Sunday, August 29, 2010
podcast survey responses
results to survey here http://www.zoomerang.com/Shared/SharedResultsPasswordPage.aspx?ID=L24HZKVUBPMS
Sunday, August 22, 2010
CPD - continuing, collaborative or both?
I recently had quite a long chat on Twitter with @ToughLoveForX (Michael Josefowic from Brooklyn) about CPD. It started with a look at what the 'C' stood for. In the UK, CPD is in fairly common usage for school teachers. In other education sectors, it may be referred to as just PD (professional development). So what does the 'C' stand for? Officially it s 'continuing' as it is about how teachers continue to develop professionally and personally throughout their career. It can be through school based activities, work shadowing, peer observation, coaching/mentoring, externally provided courses, study. I firmly believe that leading PD enables the leader to learn as much as those on the 'receiving end'.
At my school, we run an in-house course accredited by the College of Teachers (www.collegeofteachers.ac.uk) and I am hoping to introduce an accredited coaching scheme this coming academic year. Teachers can also go on external courses but the budget for these is limited. We also have some teachers and other staff who offer their expertise on a CPD directory (for example, drop in my lesson to see how I use multimedia, talk to the bursar about arranging trips) and have a VLE with resource sharing pages and space for staff to post their professional reflections. CPD leaders can use their experiences towards accreditation as well. Newly Qualified Teachers carry out action research which aids school policy development.
Next year, I would like to add podcasting and open up to other schools, around the world if possible, through holiday schools.Michael suggested the 'C' might stand for collaborative - this because he hadn't come across the acronym used in this way before. The more I think about it, the more I like it. How can I get more collaborative activities off the ground?
Michael pointed out some very important factors - teachers need to select what they want to do for CPD, there should be little financial constraint for individual teachers, and sharing of good practice between more experienced and less experienced staff benefits both. I heartily agree.
What do others think?
At my school, we run an in-house course accredited by the College of Teachers (www.collegeofteachers.ac.uk) and I am hoping to introduce an accredited coaching scheme this coming academic year. Teachers can also go on external courses but the budget for these is limited. We also have some teachers and other staff who offer their expertise on a CPD directory (for example, drop in my lesson to see how I use multimedia, talk to the bursar about arranging trips) and have a VLE with resource sharing pages and space for staff to post their professional reflections. CPD leaders can use their experiences towards accreditation as well. Newly Qualified Teachers carry out action research which aids school policy development.
Next year, I would like to add podcasting and open up to other schools, around the world if possible, through holiday schools.Michael suggested the 'C' might stand for collaborative - this because he hadn't come across the acronym used in this way before. The more I think about it, the more I like it. How can I get more collaborative activities off the ground?
Michael pointed out some very important factors - teachers need to select what they want to do for CPD, there should be little financial constraint for individual teachers, and sharing of good practice between more experienced and less experienced staff benefits both. I heartily agree.
What do others think?
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