Following Up on Professional Development

Classroom Walkthrough: What Not to Do

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:16:00 +0000

I participated in Classroom Walkthrough (CWT) training yesterday, and I really think this is a wonderful tool.

Oops, I used a qualifier -big mistake. When employing the CWT tool developed by Teachscape to collect classroom data, we have to refrain from making judgments -positive or otherwise.

As a matter of fact, we're not even supposed to focus on the individuals who are teaching. Why? Because this tool was developed to help identify school wide patterns and trends and increase collaborative reflection. Therefore, it is also a great (there I go again, I can't help it) tool to identify professional development needs as well as measure collective improvement after training.

CWT can be used to see how effective the training and implementation have been, and to provide support where it is needed. I can not think of a better way to obtain non-evaluative, cumulative data to support our practice in the classroom.

Now that really is follow-up.

Webinars are wonderful!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:25:00 +0000

Why are webinars wonderful? Because you can share with colleagues, in real time. How does this relate to follow-up? Well, I think a webinar provides opportunities to collaborate and thus learn from each other.
Say you attend (or facilitate) a training event and you determine that meeting in a couple of weeks to share experiences on the implementation of strategies would be a good thing to do. Well, if you meet through a webinar you can share and collaborate in the comfort of your home or office.
One key to follow-up is continuous collaboration during the implementation of new knowledge and skills. Being able to collaborate at anytime of day in real time makes it very easy.

Diana

Invitation

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:47:00 +0000

You are invited to join us at the very first webinar on Follow-up to Professional Development hosted by our Professional Development Support unit of HRD.
Broward County teachers can register to participate via PDSS:

Title: What’s Next, Following Up?
Date: April 21, 2008
Time: 2:30 to 3:30 pm
Event: BE #10550009
Topic: What happens after the training has ended? How can we ensure that teachers implement what they have learned in their classrooms?

All you need is a computer and an Internet connection. I look forward to seeing you there!

This is it!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:34:00 +0000

I finally found it! This is the in-a-nutshell definition of Follow-up to Professional Development I have looked for for so long. Ready? Here it goes:

Follow-up is assessment of progress!

Thanks to the folks at the Georgia Department of Education...

It is that time of year again...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:23:00 +0000

No, I am not referring to tax-filing deadlines, although I am thinking about 'doing the numbers'.

This time of year, each one of us at the Professional Development Support unit is expected to collect data on the training that we wrote and delivered during this school year. We will collect test scores and completion percentages; we will then write the data on an evaluation table and take it to our next meeting, where we will learn how to best analyze results. And, just like the tax expert, we have to look at our numbers in order to optimize results. We look at the return on our professional development investment to keep those things that are working and change those that are not.

So? What does this have to do with follow-up? Well, research shows we have to support implementation of new knowledge & skills after training. In other words, is the new learning being applied in the classroom and/or the workplace? How do we know whether it has been implemented correctly? What can we do to support the person who is testing out these new skills in the classroom?

Putting in place mechanisms to support our implementation goals as we go along is almost like requesting the IRS to withhold the right amount from your paycheck. The amount is withheld monthly and you know that, since you are 'paying-as-you-go', chances are you will not owe anything when filing time comes.

Tax time is here, and so is the time to plan your professional development for the next school year. The PDS team at HRD is ready to help you plan professional development for your school as soon as you 'do your numbers'.

Ours is 754-321-5028; we look forward to hearing from you after FCATs.

Best practices - Larkdale ES

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:21:00 +0000

I am writing to announce a radical change in the orientation of this blog: from now on we will highlight best practices used throughout BCPS for follow-up support and implementation of new knowledge and skills.

Ms. Beverly Green-McFadden, form Larkdale Elementary, shared what her school does to provide support after training. She explained that classroom walkthroughs, informal peer observations, looking together at data collected after implementing new strategies, and the sharing of best practices at faculty meetings are some of the follow-up support mechanisms Larkdale ES teachers have put in place. She also mentions how important is the support received from NESS mentors and from curriculum support staff.

As a result, Beverly tells us that,"Learning and transfering a new skill is more effective when the setting is less threatening and not forced. Having someone from your team observe you practicing a new skill is less intimidating. Also, sharing out in faculty meetings what works for you is a helpful and good way to tell if others are using strategies taught in a professional development workshop."

So... kudos to the Larkdale ES teachers for collaborating, and to Beverly for sharing our own homegrown best practices with the rest of us.

If you want to be the next to share, please post a comment or email me at

diana.silberman@browardschools.com

Have a great holiday, and "see" you all in 2008.

Best practices

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:08:00 +0000

A colleague of mine recently found that North Carolina Schools are succesfully implementing ideas that foster follow-up. They developed a self-assessment form for individuals to reflect on their own transfer of new knowledge and skills from the workshop to the classroom.

So, without further ado, here is the self-assessment form. Download, print, use, and tell us how it worked for you.

Follow-up is homework...NOT

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:07:00 +0000

Since the question of whether follow-up and homework are one and the same keeps surfacing, I would like to ask a couple of reflection questions to the readers of this blog: "Is homework a process, or a product?"
Follow-up means making sure we practice what we learned continuously and effectively. So, is follow-up a process, or is it a product?

I look forward to your comments and reflections.

An every day life example

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:19:00 +0000

Apologies for not having made it to the blog in more than one month! My husband had a total thyroidectomy recently, and I have been quite busy as a result. Today, we are going to the doctor's for a follow-up. And since examples of follow-up have been requested, this is the best one I can think of.
You may feel going to the doctor is dreadful, but that depends on how you see things. What should you focus on? The (possible) dread of the follow-up visit, or the long-term results? If going to the doctor, taking your prescriptions, and doing what your physician says will make you feel better then that is what you should focus on.
The reflective practice of a skill acquired in training will bring about results that will help all those involved (i.e. coworkers, students, etc.) do better. Then, as you begin to notice the positive results effective practice brings, your attitude towards follow-up also improves. The key here is that behavior changes through reflection and practice. A change of attitude will follow after the results become evident (Guskey, 2002).

September 19, 2007 7:18 AM

What is Effective Follow-up?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 17:42:00 +0000

As professional developer in BCPS, I have been doing some reading on follow-up to professional development. Most experts agree that effective follow-up supports the transfer of new knowledge and skills to the classroom and/or workplace.

What do you think? Log in and share your thoughts, I'd love to hear from you!

On another note, Master Yoda will be the symbol of this blog for very obvious reasons. My picture will also be posted in the near future...well below his.

Diana