One thing that I believe is absolutely essential for successful and long term change within a school is time. This is identified and taken into account in CBAM but is so often overlooked by our departments where new programs are imposed at a rapid rate. Another aspect that is also very important is that the training is seen to be useful and relevant to the needs of the individual or school.
The following example of training that I have attended very much incorporates these elements. Lisa Burman, an educational consultant, ran a series of sessions in the area of reading comprehension.
http://lisaburman.com.au/
What made this PD so worthwhile were the following:
* our own staff identified the need for the training;
* through consultation with Lisa, the PD program was established;
* the structure of the PD - 1 full day training followed by 1/2 day training in year level teams which involved discussion and a modelled lesson with classes from our own school, a follow up after school session for each year level team on the specific area identified by the group;
* time was given to teams during and after the training sessions to work together, identify future needs;
* whole school commitment to the initiative.
Lisa also provided very practical sessions, had realistic expectations of staff and empathy for what it is like to work in a school. She also had credibility as she was able to implement her work into our classes.
This initiative was not imposed by our department, was self-directed, and the learning that was gained is still strongly implemented in our school and is having positive results on student outcomes. I discuss how I have described my role in this in a previous post. http://sakepuss.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/tl-and-curriculum-my-thoughts.html
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