term effects: -Engaging teachers in real world field science research is an effective way of learning - Collegiality among teachers and scientists developed during the project enhances science learning - Collegiality among teachers provides opportunities to discuss pedagogy-related issues Long term effects: -Collegiality provided confidence to implement innovation in the classroom -Networks continued to exist (voluntary) after the project focused on peer support, implementation and exchange of teacher materials -Networks spread to other science teachers not originally involved in the project

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development

Some inspiring examples

Teacher in the Woods : a collaboration between science teachers and ecological researchers

Network project on professional development on real world ecological research (Dresner & Worley, 2006)

Short term effects:

-Engaging teachers in real world field science research is an effective way of learning

- Collegiality among teachers and scientists developed during the project enhances science learning

- Collegiality among teachers provides opportunities to discuss pedagogy-related issues

Long term effects:

-Collegiality provided confidence to implement innovation in the classroom

-Networks continued to exist (voluntary) after the project focused on

peer support, implementation and exchange of teacher materials

-Networks spread to other science teachers not originally involved in the project

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development National Writing Project : a programme aimed at developing professional development networks Lieberman & Wood (2002a). 2 founding principles: -Deep understanding arises from practice -Teachers are the best teachers for other teachers Summer school aimed at becoming a member of the network -Creating forums for teachers to teach one-another their best practice -Providing opportunities for teachers to write and read stories in response groups -Engage teachers in reading and discussing relevant literature Several roles -Become colleagues when giving teaching demonstrations and feedback - Learners ; as they play audience to presentations and receiving feedback - Researchers through engagement in research and professional discussion - Households as they rotate community facilitating jobs Outcome -Strong sense of membership and shared leadership -Familiarity with the goals and shared ownership of this writing network -Commitment to developing a shared learning agenda -Outgoing – trying to grow the network in their own local region.

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development

National Writing Project : a programme aimed at developing professional development networks

Lieberman & Wood (2002a).

2 founding principles:

-Deep understanding arises from practice

-Teachers are the best teachers for other teachers

Summer school aimed at becoming a member of the network

-Creating forums for teachers to teach one-another their best practice

-Providing opportunities for teachers to write and read stories in response groups

-Engage teachers in reading and discussing relevant literature

Several roles

-Become colleagues when giving teaching demonstrations and feedback

- Learners ; as they play audience to presentations and receiving feedback

- Researchers through engagement in research and professional discussion

- Households as they rotate community facilitating jobs

Outcome

-Strong sense of membership and shared leadership

-Familiarity with the goals and shared ownership of this writing network

-Commitment to developing a shared learning agenda

-Outgoing – trying to grow the network in their own local region.

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development Teacher drop-out : projects aimed at developing teacher communities to support novice teachers and job coaching (Poelmans, 2005; Smits, Dang, Dewinkele & Dhert, 2005; Fulton, Burns & Goldenberg, 2005; Pittinsky, 2005) Success factors: -Develop mutual relationships -Recognize and discuss shared problems and questions -Collective reflection on daily practice -External moderation and guidance from an experienced teacher / facilitator Teachers seem to learn more from what they tell each other then from expert advice (Dang 2005): Lessons learned: -Reflect on implicit practical knowledge -This process is best served in dialogue with colleagues

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development

Teacher drop-out : projects aimed at developing teacher communities to support novice teachers

and job coaching (Poelmans, 2005; Smits, Dang, Dewinkele & Dhert, 2005;

Fulton, Burns & Goldenberg, 2005; Pittinsky, 2005)

Success factors:

-Develop mutual relationships

-Recognize and discuss shared problems and questions

-Collective reflection on daily practice

-External moderation and guidance from an experienced teacher / facilitator

Teachers seem to learn more from what they tell each other then from expert advice (Dang 2005):

Lessons learned:

-Reflect on implicit practical knowledge

-This process is best served in dialogue with colleagues

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development Lieberman & Wood (2002b) studied 16 ‘educational reform networks’ and found some critical success factors: -Networks provide many opportunities to recognize , articulate and share their tacit knowledge with each other. -Exchange of ideas binds them together as professionals  develop a sense of community -Networks promote collaborations among members . T Provide access to authentic examples of professional community built around shared work, shared interest, and shared struggle -Networks have the ability to organise activities first , the develop support structures – recognising/testing bottom up and trail and error innovations before turning it into new policy

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development

Lieberman & Wood (2002b) studied 16 ‘educational reform networks’ and found some critical success factors:

-Networks provide many opportunities to recognize , articulate and share their tacit

knowledge with each other.

-Exchange of ideas binds them together as professionals  develop a sense of community

-Networks promote collaborations among members . T

Provide access to authentic examples of professional community built around

shared work, shared interest, and shared struggle

-Networks have the ability to organise activities first , the develop support structures – recognising/testing

bottom up and trail and error innovations before turning it into new policy

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development Networked learning research at Ruud de Moor - Exploring Networked Learning Activities / Events (ind. & coll.) Describing NWL Competencies Describing NWL Roles and Tasks Describing NWL Styles and Organisation -Explore relationship between NWL and Professionalisation What are the benefits of NWL? Dissemination of NWL results and Products Organisational space and support for NWL

Social ICT Organisational Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development Networked learning research at Ruud de Moor Feasibility Facilitation Evaluation

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development

Networked learning research at Ruud de Moor

Feasibility

Facilitation

Evaluation

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development Networked learning research at Ruud de Moor Feasibility Network Scan

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development

Networked learning research at Ruud de Moor

Feasibility

Network Scan

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development Networked learning research at Ruud de Moor Facilitation Network Mirror

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development

Networked learning research at Ruud de Moor

Facilitation

Network Mirror

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development Networked learning research at Ruud de Moor Facilitation The Brain

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development

Networked learning research at Ruud de Moor

Facilitation

The Brain

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development Networked learning research at Ruud de Moor Evaluation Questionnaires Interviews Barometer

Feasibility of networked learning for teacher professional development

Networked learning research at Ruud de Moor

Evaluation

Questionnaires

Interviews

Barometer

Structural questionnaire panel Projects feasibility facilitation evaluation

Networked Learning Conference: Hot seats Related to conference keynote address Etienne Wenger April, exact date to be confirmed Related to conference keynote address Yrjo Engestrom March, exact date to be confirmed Globalisation and Interculturality in Networked Learning Gabriel Salomon & Rupert Wegerif February, 15 -19 Theories and Methodologies for Research in Networked Learning Grainne Conole January, 18 - 22 Networked Learning and International Development Charalambos Vrasidas December, 7 -11 November Impact on Learning of Networked Technologies George Siemens & Steve Downes October, 26 – 30 Learning in Social Networks and Networked Learning Caroline Haythornthwaite September 28 - October 2 Conference theme Who When Hot seat keynotes