Professional Development

3 million years ago when dinosaurs stalked the EarthWhat comes to mind when you hear the words PE dinosaur

That will be YOU in 20 yearsYou will be a dinosaur, but what kind will you be? An older version of the same person who graduatedORA true professional, learning, growing and adapting to combine knowledge & experienceBe wary of large asteroids though

QuoteGetting your degree means that you are a third of the way there in terms of what you need to be an excellent PE teacher.Really, CCSU is giving you a credential to continue to grow on the job professionally

View PD as part of the job rather than an optional adjunct to it.

Definition of PDAll types of professional learning undertaken by all teachers beyond the initial point of training. (Craft, 1996, p. 6)

Goal positive and specific impact upon student learning

Organizing PDProfessional development should involve teachers in the identification of what they need to learn and, when possible, the process to be used.Professional development should provide learning opportunities that relate to individual needs but are, for the most part, organized around collaborative problem solving.The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few (?)

Organizing PDProfessional development should be continuous and ongoing, involving follow up and support for further learningNot a one-shot dealWhat are some examples of follow up? Just like in class, get people involved and active during PD experiencesDont put people to sleep in their chairs

Regular, consistent, variable, and continuous professional developmentnew give up

Organizing PDDepartment chairs (or ADs or district PE coordinator) typically organizes PDDepartment chairs and coordinators must see both worlds, that of a teacher and administrator. PD can also be organized by a proactive teacher

Program and Teacher Evaluation- Professional DevelopmentMeet as a physical education department to address:Achievement of standardsImprovements to the curriculumNew upcoming projects/initiativesFinding the time to meet:Meeting can be an obstacle for elementary teachers who may feel isolated. Middle school and high school teachers find it difficult to meet professionally due to scheduling, coaching, and non-PE faculty development. Teachers must MAKE the time, not look for a convenient time. Otherwise, such vital meetings often do not take place.

Types of PDWhat types of professional development experiences have you heard of or have experience with?

Types of PDOn-sitePhysical best trainingWSI, CPR, First Aid CertificationContact local universityTeam challenge training (ropes facilitation)Organizations such as USTASport specific training (teachers teaching teachers)

Types of PDOn-SiteReview NASPE documents (appropriate practices, PE T eval tool, etc)Reading professional journals (each person presents an article of meaning to them)Care to Share (dept chair provides internet search parameters and teachers come in with internet based research which is shared with colleagues)You Tube; wikiPE

Types of PDOn-SiteSelf-reflection through recall and/or videotaped lessonsHosting a student teacher (contact Office of Field Experiences after 3 years)

Types of PDOff-siteSport specific (group tennis lesson,)ConferencesCertification in adventure facilitation Virtual learning created by the school district, a university, or corporate entity (great to have Pipeline online)

Types of PDPop-Corn Method - Often a valuable experience can be simply sitting down with other PE teachers in your district or others with a set of guiding questionsWhat new activity did you learning recently?What change have you made that worked out for the better?How are you measuring student learning?

Types of PDPop-Corn Method is built around this idea:But I think we can learn from the people here, I suppose I didnt even realise (Eng. Sp.) that help is sort of around the corner and that theres, a deep well of abilities and talents and ideas that you can tap into right in your own school (Loughran & Gunstone, 1997, p. 173)

NASPE PDPipeline Workshopshttp://www.aahperd.org/naspe/pipeline/ Topics include:Instructional Practices: Elementary, Secondary or K-12 Physical Education Assessment Strategies: Elementary or Secondary Physical Education Curriculum Development: K-12 Physical Education Integrating Technology: K-12 Physical Education Teaching Dance in Physical Education: Elementary or Secondary PE6) LETS GET MOVING: Physical Activity for Children Ages 3-5 Each full-day workshop is $2,500 (up to 50), includes materials and presenter honorarium and travel expenses.

Whole School PDOften not meaningful for PE teachers due to the different focus of our disciplineOK to periodically request the PE staff conduct its own PD in lieu of the whole school PDWhen asking, present a plan or topic you would like to address and a rationale

Connecticut RequirementsCT SDE Overview of PDhttp://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2641&q=320428 CEUs Continuing Education Unitshttp://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2613&q=321400

Potential ObstaclesCostClass coverage (cost as well)Location/distanceQuality of the presenter (rated highly)

Potential Obstacles

Partner WorkDesign your own PD experience for the individuals at your school (MS, HS) or those teachers at your grade level (ES).

ResourcesNew Jersey PD manual for Health and PEThe National Staff Development Council (NSDC) created "Designing Powerful Professional Development for Teachers and Principals," Available FREE at http://www.nsdc.org/

ConclusionEndeavor to make professional development meaningful. Dont give in to the cynicism. Every year, you should be a better teacher than the year beforeDont be a bad dinosaur, stay up on new information, teaching models/styles, activities, assessments, etcPart of being a professional is growing and staying current. Would you want to have knee surgery with a doctor who graduated in 1988 and still uses the same technique. Of course not, neither do your students

ReferencesArmour, K. M. & Yelling, M. R. (2004). Continuing Professional development for experienced PE teachers: Towards effective provision. Sport, Education and Society, 9(1), 95-114. JOPERD (1999). How much time should teachers devote to PD?. JOPERD, 70(7), 12. Mohnsen, B. (1998). Professional development: When you want it and where you want it. JOPERD, 69(2), 14-17.