Participatory staff development
From LiteracyTentWiki
Participatory staff development AleProfessionalDevelopment
1) "From readings and discussions during the Institutes and from the Staff Development Committee planning process, participants have clarified the qualities and characteristics of effective, participatory staff development.
- Staff development is a continuous, on-going process which happens over time.
- From beginning to end, staff development draws on participants' experiences: it is "bottom-up," not "top-down." Participants are active in the planning process.
- Whatever the form it takes, staff development depends on thorough planning and "preparing the ground," getting participants ready for the experience.
- It is set in the context of participants' experiences and program needs.
- Participatory staff development is visionary yet practical. It keeps in mind the "Big Picture" of what we are trying to accomplish with adult education.
- It recognizes the roles of reflection, analysis and questioning: experimentation and practice; and the introduction of new knowledge.
- Good staff development takes many forms. It uses a variety of activities and formats to involve participants in their own learning.
- Effective staff development has clear facilitation, with shared responsibility and accountability among facilitators and participants for the outcomes of the experience.
- Participatory staff development combines structure with freedom and flexibility. The role of the facilitator is to encourage and guide, not control, the process.
- It sets an atmosphere which respects the dignity and diversity of all involved. It breaks isolation and builds a community of learners, a safe place to learn.
- Effective staff development expands the knowledge base and standards of the field. Together participants create new knowledge, which can raise the quality of services offered to students. Participants grow professionally and personally."
Excerpted from Teacher as Learner: A Sourcebook for Participatory Staff Development published by the UT Center for Literacy Studies.
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