This paper examines the authors' experiences as action learning set facilitators within a public sector organisation undergoing change. Our objectives were to assist in the identification of internal and external drivers for change and to work with the set to explore how people's roles and responsibilities might be enhanced and developed in a…

The Consortium for Post-Compulsory Education and Training (CPCET) is a single subject consortium of further education and higher education providers of professional development relating to in-service teacher training for the whole of the post-compulsory sector. Involving more than 30 partners spread across the North of England, CPCET evolved from…

From the emphasis on lower-level test-prep materials to the disappearance of the subject altogether, elementary social studies is, in the best case scenario, being tested and, thus, taught with a heavy emphasis on recall; and, in the worst-case scenario, not being taught at all. In this article, the author responds to Jeff Passe's views on…

The words "mentoring" and "induction" are often confused and misused. These two terms are not synonymous. Induction is a process used by districts to train, support, and retain new teachers. It is a highly organized and comprehensive staff development process, involving many people and components, which typically continues as a sustained process…

Lead teachers were a major part of a staff-development program first offered in 1983 for science teachers in Iowa. Later, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) reform project called Scope, Sequence, and Coordination (SS&C) involved 20 school districts and worked annually with new teachers involved during the 7-year funding period,…

In this article, the author states that becoming a better physical education teacher can be challenging since it is the time for attending conferences, reading journals, and collaborating with colleagues. She added, that working at a summer camp for children provides a valuable way for physical education teachers not only to earn extra money…

Significant achievements have been made in the quality of the teacher base in China's higher education institutions, yet problems remain that cannot be ignored. Higher education institutions must therefore cultivate the concept of scientific development, become more knowledgeable, and set up policy mechanisms to improve the quality of the teacher…

According to this author, professional development in most school districts usually is not what teachers call worthwhile. Most is mandatory and tied to the latest literacy "fix," new district systems, text adoptions and occasionally, a speaker who has something new to share. She contends that meaningful professional development should be an…

Teachers are likely to create authentic learning environments for their students only if such contexts exist for them. However, it is more important than ever to look closely at professional development spaces that have been sustained over time in order to bolster teachers' agency, giving them the courage to teach against the grain. In this…

This study focuses on professionals' views on knowledge and knowing in learning from conversations. Our main interest was how learning teams of professionals evaluate knowledge exchange and knowledge explication as knowledge productive, based on their initial views on knowledge and knowing. We used a mixed method research design that combined…

In this message from the ITEA president, he states that it is imperative that ITEA convey a shared mission and philosophy, foster leadership, and grow a large audience of supportive professional members while remaining agile enough to withstand generational and political changes that naturally occur over time. The strategic plan of ITEA focuses on…

Laptop computing programs have been in K-12 schools since the 1990s, but in recent months one-to-one learning seems to have reemerged as a top topic in education technology circles. According to Tim Wiley, senior analyst at research firm Eduventures, about 1,000 of the 15,000 school districts in the United States currently have one-to-one…

A Professional Development Schools partnership between the University of Maryland and other elementary schools in the district worked together to explore, discuss and reflect on the challenges of helping students to write about mathematics. Finding ways to help students effectively communicate their mathematical thinking is a challenge for…

With all the predictions of rapid and continuing change, it is curious that so many schools around the world have adopted standards-based reform models to capture the precise knowledge and skills that children must know and perform to be successful in the future. With the pace of change accelerating, much of this knowledge will be outdated and…

This study explored an instructor's and graduate students' reactions to their first on-line course. They initially felt high levels of stress. With increasing confidence, graduate students expressed their satisfaction. Most appreciated the reflection time that asynchronous dialogue provided, and learning relevant to real life that built on their…