An Educator's Need for Continual Professional Development

plan for, monitor and reflect on their professional development. Learners will then be able to investigate and

Guskey (1986) states that the success of professional development hinges on two crucial factors: (a) teachers‟ motivation to engage in staff development, and (b) the process of teacher-change through implementation success as evidenced by student achievement.

* It helps in recognising lifelong learning and society’s need for a productive and capable workforce.

Investing in the continued professional development of people is beneficial, for employee morale and for the company’s bottom line

Dabbagh, N. (2007). The online learner: characteristics and pedagogical implications. Contemporary Issuesin Technology and Teacher Education, 7, 3, 217–226.

Professional development is the systematic and comprehensive approach to continuous learning that will ensure employees remain abreast and current in their field, enhance knowledge and skills, and engage in activities that will contribute to the sustained growth of Catawba Valley Community College. Each employee is responsible for developing an annual professional development plan that aligns with the Catawba Valley Community College short and long term

Professional Development Assignment Rachel Hanson RN Aspen University Teresa Harden FNP February 1, 2016 Professional Development assignment Thesis Statements Explanatory Thesis An explanatory synthesis essay is used to help the reader get a complete understanding of the subject under consideration. The writer has to write the relevant information about a certain topic in an objective (or reasonably objective) and comprehensive way. The paper should be written like all papers, based around a solid thesis, but the purpose is to educate on all aspects rather than persuade a particular opinion.

Professional development took on a new identity in 2010. The National Staff Development Council (NSDC) began focusing on “professional learning” and rebranded the idea of professional development. “Learning Forward”, as it is now referenced, embraces professional learning that increases the effectiveness of educators and grows all students (Learning Forward, 2011). A new focus on professional learning evolved into the creation of new standards, these new NSDC Standards now focus on educator effectiveness.

According to Young (2014), an effective learning environment is “an environment [that] provides relevant content, clear learning goals and feedback, opportunities to build social skills, and strategies to help students succeed”. Arbaugh (2000) stated that “instructor(s) effort to create an interactive classroom environment” was one of the most important factors in a classroom environment. Other important aspects to consider for online higher education classes are how difficult the ‘software course’ is, the flexibility of the classroom environment online, and occasionally ‘technological sophistication’ is required for ultimate classroom efficacy (Arbaugh, 2000). In an effective classroom environment, an interesting “two parallel process” takes place: there is a transformation in the students into active reflective learners, while both the students and teachers, through engaging more with technology, become better digital citizens (Office of Academic Planning and Assessment, n.d), thus this a component that online classroom environments should try to emulate to reach their effective potential. Essentially, the accessibility of online classroom, frequency of classes, consistency of curriculum with digital resources, and pedagogy are some of the most critical aspects found in effective classroom environments (Office of Academic Planning and Assessment, n.d; Allan and Clarke, 2007; Arbaugh, 2000). Moreover, a study conducted by the University of Alberta (Garrison, D., Anderson, T. & Archer, W.; 1999) found that there are “three elements essential to an education transaction”: cognitive presence, social presence, and teach presence. Furthermore, Allan and Clarke (2007) stated that the “most conducive” learning environments include the following three: the “skill oriented outcomes” that are expected of

I feel in all leadership areas the professional development needs to continue. Completion of a doctorate program does not render one an expert, but equips learners with the desire to continue to seek, discover and grow both professionally and personally.

My experience at Kent State so far has been short and excellent. With the help of my advisor, I was very fortunate to be placed at the VA for my practicum. Working with Veterans has been a goal of mine for some time. I would like to say how excellent my professors have been so far, they have provided me with the essential tools that have been an asset while continuing to strengthening my professional skills. The research has been very challenging and rewarding at the same time. Kent State has a strong, challenging and rewarding MSSW program.

Teaching in an online environment requires a specific skill set, thus I agree with Theodore Smith’s competencies that he speaks of in, “Fifty-One Competencies for Online Instructors”. To be competent enough to create or facilitate an online course, one must master not only their subject area, but also understand technology. Furthermore, they must assert an attitude that perpetuates an online environment and value the process. Being a life learner also helps.

Continuing education and professional development impact change within the health care setting positively. It enables nurses to promote great delivery of quality care that each patient should receive. Nurses will have increase knowledge and widened skills in the field that they become competent to perform tasks assigned and make complex decisions that could have life or death consequences on patient care (Skees, 2010). Continuing education and professional development will take nursing expertise to the next level, thus promotion opportunities and advancement are more than likely to take place. Nurses have to keep up with the latest evidence to continue to provide safety. This is the biggest and important thing to be flexible about as nursing

Learning Forward (2015) is an organization formed to “build the capacity of leaders to establish and sustain highly effective professional learning” (para. 1). While creating a definition of professional development, seven key standards were identified for effective professional learning. These standards include:

This essay will discuss the significance of Lifelong Learning (LLL) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in relation to adult nursing. It has been suggested that LLL is too difficult to define, however it has been suggested that it is participated throughout life. It is important to discuss LLL, as it has many benefits within the healthcare system, as well as everyday life. This essay will explore reflection as a skill important to adult nurses, as this is vital in order to evaluate their own learning, which can encourage improvement of LLL. Reflection in action and on action can also influence the successful outcome of LLL. The attribute chosen to discuss will be self-motivation, due to the fact that this can lead to more