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Professional learning insights, from the field

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    Purposeful practice: the importance of feedback in training

    The expression "practice makes perfect" depends on the value of that practice. Tom Arnett, Research Fellow at the Christensen Institute, argues that good practice must be feedback-informed. In an exclusive interview, Tom dives into "purposeful practice" and gives an example of a program that's doing it right.
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    Making Space for Uncertainty in Professional Development

    Guest contributor, James Noonan, Ed.D., emphasizes the importance of making space for uncertainty in schools. He discusses how having an intellectually safe community of practice where teachers could experiment with their ideas and be frank about their dilemmas, as well as having facilitators who modeled learning through their leadership, are important elements that contribute to a teacher's learning experience.
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    Shifting Mindsets About PD

    In an exclusive interview, Tom Arnett discusses the need to adopt an outcomes-driven mindset and measure change in teacher practice.
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    Personalized PD, Formative Feedback, and Deliberate Practice

    Tom Arnett, Research Fellow at the Christensen Institute speaks about the evolution of professional development.  He discusses how districts are beginning to personalize professional development, moving away from the “1.0 version of PD” that tries to be one-size-fits-all and lacks relevancy to all teachers.
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    Outcome-Focused PD

    We interviewed Tom Arnett, Research Fellow at the Christensen Institute about his perspective regarding high quality professional learning.  He explains that effective professional development has less to do with a specific practice and everything to do with being results-driven.
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    Listen, Collaborate, and Listen Some More

    Listen to Lisa Highfill discuss how as a PD facilitator, she must not stand in the front of the room and impart knowledge, but rather work collaboratively with her teachers, support them as they actively engage with new content, and continue to listen.

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    Applying Instructional Best Practices to PD

    Lisa Highfill reflects on how she designed and facilitated personalized professional learning based on her teachers’ individual needs, abilities, and interests.  This personalized approach is characterized by teachers who are invested in their growth and development.
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    Pleasanton Unified School District: “We should be practicing what we preach”

    We interviewed Lisa Highfill, Instructional Technology Coach at Pleasanton Unified School District, about the steps she and her colleagues have taken to provide differentiated and active professional learning for their teachers.  She discusses the importance of building trust with teachers by truly listening to their needs and creating learning opportunities that feel relevant and meaningful.
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    Assessing the Impact of PD Decisions

    How do we know whether professional learning is actually working -- which supports are making an impact on teachers and students, and which might we want to walk away from? In this podcast with Daniel Bauer, KickUp CEO Jeremy Rogoff explores the common challenges that school leaders face while making critical decisions about how to most effectively allocate their professional learning resources.
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    How Do We Prioritize Professional Development?

    We know that high quality support for teachers is game-changing for our students, yet making it a priority can be difficult. Listen in as KickUp CEO Jeremy Rogoff reflects on his own experience as a teacher, noting that while educators and administrators would like to devote time, thought, and energy to professional development, the daily realities of a K12 school district can often prevent that from happening.