3.13 School ownership of active professionalism (SOAP)
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Description
This project will be a continuing project in up to 50 schools over the term of the AGQTP. It is intended that school-based professional development management teams will engage with teachers to improve and recognise the professionalism of the teachers within the school campus. The focus of such development will be within the target groups and priority areas of the AGQTP. This project takes as its base premise that professionalism does not result from the establishment of a school's community but from the active development of those who find themselves within this community.
Contacts
| Paul Rodney Ph 9287 1555 Sector: CEC |
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Outcomes
Through participation in an project, teachers will have strengthened the currency and depth of their learning area knowledge and understandings.
Through participation in an project, teachers will have strengthened the currency and depth of their pedagogical knowledge and skills.
Access
Targeted Catholic Education Commission schools/teachers.
Design
The professional learning strategy for this activity includes:
- School-based projects to engage teachers in workplace learning that is based on a cycle of continuous improvement model, whilst being particularly aware of the need for enhanced ICT pedagogy and skills.
- Workplace mentoring and coaching aligned to meeting the NSW Institute of Teachers' professional teaching standards.
- Flexible learning that includes components such as self-paced and facilitated online learning, face-to-face workshops, video and teleconferences, online mentors, and discussion groups.
- Onsite and offsite participation in knowledge building and skill sharing activities
partnerships for formal courses or awards. - Participation in formal courses or awards.
- Partnerships with professional associations and higher education institutions to provide expertise in the development, design and/or implementation of professional development activities.
Implementation
SOAP will involve the following activities:
- Initial research to identify school and individual needs in relation to improvements in professionalism within the priority areas of literacy, numeracy, science, technology, values education, vocational education, the Safe Schools Framework, students with particular learning requirements, professional standards and gifted and talented education. The school will develop a school-based professional development management team to target teachers, groups of teachers and mentors for engagement with the project.
- The school-based professional development management team will:
° Negotiate with participants as to possibilities for action research and intended professional outcomes and the links to current and trial practices.
° In conjunction with mentors, work with participants (individual or group) to establish realistic views to improving skills, pedagogy and understandings within their teaching specialisation. - Individuals and groups will engage with mentors in regard to implement trials of school or classroom-based research activities after documenting the process and intended outcomes
- The participant / mentor professional relationship will continue to support and encourage the process to remain on task or to vary the previous agreed process after professional dialogue.
- It is intended to share the findings of the research and the trial with colleagues within and beyond the school. It is hoped that participants will be able to share with colleagues from other schools by way of inviting them to visit during the school day to engage and observe.
- Schools and mentors will be encouraged to support participants in the recording and publishing of participants work for the school community. Where there is broader relevance, work could be added to the NSW CQTP website for use in other school communities. The action research content of the project is intended to centre on individual school outcomes to ensure local ownership of professionalism, sharing beyond the school will need to be investigated.
Delivery
Workplace learning, online learning, mentoring, action learning project, workshops/course, conference, resource development.
Timeline
By May 2009:
- Project launched within participating schools
- School needs determined
- Participants and mentors engaged
- Individual plans developed and documented
- Progress report submitted in May.
By November 2009:
- All participants will have completed projects evaluations, sharing and possibly showcasing their learnings.
- Improved ownership of school professionalism
- Participants are active supporters of professionalism resulting in significant enhancement in the status of the teaching profession.
- Annual report submitted in November.
Sectors
