Part 1:
Meet with your learning team. (If you cannot all be in the same physical location, you might consider communication tools such as Skype, LiveMeeting, or other network services.) Share with the team some of the principles outlined by Hirsh and Killion in this week’s Learning Resources. Then ask them to help you clarify the principles that underlie your school’s professional development practices.
What principles seem to guide professional learning at the school?
What examples of professional development routines, practices, and policies at the school illustrate these principles?
Then, look at the “Changing Professional Development” chart on page 468 of the Hirsh and Killion article. Ask your learning team to share ideas about where your school/district is placed on the continuum from outdated practices (the “From” column) to effective research-based practices (the “To” column). Try to identify two or more areas of strength and two or more areas that need improvement related to your school/district’s professional development efforts.
Part 2:
On your own, consider what you want to learn in this course to help bring about positive change that results in improved student learning at your school or district. Bring to mind the schools described in the “Promises Kept” article and think about the commitments you would like to be able to make to students. What positive influence do you want to bring to students and colleagues to promote effective and powerful learning and collaboration at your school and in your district?
Submit a summary of the main ideas and insights that you gained about professional learning by meeting with your learning team, including areas of strength and those that need improvement. Then, state your learning goals for this course based on what you and your learning team perceive to be the needs of your school/district. Explain how your professional learning will ultimately benefit the students at your school/district and share two or more commitments you will make to students.