Purposes of Professional Learning

1. Print the handouts for the group.

2. Provide chart paper for collecting ideas.

3. Plan a system for collecting ideas, such as an electronic folder

1. Have participants talk with a partner about their ideas about the purposes for professional learning. Invite a few to share their ideas with the whole team.

2. Have participants in pairs look at the descriptions of purposes for professional learning in Handout: Setting the Focus.

a. Discuss how these examples align with the purposes, beliefs, assumptions and needs in your organization.

b. Invite participants to share their observations with the large group. In the discussion ask which purposes are supported by the organization’s vision for standards based education. How are both the personal and the organization’s needs balanced?

3. Read Activity Handout 2-2 Making Professional Development more Strategic

a. Ask team members to identify a personal example of each approach. 

b. Discuss with members the approaches that best support the organization’s vision and goals for a standards based education system.

c.  Engage the team in discussing the ideal balance among the three approaches.

4. Based on discussion, set a goal for professional learning.

a. See the example on Action Overview 1: Create a Culture