Professional Development - Coaching
Conduct research on professional development and coaching. As part of this activity, you will be looking at teacher technology professional development and coaching.
Guidelines
- Define your topic using appropriate encyclopedia articles, class readings, and scholarly reviews of the literature for background information.
- Develop a list of relevant keywords and phrases to search in the library catalogs. Record which keywords best identify relevant resources and explain why.
- Use databases to find books, articles and web sites that are relevant to your topic. Complete an annotated bibliography explaining why each resource is appropriate for this topic (professional development, coaching) and how it will support the grant.
- Post your findings including your annotated bibliography onto our research blog.
- Review everyone’s postings.
September 21st, 2007 at 7:54 am
Instructional Coaching: Professional Development Strategies That Improve Instruction
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
http://www.annenberginstitute.org/images/InstructionalCoaching.pdf
The Annenberg Institute for school reform, located at Brown University in Providence, RI, supports and encourages the use of instructional coaching. This pdf document describes school-based, job-embedded professional development as well as describing effective coaching and what coaching looks like. Also included are research lessons learned, strategies for supporting effective coaching as well as identifying the key themes and framing questions for school districts that are interested in using coaching in their professional development repertoire.
Resources for Teacher Leadership
Mentoring and Coaching
http://cse.edc.org/products/teacherleadership/mentoring.asp
This website is an annotated bibliography of websites that deal with mentoring and coaching. The site is arranged around 13 Issues related to mentoring and coaching and includes around 50 different websites and descriptions. The website is maintained by the Education Development Center, Inc.
Keywords and phrases:
Professional development and coaching – I found many good hits using this phrase.
Professional development and technology – this phrase did not turn up the kind of hits I was searching for.
Coaching and mentoring – this was the best phrase for finding good quality websites.
September 24th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Really enjoyed surfing the site maintained by the Education Development Center, Inc. that is your second entry. What a great resource! As a matter of fact, on it I found an interesting article which helped me delineate the role of a coach versus a mentor (and I had thought they were synonyms!)
Unfortunately, I could not access your first entry–it could be my computer, though. I will try to access it at school on Thursday. It sounds interesting too.
September 25th, 2007 at 5:35 am
Keyword phrase: coaching versus mentoring
(2007). The Princeton Review. Retrieved September 24, 2007, from Next-generation teacher coaching Web site: http://www.princetonreview.com/educators/instructional/coaching.asp
Although primarily an advertisement, couched as a research-based article, the points made are both valid and seductive. Due to the highly specialized nature of the coach’s job, it is counterproductive to use already ladened teachers to try to fill this role too. The Princeton Review has partitioned the coaching task among three teams subsumed under the categories of Research and development, Needs assessment, and Content specialist. The latter pulls information gathered from the other two in order to create a personalized professional development plan (carried out with each teacher one-on-one for 45 minutes per week) which is relevant, flexible, and scalable.
Keyword phrase: teacher coaching
Starcevich, M. (2007, June, 27). Coach, mentor: Is there a difference? Center for Coaching and Mentoring, Retrieved September 24, 2007, from http://www.coachingandmentoring.com/Articles/mentoring.html
Article makes clear the distinction between a coach and a mentor. The article begins with a table which concisely contrasts the purview of a mentor and a coach in each of the following six areas: focus, role, relationship, source of influence, personal returns, and arena. The author spends the remainder of the article expanding on each area, leaving no doubt how a mentor versus a coach would navigate within each.
October 2nd, 2007 at 10:49 am
Apple Computer. (2007). Apple classrooms of tomorrow. Retrieved October 6, 2007, from http://www.apple.com/education/k12/leadership/acot/
This is important Web resource for a proven- researched based technology professional development model that was conducted by Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT), several public schools, universities, and research agencies between 1985 through 1998. The thirteen years of data collection by each of these institutions and agencies have made a tremendous impact on ideas and movements in technology education. The research is housed on the Apple Web site for schools to learn from, utilize, and continue to work with.
The main premise of this research was to study how technology use in schools by teachers and students could impact and ultimately change teaching and learning through a more active and constructivist model.
Loucks-Horsley. S. (1996). The concerns-based adoption model (CBAM): A model for change in individuals. Retrieved October 6, 2007, from http://www.nas.edu/rise/backg4a.htm
The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) is a professional development model that focuses on change management. In order for institutions to change strategies or techniques – leaders must focus on the stages of concern, levels of use, and the components of the innovation itself. Leaders must focus on the individuals that are moving through the change process. As we change our ideas of how methods and strategies should take place - for example, technology use in the classroom - many factors are taking place - the change itself and our feelings and concerns about the change. As a result, this model parallels the change itself. Everyone that moves through change goes through this change process. Administrators and teachers themselves must understand this process before change can be successful. The CBAM model has been in existence for 25 years. Many consultants look at the concern based model to design training.
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:28 pm
In Montgomery County, Maryland they have placed a coach/mentor into every school. This person is to be used as a resource teacher and not specifically for technology. Joan Mory is one of the coaches and says that she spends time observing students, preparing for conferences, preparing to teach lessons and finding ways to implement the curriculum more creatively (Delisio, 2006). Having a resource teacher that is also a former teacher must be helpful in any school level. It would be helpful to have someone that could look things up for you on a subject that you are about to teach or share something that she has created.
In an article titled “Teachers as Learners” the authors stated that some teachers find it hard to teach students in the way they learn best because they have not experienced that type of learning.(Horsley,Stiles, Hewson,1996) In talking with many teachers we are daily doing things in our classrooms that were never done when we were students. More collaboration and hands on work is being done in most classrooms today compared to twenty years ago. Teachers should not be afraid to share with other teachers what they have used in the classroom and talk about whether it was effective or not.
Coaches should: plan technology-rich activities or projects with individual teachers; model lessons; offer one-on-one professional development; observe other teachers to encourage reflection and analysis of teaching practice; and foster collaboration among teachers throughout the building (Foltos). Over and over again research is showing that when teachers get individual attention they are better able to implement new ideas into their classroom. Peer coaching can play an effective role in helping teachers integrate technology into their classrooms in ways that encourage active learning by their students according to Foltos.
Delisio, Ellen. (2006). Coaching teachers to success. Education World. Retrieved on October 2, 2007 from http://www.education-world.com/a_admin/admin/admin415b.shtml
Foltos, Les. Enhance student achievement. Retrieved on October 2, 2007 from http://www.pugetsoundcenter.org/t2ci/peercoachinglf.pdf
Horsley,S.,Stiles,K.,Hewson, P. (1996) Teachers as learners. Retrieved on October 2, 2007 from http://www.wested.org/tal/five_film_categories/PROFESSIONAL_DEVELOPMENT/pepdevmands.html
October 12th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Instructional Technologist as a Coach: Impact of a Situated Professional Development Program on Teachers’ Technology Use.
William Sugar
This article describes a study that was conducted to determine if coaching could benefit teachers implement technology into their classrooms as a method of professional development. William Sugar used nine teachers to receive coaching assistance to help integrate technology into their classroom. An instructional technology teacher was assigned as their coach and was to only help them with the issues each teacher presented. The four month study found that the teachers rated the 50+ technology lessons they conducted as “very effective” (Sugar, 2005, p. 554). Overall this study does a great job at explaining how useful coaching can be, not only for professional development but for integrating technology.
This article was found using the Education Full Text database through the Wilson Web periodical search engine. The key terms used to find this article were: “professional development” coaching.
Sugar, W. (2005). Instructional technologist as a coach: impact of a situated professional development program on teachers’ technology use. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 13(4) p. 547-571. http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790e3f5340b33a43abfc1dac6c8582efa3ad3b50b44aa774b84d367665d3164b3e17&fmt=P
One School’s Reflections on Differentiation
Carol Tieso
Carol Tieso explains in this article how coaching was used as a method of professional development to help institute differentiated instruction in schools. She describes the process that was used and quotes from teachers concerning differentiated instruction and the coaching model. While this article does not focus on technology specifically, it does support the effectiveness of the coaching model. By demonstrating that coaching can be effective in teaching other forms of educational strategies it gives credence to the idea that this professional development model can help turn “non-believers” into “believers.”
This article was found using the Education Full Text database through the Wilson Web periodical search engine. The key terms used to find this article were: “professional development” coaching.
Tieso, C. (Fall 2004). One school’s reflections on differentiation. Gifted Child Today, 27(4). http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790e3f5340b33a43abfc255a8b0dc9abbee4f8eee4a3682684a23cdc84a569f01633&fmt=P
October 27th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Critical Issue: Providing Professional Development for Effective Technology Use
(North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, Learning Point Associates)
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te1000.htm
This webpage examines how effective professional development programs that support effective technology use can be implemented. The topic is covered thoroughly, from setting goals, possible action plans and options, possible pitfalls to be aware of, and even links to cases that illustrate principles of solid professional development program implementation.
Coaching: A Strategy for Developing Instructional Capacity Promises and Practicalities
http://www.annenberginstitute.org/images/Coaching.pdf
This article provides an in-depth look at coaching, from its promises to educators to a definition of what coaching is, to which conditions support successful coaching and the challenges good coaching faces. Of particular interest might be expected outcomes and benefits of coaching. This article was published by the Aspen Institute Program for Education.
Keywords: coaching, professional development, goals, pitfalls, technology, action plan, strategies
October 28th, 2007 at 7:09 am
What an excellent list of resources.
Thanks everybody.
October 29th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Keyword Search: Teacher professional development coaching
Israel, Michele (2003). Teachers observing teachers: A professional development tool for every school. Retrieved October 28, 2007, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin297.shtml
This article discusses 5 different types of teacher observations as a way implementing professional development within each department. Technology was not discussed in this article; however, technology could be implemented using the 5 types. Lesson study and critical friends group are similar to Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) where a group of teachers design a lesson, teach the same lesson and discuss what worked and what did not. Peer coaching is where they share and discuss what they have and observe each other. The last two are cognitive coaching and learning walk.
Keyword Search: Teacher professional development coaching technology
Rodriguez, G. and Knuth, R. (2000). Critical issue: Providing professional development for effective technology use. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Retrieved October 28, 2007, from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te1000.htm
There are a ton of links for different ideas on technology and how to integrate it. Discusses the role professional development should have in a school technology plan.
Tech Forum. Strategies, solutions and innovations for technology leaders. Retrieved October 28, 2007, from http://www.techlearning.com/techlearning/pdf/events/techforum/chi04/vault/1/Pollett_Handout.pdf
Technology professional development can be looked at numerous ways. This link takes you to a school that implemented technology and what they found to be most effective. At the end of the report, there is a list of tips that they learned from their experiences. The most important tip to me was that change does not occur over night.
November 24th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
School Based Coaching retreived from the Harvard Educatioan Letter dated July / August 2004.
http://instructionaltechnologyresearch.umwblogs.org/2007/09/08/professional-development-coaching/#comments
written by Aleander Russo.
Russo related that most coaching development programs started in the the big cities like New York and Philadelphia.He futher elaborates on the caveats of coaching and forewarns of hopping on the bandwagaon. Coaching is not enough. It needs to be complemented.
November 24th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Coaching Partnership for Professional Development bySteven Gilbert.
Retreived from campus Technology in an article dated 10/02/2001
http://instructionaltechnologyresearch.umwblogs.org/2007/09/08/professional-development-coaching/#comments
This dealt with some local collge campus groups that put together groups that helped to guide and give some direction to campus learners. I believe that most of this occurred at UVA. It appears to be some early coaching developed in the early part of the new century.