The Need to Rethink Professional Learning
The Need to Rethink Professional Learning
Professional development has traditionally been a passive process, with teachers attending information-packed sessions that, while well-intentioned, do not generate the expected impact on their daily practice. With the accelerated pace of change in education—new research, technologies, and pedagogical approaches constantly emerging—it is critical that educators not only receive this new information but also have the time and resources to apply it effectively in their classrooms.
However, one of the most significant barriers to implementing new strategies is the need for more follow-up and support during the implementation process. Often, teachers face these tasks alone, without adequate accompaniment to help them overcome the challenges of implementing new methodologies. Furthermore, many professional development programs group multiple topics, resulting in sessions that only sometimes align with teachers’ needs.
We need to reform our approach to professional learning to make it more continuous, relevant, and personalized. Sessions should be practical and collaborative, with follow-up and mentoring mechanisms to ensure teachers can incorporate new ideas into their daily teaching. Following the principles proposed by Gulamhussein (2013), we can design professional development that transfers knowledge and provides the support and tools necessary for educators to achieve significant classroom changes, thus benefiting student learning.
Five Key Principles of Effective Professional Learning (Gulamhussein 2018)
1. Duration and Continuity
Effective professional learning cannot be a one-time event. For teachers to truly internalize and apply new strategies, there must be a sustained and continuous approach. Brief, sporadic sessions do not provide enough time for reflection, practice, or adaptation of new ideas in the classroom. Instead, professional learning should offer multiple opportunities over time, allowing teachers to implement new practices, evaluate the results, and make necessary adjustments. This continuous approach fosters a culture of lifelong learning and will enable teachers to adapt to changes progressively and sustainably.
2. Ongoing Support
Support is crucial for the successful implementation of new methodologies. Instead of leaving teachers on their own after a professional development session, an active support system must be in place. This could include mentors or instructional coaches who work closely with teachers, providing guidance, advice, and feedback as they apply the new strategies. Having someone to discuss challenges and successes with strengthens teachers’ confidence and provides them with the tools to overcome obstacles, ensuring the implementation process is more effective.
3. Active Engagement
Passive learning, in which teachers are mere receivers of information, has proven ineffective in the long run. For teachers to truly benefit from professional learning sessions, they must be interactive and participatory. Educators should actively participate in activities that allow them to experience the new strategies firsthand. This could include small group discussions, collaborative projects, simulations, or direct practice of what is being taught. Active learning not only maintains participants’ interest but also allows them to connect theory with practice more effectively.
4. Modeling of Best Practices
One of the most effective ways to teach new methodologies is through modeling. It’s not enough to explain how a strategy works; educators need to see real-world examples in action. By observing how these new techniques are applied in practical contexts, teachers can better understand their functionality and how they can adapt them to their classrooms. This modeling can include live demonstrations, videos of real classrooms, or even observing colleagues in their work environment. Seeing a successful practice in action helps teachers visualize their implementation more clearly and effectively.
5. Content Relevance
For professional learning to be truly useful, it must align with the context and specific needs of the teachers. Generic sessions that need to consider the grade level or subject matter the teachers are responsible for tend to be less effective. Instead, professional learning content should be explicitly designed to address the challenges and opportunities faced by educators in their respective disciplines. For instance, strategies for an elementary school teacher should differ from those for a high school teacher, just as approaches to teaching science may vary significantly from those for teaching literature. By tailoring the content to the teachers’ specific needs, the relevance and impact of the learning are maximized.
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Why
My personal why is based on providing students in the primary grades with a tool that will allow them to develop critical thinking, creativity, and ownership over their learning. In today’s digital world, students have instant access to information, often bypassing essential skills like analysis and comprehension. This reliance on quick online searches undermines the need for deeper engagement with content. Furthermore, traditional methods of teaching and assessing reading comprehension—through preselected topics and multiple-choice questions—fail to captivate students, as these approaches do not align with their interests or encourage meaningful effort (Gulamhussein, 2013).
By integrating ePortfolios, I aim to allow my students to choose texts that excite them, create their own comprehension questions, and take full ownership of their learning process. This approach enhances engagement and fosters a genuine desire for analysis, critical thinking, and creativity (Harapnuik et al., 2018).
What:
The introduction of ePortfolios in our classroom will shift the learning process from passive to active. Instead of merely responding to predetermined questions, our students can select reading materials that resonate with their interests. They will then generate comprehension questions based on their selected texts, which they will share with their peers in their ePortfolios. This allows them to challenge one another in a collaborative learning environment that promotes critical thinking and interaction (Harapnuik & Thibodeaux, 2023).
ePortfolios will serve as a dynamic platform for students to showcase their work, track their learning progress, and engage in reflective practices. The ability to document and reflect on their educational journey will enable students to take pride in their accomplishments while fostering a sense of ownership over their academic growth.
How:
The successful implementation of this proposal will be facilitated through structured use of academic tools like Google Workspace, where students will submit their work, engage in peer review, and collaborate on refining their understanding. This process of sharing and critiquing one another’s questions will not only deepen their comprehension but also promote teamwork and problem-solving skills (Gulamhussein, 2013).
References:
- Gulamhussein, A. (2013). Effective Professional Development in an Era of High Stakes Accountability.
- Harapnuik, D., & Thibodeaux, T. (2023). COVA: Inspiring Learners Through Choice, Ownership, Voice, and Authentic Learning Experiences.
- Harapnuik, D., et al. (2018). Learner’s Mindset and ePortfolios: Choice, Ownership, Voice, and Authentic Learning.