1. Professional Development
Working Group

2. Effective Professional
Development
…is ongoing, includes training, practice and
feedback, and provides adequate time and
follow up support. Successful programmes
involve teachers in learning activities that are
similar to ones they will use with their
students, and encourage the development of
teachers’ learning communities.

3. Why is Professional
Development Important?
• Students are changing- Digital Natives
• Technology is a disruptive and rapidly
changing force
• 21st Century Skills are different

4. Effective Professional
Development
• Leadership
• Knowledge
• Resources
• Collaboration
• Evaluation
• Sustainability
• Practice (Coaching and Mentoring)

5. Professional
Development Activities
• Courses / workshops
• Education conferences / seminars
• Qualification programme (inhouse)
• Observations
• Participation in a network of Teachers
• Individual / collaborative research
• Mentoring / peer observation / coaching

6. Definition of Mentoring
Mentoring is a collaborative, mutually beneficial partnership
between a mentor and a mentee…but in our case between
two colleagues who voluntarily work together for an aim..
That is why we call it Academic Partnership since two
colleagues collaborate towards a specific aim. In other
words, Academic Partnership is the process of information
exchange between two colleagues in a relationship which
contributes to the professional development of both parties.

7. Types of Mentoring
• One-to one mentoring
• Group mentoring
• Remote mentoring
• Peer mentoring
• Academic Partnership

8. What is Academic Partnership?
It is a partnership… Even though
there may be an inequality in the
skills, knowledge and experience of
the partners, the partnership itself is
equal. Both parties agree to the
relationship and both parties are
responsible for its success.

9. Why is AP important?
• Review and validate what you know and what you
have accomplished
• Get a new and fresh outlook on your own job
• Have opportunity to learn about colleagues and
expand your circle of networking
• Receive honest and informal feedback
• Enhance your professional development
• Benefit from a different perspective
• Exposed to new ideas, theories and people

10. Who is AP for?
Every one of us who needs
more info in any
area related to our
professional development.

11. How can AP be
implemented?
• Voluntary basis

12. Suggested Areas
Academic:
• How to write MA/PhD papers
• How to apply for a conference
• How to write an abstract
• How to collect and analyze data
• How to write an academic paper for publication
• How to write a conference paper
• How to do workshop/paper presentations
• How to apply for MA/PhDs
• How to apply for grants/scholarships abroad
• Presentation skills

13. Suggested Areas
Technical
• How to use survey monkey
• How to set up a blog
• How to make and upload a recording (audio/visual)
• How to work with moodle
• Basic computer skills e.g. email, word, excel
• Advanced computer skills e.g. prezzi

14. Suggested Areas
Teaching/Classroom
• How to use / set up basic technology in class – data projector, laptop
• Teaching of different skills
• Teaching a particular jargon e.g. business terms
• Teaching academic skills
• Use of the board
• Use of interactive white boards
• Use of dictionaries in class
• Dealing with problem students
• How to carry out an observation
• How to work with interns

15. Suggested Areas
Miscellaneous
• How to chair meetings
• How to communicate effectively
• How to take and write meeting minutes

16. PDWG’s possible future plans
with AP?
Once we set the system in our
school, we can offer it to
*final year student-teachers;
*teachers in government schools;

17. Resource Guide
• Foster, L. (2001). Effectiveness of mentor programs: review of the
literature from 1995 to 2000, (Report No. CRB-01-004). Sacramento,
CA: California Research Bureau. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service
No. ED 463 511)
• Empowering Teachers: A Professional and Collaborative
Approach(2008)
http://www.setda.org/web/guest/2020/professional-development
• Photo Credit: iLoveButter www.flicker.com