ED466800 - Using the Knowledge Loom: Ideas and Tools for Collaborative Professional Development. A Guidebook for Professional Development - ERIC-ED466800 | Content Details

ED466800 - Using the Knowledge Loom: Ideas and Tools for Collaborative Professional Development. A Guidebook for Professional Development

Source Institution: Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Lab. at Brown Univ., Providence, RI

Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC

Subject: Cooperative Planning, Elementary Secondary Education, Faculty Development, Inquiry, Learning Activities, Teacher Collaboration, Teacher Improvement

Abstract: This toolkit explains how to get started with a collaborative process of professional development that includes selecting best practices and identifying ways to put them into action. It is a companion to an online resource, ''The Knowledge Loom: What Works in Teaching & Learning." The loom as a metaphor suggests a work in progress, a workspace where selected and varied threads are drawn together to craft a cohesive, useful fabric. This guide helps education leaders facilitate professional development through collaborative activities that use knowledge loom content to guide improved teaching and learning. The activities are divided into modular steps: (1) selecting a theme (understanding collaborative inquiry, selecting a theme, and getting acquainted with the Knowledge Loom); (2) reviewing best practices (reviewing/selecting best practices, identifying evidence, and planning next steps); (3) analyzing success stories (finding virtual benchmarking partners, analyzing cause and effect data, and identifying performance gaps); (4) identifying support resources (broadening, deepening, and sharing knowledge); and (5) action planning and dissemination (articulating long-term goals, milestones, and action items and sharing success stories). Four appendixes include a glossary, reproducible activity organizers, evaluation forms, and references.