Introduction to the Professional Development Kit

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Introduction to the Professional Development Kit
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What is PDK?

• PDK is
• a system designed to make available comprehensive
  professional development resources
• a product for the delivery of professional
  development in an easily navigated interactive
  format and
• a process which encourages teacher research.

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Principles of PDK Development

• Utilize technology as the delivery system, not
  solely the content.
• Offer an ongoing facilitated process approach
• Base content on authentic issues which arise from
  practice

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PDKs System design

• PDK is designed to provide a framework for
  looking at practice through casesof instruction
  which are documented through video tape, and
  enriched by other resources.
• Case methods are being adopted by providers of
  professional development across the educational
  spectrum because of their flexibility in bridging
  theory and practice, as well their usefulness as
  a foundation for reflection.
• The use of case studies has a rich history of
  use in adult education settings, including law
  and medicine.

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Why use a case based method for teachers?

• A consistently cited general rationale for the
  use of the case method for teacher education is
  based on
• the need to simulate real teaching situations and
  problems
• the need to overcome teachers resistance to
  overly abstract and theoretical content in
  professional training and development

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The nature of a teaching case

• These cases are not simply stories that a
  teacher might tell. They are crafted into
  compelling narratives, with a beginning middle,
  and end, and situated in an event or series of
  events that unfold over time.
• Shulman, J. H. (1991). Revealing the mysteries
  of teacher-written cases Opening the black box.
  Journal of Teacher Education, 42(4), 250-262.

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PDK Case Narrativethe nature of a teaching case

Cases... are embedded with many problems that can
be framed and analyzed from various perspectives,
and they include the thoughts and feelings of the
teacher-writers as they describe the accounts
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PDK Case Narrativethe structure of a teaching
case
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PDKs Internet Site
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PDKs Internet Site
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Janes Case

• How does one teacher approach teaching writing? .

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Janes Investigation

• Type of class Multi-level (ABE/GED) basic
  education class
• Focus Teaching writing
• Context Learner research projects
• Strategies illustrated
• Selecting a topic, developing a preliminary
  thesis sentence
• Gathering data, making connections, mental
  mapping, and developing an outline
• Establishing a criteria for oral and written
  presentations
• Writing the rough draft, peer editing, and
  revising
• Preparing for oral and written presentations
• Presentations and feedback

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Class Setting
Free Public Library,South Philadelphia, USA
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Teacher
Jane is a former GED student who worked her way
through an associate degree. She has been
teaching adult learners for 9 years. She prefers
to use teacher research methods to investigate
her practice.
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Learners
Number of learners14 Ages17-72 Gender 6 male,8
female Ethnicity White/African
American GoalsMostly GED Problems
General Retention, goalsetting, anxiety Writing
Anxiety, inexperience
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Video Key Questions Learners

• What are some of the learners beliefs about
  learning to write?
• Process?
• Importance of writing?
• Purpose for writing?
• Surface Features?

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Video Key Questions Teacher

• What are some of Janes beliefs about teaching
  writing?
• Process?
• Structure?
• Purpose?
• Surface features?

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Video Key Questions Teacher

• What are some of Janes beliefs about teaching
  writing?
• Process?
• Structure?
• Purpose?
• Surface features?

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Strategies Mental Mapping
Mental mapping is a technique for ordering
information, and is a variation on
brainstrorming.
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StrategiesSetting Class Criteria
Janes class set their own criteria for the
standards by which they would evaluate oral and
written presentations. This is the chart they
came up with.
You can view learners applying these criteria in
resources

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Strategies Opinion Poll

• This opinion poll was given to learners to
  complete individually, and then discussed with
  them in a group.
• To view the results of the poll, as well as a
  blank copy you can use with learners, go to
  resources.
• You can also access a video clip of the class
  discussion.

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Key Questions

• How can teachers construct a case of practice?
• Does the case-based method facilitate teacher
  learning?