I think the biggest support that is missing is adequate funding. I recently attended an event in my state and was fortunate to be an instructor among several other administrators as well as other instructors. In our down time,  I had the chance to talk with the two administrators. They were talking about how they'd love to send their teachers to what we ourselves were attending. I asked why they didn't. They said they didn't have the funds and they didn't have the means by and large to provide professional development on any regular basis. I thought that was sad and I counted myself blessed that the school I work for does budget for professional development.  I was also disappoited that professional development isn't/wasn't considered  something that should be necessary in EVERY budget.  Unfortunately the way community college budgets are done sometimes means there is great disparity across the state and therefore great disparity in the opportunities available.

I agree that there is probably more that goes into the professional development question and the differences between the NCSALL findings and the FOB findings. I'm just not sure where we'd even begin to get people to appreciate and understand the great need there really is for providing professional development on a larger, consistent scale.
 

Regards
Katrina Hinson


>>> Janet_Isserlis at brown.edu 04/14/06 9:27 AM >>>

Katrina and all

I think motivation is likely an important factor, but we also need to be
mindful of systemic support for educators.  What supports are/aren't
available to people who are working more than one part-time job?  What are
the cultures of professional development in their various workplaces?  Aside
from the intrinsic motivation to learn more, what messages to program
administrators, colleagues and funders convey to teachers about the value of
professional development?

I was really fortunate to have had an opportunity to begin my MA work after
I'd been teaching for 9 years (through a program that funded the courses so
that we only paid for books).  It was a part-time masters program, over two
and a half years, designed for full-time teachers.  I was already privileged
to be working full time; the degree program required a lot of work, but not
a lot of money.  While grateful endlessly for the program - I was ready to
dig in and learn, and had the questions to ask that I might not have had in
my first year of teaching - I still think that we can't only ascribe
participation in PD to personal motivation.  We also need to be proactive in
working to build opportunities for practitioners across the board - new,
continuing, veteran practitioners - or we risk what I've heard Barb describe
as "good programs getting gooder."  It's great to build capacity in strong
programs - but it's also great to make capacity building available across
the board.

IF it is the case that personal motivation is the determining factor, then
we've all the more work to do to build a greater collective culture of
learning and respect for learning throughout the field.

Janet Isserlis

> 

> I think motivation is probably the driving force. I think the individual has

> to be willing to learn or be open to new ideas. I also think complacency is a

> bad thing and something people slide into sometimes unknowingly...they get

> comfortable with the way they've done something and think they don't have to

> change it or even fear the change and tensions usually associated with change.

> 

> Personally,  I've waited for a while before pursuing an advanced degree and if

> all goes well I'll be starting my Masters in the fall. I've been teaching in

> Adult Ed for 10 years though. I think sometimes, that there is a feeling that

> having an advanced degree means you've "arrived" at some pre determined

> destination...or that you're now an expert able to impart knowledge but

> perhaps not gain it. I'm not really sure. I've encounted that behavior in the

> workplace and I think that's what's put me off for so long about going back to

> school. I don't ever want to feel I have nothing else to learn or gain via any

> form of education. I definitely feel that professional development is

> essential to staying effective in the classroom. I actually believe

> professional development is essential in ANY workplace.

> 

> I think I'd wonder how the NCSALL arrived at their conclusion compared to how

> FOB arrived at theirs.  Was the pool of respondants the same in size as well

> as was the pool of respondants the same in terms of degrees etc.

> 

> Ultimately, I think it comes down to the individual person's drive and desire

> to grow professionally and personally.

> 

> Regards

> Katrina Hinson


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