Thirteen years after the publication of the book "Social Network Theory and Educational Change," what can we say about the evolution of research connecting social network theory and analysis with teacher professional development? In this evolution, we can witness a conceptual shift in the literature connecting teacher professional…

Microteaching is a way of doing professional development for teachers wanting to incorporate new evidence-based and high-leverage practices into their instructional toolboxes. Given how much work is required in teaching and the limited time professionals have available, microteaching is an accessible process that supports instructional improvement…

TikTok has gained in popularity across teachers. One TikTok trend related to classroom management is called "Secret Student." Secret Student aims to improve classroom behavior by rewarding an anonymous, randomly chosen student. In this article, I describe common practices and variations of the Secret Student intervention as well as…

The Teaching and Learning Network (TLN) at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, represents an effective network model for faculty and educational leadership development. Grounded in the principles of communities of practice (Wenger, 1998), the TLN is a collaborative network that fosters interdisciplinary dialogue, relationship building,…

A recent independent evaluation by WestEd of Learning Forward's What Matters Now Network looked at the ways in which a structured, facilitated network provided support for state-level coalitions working with districts, schools, and educators to improve instruction and make progress toward achieving content standards. The network was facilitated by…

Centers for teaching and learning (CTLs) address external and internal factors that influence teaching and learning. To accomplish this, often without additional resources, CTLs need an efficient and effective solution. By combining evidence-based practices in faculty development and a distillation of effective practices at three different…

The Short Readings Group, a reading group collaboration between faculty and the library, allows educators to deepen their understanding of their subject area and of the teaching profession by engaging with current articles and texts from various subject areas. For the library, the model allows librarians to showcase library resources, engage…

Special educators must be prepared to meet the diverse needs of their students, yet they have few opportunities to collaborate with others in similar roles or receive targeted professional development. Therefore, practices that intentionally sustain special educators are needed. Such experiences have existed in the professional development world…

By prioritizing engagement opportunities, faculty development programs have the potential to help participants build relationships with available support systems, consider the perspectives and needs of their students, and interact with a community of practice. This article considers the engagement strategies that remain core to a professional…

This article aims to explain how social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter can be useful setting for effective professional learning communities (PLCs) for physical educators. It also pinpoints the opportunities and challenges of using social media for PLCs and provides recommendations for physical educators and physical education teacher…

This essay documents approaches to growing honors affiliate faculties through community and university partnerships. The need for new strategies to prepare non-traditional faculties is shown by evidence that the student population is changing and by the critical responsibility honors programs have in the mentorship of diverse students.…

The purpose of this article is to present three professional engagement activities that are embedded in one online professional learning community named Health Teacher Central: (a) accessing to professional learning community; (b) pair and share; and (c) be an educated consumer. It is suggested that teacher educators can integrate these activities…

Facilitated networking, integrated into professional development programs, allows faculty participants to foster opportunities for engagement while strengthening collaborative relationships that help to humanize digital learning. This article considers the networking that is central to a professional development program that credentials faculty at…

How can we guarantee the time and effort we invest in professional learning will lead to meaningful and enduring improvements? Thomas R. Guskey, professor emeritus at the University of Kentucky, shares six steps to evidence-based professional learning that makes a difference.

In this article, we describe two large-scale, professional development programs that are grounded in communities of practice in the geosciences. Each program uniquely fostered leadership skills among the participants, and many community college instructors emerged as leaders on their campuses and beyond.