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professional development [n.]
the advancement of skills or expertise to succeed in a particular profession, especially through continued education
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1857.
Professional Development is an integral component of teacher development. It is an ongoing activity designed to increase levels of expertise and understanding. It should, where possible, be a process that works individually with the strengths and needs of a specific teacher or teacher assistant in order to create higher capability and understanding. Continuing or Continuous Professional Development, Staff Development and Mentoring are other common terms used in this area.
There are pages of information able to be accessed using either the page number boxes above or the links that follow.
This page looks at Research, Reviews & Reports including a range of articles and other documents, as well as other information including resources, programs and associations.
The First Page looks at Professional Development information related to all Australian states & territories.
The Second Page looks at other Australian information. It also has a section covering Leadership Development.
Other pages with connections to this area include Beginning Teachers and Teacher Assessment.
Research, Reviews, Reports
Articles & Documents
- 16 Ways to Be a Smarter Teacher
Can be slow to load. - A Review of Standards of Practice
[For Beginning Teaching] - Full-Text Books
‘These ASCD books are available to read online in full text. To purchase print versions of the books, visit ASCD’s Online Store’. Also check the ASCD - Research a Topic which allows you to ‘begin your research by clicking on one of the topics below. Each area includes a definition, short articles on the topic, audio and/or video files of experts and practitioners’. - Building a Learning Profession
- Education World®
Professional Development Centre. Includes, features, articles, columns, access to information based on a range of criteria and more. - Excellent Teachers
[Exploring Self-Constructs, Role, and Personal Challenges]
Paper presented at an AARE Conference in Sydney. - Five Models of Staff Development
By Dennis Sparks and Susan Loucks-Horsley. Dome some time but very well presented and in great detail, looking at the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Well presented ! - Improving School Leadership
‘Vol. 2 Case Studies on System Leadership’. One of a number of documents available from the OECD Education site - Improving School Leadership [Home]. - Machines are The Easy Part :
[People are The Hard Part]
A Free booklet [at present] which ‘takes a somewhat skewed approach to educational technology. Its focus is on the human elements to which attention must be paid before technology can have an impact on teaching and learning’. - Models and Best Practices in Teacher Professional Development
‘Guiding Questions, Content, Activity File’. Also available as a Downloadable File. - Policy Briefs, ACER
- Professional Development Articles
- Professional Development Research Articles
- Teacher Development
‘Teacher Development is a peer-reviewed international journal focused on research which addresses models and views about the processes of teaching and learning, recognising the dynamics of evolution within these areas’. Fee-based. - Using The Internet …
[To Provide Authentic Professional Development For Beginning Teachers]
Research & Reviews
- Evaluating Professional Growth and Development
Critical Issue, NCREL. ‘Issue : The ultimate worth of professional development for teachers is the essential role it plays in the improvement of student learning. That means that educators must pay attention to the results of professional development on job performance, organisational effectiveness, and the success of all students. Each professional development effort should be accompanied by a well-designed evaluation plan for determining its effectiveness’. Extensive review from an Overview through to Effective Planning, with information and links to further information. - Making Better
Connections
‘This is the report of a study into ways in which teachers, teacher educators and educational leaders are being supported to acquire the skills and knowledge they need to ensure effective use of ICT in the school setting. The report examines existing models of pre-service education and in-service professional development, both in Australia and overseas. It identifies barriers and critical success factors, and provides advice and recommendations which will help inform decisions by school systems, teacher professional associations and university teacher education faculties’. - National Information Exchange on Quality Teaching
‘For sharing information about best practice in teacher professional development. In particular it is for sharing information about professional development activities funded through the Commonwealth’s Teachers for the 21st Century initiative and the Quality Teacher Programme [QTP]’. - Quality Leadership in Australian Schools
‘Quality leadership in schools provides direction, involves a process of influence with intention, and is value-based and vision-driven. While it is common to equate leadership with principals and faculty heads, the research reviewed in this report recognises the variety of leadership roles within a school’. - Teacher Research Site Directory
[TeAchnology]
‘The links grant you access to more than 240 000 reviewed education web sites. The reviews are sorted by audience’. These range from Professional Development to Administrators. There is also a range of Hot Topics.
Other Information
Associations
Professional associations are often involved in teacher professional development. Check the Associations page for further information.
General Sites
- Association of Independent Schools PD
Click on AIS Professional Development [top, right]. For example, check the Literacy Professional Development site. - Concept to Classroom !
‘A series of Free, self-paced workshops covering a wide variety of hot topics in education. Some of the workshops are based in theory, some are based in methodology - but all of the workshops include plenty of tips and strategies for making classrooms work’.
Excellent ! - PD21™
Part of the SchoolKit group. ‘The complete professional development solution for schools and school districts that are focused on technology integration, quality teaching and sound pedagogy’. Fee-based. - Teachernet - Professional Development
‘Whether you would like to learn new skills, build on your existing knowledge, study for a new qualification, or are thinking of becoming a teacher, this section of the website provides you with advice and guidance on continuing professional development [CPD] and helps you find the many opportunities available’. Another UK site that provides access to some materials and information about other methodologies and programs. - Teachers Without Borders
An international organisation that helps build partnerships designed to create up-to-date educational understanding for practitioners in developing countries. - TeAchnology : Professional Development
24 sections are covered, ranging from Burnout & Stress Management via Ideas that Worked for Other Educators and Teaching Portfolios to Waldorf. A mix of articles, resources, strategies and more accessed through annotated links. - Training and Development Agency for Schools [UK]
‘TDA is the national agency and recognised sector body responsible for the training and development of the school workforce. Our guiding vision is : developing people, improving young lives’. See how this operates in the UK and what you can gain from this.
Resources & Programs
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21st Century Schools Online Courses
‘Online Courses through 21st Century Schools allow you the flexibility to study and complete your coursework at the time that is best for you !’ - A Match Made in Cyberspace
[Online mentoring supports new teachers and rejuvenates veterans.]
‘In the not-so-distant future, educators will seek and find personal and professional support through online portals where mentors will offer time, energy, and advice to their less seasoned colleagues’. Article. - Annenberg Workshops
‘Find out more about the workshops and courses below, how to view them online, and how to purchase them on videocassette or DVD’. Covers multiple educational areas. Resources can be accessed Free. - Australian Montessori Teacher Education Foundation
If you are interested in the Montessori method [for several levels] then this Australian site can help your training. - Dhinawun Consultancy
Consultancy in Aboriginal Education, culture and learning. Fee-based consultancy. Within the scope of a school who want to access this expertise. Development from an hour to a day or longer. - How Teachers Learn New Technologies
Provides a combination of articles, books, resource links [and workshops] on this topic. - Jenny Mackay Cognitive Skills Training
[For Teachers & Managers]
Provider of cognitive skills training aimed at teachers and managers as well as seminars and workshops for a range of areas for teachers, interpersonal skills and client management. Courses, seminars, etc. are Fee-based. - Learning Resources
‘The following downloadable material is Freely available as long as you follow Creative Commons License procedures’. Most of the material [especially on Differentiation and Rubrics] come from PD courses and coaching run by this company in Victoria. - Lion Global HR
This link provides access to the latest catalogue of resources from this company, for Learning & Development Professionals.
Note that these are fee-based. - Literacy Solutions
‘We are a Queensland based business, servicing local, national and international clients. A range of services are offered which support students, teachers, teacher aides and parents. This site is a collection of resources and shared thinking representing a modern approach to literacy issues faced by schools, parents and the community’. - MyRead
Federal program to ‘support teachers of underperforming students in the middle years [Years 4-9]’. Beliefs, the who, what and how of the process, explicit teaching practices, monitoring, assessment, classroom organisation, specific professional development, further readings. An excellent resource for language and professional development. - New Horizons for Learning
This section provides a range of current education topics worth reviewing. They range from Action Research to Thinking Skills. Each provides a number of articles on the topic, recommended reading in the area, related links and occasionally, additional material. They provide a good starting point for considering each topic. - oz-TeacherNet Overview
‘This project provides teachers with the infrastructure for using the Internet to support professional development and curriculum’.. - Queendom - The Land of Tests
There are a vast array of tests covering many fields, including many relevant to professional development. Such tests include Leadership Style and Management Skills & Style. Search for others in the various listings. Requires Free Registration. - Research A Topic
From ASCD. ‘Begin your research by clicking on one of the topics below. Each area includes a definition, short articles on the topic, audio and/or video files of experts and practitioners’. 21 major topics at time of inclusion.
Highly Recommended ! - Teacher Magazine Professional Development Directory
‘Welcome to the most complete interactive directory of K-12 PD products and services. Whether you’re looking for yourself, or an entire school district, the Teacher Professional Development Directory can help you identify accredited programs, supplemental materials, software, workshops, and more to help you meet your continuing education needs’. US based. Some will not be available or relevant here. - Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook
Linked to Teacher Magazine [see above], it has News & Notes, Feature Stories, Research, Data Snapshot and more. Some is peculiarly US-oriented, but much is applicable worldwide. Check their Webinars, which can be viewed online and ‘are archived and accessible for up to 6 months after the original live streaming date’. There is also access to Reports & Data, Blogs on various aspects and levels, Discussions, Opinion pieces, Multimedia and much more. - TeachersFirst
Includes a section on Professional resources which is quite extensive. - Teacher Training Videos
‘Created for teachers to help them to incorporate technology into their teaching. Simply click on a topic and a page will appear with a large menu on the left hand side. The videos will start playing straight away or you can click on a specific topic to know about it. My suggestion is that you open up the tool you want to learn so you can jump between using the tool and watching the videos’. - Teachers TV Australia
‘Teachers TV Australia is the Australian equivalent of the successful UK initiative, Teachers TV. Teachers TV content often features great teachers and teaching in action. Stories are focussed on classroom and school observation to illustrate how different teachers deal with challenges, ideas, problems, innovation and systems’. You can find alternate links from this Department for Education, UK page. - Teaching Effectiveness Program
From the University of Oregon. While directed primarily at the tertiary level, there is a wealth of material that would be useful for teachers at all levels, especially resources, technology and service areas. - Teaching Teachers for the Future
‘TTF brings together for the first time the 39 Australian higher education institutions with pre-service teacher education programs in a significant national project. The project team is headed by Education Services Australia [ESA], and includes the Australian Council of Deans of Education [ACDE], the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL], and the Australian Council for Computers in Education [ACCE]’. - Teaching Tips Index
From the University of Hawaii. Multi-section collection ranging from Assessment to The Random Thoughts of … . Again, designed primarily for tertiary level teaching, but containing material which could be applied at other levels. - Tech-Ease for Windows
‘Tech-Ease for Windows is your source for just-in-time answers for classroom technology questions. A companion Tech-Ease for Mac site is also available’. - The Mind Tools Career Excellence Toolkit
‘With the skill-builders you can access from this page, you can quickly learn the skills you need to work, lead and manage more effectively; and successfully develop implement well-thought-through solutions that will move your career forward. About half of these tools are Freely Available to you’.
Highly Recommended ! - The New Teacher Centre
‘The New Teacher Centre [@ UCSC] is a national resource focused on teacher and administrator induction’. While US-based, it provides articles, resources and sample programs which may prove valuable in the Australian setting. - The Secrets to Being A Great School Counsellor
American book by an experienced counsellor and educator. ‘The book is a practical and hands on guide for counsellors, guidance interns and graduate students to increase their professional skills and avoid costly mistakes. It is based on the author’s forty years of experience as a district guidance coordinator, director and guidance counsellor’. - Tools for Teaching
‘A compendium of classroom-tested strategies and suggestions designed to improve the teaching practices of all college instructors, including beginning, mid-career, and senior faculty members’. Not all sections are available online, but 18 are included. - Videos for Teachers
‘Videos of Successful Teaching Practices in Action’.