Learning Forward

How adults learn forms the foundation of the Learning Designs standard. By Eleanor Drago-Severson Understanding how adults learn is an essential component for shaping effective professional learning. The author illustrates how the three strands of the Learning Designs standard — apply learning theories, research, and models; select learning designs; and […]

 This is my first full year as principal. I had worked in our central office in human resources until I decided it was time to come back into the schools. I missed the collaboration among staff, I missed working with a large team, and mostly I missed the students. Midyear, […]

 Educators in schools serving large populations of culturally diverse students often have backgrounds that differ from the students and families they serve. This cultural mismatch can make developing strong school-community relationships a challenge. One strategy for addressing this concern is the use of a cultural liaison. A cultural liaison is […]

 As Learning Forward Executive Director Stephanie Hirsh describes in her column, clearly establishing the intended outcomes for learning is the first step in designing effective professional learning. This framework is one strategy for delineating the changes desired from any learning experience. Fill in the chart below to make the desired […]

“What kind of preparation or ongoing learning is required if teachers are to provide the best possible reading instruction for all students in their classrooms?” (Bean, 2004, p. 12). This foundational question is one that all schools should consider in planning professional development that will give teachers the knowledge and […]

 Four years ago, a group of teachers lingered after a district meeting, sharing a conversation about encouraging social responsibility in our affluent school district of Tenafly, N.J. That conversation led to the eventual formation of a teacher study group, a grassroots professional learning community that has impacted its members and […]

Change begins from the inside. As Daniel Pink (2009) says, intrinsic motivation and drive come from autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Successful reform efforts originate from the ground up. Teachers are growing increasingly frustrated with an educational system that they perceive they are powerless to change. However, teachers are not powerless: […]

Carl Witter’s Algebra I class is discussing a multiple choice problem involving percents. Standing at the overhead, Witter asks students to raise their hands to vote for the answer they think is correct. As they vote, students talk among themselves. Lakisha asks a friend, “Why are you raising your hand […]

When she was principal at Roosevelt Elementary School in Spokane, Wash., Shari Farris decided to investigate the learning and discipline problems of the immigrant students in her school by learning all she could about one student’s experiences in the school. She used a professional learning design called shadowing and spent […]