Professional+Development



The National Staff Development Center defines professional development as “a comprehensive, sustained, and intensive approach to improving teachers’ and principals’ effectiveness in raising student achievement.” (Learning Forward, 2012) While most teachers are not familiar with their rights for professional development, there is a portion of No Child Left Behind that addresses the concept. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Section 9101 (34).

The Act says…

//  (A) Professional development fosters collective responsibility for improved student performance and must be comprised of professional learning that: // media type="custom" key="19714450" align="left" // (1) is aligned with rigorous state student academic achievement standards as well as related local // // educational agency and school improvement goals; // //   (2) is conducted among educators at the school and facilitated by well-prepared school principals and/or // // school-based professional development coaches, mentors, master teachers, or other teacher leaders; // //   (3) primarily occurs several times per week among established teams of teachers, principals, and other // // instructional staff members where the teams of educators engage in a continuous cycle of // // improvement that — //

// (i) evaluates student, teacher, and school learning needs through a thorough review of data on teacher // // and student performance; // //   (ii) defines a clear set of educator learning goals based on the rigorous analysis of the data;   // // (iii) achieves the educator learning goals identified in subsection (A)(3)(ii) by implementing coherent, // // sustained, and evidenced-based learning strategies, such as lesson study and the development of // //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> formative assessments, that improve instructional effectiveness and student achievement; // //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">   (iv) provides job-embedded coaching or other forms of assistance to support the transfer of new // //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> knowledge and skills to the classroom;   // //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> (v) regularly assesses the effectiveness of the professional development in achieving identified learning // //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> goals, improving teaching, and assisting all students in meeting challenging state academic // //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> achievement standards;    // //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> (vi) informs ongoing improvements in teaching and student learning; and  (vii) that may be supported by // //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> external assistance. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(B) The process outlined in (A) may be supported by activities such as courses, workshops, institutes, // //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> networks, and conferences that: //

//<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> (1) must address the learning goals and objectives established for professional development by educators // //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> at the school level;   // //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> (2) advance the ongoing school-based professional development; and   // //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> (3) are provided by for-profit and nonprofit entities outside the school such as universities, education // //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> service agencies, technical assistance providers, networks of content-area specialists, and other // //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> education organizations and associations. (Learning Forward, 2012) //

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Professional Development is the key to inspiring teachers to jump on board with new technologies. Teachers and administration need to be on the same page when it comes to implementing any new device or curriculum. By offering teachers the opportunity to become familiar and comfortable with iPads, there should be an increase in use and enthusiasm.As the above states, professional development should be occurring in a "continuous cycle of improvement" allowing teachers to learn as they experience professional development.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This section will introduce the concept of professional development with iPads, explore who will be teaching/facilitating professional development, requirements for successful professional development, and different examples of professional development that could be utilized.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Please continue to our next page, Who Teaches Professional Development?