These workshop materials provide ideas, focus questions and information that can be used to promote individual, group and whole school community discussion and planning for effective professional learning. The modules could be used in stage and faculty teams, staff meetings and parent workshops.

Title

Planning for effective professional learning

Purpose

This workshop is designed to assist school leaders and consultants in planning for effective professional learning.

Outcomes

This workshop will enable participants to:

• participate constructively in professional discussions with colleagues to plan for effective professional learning
• demonstrate commitment to continuous professional learning by exploring educational ideas, issues and research.

Workshop materials

• PowerPoint presentation
  Video excerpts are embedded in the PowerPoint presentation
• Handout 3: Key messages identifies by the consultants
• Handout 4: Planning
• Professional Learning and Leadership Development Directorate:
  Action Research in Education (optional)
  https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/proflearn/research/actres.htm

Related materials/readings

• Report: Aligning Quality Teaching and Assessment: a model for evaluating professional learning in an action learning project.
  The report provides valuable background information for the workshops.
• Guskey, T (2000). Evaluating Professional Development. Thousand Oaks, Corwin Press.
• The paper, A Conversation with Thomas R. Guskey at
  http://www.hfrp.org/evaluation/the-evaluation-exchange/issue-archive/professional-development/a-conversation-with-thomas-r.-guskey
  background information to the structure of the report

Facilitator’s notes

It is recommended that facilitators read the report and view the entire resource prior to the workshops.

All handouts should be prepared prior to delivering the workshop.

Duration

1 hour

• Slide 1: Show title slide and provide brief background to the project. The report Aligning quality teaching and assessment project: a model for evaluating professional learning in an action learning project provides valuable background information for this workshop.

• Slide 2: Discuss the purpose of the workshop.

• Slide 3: Discuss the workshop outcomes.
  

• Slide 4: Facilitator reviews responses from teachers and from participants in previous workshop.

• Slide 5: View video excerpts of consultants discussing professional learning.
• Distribute Handout 3: Key elements identified by the consultants.
  

• Slide 6: Facilitate the group discussion activity.

• Slide 7 : Facilitate the planning activity.
  Distribute Handout 4. The facilitator may choose to allocate a number of the key messages to each group.
  
  The text, Guskey, T (2000). Evaluating Professional Development. Thousand Oaks, Corwin Press is a valuable resource on the collection of data to determine the effectiveness of the professional learning linked to improved student learning. The report, Aligning Quality Teaching and Assessment: a model for evaluating professional learning in an action learning project is structured on Guskey’s model.
  
  http://www.hfrp.org/evaluation/the-evaluation-exchange/issue-archive/professional-development/a-conversation-with-thomas-r.-guskey

Download Handout 3 here
Download Handout 4 here