Welcome: Professional Development Collaboratory

Re: Welcome: Professional Development Collaboratory

by Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers -
Number of replies: 9
Hi Curtis,
Good to see you again.
Here is a current journal article from e-leed (e-learning and education).
I thought the group might like the abstract.

Teachers' professional development in a community:

A study of the central actors, their networks and web-based learning

Essi Ryymin1, Jiri Lallimo2, and Kai Hakkarainen2

Author for correspondence, e-mail: essi.ryymin@edu.hel.fi

1 University of Tampere, Faculty of Education, Research Centre for Vocational Education

2 University of Helsinki, Department of Psychology, Centre for Research on Networked Learning and Knowledge Building

urn:nbn:de:0009-5-12510

Contributions by authors:Essi Ryym in has collected and analysed the data, interpreted the results and wrote the manuscript. Jiri Lallimo and Dr. Kai Hakkarainen have provided theoretical and methodological guidance during the research process.

 

Abstract: The goal of this article was to study teachers' professional development related to web-based learning in the context of the teacher community. The object was to learn in what kind of networks teachers share the knowledge of web-based learning and what are the factors in the community that support or challenge teachers professional development of web-based learning. The findings of the study revealed that there are teachers who are especially active, called the central actors in this study, in the teacher community who collaborate and share knowledge of web-based learning. These central actors share both technical and pedagogical knowledge of web-based learning in networks that include both internal and external relations in the community and involve people, artefacts and a variety of media. Furthermore, the central actors appear to bridge different fields of teaching expertise in their community.

 

According to the central actors' experiences the important factors that support teachers' professional development of web-based learning in the community are; the possibility to learn from colleagues and from everyday working practices, an emotionally safe atmosphere, the leader's personal support and community-level commitment. Also, the flexibility in work planning, challenging pupils, shared lessons with colleagues, training events in an authentic work environment and colleagues' professionalism are considered meaningful for professional development. As challenges, the knowledge sharing of web-based learning in the community needs mutual interests, transactive memory, time and facilities, peer support, a safe atmosphere and meaningful pedagogical practices.

On the basis of the findings of the study it is suggested that by intensive collaboration related to web-based learning it may be possible to break the boundaries of individual teachership and create such sociocultural activities which support collaborative professional development in the teacher community. Teachers' in-service training programs should be more sensitive to the culture of teacher communities and teachers' reciprocal relations. Further, teacher trainers should design teachers' in-service training of web-based learning in co-evolution with supporting networks which include the media and artefacts as well as people.

The article is long and good.

There was an access message at the bottom of the article reading as below:

Licence

Any party may pass on this Work by electronic means and make it available for download under the terms and conditions of the free Digital Peer Publishing Licence. The text of the licence may be accessed and retrieved via Internet at http://www.dipp.nrw.de/lizenzen/dppl/fdppl/f-DPPL_v1_de_11-2004.html

I hope you all like it and perhaps some will comment or relate.

Jo Ann



In reply to Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers

Re: Welcome: Professional Development ... [community-based]

by Paul Beaufait -
Thank you, Jo Ann, for sharing the abstract about community-based pro-dev, central actors, networks, and web-based learning.

Previewing it makes me keen to learn more about extant and possible fits between "sociocultural activities which support collaborative professional development" in and among various groups, and "in-service training" (Ryymin, Lallimo, & Hakkarainen, 2008, Abstract, ¶3).


Reference

Ryymin, Essi; Lallimo, Jiri; & Hakkarainen, Kai. (2008). Teachers' professional development in a community: a study of the central actors, their networks and web-based learning. E-learning and Education (issue 4, July 2008). Retrieved August 27, 2008, from http://eleed.campussource.de/archive/4/1251/



In reply to Paul Beaufait

Re: Welcome: Professional Development ... [community-based]

by Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers -
Hi Paul,
I concur that this article makes me think about the "sociocultural activities which support collaborative professional development in and among various groups, and "in-service training" (Ryymin, Lallimo, & Hakkarainen, 2008, Abstract, as you stated in your post. Thanks

"Scope's online community" for me, is a "social" and "cultural" activity opportunity (Yeah!) which definitely supports collaborative PD for an active online community, in my humble opinion -- and it would be fairly easy to research if this is the experience of others - say through a poll, collecting information if others think this way generally and how specifically do they think this way or differently. Scope participants find their way here -- somehow -- and it would be interesting to hear how they (we) got here and what keeps them coming back, if anything. The above article indicates variables like collegial support (in specific communities of interest -- perhaps professional learning within various organizational interests, PD and interdisciplinary challenges, learning made accessible, and safety in the process. I think these are huge factors for me.
I like the sharing, but I get a lot of intellectual stimulation, I like the networking, and I get energized by knowing there are others that are working online too. I initially joined because of the PanCanadian online conference, but I am interesting in the fast growing sense of world community.
Jo Ann


In reply to Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers

Re: Welcome: Professional Development ... [community-based]

by Christine Horgan -

Hello:

To address Jo Ann's question: "Scope participants find their way here -- somehow -- and it would be interesting to hear how they (we) got here and what keeps them coming back, if anything. "

I came across SCoPE only becasue the director of our curriculum department mentioned it. Most of my on-line education/PD resources have come to me via others. What keeps me coming back? community, confimation that the challenges and opportunities in my institution are not much different from others, an opportunity to walk the walk and look after my own PD needs, the opportunity to lurk if time or energy prevents more active participation.

Chris

In reply to Christine Horgan

Re: Welcome: Professional Development ... [community-based]

by Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers -
Hi Chris,
Sounds like you have a good director; encouragement to participate and information sharing from a director is important. Thanks for sharing these reasons -- I can relate to them. Cheers, Jo Ann
In reply to Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers

Re: Welcome: Professional Development ... [community-based]

by Paul Beaufait -
It's fascinating that you (Jo Ann) mention going through a poll, because I was contemplating the possibilities of adding polls to discussion posts or the wiki as well. That you chose to share a piece of work from Scandinavia is telling because it reflects common interests around the world. The sharing, intellectual stimulation, and energizing that you mention are ideas to consider working into the wiki.

That I enjoy all that, too, is what keeps me coming back – that, and fairly continuous access to the web. As closely as I can recall without turning over tons of compost, I meandered over to SCoPE after discovering a gathering-initiated wiki-building project, deriving from about the same geophysical location as SCoPE, one that hadn't quite gotten off the ground.
In reply to Paul Beaufait

Re: Welcome: Professional Development ... [community-based]

by Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers -
Hi Paul and all,
This has been a good Scope PD sharing.

Scope feels to me like something I want to phenomenologically embody because it connects in a mirroring fashion to important people at the other end. When ideas are shared and embodied, reflected upon -- and experimented with at this end -- my lived-world expands. When this starts to happen, I resonate with various appendages of the work through people gifts -- their senses -- eyes, ears and their embodied knowledge in a new and interesting way.

Who are these people?
Thoughtful texters
-- here is a PDScope Poem

Willing to login, take a chance in the mix,
Read, feel the thought, now what to write,
Welcome even lurkers who respond here and there.
"Scope Professional Development I now declare.
Electrified by flow -- human flow appendage by appendage.
Great online resource with wiki attached, go-writers-go
Nurturing healthy online veins and arteries to the heart
Of Polls and Scoopers on Scope, Yes we can!
Some carry questions and curious creations to what end.
Into the collective wiki, okay, that's good. Amen.
Respond and collaboratively blend. Thank you and you.
Redistributing opportunities for all to learn.
Renewed back in the hearts of lifelong ... Scope friends.
by Jo Ann

In reply to Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers

Re: Welcome: Professional Development ... [community-based]

by Dr. Nellie Deutsch -
Jo Ann,
That is a lovely present. Thank you for reminding me how wonderful poetry can be.

Nellie