Literature Review
Professional Development: Creating Effective Means of Education for Teachers
Introduction
Technology can be defined as tools or methods that enable humans to perform tasks faster. While digital technology has been around for many years, it seems that teachers rely on it now more than ever, especially in the education world. At Sycamore Canyon School, a small K-8 public school in Newbury Park, California, one can find technology everywhere- from elementary to middle school classrooms, to the principal’s office and even outside of the school building. The main problem is that while this technology is readily available in these places, it is not currently being used to its full potential. The students who attend Sycamore Canyon School are digital natives, meaning that they were born into a world where technology is abundant and frequently used. Technology is a mere “extension of mind and body” to these students. (Prensky, 2001). In order to further the success of students and keep their interest, teachers must be given proper training to use all the tools and methods they are inundated with on a daily basis.
The purpose of this Action Research is to find out how to facilitate effective technology integration at Sycamore Canyon School through a personalized professional development plan to enhance student learning. To find answers to this question, it is important to examine different approaches of effective professional development and the role of communities of practice in supporting professional development. For the purpose of this paper, technology will be defined as computers, including desktop and laptop computers, iPads, interactive whiteboard and devices such as clickers and online resources.
Professional Development Defined
C.M. Grant (1996) defines professional development as “more than just traditional trainings where teachers learn new skills, but covers formal and informal ways to help teachers learn these new skills and better their own teaching practice.” This means giving teachers the support they need to learn the new material, put it into practice, and offer support and follow up along the way to ensure students and teachers receive the maximum benefit as they further their understanding of new technologies used to advance inquiry-based learning (Wells, 2007). Professional development provides teachers with support that allows them to take risks using new tools and technology without fear of failure. Gabriel Diaz Maggioli (2004) defines professional development as “a process that teachers continually work towards throughout their entire career to enhance student learning.”
The educational world views professional development in a number of ways. This includes “formal teacher induction, the credits or degrees teachers earn as part of recertification or to receive salary boost, the national-board-certification process, and participation in subject matter or informal networks [to better one’s practice].” (Sawchuk, 2010, cited in Edweek2011)
Over the years, two different experts have defined two distinct types of professional development. The first method of professional development is the Traditional method. In the Traditional method, experts offer professional development in a setting outside of the educator’s normal location with tools that are unfamiliar or unavailable to the educator at his/her place of work. In addition, participants are often assembled together in a large group, regardless of grade level, subject, demographics, or learning needs, leaving the professional development program vague and generalized. In the Traditional method, professional development workshops are usually offered in “one-shot training” with limited time, or over a day or two. In the Traditional Method, at the end of the professional development workshop, there is little to no follow-up or continued support (Wells 2007).
Wells (2007) contrasts the Traditional Method of professional development with a second approach called the Durable Method. This type of professional development is long lasting, has well defined goals, and enhances student achievement. Wells suggests that for professional development to be effective, those who are committed to improving their practice by means of professional development need to be aware of the long-term goal of reform. . It must also appeal to different groups. Effective professional development in the Durable Method consists of ten key design factors:
· Evaluation driven
· Contextual
· Learner centered
· Extend over time
· Engaging
· Inquiry based
· Theory/research based
· Collaborative
· Supportive
· Sustainable
The effectiveness of the professional development correlates directly with the extent to which these factors are present. (Wells 2007)
According to Chung et. al (2009), research indicates that professional development is most effective when it is offered over a period of time and as part of an entire school reform. Professional development is least effective when offered in isolation. When those offering professional development do so as part of an entire school reform, teachers are more willing to spend the amount of time necessary to make permanent changes. Teachers require additional support and follow-up to effectively learn the new material before being able to test it out. Once they test it, reflection with colleagues is an important part of processing and determines whether the experience was successful or what needs to happen to ensure success for the future.
Effective Professional Development
Effective professional development, which can be defined as “that which results in improvements in teachers’ knowledge and instructional practice, as well as improved student learning outcomes,” (Chung et. al, 2009) is fundamental to teacher success and student learning. Too often, districts have spent thousands of dollars for professional development that is not effective or implemented. According to The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) effective professional development is:
1. “Directly focused on helping to achieve student learning goals and supporting student learning needs
2. A collaborative endeavor- teachers and administrators work together in planning an implementation
3. School-based and job embedded
4. A long-term commitment
5. Differentiated
6. Tied to the district goals ” (Zimmerman and May, 2003)
For professional development to be effective, it must be constant and in-depth while engaging the learner in meaningful, interactive collaboration. Once school districts provide teachers with advanced teacher learning, teachers can directly apply what they learned into the classroom, which will in turn, improve student achievement and success. Hands-on learning provides teachers with the most productive way to receive content and increase competency in that subject area. (Chung et. al, 2009) Providing teachers with hands-on learning experiences allows “teachers to transform their teaching and not simply layer new strategies on top of the old.” (Chung et. al, 2009)
Communities of Practice
While the term “communities of practice” is relatively new, the idea and routine is long standing. A community of practice is formed when a group of people who share a passion for a common interest come together to learn how to do a job, hobby, or task better through their interactions. (Wenger, 2006) According to Wenger, three main features define a community of practice: mutual engagement in the community, joint enterprise in the domain, and shared repertoire in the practice. (Wenger, 1998) Throughout the shared meeting in the community, members establish routines resulting in meaningful, interactive relationships. As teachers come together with a mutual interest, they are able to brainstorm, discuss, support, and share information. Deep relationships are built with one another as they work together and share knowledge. (Wenger, 1998) ; Wenger, 2006) In the joint enterprise in the domain, members start to define themselves and find common interests. Members form connections with one another creating a lasting bond due to the shared practice and interests. (Wenger 1998; Wenger, 2006,) In the last element, the shared repertoire of the practice, the group is able to create shared resources, including “experiences, tools, [and] ways of addressing recurring problems” (Wenger, 1998 Wenger, 2006).
Professional Development and Communities of Practice
Communities of practice are greatly beneficial in the teaching community as they relate to professional development. Teachers share a common interest for teaching in general and more specifically their particular subject matter. Communities of practice allow teachers to “deepen their knowledge and expertise in [an] area by interacting on an ongoing basis.” (Wenger, Mcdermott, and Snyder 2002By working in a community of practice, teachers are able to share successes and failures, examine best practices and most importantly support one another in the carrying out of new ideas. By working together, teachers are able to come to an understanding of three key elements: the quality of work they expect, the common struggles between their students, and what instructional strategies students do or do not understand (Chung et al, 2009). It is in these moments that teachers can rely on one another to brainstorm and work through issues to find a possible solution.
As noted by Chung et al., when teachers come together as a staff and are able to plan specific ways to use and integrate the new material learned they become, “engaged in a powerful form of staff development that allows them to grapple with ‘real’ issues related to the new content and instructional practices” (Killion, 1999). The community of practice allows teachers to process information together and constantly rely on one another for support. When teachers have a support system, such as their peers from their school site, this trusting environment allows for evaluation and examination, which in turn allows teachers to take risks, solve problems, and attend to dilemmas in their practice.(Wei, Darling-Hammon, Andree, Richardson and Orphanos, 2009). When teachers feel comfortable enough to take the kinds of risks necessary to improve their own teaching practice, student achievement improves. Once teachers become concerned with changing their instructional practices, students start to benefit (Saxe, Gearheart, & Nasir, 2001).
In order for professional development to affect student learning, a few key factors must be present:
1. “A community of professionals comes together who study together, and put into practice what they are learning, and share the results.
2. The content of staff development develops around curricular and instructional strategies selected because they have a high probability of affecting student learning- and, as important, student abilities to learn.
3. The magnitude of change generated is sufficient that the students’ gain in knowledge and skill is palpable. What is taught, how it is taught, and the social climate of the school have to change to the degree that the increase in student ability to learn is manifest.
4. The processes of staff development enable educators to develop the skill to implement what they are learning.” (Joyce & Showers 2002)
Conclusion
Technology can be an effective tool to improve student achievement. However, in order for student achievement to improve, instructional practices must first improve. Teachers, schools, and school districts cannot expect this to happen without providing teachers with effective support. Professional development can be costly and is not always carried out in the most effective way, which is why communities of practice will help us achieve this goal. Teachers need a group where they can share ideas and feel supported, leading to risk taking and comfort when trying new methods, ultimately improving teacher’s practice. In turn, this will lead to advanced student achievement
Professional Development: Creating Effective Means of Education for Teachers
Introduction
Technology can be defined as tools or methods that enable humans to perform tasks faster. While digital technology has been around for many years, it seems that teachers rely on it now more than ever, especially in the education world. At Sycamore Canyon School, a small K-8 public school in Newbury Park, California, one can find technology everywhere- from elementary to middle school classrooms, to the principal’s office and even outside of the school building. The main problem is that while this technology is readily available in these places, it is not currently being used to its full potential. The students who attend Sycamore Canyon School are digital natives, meaning that they were born into a world where technology is abundant and frequently used. Technology is a mere “extension of mind and body” to these students. (Prensky, 2001). In order to further the success of students and keep their interest, teachers must be given proper training to use all the tools and methods they are inundated with on a daily basis.
The purpose of this Action Research is to find out how to facilitate effective technology integration at Sycamore Canyon School through a personalized professional development plan to enhance student learning. To find answers to this question, it is important to examine different approaches of effective professional development and the role of communities of practice in supporting professional development. For the purpose of this paper, technology will be defined as computers, including desktop and laptop computers, iPads, interactive whiteboard and devices such as clickers and online resources.
Professional Development Defined
C.M. Grant (1996) defines professional development as “more than just traditional trainings where teachers learn new skills, but covers formal and informal ways to help teachers learn these new skills and better their own teaching practice.” This means giving teachers the support they need to learn the new material, put it into practice, and offer support and follow up along the way to ensure students and teachers receive the maximum benefit as they further their understanding of new technologies used to advance inquiry-based learning (Wells, 2007). Professional development provides teachers with support that allows them to take risks using new tools and technology without fear of failure. Gabriel Diaz Maggioli (2004) defines professional development as “a process that teachers continually work towards throughout their entire career to enhance student learning.”
The educational world views professional development in a number of ways. This includes “formal teacher induction, the credits or degrees teachers earn as part of recertification or to receive salary boost, the national-board-certification process, and participation in subject matter or informal networks [to better one’s practice].” (Sawchuk, 2010, cited in Edweek2011)
Over the years, two different experts have defined two distinct types of professional development. The first method of professional development is the Traditional method. In the Traditional method, experts offer professional development in a setting outside of the educator’s normal location with tools that are unfamiliar or unavailable to the educator at his/her place of work. In addition, participants are often assembled together in a large group, regardless of grade level, subject, demographics, or learning needs, leaving the professional development program vague and generalized. In the Traditional method, professional development workshops are usually offered in “one-shot training” with limited time, or over a day or two. In the Traditional Method, at the end of the professional development workshop, there is little to no follow-up or continued support (Wells 2007).
Wells (2007) contrasts the Traditional Method of professional development with a second approach called the Durable Method. This type of professional development is long lasting, has well defined goals, and enhances student achievement. Wells suggests that for professional development to be effective, those who are committed to improving their practice by means of professional development need to be aware of the long-term goal of reform. . It must also appeal to different groups. Effective professional development in the Durable Method consists of ten key design factors:
· Evaluation driven
· Contextual
· Learner centered
· Extend over time
· Engaging
· Inquiry based
· Theory/research based
· Collaborative
· Supportive
· Sustainable
The effectiveness of the professional development correlates directly with the extent to which these factors are present. (Wells 2007)
According to Chung et. al (2009), research indicates that professional development is most effective when it is offered over a period of time and as part of an entire school reform. Professional development is least effective when offered in isolation. When those offering professional development do so as part of an entire school reform, teachers are more willing to spend the amount of time necessary to make permanent changes. Teachers require additional support and follow-up to effectively learn the new material before being able to test it out. Once they test it, reflection with colleagues is an important part of processing and determines whether the experience was successful or what needs to happen to ensure success for the future.
Effective Professional Development
Effective professional development, which can be defined as “that which results in improvements in teachers’ knowledge and instructional practice, as well as improved student learning outcomes,” (Chung et. al, 2009) is fundamental to teacher success and student learning. Too often, districts have spent thousands of dollars for professional development that is not effective or implemented. According to The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) effective professional development is:
1. “Directly focused on helping to achieve student learning goals and supporting student learning needs
2. A collaborative endeavor- teachers and administrators work together in planning an implementation
3. School-based and job embedded
4. A long-term commitment
5. Differentiated
6. Tied to the district goals ” (Zimmerman and May, 2003)
For professional development to be effective, it must be constant and in-depth while engaging the learner in meaningful, interactive collaboration. Once school districts provide teachers with advanced teacher learning, teachers can directly apply what they learned into the classroom, which will in turn, improve student achievement and success. Hands-on learning provides teachers with the most productive way to receive content and increase competency in that subject area. (Chung et. al, 2009) Providing teachers with hands-on learning experiences allows “teachers to transform their teaching and not simply layer new strategies on top of the old.” (Chung et. al, 2009)
Communities of Practice
While the term “communities of practice” is relatively new, the idea and routine is long standing. A community of practice is formed when a group of people who share a passion for a common interest come together to learn how to do a job, hobby, or task better through their interactions. (Wenger, 2006) According to Wenger, three main features define a community of practice: mutual engagement in the community, joint enterprise in the domain, and shared repertoire in the practice. (Wenger, 1998) Throughout the shared meeting in the community, members establish routines resulting in meaningful, interactive relationships. As teachers come together with a mutual interest, they are able to brainstorm, discuss, support, and share information. Deep relationships are built with one another as they work together and share knowledge. (Wenger, 1998) ; Wenger, 2006) In the joint enterprise in the domain, members start to define themselves and find common interests. Members form connections with one another creating a lasting bond due to the shared practice and interests. (Wenger 1998; Wenger, 2006,) In the last element, the shared repertoire of the practice, the group is able to create shared resources, including “experiences, tools, [and] ways of addressing recurring problems” (Wenger, 1998 Wenger, 2006).
Professional Development and Communities of Practice
Communities of practice are greatly beneficial in the teaching community as they relate to professional development. Teachers share a common interest for teaching in general and more specifically their particular subject matter. Communities of practice allow teachers to “deepen their knowledge and expertise in [an] area by interacting on an ongoing basis.” (Wenger, Mcdermott, and Snyder 2002By working in a community of practice, teachers are able to share successes and failures, examine best practices and most importantly support one another in the carrying out of new ideas. By working together, teachers are able to come to an understanding of three key elements: the quality of work they expect, the common struggles between their students, and what instructional strategies students do or do not understand (Chung et al, 2009). It is in these moments that teachers can rely on one another to brainstorm and work through issues to find a possible solution.
As noted by Chung et al., when teachers come together as a staff and are able to plan specific ways to use and integrate the new material learned they become, “engaged in a powerful form of staff development that allows them to grapple with ‘real’ issues related to the new content and instructional practices” (Killion, 1999). The community of practice allows teachers to process information together and constantly rely on one another for support. When teachers have a support system, such as their peers from their school site, this trusting environment allows for evaluation and examination, which in turn allows teachers to take risks, solve problems, and attend to dilemmas in their practice.(Wei, Darling-Hammon, Andree, Richardson and Orphanos, 2009). When teachers feel comfortable enough to take the kinds of risks necessary to improve their own teaching practice, student achievement improves. Once teachers become concerned with changing their instructional practices, students start to benefit (Saxe, Gearheart, & Nasir, 2001).
In order for professional development to affect student learning, a few key factors must be present:
1. “A community of professionals comes together who study together, and put into practice what they are learning, and share the results.
2. The content of staff development develops around curricular and instructional strategies selected because they have a high probability of affecting student learning- and, as important, student abilities to learn.
3. The magnitude of change generated is sufficient that the students’ gain in knowledge and skill is palpable. What is taught, how it is taught, and the social climate of the school have to change to the degree that the increase in student ability to learn is manifest.
4. The processes of staff development enable educators to develop the skill to implement what they are learning.” (Joyce & Showers 2002)
Conclusion
Technology can be an effective tool to improve student achievement. However, in order for student achievement to improve, instructional practices must first improve. Teachers, schools, and school districts cannot expect this to happen without providing teachers with effective support. Professional development can be costly and is not always carried out in the most effective way, which is why communities of practice will help us achieve this goal. Teachers need a group where they can share ideas and feel supported, leading to risk taking and comfort when trying new methods, ultimately improving teacher’s practice. In turn, this will lead to advanced student achievement