Jane+Guffey-Flynn

I fixed my references and paper.

Staff Development

Effective staff development contains three components crucial to success. Professional development must include supporting teacher growth, bridging the gaps, and giving teachers the tools to succeed. The new teachers and the veteran teacher need to see each other as allies and not enemies. They are all there for the greater purpose of educating children. These teachers bring a wealth of knowledge to the school and potentially to one another. Until Principal O’Connor fixes the broken and misguided relationships within the school walls he will not be able to retain the respect of the community. Hickory Ridge is in desperate need of bringing the staff together and working cohesively as a team.

Staff development with the focus on team building is a wonderful place to start. Kagan structures would be an excellent beginning. Kagan build teams using academic and non-academic themes. Adults want learning opportunities that are meaningful and practical to them, offer an immediate pay-off, involve reflection on their many experiences, and include social, active learning (Glatthorn, 1990) A review of adult learning theories identified specific conditions that may promote learning in the workplace: (1) opportunities for individuals to work with and learn from others on an ongoing basis; (2) collaboration in group work and learning; (3) chances to work with and learn from others of similar position; and (4) variation, challenge, autonomy, and choice in work roles and tasks (Smylie, 1995) In contrast to these conditions, many professional development opportunities for teachers are mandatory, uniform for all teachers, ancillary to their daily work, and occur only periodically.

Most adult learning theories reflect a constructivist view of learning in which learners acquire new knowledge by constructing it for themselves (Smylie, 1995) Learning in a constructivist perspective is “understood as a self-regulating process of resolving inner cognitive conflicts that often become apparent through concrete experience, collaborative discourse, and reflection” (Brooks, 1993). Learning is not only a matter of transferring ideas from one that is knowledgeable to one who is not. Instead, learning is perceived as a personal, reflective, and transformative process where ideas, experiences, and points of view are integrated and knowledge is created. When a constructivist perspective is applied to teacher learning, a key focus becomes how teachers learn to make critically reflective judgments in the midst of action and how they subsequently change their actions in response to new insights (Zepeda, 1999).

The next step would be to develop a professional learning community. Learning communities become important ways of supporting individual construction of meaning and knowledge (Kinnucan-Welsch, 1998). A book club is a great good step to building relationship between the staff members. A recommended first book would be __Water the Bamboo__ by Greg Bell. This book can be an impetus of change for the mindset of the school; it provides self-reflection of values, vision, goals, managing change and relationships.

The concept of an "inquiry community" encompasses teacher research communities, teacher research groups, and critical friends groups. This conception of teacher community foregrounds the role of systemic inquiry conducted with the support of colleagues as a means of improving teaching and learning in schools.

Inquiry communities rely on teachers talking about their teaching and using other tools to investigate or reflect on it, as described below. The purpose of such inquiry is to spur changes in what teachers know and do. (Cochran-Smith, 1992) concluded that groups of teachers who engage in such activity critique common practice, expose and examine underlying assumptions, and find other ways to make the language and conceptions they use problematic.

Teacher research generally involves observations in classrooms or analysis of student work and teachers' own practices (Hubbard, 1999) This work unfolds in groups that provide scaffolding and encouragement for the process of doing research and for more thoughtful teaching (Sagor, 1992) Such groups also create a venue in which teachers jointly engage in reading, writing, and discussion which enlarge their sense of the possible and desirable in their work (Fairbanks, 2006).

Action research would another option for this school to work with. Action research is the process of studying a real school problem with a focus on improving one's own teaching practice or enhancing the functioning of a school. Action research has been found to be "perhaps the most efficient and effective way to address the professional development of teachers" (Johnson, 2005).

=Bibliography=

Brooks, B. &. (1993). //In search of understanding: The case for constructivist classrooms.// Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Cochran-Smith, M. &. (1992). Communities for teacher research: Fringe or forefront? //American Journal of Education//, 298-324.

Fairbanks, C. &. (2006). Learning together: Constructing knowledge in a teacher research group. //Teacher Education Quarterly//, 7- 25.

Glatthorn, A. (1990). //Supervisory leadership.// Glenview: Scott Foresman.

Hubbard, R. &. (1999). //Living the questions: A guide for teacher-researchers.// Portland: Stenhouse Publishers.

Johnson, A. (2005). //A short guide to action research.// Boston: Pearson Education.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Kinnucan-Welsch, K. &. (1998). Challenging assumptions about teaching and learning. //Teaching and Teacher Education//, 413–427.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Sagor, R. (1992). Three principals who make a difference. //Educational Leadership//, 13-18.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Smylie, M. (1995). Teacher learning in the workplace. In T. H. Guskey, //Professional development in education: New paradigms and practices// (pp. 92-113). New York: Teachers College Press.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Zepeda, S. (1999). //Staff development: Practices that promote leadership in learning communities.// Larchmont: Eye on Education.

<span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Here is my rough version of the section based on staff development. I know it will need work, however, hopefully it will transition easily and I didn't overlap any one else. :) I am still working on the reference page.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">Staff Development

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Effective staff development contains three components crucial to success. Professional development must include supporting teacher growth, bridging the gaps, and giving teachers the tools to succeed. The new teachers and the veteran teacher need to see each other as allies and not enemies. They are all there for the greater purpose of educating children. These teachers bring a wealth of knowledge to the school and potentially to one another. Until Principal O’Connor fixes the broken and misguided relationships within the school walls he will not be able to retain the respect of the community. Hickory Ridge is in desperate need of bringing the staff together and working cohesively as a team.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Staff development with the focus on team building is a wonderful place to start. Kagan structures would be an excellent beginning. Kagan build teams using academic and non-academic themes. Adults want learning opportunities that are meaningful and practical to them, offer an immediate pay-off, involve reflection on their many experiences, and include social, active learning (Glathorn, 1990). A review of adult learning theories identified specific conditions that may promote learning in the workplace: (1) opportunities for individuals to work with and learn from others on an ongoing basis; (2) collaboration in group work and learning; (3) chances to work with and learn from others of similar position; and (4) variation, challenge, autonomy, and choice in work roles and tasks (Smylie, 1995). In contrast to these conditions, many professional development opportunities for teachers are mandatory, uniform for all teachers, ancillary to their daily work, and occur only periodically.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Most adult learning theories reflect a constructivist view of learning in which learners acquire new knowledge by constructing it for themselves (Smylie, 1995; Loucks-Horsley, Hewson, Love, & Stiles, 1998). Learning in a constructivist perspective is “understood as a self-regulating process of resolving inner cognitive conflicts that often become apparent through concrete experience, collaborative discourse, and reflection” (Brooks & Brooks, 1993, p. vii). Learning is not only a matter of transferring ideas from one that is knowledgeable to one who is not. Instead, learning is perceived as a personal, reflective, and transformative process where ideas, experiences, and points of view are integrated and knowledge is created. When a constructivist perspective is applied to teacher learning, a key focus becomes how teachers learn to make critically reflective judgments in the midst of action and how they subsequently change their actions in response to new insights (Zepeda, 1999).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">The next step would be to develop a professional learning community. Learning communities become important ways of supporting individual construction of meaning and knowledge (Kinnucan-Welsch & Jenlink, 1998). A book club is a great good step to building relationship between the staff members. A recommended first book would be __Water the Bamboo__ by Greg Bell. This book can be an impetus of change for the mindset of the school; it provides self-reflection of values, vision, goals, managing change and relationships.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">The concept of an "inquiry community" encompasses teacher research communities, teacher research groups, and critical friends groups. This conception of teacher community foregrounds the role of systemic inquiry conducted with the support of colleagues as a means of improving teaching and learning in schools.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Inquiry communities rely on teachers talking about their teaching and using other tools to investigate or reflect on it, as described below. The purpose of such inquiry is to spur changes in what teachers know and do. Cochran-Smith and Lytle (1992a) concluded that groups of teachers who engage in such activity critique common practice, expose and examine underlying assumptions, and find other ways to make the language and conceptions they use problematic.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Teacher research generally involves observations in classrooms or analysis of student work and teachers' own practices (Hubbard & Power, 1999). This work unfolds in groups that provide scaffolding and encouragement for the process of doing research and for more thoughtful teaching (Sagor, 1992). Such groups also create a venue in which teachers jointly engage in reading, writing, and discussion which enlarge their sense of the possible and desirable in their work (Fairbanks & LaGrone, 2006).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Action research would another option for this school to work with. Action research is the process of studying a real school problem with a focus on improving one's own teaching practice or enhancing the functioning of a school. Action research has been found to be "perhaps the most efficient and effective way to address the professional development of teachers" (Johnson, 2005, p. 44).

<span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Hi Everybody,

<span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">I thought the following article was an interesting place to start if you are <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> unfamiliar with cooperative learning. Happy Reading!

http://www.ed.gov/pubs/OR/ConsumerGuides/cooplear.html