Monday, November 17, 2008

Is Professional Development Worth $$$$

Countless workshops, seminars, retreats, and other training opportunities are offered under the assumption that they can positively affect how a faculty teaches, which in turn will help students learn more. However, there’s evidence that short-term interventions, such as afternoon or early morning workshops, don’t have much of an effect when it comes to changing teacher behaviors. On the other hand, data suggest that well-designed, substantive training programs are worth the time and effort. Well-designed and substantive training programs by Florida professional development standards involves four steps planning, delivery, follow-up, and evaluation.

Gibbs and Coffey looked at the effects of training programs at 20 universities in eight countries. Each training program involved at minimum of 60 hours (300 hours for the longest) and spread those activities across four to 18 months. The results provide confirmation that in-depth training does make a significant impact on teaching. A faculty that participates in well-designed training programs becomes more learner-focused and their students are more likely to learn.

Planning next year’s professional development calendar will begin second semester, before you start planning take time to reflect on the professional develop offered this year to your staff. How did your site’s professional development experience influence changes in teacher behaviors to enhance student learning? What can administrators and teacher leaders do to help their faculty marry Florida Standards with appropriate teaching processes?
Source: Academic Leader, Magna Publications

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