Publications are valuable resources for professional learning, not only for individual use but also in group settings. Professional learning leaders use the written work of others with groups because it provides a common language and a common reference point for all participants. Typically, the pieces chosen have been written by experts in the field who have captured in writing some of the essential points that the presenters want to build on in their work with educators.

Successfully using an article as part of a professional learning process includes selecting the appropriate article, obtaining permission for its use, and choosing a strategy for sharing it with a group in an interactive and reflective way. The tool on the following pages describes some possible strategies, although there are many others.

Before you select an article and decide how the group will discuss it, consider:

• What are your goals for using an article or other reading? Where will it fit within your learning plan?
• What perspectives might you look for in a published piece that are not likely to be represented in the room?
• How will you ensure the source of the publication is reputable?
• Do you need to contact the author or publisher for permission?

Most articles, book chapters, and other publications are protected by copyright, meaning the author or publisher owns the right to the use of the text and the expression of the content therein. If the publication is online and in the public domain (e.g., an open access journal article or a public blog post), you can safely share it or ask participants to pull it up on their computer or other device. If it is not open to the public (e.g., a subscriber-only article or a book chapter), you should seek permission from the publisher to reproduce or share it. Although educators have wide latitude in using materials for educational purposes, copying articles or a major portion of a publication in order to avoid buying the publication is not considered fair use.

Tools published in The Learning Professional are intended for your use and we encourage you to use them with groups you facilitate. We don’t require you to seek permission, but we always invite you to share with us how you use them and what you learn.

Click on the pdf for a larger version of the table.