Giving Compass' Take:
- This article originally appeared in eJewish Philanthropy on June 27, 2017. It discusses the necessity of continuing professional development education outside of the traditional training that educators receive.
What is Giving Compass?
We connect donors to learning resources and ways to support community-led solutions. Learn more about us.
[This article is part 4 of the series Continuing Conversations on Leveraging Educational Technology to Advance Jewish Learning. The series is a project of Jewish Funders Network, the Jim Joseph Foundation, and the William Davidson Foundation. For an in-depth look at opportunities in Jewish Ed Tech and digital engagement, read Smart Money: Recommendations for an Educational Technology and Digital Engagement Investment Strategy. Later this year, Jewish Funders Network will launch a new website to help advance the field of Jewish educational technology.]
Find related topics of educational training on Giving Compass
There are many professions that require practitioners to participate in ongoing professional development, and rightfully so. It is not uncommon for teachers returning from a PD workshop to maintain their previous methods of instruction, even while feigning to adopt new technologies. Principals, supervisors, school board members, and even teachers often fail to see the clear connection between professional development and student achievement.
Yet, professional development is often under-funded and uninspired in our schools. This reality begs the question: Why is professional development not sufficiently valued in many segments of the world of education?
What is needed is sustained and intensive professional development that takes place in the service of a core vision, not simply around technology for its own sake.
Is there a connection between the professional development of teachers and student achievement?
All studies showed that a positive relationship between professional development and student learning occurred in workshops or summer institutes that: focused on research-based instructional practice,
involved active learning experiences for participants, and provided teachers with opportunities to adapt the practices to their unique classroom situations.
If PD in EdTech is going to be taken seriously, then serious approaches need to be offered to teachers.
Teachers need to feel the need for it, be given the space and time to try it, and have sufficient support to feel successful and empowered.