A final area of need involves supporting a student’s ability to be a successful learner. Developing the skills of self-regulation, self-advocacy, and self-reflection are all critical, not only for struggling students, but for all students.These skills are each connected to the development of metacognition, or “thinking about one’s thinking process.” Metacognition is commonly cited as a cornerstone of our ability to learn, and teaching students how they can develop their metacognitive abilities is a critical skill that needs to be taught directly, especially to students who struggle.Teachers can promote the development of metacognition through the use of frequent formative assessment, opportunities for self-reflection, and coaching-based methods of questioning.
Improving Teaching Practice and Organizational Culture While professional development offers ways for educators to hone their skills and learn about current issues and trends in their respective fields, it cannot make up for the benefits of a strong,
www.seenmagazine.us
learning-oriented organizational culture. No amount of new knowledge of trends and techniques can address the consequences of an organization that does not value education, respect differences in practice, and reward innovation and the holding of high standards.To be truly effective as a mechanism that benefits both students and professionals alike, professional development needs to occur in a context in which the organization is always learning and open to change. Administrators, staff, service providers, and even vendors should be involved in opportunities to ensure that the organization understands the goals and value of the professional development experience in the larger context of the school or college. To encourage stakeholder inclusion, our organization has been working with regional hosts and partners to provide workshops and institutes to teachers, administrators, and service providers.This model is typically more cost-effective than sending a group of
personnel to a remote site for professional development, and it allows for greater interaction and participation of personnel who serve students in multiple environments, from classroom, to counseling, to extracurricular programming, to administration. By ensuring that the community of stakeholders is involved in professional development ventures, summer training experiences can become an excellent opportunity to evaluate institutional progress and set expectations for the new school year. For more information about the programs and services offered by the Landmark College Institute for Research and Training, visit www.landmark.edu/ institute. Steven Fadden, Ph.D., is Vice President for Research and Institute Operations at Landmark College, an associate’s granting institution that exclusively serves students with learning disabilities and attention disorders. Dr. Fadden enjoys delivering professional development in cognitive psychology and education, effective instruction, and human computer interaction For more information visit www.landmark.edu.
SouthEast Education Network SPRING 2011
55