January 7, 2025
Our world is in disarray and now it is vital that educators are supported to assist their students to understand and manage the changing landscapes that surround them locally and globally. Can teachers identify and maximize appropriate Professional Development (PD) opportunities that can help them do this? In our articles we usually focus on students’ curriculum and learning and don’t often consider teacher education and teachers’ opportunities for formal learning. Schools have a responsibility to support ongoing staff development but often this is driven by teacher certification requirements and compulsory courses. Most schools have financial constraints and unfortunately the funding shortfalls are driving choices for teachers and principals. However in order to inspire teachers and encourage their personal educational interests efforts must be made to ensure they have some options. Ideally PD could both tick the certification boxes it needs to and also provide teachers with what they need as learners in a holistic way?
When available to teachers PD has the potential to be a powerful tool, but is not always so. We decided to investigate how PD is allocated from the perspective of leadership teams, administrators as well as faculty. The interviewees included Megel Barker, Head of Middle School TASIS (The American School in England), Cathy Emery, Technology Integrator (Maine), Mark Emery, Grade 7 Science teacher (North Yarmouth), and Jenny Tiefel, International School Art Educator (The American International School of Muscat). There was a range of PD options available in the different schools. These included the development of a specific PD program focusing on High Impact Teaching Strategies and Digital Citizenship, coaching to support teachers in finding the appropriate choice-based technology PD experiences, hybrid PD combining required training together with PD that aligns with learning goals and ‘in-house’ PD alongside teacher choice.
One way for teachers to reflect on how they can make the most of their PD is to use the Detective Toolⓒ from our book “21 Visual Thinking Tools for the Classroom: Developing Real-World Problem Solvers in Grades 5-10” can support teachers in developing these skills and also in analyzing their PD opportunities.
TOPIC: PD OPPORTUNITIES
IDENTIFY & DESCRIBE the situation: What are your specific requirements, which providers are available to you given resources, time frame, etc. How can you make the most of opportunities that come your way to benefit your students? How can it align with your school philosophy?
REASONS: Why has this happened? Can you see it from different points of view?
Why are you looking for in PD, e.g. for recertification, how will it benefit you and your students? What collaborative opportunities could this PD offer for the rest of the faculty?
PROCESSES: What are the systems or processes involved, e.g. logistics and time frame? Does the PD offer opportunities for the transfer of skills? Will this PD directly influence and or change any aspect of your classroom practice? How can your school use PD as a way to support teacher retention, especially new teachers?
Does the PD involve using Generative AI in any way?
Here are some quotes from our interviews:
“We are embracing AI and seeking opportunities to be more effective in our practice. We are framing AI as a thought partner, a collaborative colleague who helps with ideational strategies. Teachers have the opportunity to utilize AI prompts to improve differentiation, accommodate learning needs and enhance learning. Some teachers use AI to develop rubrics, make them student friendly and to increase engagement”
Dr. Megel Barker
“I would definitely prioritize this topic in PD in the near future, especially any focus on the pros and cons of using it and best practices”
Cathy Emery
“Actually, we are developing a PD program specifically on AI in the classroom, both from a teacher’s use perspective and from a student’s use perspective. How can we, as teachers, use AI to enhance our teaching practices?”
Mark Emery
“The biggest insight I gained was our role as educators to have conversations with students and colleagues about how we use and shape AI rather than how we ‘deal with’ or ‘manage’ it”
Jenny Tiefel
TIME AND PLACE: Where and When
Is there allocated time in school? Is it online or face to face? Which way do you learn most effectively?
ETHICAL: What Ethical Values can you identify? Does the PD offer opportunities to integrate ethical perspectives into the student learning experience, e.g. discussions about ethical use of AI? How can you use this opportunity to incorporate values such as Respect and Fairness into the curriculum? Could this PD help me think creatively to include ethical values in a meaningful way, and not as an add on?
You are probably thinking of most of these questions in any case, however this tool could help you make a choice between options and intentionally incorporate more holistic and ethical elements into your decision-making process. Our findings are not meant to be comprehensive, more a slice of life and exploring current and emerging trends including the ethics of using AI. In spite of all the regulations that schools and teachers need to apply to their professional development, it should be emphasized that educators need to be nourished and nurtured with their own educational objectives if they are to inspire learning in their students.
References
Barker, M., Dr. (2024, November 10). [Personal interview by the author].
Emery, C. (2024, October 9). [Personal interview by the author].
Emery, M. (2024, October 8). [Personal interview by the author].
Tiefel, J. (2024, October 13). [Personal interview by the author].
