Continuing Education Option
Identifying Appropriate PD
Types of Activities, Lesson 5. Section 4

Professional Learning Communities (PLC)
Professional Learning Communities as defined by Robert and Becky Dufour, PLCs may be described as, "Educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. Professional learning communities operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators." Learning by Doing (2006)

Response to Intervention (RTI)

According to the National Center on Response to Intervention, RTI are described as follows: “Response to intervention (RTI) integrates assessment and intervention within a multi-level prevention system to maximize student achievement and to reduce behavior problems. With RTI, schools identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes, monitor student progress, provide evidence-based interventions and adjust the intensity and nature of those interventions depending on a student’s responsiveness, and identify students with learning disabilities.”

Click on the following links to learn more: Kentucky System of Interventions or Response to Intervention

Highly Engaged Classrooms

Various PD opportunities are available to assist teachers in ensuring all students at all levels of learning are highly engaged in classrooms.  Though some classrooms may appear to have highly engaged students, it is not apparent that students are engaged in the right type of activities.  By reviewing the links of your educational cooperative you may find such activities such as, Todd Whitaker's What Great Teacher’s Do Differently; Laurie and Spencer Kagan’s Cooperative Learning and Active Engagement; John Maxwell’s Laws of Leadership; Mike Schmoker’s Results Now; and Rick Stiggins' Assessment for Learning, to name a few. 

Shadowing and Mentoring

Shadowing is defined as following a professional to observe and learn specific tasks and activities. Mentoring is defined as working with a professional and seeking advice or recommendations on specific topics.

• Speak to veteran teachers and administrators in your chosen field of study.

In order for this activity to meet highly qualified standards, you must utilize strategies learned and provide evidence of the positive effects the new skills have had in your classroom.

Selected Readings

Reading books/articles/research publications give insight to the content or plan. In order for this activity to meet highly qualified standards, you must utilize strategies learned and provide evidence of the positive effects the new skills have had in your classroom.

• Workshops/Seminars/Conferences

• Online learning

 A variety of community resources are available that may align your PD plan.  Below provides some examples:

 Content development area and possible regional resources:

• health and science :: healthcare services
• business :: Chamber of Commence or Better Business Bureau
• arts and humanities :: regional humanities groups
• practical living :: Home Extension Agencies (Note: The University of Kentucky manages the Agricultural Extension Services.)

 Government services 

• police department
• fire department
• various agencies of city, state, and federal governments
• military and veterans’ organizations
• United States Postal Service

Education support groups

• Junior Achievement 
• Future Teachers of America
• Future Farmers of America
• Beta Club
• National Honor Society
• Student Council
• Future Business Leaders of America
• Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America