What are the different types of PLD?
External | paid
Courses / Workshops |
Education conferences or seminars |
eg. on subject matter, pedagogy, or other
education-related topics |
at which teachers / researches present their research results & discuss education challenges / the future of education
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Qualification programmes
undertaking further education in order to enhance / gain further qualification
eg. Mindlab postgrad course, eFellowship, Te Reo course
eg. Mindlab postgrad course, eFellowship, Te Reo course
Internal | free / low-cost
Observation visits to other schools |
Participation in a PLN |
visiting other contexts to gain insight into different environments / pedagogy / philosophy etc, possibly involving exchange or reciprocal visits
Classroom observationsVisiting colleagues in their teaching spaces in order to observe their practice and techniques in building relationships, engaging students etc
Peer critique / critical friendshipsParticipating in a reciprocal professional arrangement (Ako) with a trusted colleague in order to reflect upon & critically evaluate one's own professional practice with the support of an outside perspective.
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joining & actively participating in a professional learning network such as a subject association, like-minded educators on Twitter or Facebook etc, in order to share and discuss educational research, pedagogy and teaching tools / resources
Collaborative research / inquiryWorking with colleagues to unpack / investigate a common or shared challenge in the classroom
Professional readingUndertaking educational reading / viewing / listening of credible texts in order to enhance and enrich your own knowledge and practice
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"Some of the best PLD I've ever had was in the classroom next door.”
- OGHS teacher
How does the PLD funding work?
You may ask...
Equity ModelThis is the model we currently use at OGHS. Teachers receive PLD funding provision based upon their learning needs and the needs of, and benefit to, the school as a whole. This means that different teachers may have access to different amounts of PLD, depending on the school's vision & strategic goals.
The PLD budget has to cover all of the following things:
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A number of years ago, this model was in place at OG's. Each person had X amount of "PLD pocket money" to spend, so to speak. While everyone having the same amount seems fair, in actual fact, this isn't the case. If we divided the budget up equally between everyone, and each person had, say $600 in their personal PLD account (it does not accrue), then many people would never actually make it to an out of town conference, or even an in town conference these days! If you think about conference registration fees, plus travel, plus accommodation etc, no single person would be able to attend an out of town conference without having to top up the costs out of their own pocket. Some people go to a big out of town conference in a year, while others may attend a few smaller workshops / seminars etc. One year, someone may not attend any external PLD, while another person may attend 3-4 events. Flexibility in the budget by using an equity model means we can accommodate this. |