vision activity for CPD

I have been thinking a lot about communicating a shared vision - and also ensuring that ths is not a one way process. I'd be grateful for comments on this CPD idea: first few minutes, work alone and circle the ten things most important in the wordcloud (see below). Then in small groups, dicuss your reasons and come up with a collaborative version on a new copy. Finally feedback to whole group ..

and what words have I left out that should be in it?

Thanks for any help.

more CPD ideas

At our Heads of Department meeting today I asked how we could improve the in house CPD prgramme - the following came up either at or just after the meeting ... please comment
The main point on the school overall SEF that is on my own performance management (hey, I can use this as evidence for that as well) is developing effective classrooms through CPD. Was very grateful for ideas during and after the meeting today - will also get some feedback from the pastoral meeting that was taking place at the same time.

I am wondering if the draft revised CPD timetable could be revised yet again with something like the following:-

1. A subject based conference - probably would have to be just one hour but that might work if we go straight into groups. This would most probably have to be on one of the Thursday sessions (i.e. not a twilight CPD, see below for ideas about that). We could open up to all our partner schools. I don't think there would be much funding for this one - maybe everyone could bring a plate of food! I would suggest that for this we just host it in each department and see who turns up and play it by ear? Any other ideas?
2. Use the twilight CPD session to run workshops which staff sign up for before the event.

Suggestions: Philosphy for Children, Behaviour, Interactive whiteboard for beginners and advanced, Community Cohesion , Using Fronter, Restorative Justice , Teaching Outside Your Subject Area, Using publisher and excel, I would provide simple refreshents for this one from the CPD budget.

3. Leadership Conference for middle and senior leaders, including aspiring leaders and open to partner schools as for number 1 above
Suggestions:

Workshops – delegates select from:  working with partners in Higher Education;  maximising student potential; the importance of CPD; other?


Please, please comment .........

Threshold concepts and CPD

I am still thinking about what encourages engagement in CPD and wanted to thank @JaneDavis13 for a mention of threshold concepts on Twitter. I'd be grateful for any comments on the following.

If, as Meyer and Land (2003) suggest, there are particular ‘threshold concepts’ that enable students to make a leap in their understanding, then I posit that there may be similar moments within a teacher’s professional development. Such moments are likely to be transformative, irreversible, integrative, bounded and troublesome (ibid: 4,5). Extending these ideas to engagement with CPD:


• Transformative – passing across this threshold may involve a ‘significant shift in perception’ and this may ‘involve a performative element’(op cit). In terms of CPD, perhaps we need to try something out, or at least hear first hand recommendations, before we believe it might be likely to help.

• Irreversible – is this what makes it difficult for those teachers who do constantly reflect upon their practice and its development to understand why others do not appreciate this?

• Integrative – in my view, the aspect of making connections between different contexts is one of the key components in successfully assimilating CPD experiences.

• Bounded – I think that in secondary schools and higher education, this may be more of an issue than in the primary phase. We may hear teachers say things like, ‘that would not work in my curriculum area’.

• Troublesome – again, the idea that new knowledge may come from a context which has hitherto not been experienced may go some way to explaining reluctance to engage.