Sun Associates offers this monthly newsletter as a service to educators interested in issues related to the integration of technology in schools. Our team of educational technology consultants specializes in technology evaluation, planning, and professional development.

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This month, Heather Hurley, Director of Professional Development for Sun Associates shares her views on what makes professional development workshops successful. As a technology-infused classroom teacher in Concord, MA, Heather mentored other teachers in her district to help them make effective use of technology in their classrooms. Now, Heather and our professional development team work with teachers throughout the United States to help them meet their goals for integrating technology in their classrooms.

Q: Can you give me your definition of professional development?

A: Professional development is a way for teachers to extend, refine, or learn new knowledge. It is when teachers can take an interest that they have and find the resources to learn more about it and build upon what they already know. Professional development can take on different forms — reading books, taking courses, working in study groups.

Q: What role do workshops play in the big picture of professional development for teachers?

A: Professional development sessions work best when they’re ongoing, and when they are followed up with opportunities for teachers to come together and work further on what they've learned. Workshops should be one part of a more in-depth learning experience. Some of the best professional development experiences take place over the course of several days throughout the year. When I see the same teachers every month over the course of a year, I can establish a good relationship with them. I can start each day of professional development knowing exactly where I left the last time, and how I can help teachers move forward with their planning.

Q: Do you have some general goals that you want to accomplish whenever you work with teachers?

A: I hope that the teachers will leave with their expectations met. This can be hard when expectations are all over the board. That’s why professional development planning is so important — so that teachers know their professional development goals for the year and

understand what resources are available to accomplish them. When there is a strong professional development plan in place, I can come in for a workshop and teachers can get right to work because they understand how the topic fits into their big-picture goals.

I also really want teachers to enjoy themselves. When I plan a workshop, I plan it the same way I did when I was a classroom teacher. I wouldn’t have had all my students sitting in their chairs for three hours, and I feel the same way about working with teachers. I want teachers to be involved with hands-on activities and walk away with project-based lessons that they can use in the classroom. Workshops are always evolving as they’re happening. You have to be somewhat flexible with your agenda. I try to think like the teachers and cover all the bases.

Q: What do you think the most important factors are in making a professional development experience successful?

A: Good planning, good hands-on activities, good delivery.

Professional development needs to be based around real projects that teachers will implement in their classrooms right away. Sessions should be hands-on and project-based. For example, when I give a workshop on PowerPoint or HyperStudio, it’s never just the technical ins and outs. I make sure that teachers are actually working on something that they can use with their students.

I like to facilitate discussions amongst the teachers, rather than stand behind a podium delivering information. It’s also important to give teachers time to talk to each other because they never have any time to share what they’re doing in their individual classrooms. Teachers often face the same issues as their colleagues and they need time to problem-solve together.

Q: Do administrators play a role in the success of professional development activities?

A: Administrators play a major role — the way professional development goals are communicated to teachers can greatly influence the success of each session. Professional development that comes from mandated initiatives with no input from teachers often results in unhappy participants. I've found that long-term professional development programs often have more support from administrators than workshops done in isolation. There needs to be collaboration between teachers and administrators. Teachers need to have some input in their own professional development and feel that administrators are supporting what they are doing. Teachers need to know that they will be given time and resources to accomplish their goals and that there are expectations that go along with that. It can be frustrating for teachers to be asked to work on something that they know will not be put into practice in their classroom teaching.

Q: What kind of follow-up should happen after a professional development session?

A: When I've had the opportunity to work with a group of teachers over an extended period of time, we use email to send work back and forth and I help them to develop and revise lessons that they write. Then, we'll follow up with a meeting in person to work through any questions. There also needs to be someone at the school level who has the responsibility for follow-up. Support roles need to be clearly defined so that teachers know where to turn when they need help after they've learned new skills.

Q: Is there a difference between technology professional development and any other kind of professional development?

A: Technology professional development is no different than professional development in any other area. Whether we are talking about integrating technology or some other type of tool into the curriculum, I would still use the same techniques in working with teachers. Sessions would still have to be project-based and involve collaboration among teachers.

About Heather Hurley

Heather Hurley is an accomplished classroom teacher and workshop facilitator. Heather brings a wealth of practical experience to her position with Sun Associates. As a technology-infused classroom teacher in Concord, MA, Heather mentored other teachers in her district to help them make effective use of technology in their classrooms. She holds current Massachusetts Department of Education certifications in Instructional Technology K-12, Elementary Education 1 - 6, and Moderate Special Needs PreK - 9. She has taught first and third grade. Heather has a B.S. in Education from Fitchburg State College (MA) and an M.Ed. with a focus in Instructional Technology from Lesley College (MA).

For more information on professional development, see our pages on technology integration and teacher resources.

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