Building a CPD plan over three years for a school cluster or a school
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This draft intended to help schools plan staff development has come from our research into the NOF programme. Further comments will be welcome. I am also collating a set of references which I will circulate when it is complete.
Building a continuing professional development (CPD) plan over three years for a school cluster or a school
Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
How does ICT fit? | ICT CPD | Funding | Quality Assurance | References
Intelligent schools are realizing that learning technology can advance their teaching and learning goals. However the technology for learning is changing all the time and schools need a continuous programme of staff development.
These are some of the fundamental questions a senior management team will want to ask in creating imaginative continuing professional development opportunities. The questions are based on the trends emerging from research about effective ICT programmes for teachers. Some resources are offered to schools for research and discussion (in a side panel to be designed). However this is a complex area of school leadership. Schools will often need to devise unique solutions that reflect local conditions.
1. How does the use of ICT fit into our established learning culture?
Do we expect ICT to impact on our school
- as a catalyst to help students to be more independent learners;
- as a means of encouraging staff to think differently about teaching and learning;
- as a means of raising standards in traditional curriculum subjects;
- as a resource to promote new field of learning like citizenship, creativity and thinking skills;
- as a means of increasing contact with the home and national and international communities?
Where can we find evidence of achievement by other schools?
How will other members of staff be engaged in this debate?
How will the implementation of an ICT CPD programme impact on performance in SATs and traditional exams?
Could this CPD programme lead to the identification of innovative and inclusive learning models?
Could this CPD programme lead to different kinds of evaluation of learning?
Does our school development plan reflect our views?
Do we need to drop an aspect of staff training to make space for this initiative?
2. An ICT CPD programme for staff
Which senior manager will lead the project purposefully, involve the staff and agree with them the pace of the project and how best to manage its implementation?
Is there appropriate time and training for lead teachers and project managers?
Can adequate time be prioritised for full staff involvement?
How will we audit staff needs and deal with basic skills training?
How can we allow for different teachers' learning styles?
What paths will we offer for teachers who do not wish to engage with the programme?
How can we help staff to develop an action plan which identifies ICT directions that interest them and direct them to further consolidation of their practice or the development of new skills areas
How can we encourage staff who elect to run experimental and innovative ICT projects and help them to build in milestones and develop a portfolio of achievement?
How can we motivate and reward our staff : by access to online laptop computers, support cover, accreditation, technical support, web publication of successful projects?
How will we ensure that the achievement of the project outcomes is discussed with individuals as a part of the cycle of professional review and development?
Do teachers of different subjects require different approaches to CPD programmes? How will this be pursued?
How many different kinds of accreditation should we offer to suit staff diversity?
Will elearning facilities extend opportunities for staff learning?
How will we select external agencies to support the ICT programme and who will liaise with them?
3. Funding staff development
How much do we know about government and local authority funding for teachers' professional development in relation to the National Grid for Learning?
What European Union funding channels could be used to increase staff links beyond the classroom?
Would the BECTs teachers awards, DFEE Best Practice Research Bursaries and Teachers' International professional Development awards from the British Council be useful CPD funding route?
Could our local community and experienced teachers and students provide workshops and mentoring for staff?
Do we have a funded broadband infrastructure provided by the government and/or the local region?
Do we have enough hardware, e-content and staff access to make ICT CPD a viable option?
Do we have enough money to pay for maintenance, repair and consumables if we use the system more?
Can we invest in experimental projects with devices like wireless tablets or interactive whiteboards?
Are we clear about our approaches to teaching IT and teaching ICT across the curriculum?
4. Quality assurance and evaluation
How will we know when we are achieving our ICT programme objectives in terms of the quality of implementation, the quality of achievement of the outcomes and the impact of the training on professional practice ?
What will the feedback and reporting cycle be and who will be involved?
Can we celebrate teachers and students learning achievements on our website?
How will we monitor the impact of continuing professional development across the staff?
How will we integrate new ways of working and innovative assessment methods into traditional practice?
Will students be involved in the evaluation and self evaluation process?
References
These questions will be backed up by a list of references that will help senior managers to answer some of these questions.
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