scholarly journals Blog-based professional development of English teachers in Mumbai: The potential of innovative practice under scrutiny

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atiya Khan
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Collaboration ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
Learning Networks ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Interactive Workshop

The professional development of teachers in India is still, by and large, based on formal and outdated professional learning traditions, often characterised by crash courses and one-off workshops. In education, blogs have proven to be an effective means of establishing and maintaining collaborative learning networks and helping members reflect on their professional practices. Information and communications technology (ICT) enabled practices of teacher professional development is still in its infancy in India. Moreover, there is limited research in India to secure foundational understanding of how and in what ways teachers of English in India use blogs for their professional development. This study explores the use of teacher reflective practice, teacher networking, and teacher collaboration, beyond formal ICT training, through blog-based professional development of English teachers in the Mumbai region of India. Using data collected from 32 teachers from three private schools in Mumbai, through ICT interactive workshop observations, questionnaires, interviews, and blog comments, this action case study explains whether and why blogging, as a learning community, has the potential to add significant value to existing professional development of English teachers in Mumbai.

scholarly journals Connecting for Greater Purpose: An Examination of a District PLC

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Gojmerac ◽  
Lorenzo Cherubini
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Teacher Leadership ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Collaboration ◽  
School Level ◽  
Transformational Teaching ◽  
Professional Development Model ◽  
Service Paradigm ◽  
Improve Student Learning

This paper discusses an innovative professional development model based on a personal service approach of teacher collaboration in lieu of the more traditional expert-driven in-service paradigm. It presents a research-based Professional Learning Community (PLC) model in a large urban Ontario (Canada) school board that focused on transformational teaching strategies as a means of professional development to enhance teacher practice and improve student learning. The two key themes of the grounded theory qualitative analysis are also discussed. They include: (1) contextually-relevant PLCs, and (2) teacher leadership embedded in relationships. Last, the paper provides a framework for provincial, district, and school-level administrators to support the underlying values of teachers’ professional capacities as collaborative lead learners.

The Role of a WhatsApp Group of a Professional Learning Community of Chemistry Teachers in the Development of Their Knowledge

2019 ◽  
pp. 117-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron Blonder ◽  
Ruth Waldman
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Knowledge Development ◽  
Communication Behavior ◽  
Chemistry Teachers

The authors analyze chemistry teachers' discourse in a WhatsApp group. This online communication platform is used for continually studying the communication behavior of leading chemistry teachers who are members of a professional learning community (PLC). They describe the network of chemistry teachers' PLC in Israel, which provides the context for the study. WhatsApp enables sustained ongoing, intensive interaction, and sharing of knowledge that is practical, directly related to the members' needs, and is participant driven and constructivist in nature. A theoretical perspective of teachers' knowledge and professional development (PD) was developed in 2015 by Gess-Newsome, which was applied to examine the mechanism underlying teachers' knowledge development.

Telementoring and Virtual Professional Development

2010 ◽  
pp. 186-205
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Maurer
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Science Education ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
Specific Content ◽  
High Background ◽  
Master Level

In science, examining how teachers can effectively learn content and inquiry-based pedagogy can often be nothing short of an intellectual, cognitive, and motivational maze. Professional development (PD) programs constructed specifically to aid teacher learning may fall short of their goals due to the high background variability of the participants, especially when mixing novice and master-level teachers. Only through conscious reorganization of instructional approaches can PD programs effectively address specific content and pedagogical needs while concurrently aiding the transition from novice to master-level teachers. It is time for a shift in how PD providers think about how teachers learn. Utilizing a theoretical perspective from Science Education, this chapter will demonstrate the benefits of moving to more of a contextual-based discourse that is accomplished through a virtual telementoring-based professional learning community (PLC) in order to enhance content, pedagogy, leadership skills, and positively impact teaching self-efficacy.

Lessons Learned From the Implementation of a Technology-Focused Professional Learning Community

2012 ◽  
pp. 535-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Bruce Taylor ◽  
Richard Hartshorne ◽  
Sam Eneman ◽  
Patti Wilkins ◽  
Drew Polly
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
College Of Education ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Teaching Professional

In this chapter, “lessons learned” and best practices that have resulted from the implementation of technology-focused professional learning community in a College of Education, as well as recommendations for future implementations are addressed. The Technology & Teaching Professional Learning Community, which was created by faculty in the College of Education at UNC Charlotte, provided professional development to faculty engaged in teaching hybrid and online courses. This was one of several professional development efforts at UNC Charlotte, but one, the authors suggest, that created a safe and effective space for scaffolding instructors less familiar with online learning technologies and tools.

scholarly journals Reimagining Music Teacher Collaboration: The Culture of Professional Learning Communities as Professional Development Within Schools and Districts

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-23
Author(s):  
Sharyn L. Battersby
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Professional Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Collaboration ◽  
Music Teachers ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Music Teacher ◽  
Collaborative Community

Music educators are continually seeking new ways to better their practice and improve student learning. Professional learning communities are a type of collaborative community that when administered successfully provide a forum for music educators to become active participants in both their own learning and that of their students. While the notion of professional learning communities has been around since the 1990s, they have received renewed attention more recently due to the adaptation and implementation of Danielson’s popular Framework for Teaching, which has been implemented in many school districts across the country. Teachers facing the challenge of reshaping the culture of their music programs and seeing their initiative sustained will devise elements that will become embedded in that (school) culture. Supportive and shared leadership, shared values and vision, and collective learning are just some of the attributes that can contribute to student learning and the professional development of music teachers.

scholarly journals #iteachmsu Centering an Educator Learning Community (ELC)

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Skogsberg ◽  
Melissa McDaniels ◽  
Madeline Shellgren ◽  
Patricia Stewart ◽  
Makena Neal
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Assistants ◽  
Learning Networks ◽  
Scholarship Of Teaching ◽  
Faculty Learning Communities ◽  
K 12

Many scholars recommend preparing faculty for educator roles. Faculty Learning Communities, The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), and teaching centers represent common preparatory approaches. But faculty and teaching assistants report time, disciplinary disconnects, and lack of incentives as ongoing barriers. Inspired by K-12’s professional learning networks and “hashtag activism,” the authors’ university launched #iteachmsu. #iteachmsu combines practices of social networking with a digital and in-person teaching “commons.” Through #iteachmsu, the authors hope to further shift campus cultures in the age of COVID-19, centering teaching and learning as a valuable and ongoing focus for an educator learning community (ELC).

Online Learning Community

2014 ◽  
pp. 1946-1962
Author(s):  
Eunice Sari ◽  
Cher Ping Lim
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Capacity ◽  
Online Learning Community ◽  
Unique Role ◽  
Professional Capacity

This chapter describes the role of the online learning community named OLC4TPD (Online Learning Community for Teacher Professional Development) in building professional capacity of Indonesian teachers. OLC4TPD was contextually built to address the challenges of teacher professionalism in Indonesia, which has contributed significantly to students' learning outcome. As an independent informal online learning community, OLC4TPD plays a unique role in schools' professional learning community. The authors investigate the role of OLC4TPD from different pillars that hold the professional learning community edifice. The four pillars are (1) collaborative teamwork, (2) teacher capacity, (3) leadership capacity, and (4) professional development. The chapter explains this unique role by showcasing several authentic examples on how OLC4TPD has improved professional capacity of teachers and teacher educators in an Indonesian context.

Professional Development Coaches: Perceptions of Critical Characteristics

2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peggy A. Ertmer ◽  
Jennifer Richardson ◽  
Jeffry Cramer ◽  
Laura Hanson ◽  
Wenhao Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Peer Mentor ◽  
Professional Development For Teachers ◽  
Critical Characteristics ◽  
Quality Professional Development ◽  
And Training

Current recommendations for achieving high-quality professional development for teachers include the creation of a professional learning community. Key to the success of this approach, however, is the role of the peer mentor or coach. This study examined the experiences and perceptions of 31 professional development coaches in order to highlight the characteristics believed to be essential for success. Results suggest that, while content expertise is perceived to be important, coaches believe that strong interpersonal skills are more critical since, without them, they are unable to use their content knowledge to facilitate changes in teachers’ practice. Suggestions for selecting and training peer coaches are included.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document