SUP-Week+8+Approaches+to+Professional+Development



Based on your research and analysis of **__one__** professional development (PD) approach, contribute your initial ideas and findings to the chart below by **Friday**. Be sure to include your name(s) next to your response in parentheses. //Note, be sure to add new ideas. In other words, if someone has already contributed an idea similar to yours, be sure to either expand upon that idea with a new thought, or offer a new strategy or idea.//

Revisit the chart throughout the remainder of the week, and contribute at least **//one//** comment to the two approaches you //**did not**// initially select. Please keep comments brief and concise.

In either your initial or subsequent post, contribute at least one resource (e.g. website or article) that supports the approach.

Mayra using the communities of practice professional development approach can be extremely beneficial especially when working together on a school wide behavior problem as you noted above. Individuals always produce more effective work when they are able to collaborate with members of a team. The collaboration with common peers is important because the team can learn, reflect, and grow upon the experience. (N.Twilley) Communities of practice provide the most practical advice to teachers and/staff who deal with students on a daily basis. I've sat in great trainings/workshops only to realize the approach doesn't fit the learning needs of any of my current students. Working in the field of special education, with a diverse caseload of students, it is important to have a community of peers to go to right when that difficult student arrives. It allows the group of educators to study real- life scenarios and be more time efficient to helping students making progress on IEP goals. (R. Dixit) || The theory of transformational learning has proven to be a uniquely adult learning theory. Transformational learning is defined as the taking of information that we know and deal with everyday and making it more meaningful. The CoP view of learning claims that learning, thinking, and knowing arise from the socially and culturally structured world. This allows the adult learner to use what is happening in the classroom and in the building as the focus for his/her learning (Rachel Furr, Jessica Broadwater) Smith, M. K. (2003, 2009) 'Communities of practice', //the encyclopedia of informal education//, [|www.infed.org/biblio/communities_of_practice.htm]. Rachel and Jessica- thank you for sharing this link. I found it very helpful in having a better understanding of transformational learning. The article explained and supported transformational learning very well. I liked how the article broke down the characteristics of communities of practice into three elements: 1) the domain 2) the community 3) the practice. (Heather Van Horn)
 * =  ||= **Communities of Practice** || **Electronic Portfolios** ||= **E-Learning** ||
 * **How does the approach support the needs of adult learners?** || A collaborative and community based approach includes the adult learner in the process of developing their skills and pedagogy. The use of strategies to create a cycle of self motivated and hence self directed professional learners is increased with the support of accountability from peers. As well as providing access to peers who are a resource. The community of practice ultimately includes an application of new strategies into the classroom. The theory of Andragogy, (Knowles 1980) asserts that adult learners need real life problems to solve. If the community based approach is ideal, the teams collaborating are targeting real issues whether they are analysis of data and student performance in order to increase effectiveness or a team reading journals or research based literature together to work on a school wide behavior problem. (Mayra Garcia) Mayra- I like this approach. I learn so much from collaborating with other teachers. I always feel that my time is used more effectively when I am able to meet with other teachers then by sitting in a workshop listening to a lecture (J. Shambaugh)

The Communities of Practice (CoP) approach supports the needs of adult learners because it allows for the distribution of knowledge. This sharing of information occurs in conjunction with highlighting strengths, motivating one another and inspiring others to find and examine their unique instructional styles. In addition, this approach allows for many avenues of differentiated professional development simply because it offers choices. Educational professionals are able to obtain resources, question theories and seek solutions to methods that are useful to them in a variety of ways. This differentiated approach involves the technological side of things as well as a more traditional means in communicating. The CoP represents a melting-pot of ideas that ultimately has the ability to reach a diverse population of professionals in order to meet their individual needs. One could surely say that CoP requires additional supports in order for this approach to be successful, thus yielding professional development that is of high quality and that effectively improves instruction. For instance, administration should continue to work hand-in hand with teachers to assist with identifying areas of improvement. We would argue that the main element that needs to be in place is communication or dialogue between all stakeholders. There are many professionals who would like to partake in a variety of professional development opportunities; however, they are unaware of how to access these items. CoP offers a tremendous resource bank that caters to the comfort level of each person. Administrators, seasoned teachers, media specialists and instructional support specialists are several of the people in our school building, on a day-to-day basis, that can assist in connecting us all to professional development opportunities such as CoP. With that being said, CoP supports teacher evaluation because professionals are given the opportunity to learn and support the experiences and expertise of other professionals. This distribution of knowledge creates an intense learning environment that extends far beyond the classroom walls. The goal of CoP is to strengthen the skills of educators by building upon a educational foundation (Stacey, Smith, Barty 2004). **Article:** // Adult learners in the workplace: online learning and communities of practice. Stacey E., Smith P., Barty K.//** (B. Richardson/C. Wilson) **


 * ||  convenient for them. Location of the presenter is not a factor in E-learning as well. Furthermore, e-learning is a way for adult learners who have little to no technology experience to gain hands on techniques that can immediately be implemented in a classroom setting. Finally, a teacher has more options when choosing the coursework that is most relevant to their needs because they are offered online and not in a traditional classroom setting. The US Department of Education has the Teacher-to-Teacher initiative that supports e-learning as a tool for teachers to work with and learn from each other (see http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tools/initiative/e-learning.html for more information) (Malaika Defoe)

The use of e-learning as a professional development tool can be very effective and supports adult learning. According to Malcolm Knowles and his theory of andragogy, adult learners benefit when their learning is self-directed, they are able to solve real life problems and have the ability to make immediate applications. E-learning lends itself to each of these areas. According to Kevin Kruse (2004), e-learning is self-directed, which allows people to work at their own pace. Use of discussion boards and other forms of communication allow people from all over to share, work together and learn from one another. Teachers are able to work together to solve real life problems that can be directly applied to their classrooms. Adult learners can have hectic schedules between work and family obligations, so e-learning allows learners to participate when it fits their schedules. Kruse, K. (2002-2004). //The benefits and drawbacks of e-learning.// [|www.e-learningguru.com]. Retrieved on November 17, 2009. (J. Shambaugh) Jessica: I like the idea of e-learning. As you mentioned, adult learners have many obligations and tight schedules. The flexibility of e-learning, coupled with the ability to learn from others across the globe, make it a great tool for teacher improvement. I have found a multitude of benefits from using e-learning for my own professional development. (B.Ruch) || Electronic portfolios are an interactive, often self-guided, online approach, which can be individualized to meet the teacher’s needs and also the needs of the students. They provide concrete evidence and a visual of growth and change over time. They allow for job embedded, meaningful activities to show achievement in both the teacher’s instruction and student learning. For adult learners, applying personal knowledge to everyday teaching experiences is key. It allows teachers to broaden the depth and breadth in connections of professional development to classroom applications. E-portfolios demand teachers and administrators reflect on lessons and activities immediately, while also using the data to analyze long-term progress and results. It expands the opportunities for teachers and administrators to access information. Electronic portfolios allow for asynchronous dialogue and participation. Students can be a part of this learning process, as well as it invites students to take part in an understanding of what constitutes good effort. The use of electronic portfolios encourages work both inside and outside of the classroom. Document to share: Article from Virginia Tech on ePortfolios for Professional Development- [|__http://www.lt.vt.edu/publications/2009_LT_Update.pdf__]. (Team //Synergy: Breeze, Dixit, Ruch and Turnof// ) I like how electronic portfolios allow for a self-guided approach. I have worked with many teachers who are very good at reflecting, choosing a weakness, researching the topic and using the research to develop a plan, who would benefit from this approach. I also like how it is a scrapbook of the teacher's progress. This will allow the to share his or her work with administrators and other teachers. (J. Shambaugh)

Team Synergy, in the fast-paced world in which we live in today, there is no greater feeling than having access to a tool that allows for many avenues to be explored. Electronic portfolios not only demonstrate the progress made by teachers, but also the achievements of our students. As educators, we are constantly faced with having time constraints in which we may have to complete 20 tasks in a very short time period. It is crucial that we evaluate and utilize our time wisely in hopes of broadening our own horizons as well as those of our students. In a technological society, electronic portfolios meet the needs of educational professionals as well as our student population. As you stated, the use of electronic portfolios encourages work both inside and outside of the classroom. ** (B. Richardson/C. Wilson) ** 

I took some time to review the document that your team shared. It was an excellent article supporting E-Portfolios. It is true that it serves as a learning record that provides actual evidence of individual achievement and performance. There is the opportunity to use it with principal and the teacher to review the teacher’s progress over a period of time. It also can be easily used in the academic setting for an effective training tool. Thanks, for sharing, what a great article to support E-Portfolios. (Heather Van Horn)

Team Synergy the website you provided is filled with valuable information regarding electronic portfolios. Like Heather, I spent some time reading the article and those who were involved with this program had a true understanding of the benefits eportfolios have to offer. They made it very clear how important eportfolios can be for tracking, documenting, evaluating, and even assessing employee's performance. The idea of being able to go back and track your data and progress over time will be benficial to all parties involved. By allowing the teacher's and administrator's more instant access to data the more likely they will use the data as a self-help instructional tool. (N. Twilley)

· E- Learning approach supports the needs of the adult learner because it allows convenience and flexibility in time, location and distance. E-Learning nature is focused learning; so adults can concentrate on the training that they need or desire. It also helps adults gain the technological aptitude necessary for modern industry. Adults can also update their professional skills through E-Learning by performing practical online activities and assignments related to their work field. ( S.Alexander-Laville) Sherla, I really like the idea of e-learning, especially the convenience and flexibility surrounding it which is what busy adults need. I think you make a great point about gaining "the technological aptitude necessary for modern industry." Any time professionals can expand their technological skills makes them more marketable. (M. Turnof).

In addition to flexibility in timing which allows the adult learner to participate at a time and place in which they are fully engaged, E-learning allows for more sustainability than a one-day professional development workshop. Facilitated online learning allows learners to collaborate and reflect on practices with both an expert and their peers. Learners are then able to connect with mentors and peers in similar positions, discuss and try new strategies and then come back to reflect on the results. Learners also benefit because online instructors are more available to participants. (K. Nichols Document to share: [])

E-learning, learning 2.0, or digitally enhanced learning supports the needs of adult learners in many ways. One of the most critical ways is by providing increased access. Adult learners face significant time constraints and even more significant scheduling constraints. Unlike children or students enrolled in a full time course they cannot often attend regularly scheduled and extensive classroom sessions. E-learning, especially asynchronous e-learning, can help adults engage in meaningful interactive learning activities when scheduling conflicts might otherwise interfere. Also adult learners tend to be more specialized learners. For example those of us in this program who are working as a special education school leader this is a fairly narrow program of study. Through the use of e-learning platforms individuals who are geographically dispersed can collaborate without having to spend the time and resources required to travel. Lastly, e-learning techniques are flexible and diverse which is important for adult learners who need more directive than younger students. (//Anthony Clancy, Heather Van Horn, Nicole Twilley//) You all bring up several critical points. As we are all aware, as adult learners, we must equate many factors in our equation of life. Juggling the demands of work, family, extracurricular activities and additional learning opportunities, we allow a great deal of stress to emerge. As educators, we all strive to find the best solutions to be influential forces within the lives of our students as well as our colleagues; however, the days are only so long. E-learning, provides a scenario that recognizes a busy, yet normal lifestyle that caters to individual needs and creates an amazing learning opportunity.** (B. Richardson/C. Wilson) **

Mayra, I tlike the CoP approach. As I reflect back to my first year as a LS teacher I remember relying heavily on the experiences and expertise of my mentor teacher. She was able to guide my in developing my teaching style, becoming familiar with the programs and resource my school had to offer, and in using various approaches to support the needs of my students. Through this process, I was also able to encourage her in the use of new technologies and provide her assistance in learning how to use the tools. We have developed a great relationship through this process and still look to each other for support and to share ideas. (B. Ruch) The Community of Practice approach supports differentiated professional development in our schools in several ways. First, our non-public programs are small (10 teachers), CoP reinforces and expounds upon existing social bonds within the school. Second, a structured CoP approach provides the opportunity to develop mentor relationships. Third, CoP offers the opportunity for action research, which can meet the specific needs of our school programs (Jessica Broadwater, Rachel Furr) Jessica and Rachel the CoP approach sounds like a great way to meet the different needs of your schools' teachers especially since there are a such a small number of teachers which lends to a lot of trust as the teachers work together towards mutual goals.(K. NIchols) ​ ||
 * || **Communities of Practice** || **Electronic Portfolio** ||
 * **How does the approach support differentiated professional development to meet the unique needs of staff in your school?** || Teachers at different places in their professional experience have different needs. In a community based approach the teachers who are new to the field can benefit from the experience of mentors or team members who have greater facility with making decisions based on experience. In addition the teachers who are on the more seasoned end of the population have the opportunity to work in teams and foster those who are coming into the field. If the approach includes workshops that occur over a period of time with an application component the teachers all become equal peers when new concepts are applied. Sternberg (1985, 1990) (Mayra Garcia)

· Scaffolding · Dialogue between administrators and teachers · Ongoing assessment that can lead to improved instruction and gives teachers and students more choices in the evaluation process · Development (working documents), reflection (learning) and representation (showcase for work) · Capturing evidence of instruction and validation of strategies · Portfolios with multiple purposes · Multi sensory approaches (sound, music, pictures, graphics and video) · Differentiating by grade and subject level · Collaboration · Individual creativity · Alignnment for multiple audience //Team Synergy (Breeze, Dixit, Ruch and Turnof)// Here is a general article about Electronic Portfolios with numerous links to other articles and examples [] (BREEZE) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Your synonpsis of what e-portfolios can do was extensive and although I personally have had little experience with them in the past, I am looking forward to seeing what I personally can do with one. I like the idea that so much creativity and personality can be a part of the e-porfolios. (MDefoe) || <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">A lot of the staff at my school have different needs as far as professional development goes. They could benefit from e-learning by having the flexibility to take the courses that would be most beneficial specifically to them and be able to do so at a time that is more convenient for them as well. We do not have substitute teachers in my program and anytime a teacher is out of the building, we have to move staff around to accommodate that teacher's absence. E-learning will allow for a teacher to receive the professional development that they need without disrupting the flow of the program. A teacher can then share what information they have acquired with other staff, who can then enroll in that course if they feel that it will meet their needs as well. (Malaika Defoe)
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Electronic Portfolio’s can be used to support differentiated professional development and meet the unique needs of individuals because this approach allows for:

Differentiating professional development is very important. A typical teaching staff will have teachers of all levels of experience, knowledge and education. Differentiating professional development will h<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> elp ensure that the trainings are beneficial to all staff members. E-learning can easily be differentiated. Since classes, discussion boards, etc…, are taken on-line and can be shared by several schools and school districts, there is a wide variety of topics and courses to choose from. Teachers can choose their own topics or supervisors can assign them based on need. (J.Shambaugh) Jessica - I agree - Providing teachers with a wide variety of professional development via elearning allows them to choose instruction that best meets their needs and learning style. (C. Breeze)

· E-Learning can support differentiated professional development by providing learning objectives for various types of educators who have many different skill sets. For example, a math specialist can take online courses to help them understand how to teach math to students with reading or comprehension issues or a classroom teacher can find courses directly related to management problem in his/her class. Teachers can also enhance their instructional skills by going through the modules at their own pace. Many E-Learning programs are specified for teacher training. School systems can create a needs assessment to determine which E-Learning program would be useful for regular professional development training. ( S.Alexander-Laville)

E-learning can support the need of differentiated professional development in my school because we have teachers that have many years of experience, but lack the knowledge of how to incorporate technology in instruction. By undergoing professional development through e-learning not only will the teachers have the flexibility to complete coursework, but they will also be able to choose what area of development would be most useful and productive on an individual basis. In addition, they will learn many web 2.0 tools that they can use during instruction. Also those teachers who may hold back during professional development workshops may have a greater oppportunity to express themselves and gain more from the experience. (K.NIchols) ||

Professional development has three components, orientation, integration, and refinement. The "buy in" that happens is vital to adequately present or elicit change or redirection. The anxiety of change needs to be confronted within the context of integration. Follow up is vital here and it is at the level of application and integration of the new change into the accepted practices. The community that is supported by the administration, as evidenced by allowance of time to meet, observe one another, and even to err as can occur when one is making something ones own,. Is going to take greater risks and believe in the value of learning as part of growth. Refinement can only happen when errors are made in the process of integration. Systems are often abandoned because follow up is poor, and practice with new strategies are not continued after the challenges of integrating or applying them occurs. The principal or administrative team cannot force this but if teams support one another and hold each other accountable then application and integration of new approaches are going to be achieved.
 * || **Communities of Practice** || **Electronic Portfolios** ||
 * **What elements need to be in place so that the professional development is of high quality and effectively improves instruction?** || According to Glickman et al. “ for profession development to be meaningful to teachers and to lead to teacher renewal, it must teacher as part of a school and district organization should define, lean and implement skills, knowledge and programs that achieve common goals of the organization.

In addition, Glickman et al also refer to the nuts and bolts of professional development. Real time and practical issues like temperature of the meeting places, allowance of snacks, rest periods and extremely practical elements need to be considered whether the professional development is one set meeting or one series of meetings that occur over time. I include accessibility to technology; after all we can not expect all teachers to participate if we do not have access to technology or even training to facilitate those who have not had experience with use of computers. (Mayra Garcia) <span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Hi Mayra, I think you make a lot of great points here. Basically all of the considerations good teachers have for years made with regard to instruction and especially assessment in classrooms full of school-children hold equally true when applied to adult learners. If anything they may hold more true since adults are less inclined to tolerate conditions they find objectionable if they perceive a way to improve them. Within the bounds of basic decorum and respect if I have to use the bathroom and the presenter is giving insufficent breaks then I am going to go and I am surely not raising my hand and asking for a pass. While I am not criticizing adults for treating children as children (nor applauding it) I think there is an unfortunate inclination for some engaged in adult education to treat their students in much the same way. If adult instructors instead perceive themselves more as hosts and their students as guests with all of the typical obligations existing in such a relationship, then I think many of the considerations you raise resolve themselves. Thanks. (A. Clancy) || In order to develop and utilize a successful CoP program, a school needs to exhibit characteristics of a positive school culture that values teacher development, professional growth, and collaborative problem-solving. Further, an established system of professional recognition and strong leadership must be in place as well as the opportunity for lower level leadership. The scope and goals of the CoP must be clearly defined so that the group maintains focus Jessica Broadwater, Rachel Furr). Jess and Rachel - I know that most leaders value professional growth and development, but moving from the traditional approaches in adult professional development (lecture and "this is what needs to be done") to a CoP can be a challenge. (C. Breeze)

The elements that need to be in place in order for a professional development to be in place for electronic portfolio's to be successful include on-going training and feedback on the creation, implementation and maintenance of the portfolios. Training needs to include the use, purpose and examples. The trainings need to be aligned with the teachers needs and national, state, county and school standards. There needs to be administrative support and training in technology. Included needs to be a rubric and standard for expectations. Website on electronic portfolios and learners engagement www.electronicportfolios.com/reflect/whitepapers.pdf (Breeze, Dixit, Ruch & Turnof/Team Synergy) ​ ​Team Synergy I agree that feedback is a very important element needed to elctronic portfolio's to be successful. I have found in the past that some school leaders come up with great ideas but when there is no immediate, consistent and constructive feedback the idea fails. K. Nichols
 * || || <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Teachers should be required to report/share what they have learned in at least one of their professional development course and demonstrate it at both a staff meeting as well as in a class that they teach. Goals for professional development should be clearly stated based on their individual needs and the courses they choose should help them reach those goals. (Malaika Defoe) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Malaika - Having teachers share what they have learned via elearning in a staff meeting is a great way to extend learning for all. (C. Breeze)

In order for e-learning to be high quality and improve instruction several elements must be put in place. First, there should be school wide, group and individual goals. Professional development should be based on these goals. This can be accomplished using e-learning. It is also important that the e-learning professional development follows three stages of learning- orientation, integration and refinement. Much of the professional development I have been involved in has not gone past the orientation stage and therefore has not been effective. Teachers need administrative support and time to complete professional development. E-learning allows for flexibility, so teachers can complete activities when they have free time. (J. Shambaugh) <span style="color: #0063ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Hi Jessica, I think you make a sad but fair point about the great start and terrible follow through of most professional development activities. Too often they are all orientation with little to no integration and zero refinement. Typically this is because the next hot new thing is coming through and the whole orientation process has to start again. Thanks! (A. Clancy)

· The elements that need to be in place for E-Learning to be effective for professional development are scheduling, location and computer accessibility. When attempting to have a professional development using E-Learning course or workshop it is important to schedule the activity in a week when most teachers are available. The flexibility of E-Learning will allow teachers to partake in the workshop when they can, however the follow up process of discussion should be in a forum where all teachers can view the results. Their still needs to be a timeline so that the E-Learning w activities are useful and reflective. If the school wants the teachers to partake in an E-Learning workshop on a particular day, the training should take place in one location like a computer lab or classroom with wireless access. Also teachers will need to have the proper flash players and graphic programs that are incorporated in E-Learning workshops for the professional development to be successful.( S.Alexander-Laville)

Principals need to have a clear idea of the wide rande of professional development needs of their staff and must also be able to provide the access to the necessary resources teachers need to participate in online learning. It would also be necessary to have someone the teachers to can seek help from if they experience technical difficulties. Principals and administrators also need to have an action plan as to how they are going to monitor participation in professional development and how they are going to follow up with the teachers about their experiences.(K.Nichols) Administrators need to be pro-active in planning for the technical glitches that come with e-learning. Some of us have resources or people we can call when we can't download a file or create a zip file. Others easily get frustrated and are turned off to the whole experience of on-line learning. Once you get through all of the issues, it can be a great learning experience, especially when the learning is applied to the classroom and shared with other staff. (R. Dixit) ||

Assuming that the teacher evaluation includes aspects of interpersonal growth, and professional development, CoP can support teacher evaluation. In addition, the mission and related goals of the CoP will support the development of effective instructional practice which is certainly a component of any teacher evaluation Jessica Broadwater, Rachel Furr)
 * || **Communities of Practice** || **Electronic Portfolios** ||
 * **How does the approach support teacher evaluation?** || In the same way that community based professional development elicits the teacher’s motivation to become a life learner. Continuous growth is the ideal that teacher evaluation should elicit. Teachers who are growing and self motivated are more likely to be excited by the work they are doing. Teacher evaluation is not the end objective but rather to identify strengths, further identify areas that the teacher wants to develop, and create a plan for growth and development. The collaborative team approach is the means for growth. While exposing ones weaknesses is challenging for adults, perhaps for children and adults, we do benefit from a forum where strategies can be exchanged. (Mayra Garcia) Mayra, I agree that teacher evaluation is not the end objective. The evaluation process should be the beginning of growth, the reason for discussion, changes and training to occur. Without proper evaluation, we can never get better. (M. Turnof) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">I must agree with you also Mayra. Teacher evaluations should elicit continuous growth and not be seen as a tool to point out what you do not do well! It should evaluate strengths as well as areas of improvement in order to be effective and helpful. When working with others and being open to constructive feedback, one can learn from their peers and grow professionally. (M Defoe) ||

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=|| Electronic portfolios provide a visual representation of learning that shows growth over time. It can be differentiated to meet the needs of all staff and their personal learning needs. The representations in the portfolio can have many different formats, showing teaching beyond pencil and paper tasks. It supports teacher evaluation, by being more flexible with it’s time requirements and allows for on the job learning which is more personal to the individual. It also allows for reflection, and dialogue and it provides easy access to a learning record for teachers and administrators. //(////Team Synergy – Dixit, Breeze, Ruch, and Turnof)// Here’s a link to an article about the e-portfolio development process: http://electronicportfolios.com/portfolios/aahe2000.html
 * || If a teacher has completed a course online, they should be able to demonstrate it in a classroom setting. As a supervisor does observations on a regular basis, s/he should pay attention to changes in either student learning or instruction based on the professional development that the teacher participates in. If a supervisor chooses a particular course for a teacher to take, that supervisor can then tell the teacher that s/he is expected to use the information acquired in the classroom setting and demonstrate the effectiveness of what was learned. (Malaika Defoe) As a supervisor conferences with and observes teachers, they can be looking for areas that teachers may need professional development. A supervisor may find that a cluster of his or her teachers need extra support in a specific area and can set up an e-learning experience for those teachers. Several supervisors can work together to set up an e-learning experience to involve teachers from more than one school. Also, if individual concerns are raised, individual teachers can take part in e-learning experiences. Since a supervisor will know the topics the teacher is exploring, during subsequent conferences and observations, the supervisor can look for growth in that area. (J.Shambaugh)

E-Learning supports teacher evaluation because teachers can take professional assessments after a course or workshop. Many E-Learning courses give instant feedback after an evaluation is performed. This feedback helps teachers obtain practical knowledge that can be quickly applied to their job function. · E- Learning Website: [|www.hotchalk.com] or [|www.e-learningforkids.org/] ( Sherla Alexander-Laville)

I think the reccommendation for e-learning should come from a teacher evaluation or even a school walkthough or learning walk. The observer may notice specific weaknesses within the classroom and then could suggest improving on this weaknesses through e-learning. It should then be the administrator's responsibility to follow up with the teacher that professional development in the area has taken place. Hopefullly, the professional development would be evident when the administrator observes (formally or informally) the teacher again. (K. NIchols)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We don’t think e-learning supports teacher evaluation per se. Also, we don’t think it is at all counter-productive to teacher evaluation and for all the reasons stated previously I think it supports teacher development. That is not to say that it is impossible to imagine ways in which technology involved in e-learning could be used to support teacher evaluation. One way could be learning communities. By videotaping lessons instead of using a single observer/supervisor model of teacher evaluation; the whole community can view the lesson and provide feedback in a forum. Website: [] (//Anthony Clancy, Heather Van Horn, Nicole Twilley//) || ===== = =

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