Discusses the development of information technology (IT) in teachers' professional work and its development within organizations based on examples in the United Kingdom. Highlights include Project INTENT, to improve IT in teacher education; dimensions of professional development; personalized strategies for staff development; individual and group…

Betty Dillon-Peterson, the director of staff development for the Lincoln (Nebraska) schools, relates key experiences which shaped her career and also her views about how staff developers can work effectively. She advocates design of a special course of study for staff developers. (PP)

Presents 10 ways child caregivers can provide themselves with opportunities to develop positive attitudes and improve relationships. Includes visualizing possibilities, setting goals and learning to plan, including personal recreation, finding a mentor, joining a professional organization, keeping a journal, volunteering, striving for balance, and…

Describes six ways an English supervisor or any other instructional leader can reach beyond the school system to learn about current practices in the field. (HOD)

Examines research about the effectiveness of professional development. Procedural guidelines drawn from research on individual and organizational change provide a framework for developing the optimal mix of professional development processes and technologies for specific contexts at particular points in time. The potential impact of implementing…

A staff development program in a Vermont school district relies heavily on teachers' self-appraisal and their desire for self-improvement. To assist teachers, the district has invited university instructors to teach graduate-level courses in the schools, hired consultants to speak, arranged workshops, and organized summer institutes. (MLF)

Suggests ways child care directors can support staff in their professional and personal development and still maintain a solvent operation. Suggestions include conducting an all-agency training audit, creating a training accountability chain within the agency, providing information about and expectations for training and its outcomes, and…

Presents six suggestions for personalizing professional development for middle school teachers: (1) encourage openness to change; (2) facilitate teachers' self-assessment; (3) urge teachers to be learners; (4) encourage a focus on the enjoyable in teaching; (5) advocate that teachers contribute to peers' growth; and (6) promote full lives beyond…

A process of decision making and professional growth is described as a tool for refocusing on individual growth for professional development and redefining the relationship between professional development and organizational outcomes. Refocusing on individual professional growth is an intervention aimed at reconceptualizing the linking…

A staff developer summarizes the impact of several formative experiences on his career and professional outlook. Through his work as a Colorado state science curriculum consultant and his participation in various state and national organizations, he learned the importance of forming collegial relationships and networks to effect change. (PP)

The author, a private educational consultant in Michigan, traces the influence of early experiences, positive and negative role models, and various jobs on his career development. As a counselor and teacher trainer, he was particularly concerned with teacher burnout and stress. (PP)

Portfolios are increasingly being used to demonstrate competence and to show development needs among employees in organizations. This book explains what a portfolio is and how it links with the current training revolution taking place through the introduction of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) in Great Britain. It shows how portfolios…

Professional life planning means taking a self-directed, systematic approach to professional renewal. To engage in professional life planning (or self-directed professional development) is to take greater control of one's life. Four major actions comprise the essence of professional life planning; they are self-assessment of professional strengths…

A California University systemwide approach to professional development encompassing the three facets of personal development, instructional development, and environmental modification is summarized. Objectives of professional development and objectives of successful campus programs are presented and aspects of the Center for Professional…