Live Courses for Professional Development

I have been researching different sources to help keep teachers up to date in the science content area. This week I found a great case study discussing a new type of professional development offered by NASA. The office of education at NASA along with the NASA explorer school have put together live, short courses for NASA Explorer School. The project is being funded by a grant.  The case study discusses whether they are effective or not.  The courses are intended to be a tool for professional development in the field of science.

I found it interesting that this case study pointed out that the responsibility for professional development rest entirely on teacher’s shoulders.  We will have to take it upon ourselves to find reliable sources, which is why this case study is worth reading. Science changes more than any other subject, so we have to know where to go to stay current. One thing that I noticed right away is that this study included teachers from all across the board, not just science. The classes are meant to be flexible and require little time. And lastly, the courses include real classroom applications.

Some important goals that the courses attempt to meet include:

1.     Relate to relevant day to day practice

2.     Provide opportunities for professional sharing and collaboration

3.     Contribute to teacher professional growth

4.     Have an accessible format for a wide range of teachers

The courses are based on the social constructivist theory. NASA feels that this is what makes what they have created different than anything else out there.  Each class allows time for collaboration with other teachers. Guest speakers from a variety of fields speak during each session. The intent is for teachers not only to build their content knowledge but share with others about what works and doesn’t. I think these courses seem great.  Personally collaborating helps me understand almost everything better than just reading it on a website. The results of the study show that many other people feel the same way. Most people who participated said they saw positive results from taking the courses.