If the quality of teaching that children experience is the most important factor in their attainment, why has there traditionally been so little
emphasis on professional development for educators?
In our
research on professional development we work to consider a variety of formats and designs that are both interesting to educators as well as effective models for improving teacher education.
I also
led on professional development, training teachers in the integration of digital technologies through a variety of formats such as webinars and conferences.
However, less than a third of math teachers and only a quarter of science teachers spend more than 35 hours
on professional development related specifically to teaching their subjects.
Take on some professional development: upgrade a certification or qualification, enroll in a course at a local post secondary institute, attend a company conference, or join a new professional association.
Again, I'm wondering if it would be best to focus
on professional development about the formative assessment process in the first release of resources in the digital library.
Perhaps the most promising bright
spot on the professional development landscape is that despite budget cuts, schools acknowledge that professional learning is the key to improving instruction.