Planning a Professional Development Day - Literature review Example

Plan for a Professional Development Day Name Course Tutor’s Name Date Rationale for the plan for a professional development day Practice Potentials (2008) observe that professional development is often perceived as a platform through which professionals can engage in continuous learning, which enables them to acquire new skills and knowledge and affirm their existing understandings. Additionally, professional development enables professionals to be updated with new developments in their fields of practice (Russell, 2009). The plan that is featured herein is intended to help the teaching staff participants to engage in continuous learning, acquire new skills and knowledge, affirm their existing understanding, and update them on new developments in teaching in line with the observations made by Practice Potentials (2008). The proposed plan will ideally enhance the participants’ capacity to work towards an improved quality in the programmes offered to children and their families. The topics that will be featured in the professional development day will include: gender, sex, sexuality, social class, rurality, status, aboriginality and ethnicity. Notably, there is evidence in literature that qualified staff have more capacity to provide high quality services to children when compared to their less-qualified counterparts (Taylor, 2006). Notably, and as indicated by Practice Potentials (2008), qualifications for the teaching staff do not just end with acquiring a degree or a diploma; rather, accessing a rich array of professional development exercises equips teachers (and other support staff who work with children and their families) with the skills, knowledge and improvements needed to make significant contributions in their teaching practice. As working with children and their families is challenging and complex, teachers need to go through professional development exercises more in order to share experiences, support each other, and identify ways through which they can handle the children and children-related issues better (Russell, 2009). To address the topics identified above (i.e. gender, sex, sexuality, social class, rurality, status, aboriginality and ethnicity), this plan will utilise study groups and case discussions as the two main tools for use during the professional development day. Study groups and case discussions have been identified as ideal tools for use in the promotion of reflection among professional. Specifically, study groups provide a “collaborative environment or mechanism through which teachers examine new information, reflect on their practice and outcome data and share ideas” (Dunne, 2002, p. 77). Case discussions have also been chosen for use because they provide teachers with the opportunity to examine practical learning or teaching situations and encourage them to be reflective in classroom-based problem solving. Aims for the professional day To focus on the teacher’s real work in relation to eight theme areas – gender, sex, sexuality, social class, rurality, status, aboriginality and ethnicity, which when addressed will equip them with knowledge on how to create a non-biased classroom environment among early childhood learners. Examine new knowledge in relation to the eight theme areas, with an aim of identifying the relevant and interesting developments that teachers need to have knowledge in Enhance the teachers’ content knowledge on the eight theme areas. Mirror student experiences (or ways of learning) in the eight theme areas, and help teachers to understand new ways of enhancing students’ learning. Build a community of learning among teachers, and consequently, build a culture of collaboration among teachers where they can learn from, and with each other. Develop leadership skills among teachers by giving different participants different leadership roles. Linking professional development to the school system by aligning the activities to the curriculum and the instruction methods used by teachers. Timetable (150 words) Time Activity 0800 hrs Participants arrive and are briefed on the aims of the professional day as indicated above. Participants organise themselves into three study groups, and each elects a group leader 0900 hrs Study groups start activities that involve investigating new developments in each of the eight theme areas, reflecting on how new developments compare with existing practice, and reflecting on how the new developments reflect on teaching practice. Participants also share experiences on how they (individually) deal with the new developments on the key theme areas in their teaching practice 1030 hrs Break 1100 hrs Resumes the study groups and expert professional development advisors take a proactive role of leading study group forums through which groups identify the ideal ways of enhancing students’ learning and participation in the eight theme areas. 1300hrs Lunch Break 1400hrs Case discussions start in each of the three groups with video case studies being shown to participants. They then discuss the different themes that emerge from the case study and indicate the valuable lessons derived from the case study. 1600hrs All three groups re-unite and discuss the any new findings and indicate the implication that such findings have on learning and teaching. 1700hrs Professional Development Day comes to an end. A date for the next professional day is made known to participants. Description of teaching/learning activities and justification for their selection According to Robinson and Diaz (2006), educators should “take a reflexive approach to their practice with children and families in order to understand how their subject positions in discourses can perpetuate, consciously or unconsciously, the social inequalities that prevail in society” (p. 169). Citing McNay (2000), Robinson and Diaz (2006) further note that reflexivity relates to teachers developing a critical consciousness and awareness about the relationships that they have not only with the students, but also with the students’ families and other teaching staff. Through adopting a reflexive approach, Robinson and Diaz (2006) argues that teachers are able to develop tolerance and foster respect among themselves, the students and their parents on a wide range of issues including diversity. Collectively, all the activities indicated in the table above are meant to enhance the teachers’ ability to adopt a reflexive approach when teaching in all the eight identified theme areas. Specifically, the activities were chosen because I was convinced that they were necessary if the teachers who would attend the development day would acquire the critical consciousness and awareness needed to develop relationships that would make it easier for them to discuss and teach issues in the eight theme areas, and also share their experiences and seek guidance amongst their peers. The first activity – participants arrive and are briefed on the aims of the professional day as indicated above – was picked because, as Russell (2009) observes, adult learners are different from young learners. Additionally, their motivations are different from the motivations of young learners. As such, the person planning the development day activities must respect teachers’ right to know, understand and ask questions relating to the day’s activities. Moreover, teachers must start the day not as recipients of knowledge, but as co-developers, co-innovators, and co-sharers of any knowledge that may emerge from the day’s activities (Harwell, 2003). The second sub-activity involves participants organising themselves into three groups ready for the discussion exercise and electing their own group leaders. This activity was picked for inclusion in the development day because as Practice Potentials (2008) notes, effective professional development usually involves staff (participants) in “assessing their own learning” (p. 128). As earlier noted, adult learners are different from young learners; the foregoing activity is therefore positioned to ensure that the adult learners participate in coming together in groups where they feel most comfortable, and selecting their own leaders. By so doing, and as noted by Russell (2009), participants will build confidence and sustain commitment for the day’s activities. Further, and as noted by Practice Potentials (2008), effective professional development should not only be grounded in a theoretical or philosophical base, but should also respond to individual participants’ contexts, backgrounds and experiences in their role in teaching. It is therefore imperative for the planners of a professional development schedule to include an interactive, hands-on and active approach, which the first activity has tried to do. By dividing participants into three groups, it is hoped that each group leader will be dealing with a small number of staff members and as such, it is more possible for him/her to understand each member’s level of experience in the eight theme areas and building a non-bias environment in a classroom and their learning styles too. Participants will also be free to alternate group leadership roles throughout the day in order to give each participant an equal chance at practising leadership skills. The foregoing activity is justified by Pont, Nusche and Moorman (2008), who observe that learning systems are decentralising leadership, and as such, most teachers need to perform as leaders at different times in their careers. Yet, Pont et al. (2008) note that many teachers lack the training or experience needed to be good leaders (even in their classrooms). Notably, assuming leadership position during the development day will not just be done for the sake of it; rather, it will act as a good training ground through which the participants can learn the roles of a leader. Such include adapting “the teaching programme to local needs, promote teamwork among teachers and engage in teacher mentoring, evaluation and professional development” (Pont et al., 2008, p. 3). By assuming leadership positions during the development day, participants will learn the importance of assessment, goal-setting and accountability in leadership. Pont et al. (2008) note that leaders in a learning environment have the responsibility of setting the strategic direction, developing plans needed to achieve such strategic plans, monitoring progress and improving practice. Applied in the context of creating a bias-free classroom environment for young learners, it would be expected that participants would be better equipped to set the agenda for the bias-free class irrespective of the gender, sexuality, status, ethnicity, rural origins or aboriginality (or lack thereof) representations in a classroom setting. Since most of the theme areas go beyond the classroom or school setting, leaders will need to be briefed about the importance of encouraging the development day participants to get involved, and draw examples from the communities they live in. As leaders, Pont et al. (2008) indicate that teachers have a responsibility to model collaborative behaviour to the young learners they teach, especially in diversity-related matters. The second activity involves study groups investigating new developments in each of the eight theme areas, reflecting how new developments compare with existing practice, and reflecting on how the new developments reflect on teaching practice. Participants also share experiences on how they (individually) deal with the new developments on the key theme areas in their teaching practice. The foregoing activity was chosen for inclusion in the development day because as Mitchell and Cubey (2003) note, professional development should be designed to help participants change their education beliefs, practice, attitudes and/or understanding. According to Mitchell and Cubey (2003), professional development should also encourage participants to investigate and challenge the ideas and practices which prevent communities from attaining an equitable society. The equitable society concept is especially relevant to the non-bias classroom environment theme established herein, where it is hoped that the professional development day will enhance the teachers’ capacity to create classroom environments which are free from bias. As noted by Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2010), striving to create an anti-bias classroom environment is an optimistic kind of work which is a developmental journey rather than a destination. As such, teachers must be willing, and well skilled and knowledgeable on how to enhance positive interaction among children of all genders, races, social status, backgrounds and religions among other differences. The third activity involves group leaders taking a proactive role of leading study group forums through which groups identify the ideal ways of enhancing students’ learning and participation in the eight theme areas. This activity was included in the professional day because it would enable the group leaders assisted by an external professional development expert to consider the participants’ skills, understanding, knowledge and aspirations, and also recognise each person’s learning context (Mitchell & Cubey, 2003). At this point, the expert advisors will also provide content and theoretical knowledge on the identified eight theme areas for purposes of ensuring that they offer effective pedagogy. As Mitchell and Cubey (2003) note, the content or theoretical knowledge can be generic (e.g. scaffolding, co-constructing learning etc) or context-specific (e.g. early literacy, creativity). The fourth activity – case study discussions – was adopted for use in this plan because in addition to providing teachers with the opportunity to examine practical learning or teaching situations and encourage them to be reflective in classroom-based problem solving, case study discussions also play a major role in helping participants question their practices and views. As noted by Mitchell and Cubey (2003) an effective professional development programme not only introduces new ideas to participants, but also helps them investigate and evaluate their existing practices, not for the sake of validating them, but for purposes of finding new ways to enhance the same. Additionally, an effective professional development plan considers the need to investigate real-life pedagogy examples and to encourage participants to make necessary changes in their pedagogical practices if at all it is found to be wanting. Arguably, case studies are an ideal method of self-reflection, where participants’ video recordings are reviewed, thus providing them a chance to question their own practices. According to Pont, Nusche and Hopkins (2008), case studies enable participants and advisors to make use of in-depth information based on real-life practice and can therefore “inform debate, guide practice and provide reference” for use in professional development day programmes (p. 18). At this point however Mitchell and Cubey (2003) indicate the need to involve an external adviser skilled in professional development to investigate and recommend changes to each participant’s pedagogical approach. It is also at the case study-related activity that participants and their advisors will have an opportunity to evaluate and reconceptualise current notions on the eight identified theme areas, which fall under diversity. The participants may for example want to evaluate of how each one of them perceives diversity. The importance of such evaluation is underscored by Rhedding-Jones (2005), who observes that the manner in which early childhood educators understand and perceive diversity affects how they enact their professional lives. Arguably, an educator who has always considered white people as being synonymous with privilege, domination and power as suggested by Rodriguez (2000) might perpetuate racial biases without even knowing by treating children ‘of colour’ with the ‘otherness’ mentality. Sometimes however, such an educator may not even realise that he/she is encouraging biases in the classroom, and it is during such times that another person’s opinion matters. As Williams and Cooney (2006) indicate, educators can “create a climate in which every child can question and learn, a place where everyone’s story – their background and experiences – is respected” (p. 75). The case studies activity can act as a platform through which each participant is evaluated for their ability to enhance social justice in their classrooms. Starting at four years of age, Williams and Cooney (2006) observe that children become aware of their gender, physical, social or racial differences, and therefore need the teacher to guide them accordingly towards developing a strong identity of self, respect for others, thinking critically, and developing persistence and confidence. The case study activity will also provide a platform where participants and their advisors can evaluate whether indeed each one is living up to the responsibility of adopting an anti-bias teaching method as suggested by Green (2001). The final activity, i.e. three groups re-unite and discuss the any new findings and indicate the implication that such findings have on learning and teaching, was included in the plan based on the need to enhance collaboration among participants and learn from each other. Additionally, this final activity provides school leaders and the professional development advisors with an insight on whether the activities of the day had any impact on the participants. As Pont, Nusche and Hopkins (2008) note, if not properly planned based on the expertise and experience of participants, professional development stands the risk of becoming “a compliance task rather than a learning opportunity” (p. 55). This last activity will therefore involve more than sharing knowledge developed by the three groups; the activity will gather evidence for use in school so that the leaders (e.g. the school principal) can understand the level of expertise possessed by the teachers and as such, design ways and means of using such expert resources effectively in the organisation. Implications on teachers In his opening chapter, Canella (1997) cites Delpit (1993, p. 139), who states that “we must learn to be vulnerable enough to allow our world to turn upside down in order to allow the realities of other to edge into our consciousness” (p. 1). Similarly, participants who will attend the professional development day will have been exposed to the realities of other teachers and to a scenario where they are able to evaluate and criticise their own beliefs and practices in the eight theme areas. From participating in the professional development day, participants will arguably be better positioned to create environments where there are no biases, having re-evaluated their own biases, knowledge and practices; and having been advised on better ways of establishing a non-bias class environment. Based on the aims set for the professional development day, teachers will also become better leaders and as such, will probably stop perceiving their roles as being subordinate to that of the Principal. Instead, they will start perceiving themselves as leaders in their respective areas hence assuming more responsibilities for their roles. Linked to the aims of the professional development day, it is also clear that teachers will start being more collaborative, supportive of each other, and willing to share their knowledge and experiences in the future. Consequently, the concept of a bias-free environment will not only be in the classrooms alone, but its effect will be felt in the staffroom and other areas of the school and the community (e.g. among parents who interact with the teachers and children). It is also possible that from the professional development day, teachers will have acquired the skills and knowledge needed to enhance their students’ learning using new approaches. Overall, and in line with other professional development programmes, the one-day professional development is also likely to enhance the participants’ ability to investigate real life situations and develop the right solutions to specific challenges either individually or in consultation with other teachers. It is also likely that the one day professional development programme will enhance participants’ knowledge and information regarding alternative perspectives and practices. The professional development day is also likely to provide participants with opportunities to question own views and experiences, and finally, the day will most likely provide participants with opportunities to engage in critical thinking, whereby each participant gets a chance to critically evaluate their values, beliefs and assumptions, especially in relation to gender, sex, sexuality, social class, rurality, status, aboriginality and ethnicity and any attached biases. References Canella, G. (1997). Why critique the field? Om J.L. Kincheloe & J.A. Jipson (Eds.), Deconstructing Early Childhood Education: Social Justice and Revolution (pp. 1-17). New York: Peter Lang. Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. Washington DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Dunne, K.A.(2002). Teachers as Learners: Elements of Effective Professional Development. 67-77. Retrieved 2 October, 2013, from http://www.pearsonassessments.com/hai/images/NES_Publications/2002_08Dunne_475_1.pdf Green, R. (2001). Creating an Anti-Bias Environment. In E. Dau (Ed.), The Anti-Bias approach in Early Childhood (2nd ed.) (pp. 15-28). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia. Harwell, S.H. (2003). Teacher Professional Development: It’s Not an Event, It’s a Process. Waco, TX: CORD. Mitchell, L., & Cubey, P. (2003). Characteristics of Effective Professional Development Linked to Enhanced Pedagogy and Children’s Learning in Early Childhood Settings: Best Evidence Synthesis. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Pont, B., Nusche, D., & Moorman, H. (2008). Improving School Leadership. Volume 1: Policy and Practice. Paris: OECD. Pont, B., Nusche, D., &Hopkins, D. (Eds.) (2008). Improving School Leadership. Volume 2: Case Studies on System Leadership. Paris: OECD. Practice Potentials. (2008). Impact of Participation in Professional Development and Support on Quality Outcomes for Children in Childcare Centres. Access Macquarie Limited, 1-159. Rhedding-Jones, J. (2005). Questioning Diversity. In N. Yelland (Ed.), Critical Issues in Early Childhood Education (pp. 131-145). Maidenhead: Open University Press. Robinson, K. H., & Diaz, J. (2006). Diversity and Difference in Early Childhood Education: Issues for Theory and Practice. NY: McGraw-Hill Education. Rodriguez, N.M. (2000). Projects of Whiteness in Critical Pedagogy. In N.M. Rodriguez & L.E. Villaverde (Eds.), Dismantling White Privilege: Pedagogy, Politics and Whiteness (pp. 1-24). New York: P. Slang. Russell, A. (2009). Child Care Staff: Learning and Growing through Professional Development. Australian Government: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. 1-40. Williams, K.C. & Cooney, M. H. (2006). Young Children and Social Justice. Young Children, March, (pp. 75-82). Read More