Teachers as Learners: A Multimedia Kit for Professional Development in Science and Mathematics

By: WGBH Boston, WestEd

Based on the best-selling Designing Professional Development for Teachers of Science and Mathematics, this innovative multimedia kit offers visual, first-hand examples of a variety of professional development strategies, including case discussions, study groups, coaching, immersion in content learning, and curriculum implementation that are all targeted to science and mathematics teachers. These strategies emphasize teachers as learners and how that can be translated into student learning.

Viewers will experience professional development strategies in action, hear the logic and thinking of facilitators, observe teachers engaged in their own professional development as well as in real classrooms interacting with and getting feedback from students, and more. They will gain insights into the different ways educators are designing and providing teacher professional development to strengthen mathematics and science education, and gain teacher support for improvements in curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Teachers as Learners contains everything you need to prepare staff developers to design professional development activities, including the following:

• Facilitator's Guide that includes an easy-to-use discussion guide for each of the 18 video programs; professional development designs for half-day to three-day sessions, and concrete strategies for using the Teachers as Learners collection
  
• CD-ROM with detailed facilitator's scripts, PowerPoint® presentations, activities, and masters for overhead transparencies and handouts that accompany the Facilitator's Guide
  
• Four videotapes consisting of 18 programs that illustrate a diverse range of professional development strategies, such as immersion in content, standards-based curriculum integration, examining practice, collaborative work, and more
  
• Designing Professional Development for Teachers of Science and Mathematics, 2nd Edition, a primer on professional development practice

This multifaceted resource is designed for anyone who plans, designs, or conducts professional development for teachers of mathematics and science, such as professional developers, teacher leaders, teacher trainers, and teacher development specialists. Teachers as Learners provides suggestions for how to create learning designs for individuals and groups, as well as for courses and workshops.

For more information, please see the Teachers As Learners website.

Teachers as Learners is a production of WGBH Boston in collaboration with WestEd, with funding from the National Science Foundation.

| interview with the author