PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Professional Development Plan

Professional Development Plan

Introduction

The definition of professional development varies in school districts and educators agree that the term is ever changing and involves the use of technology. Professional development goes beyond the term teaching with its suggestions of learning skills, and includes a definition that includes formal and informal means of helping teachers not only learn new skills, but also develop new insights into pedagogy and their own practices, and explore new or advanced understandings of content and resources. [This] definition of professional development includes support for teachers as they encounter the challenges that come with putting into practice their evolving understanding about the use of technology to support inquiry-based learning (p.2).

Discussion

Professional development may encompass various characteristics such as goals and outcomes aligned to the districts, relevant topics in trainings, opportunities for staff collaboration, development maintained by an on-site coordinator, high quality and professional training and evaluations to determine effectiveness of program.

James Polk, author of traits of effective teachers, states, “the need for a strong professional development program is well established in research” (p.2). Mr. Polk (2006) cites a recent study of factors contributing to three aspects of the teaching process that, “teachers ranked professional development in the top third of importance on each aspect” (p. 2).

Analysis of the Development Program

In analyzing the professional development plan of Richland County School District One, it is noticed several issues that were identified by Mr. Polk. Mr. Polk outlined several problems associated with the traditional in-service programs that are deemed ineffective. Mr. Polk (2006) states that: assumptions, such as periodic in-service being sufficient to develop new teaching methods and improve practice, teachers being able to learn by listening to a speaker, and professional development being a luxury rather than an integral part of district improvement, are all negating factors ...