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Whose CPD is it anyway?
By Margaret Alcorn, National CPD Coordinator
The CPD team have spent a lot of time trawling through the responses to the questionnaire on CPD that many of you completed.
As you would expect, there was a wide variation in replies. Many wished for more subject- related CPD, and lots commented on the value placed on CPD which made a difference to practice. 'In-house' learning was generally viewed as positive, relevant and useful, while a small number said that the provision offered was too general or basic.
Some comments were very positive and recognised that when CPD was good, it could result in new thinking, improved practice and increased confidence. Others reflected a very different picture, and some views were very negative. Some courses were described as irrelevant and random; others very patchy in quality, patronising and a waste of time.
So what made the difference? Clearly there were a number of factors, but one of the most significant appeared to be in how strongly the educator 'owned' the CPD. Highest levels of disgruntlement came from those who spoke about CPD being 'done to' them. They described a model where someone - the authority, the school, their leadership team - decided what their CPD needs were and then set about requiring their presence. They were passive recipients who felt no connection with the learning being offered.
Some of you who have heard me rant know I have a personal antipathy to the old-fashioned 'sheep-dip' model, where we round 'em up, count their heads, get them 'telt' and let them go. Too much of my life has been spent as a passive recipient of other people's priorities, and we know that this is an ineffective and uninspiring way to learn. We are very clear that children and young people need to be given choice and flexibility in their learning. They need to become active participants in the learning, and to understand what questions to ask as well as what questions to answer. Why would it be any different for teachers?
Technology offers so many exciting and innovative ways for teachers to take charge of their CPD and many opportunities to build new learning networks. For example, have you explored the potential of social media as a CPD tool? Are you joining GLOW groups, or visiting CPDFind for hundreds of excellent free opportunities, or our CPD team blog? Are you using CPDReflect to review your progress and to plan and record your CPD?
Or are you passively waiting for someone to do it for you? Of course you're not!