The Reflective Educator’s Guide to Professional Development: Coaching Inquiry-Oriented Learning Communities - Softcover

Fichtman Dana, Nancy; Yendol-Hoppey, Diane

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1412955807 ISBN 13: 9781412955805

Publisher: Corwin, 2008

Synopsis

Powerful tools for facilitating teachers' professional development and optimizing school improvement efforts!

Combining professional learning communities (PLCs) and action research, this step-by-step guide provides coaches, workshop leaders, and staff developers with strategies, activities, and tools to develop inquiry-oriented PLCs. The authors present essential elements of a healthy PLC, case studies of inquiry-based PLCs, and lessons learned for improving coaching practices. Sample projects and reflection prompts will help readers:

• Organize, assess, and maintain high-functioning, inquiry-oriented PLCs
• Facilitate the development of study questions
• Enable PLC members to develop, analyze, and share research results
• Lead successful renewal and reform efforts

About this title

About the Author

Nancy Fichtman Dana is currently professor of education in the School of Teaching and Learning at the University of Florida, Gainesville. She began her career in education as an elementary school teacher in Hannibal Central Schools, New York. Since earning her PhD from Florida State University in 1991, she has been a passionate advocate for teacher inquiry and has worked extensively in supporting schools, districts and universities in implementing powerful programs of job-embedded professional development through inquiry across the United States and in several countries, including China, South Korea, Belgium, Portugal, The Netherlands, Slovenia, and Estonia. She has published ten books and over 100 articles in professional journals and edited books focused on her research exploring teacher and principal professional development and practitioner inquiry. Dana has received many honors, including the Association of Teacher Educator’s Distinguished Research in Teacher Education Award and the National Staff Development Council (now Learning Forward) Book of the Year Award, both honoring Dana and Yendol-Hoppey’s work related to practitioner inquiry.

Diane Yendol-Hoppey is a professor of education and dean in the College of Education and Human Services at the University of North Florida. Prior to her appointment at the University of North Florida, she served as the associate dean of educator preparation and partnerships at the University of South Florida, director of the Benedum Collaborative at West Virginia University and taught for many years at the University of Florida where she was the evaluator of numerous district, state, and national professional development efforts. Before beginning her work in higher education, Diane spent 13 years as an elementary school teacher in Pennsylvania and Maryland. She holds a PhD in curriculum and instruction from The Pennsylvania State University. Diane’s current work explores national and international research focusing on teacher education clinical practice, job-embedded professional learning, and teacher leadership. Diane received the AERA Division K Early Career Research Award for her ongoing commitment to researching innovative approaches to professional development. She has published six books and over 60 articles in professional journals.

Review

"The reader gets to be a fly on the wall, listening as the coaches facilitate and problem solve with their groups. The authors are truly passionate about providing the reader with tools, protocols, and vocabulary to aid coaches in their role as facilitator of teacher professional learning communities." -- Bill Osman, Supervisor of Professional Development and Mentoring Published On: 2007-09-17

"Offers a new perspective on professional development that any school could implement. This book gave me ideas to share with my principals on how to get teachers to be active learners in the professional development process." -- Gina Segobiano, Superintendent Published On: 2007-09-17

"The book speaks to many audiences, including instructional coaches, PLC leaders, action researchers and group leaders, and university professors working with action researchers and PLCs." -- Gail Ritchie, Coleader, Teacher Researcher Network Published On: 2007-09-17

"The stories and vignettes are very poignant and represented the concepts brilliantly. This book provides a link to the next steps in PLCs and elevates the bar of expectancy." -- Terry A. Crawley, Coordinator for School Planning and Professional Development Published On: 2007-09-17

"A tool box overflowing with ideas that will help every staff developer craft a school culture hospitable to adult and student learning." -- Roland S. Barth, Author, Lessons Learned Published On: 2007-10-26

"Congratulations to Nancy Fichtman Dana and Diane Yendol-Hoppey―and to all of us who are committed to helping teachers find their voice through the development of action research studies. We now have a terrific resource that provides a road map for connecting teacher networks and action research to create powerful professional development opportunities. The authors bring learning communities and teacher research to life because they put this work in the context of real schools and relate wonderful anecdotes of actual teachers. This book is a joy to read." -- Ellen Meyers, Senior Vice President Published On: 2007-11-01

Edition details

• Publisher: Corwin
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1412955807
• ISBN 13: 9781412955805
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 182