Best practices - Larkdale ES

I am writing to announce a radical change in the orientation of this blog: from now on we will highlight best practices used throughout BCPS for follow-up support and implementation of new knowledge and skills.

Ms. Beverly Green-McFadden, form Larkdale Elementary, shared what her school does to provide support after training. She explained that classroom walkthroughs, informal peer observations, looking together at data collected after implementing new strategies, and the sharing of best practices at faculty meetings are some of the follow-up support mechanisms Larkdale ES teachers have put in place. She also mentions how important is the support received from NESS mentors and from curriculum support staff.

As a result, Beverly tells us that,"Learning and transfering a new skill is more effective when the setting is less threatening and not forced. Having someone from your team observe you practicing a new skill is less intimidating. Also, sharing out in faculty meetings what works for you is a helpful and good way to tell if others are using strategies taught in a professional development workshop."

So... kudos to the Larkdale ES teachers for collaborating, and to Beverly for sharing our own homegrown best practices with the rest of us.

If you want to be the next to share, please post a comment or email me at

diana.silberman@browardschools.com

Have a great holiday, and "see" you all in 2008.

Best practices

A colleague of mine recently found that North Carolina Schools are succesfully implementing ideas that foster follow-up. They developed a self-assessment form for individuals to reflect on their own transfer of new knowledge and skills from the workshop to the classroom.

So, without further ado, here is the self-assessment form. Download, print, use, and tell us how it worked for you.

Follow-up is homework...NOT

Since the question of whether follow-up and homework are one and the same keeps surfacing, I would like to ask a couple of reflection questions to the readers of this blog: "Is homework a process, or a product?"
Follow-up means making sure we practice what we learned continuously and effectively. So, is follow-up a process, or is it a product?

I look forward to your comments and reflections.

An every day life example

Apologies for not having made it to the blog in more than one month! My husband had a total thyroidectomy recently, and I have been quite busy as a result. Today, we are going to the doctor's for a follow-up. And since examples of follow-up have been requested, this is the best one I can think of.
You may feel going to the doctor is dreadful, but that depends on how you see things. What should you focus on? The (possible) dread of the follow-up visit, or the long-term results? If going to the doctor, taking your prescriptions, and doing what your physician says will make you feel better then that is what you should focus on.
The reflective practice of a skill acquired in training will bring about results that will help all those involved (i.e. coworkers, students, etc.) do better. Then, as you begin to notice the positive results effective practice brings, your attitude towards follow-up also improves. The key here is that behavior changes through reflection and practice. A change of attitude will follow after the results become evident (Guskey, 2002).



September 19, 2007 7:18 AM

What is Effective Follow-up?

As professional developer in BCPS, I have been doing some reading on follow-up to professional development. Most experts agree that effective follow-up supports the transfer of new knowledge and skills to the classroom and/or workplace.

What do you think? Log in and share your thoughts, I'd love to hear from you!

On another note, Master Yoda will be the symbol of this blog for very obvious reasons. My picture will also be posted in the near future...well below his.

Diana