Leveraging Online Professional Development

The recent issue of the Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook: Leveraging Online Professional Development is now available on Education Week. This issue looks at the potential of digital technology to enhance teacher learning options and increase collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

Here are some interesting highlights:

• MetLife Inc.'s 25th annual survey of educators found that the proportion of teachers saying they are “very satisfied” with their careers increased from 40 percent in 1984 to 62 percent in 2008, while more teachers today (66 percent) feel respected by society than their counterparts did back then (47 percent).
  
• the percentage of teachers agreeing that they can earn a “decent salary” has nearly doubled since 1984, to 66 percent, and far more teachers today (75 percent, compared with 45 percent in 1984) say they would recommend a career in teaching to a young person.
• two-thirds of today’s teachers affirm that they were well prepared for the profession, compared with 46 percent in 1984.
  Some other survey results:
• Have you ever taken an online course for degree or professional credit?

Recommended Teacher Groups on Ning:
Classroom 2.0
The English Companion Ning
3-D Fieldtrips