It seems like the practice of professional development within schools has witnessed some radical changes throughout the years. According to We Are Teachers, there are ten main areas that have been touched by this change. Starting with the choice of topics of PDs, in the past such topics were particularly chosen by the principal or school administrators on behalf of the teaching staff. However, today, teachers are more inclined to guide their own PD through concerted efforts in professional learning networks. Also a comparison between the delivery style of PDs in the past with what it is now shows a considerable shift from expert-centred lecture style where teachers were mere listeners to hands-on workshops that view teachers as experts.
As you go through the rest of these changes in the visual below you will probably come to the realization that this shift in the practice of professional development in schools is only a small part of the big change that has been going on in the education ecosystem as a whole. Whether this change is due mainly to the boon in technology and digital media is still a debatable issue but what is unquestionable is the fact that the recent digital revolution has definitely impacted education and will continue to do so.
Source of the visual: We Are Teachers
