Continuing Your Professional Development in Lifelong Learning

Description

New qualifications for those teaching and training in the FE sector became effective in September 2007. The reform of initial teacher training and the professionalisation of the workforce in the sector require a commitment to engage in continuing professional development. The rational for the book is contained in the argument that improvement of quality in teaching and learning in the sector is not achieved exclusively through short-term external professional development and training activities. Moreover it requires ongoing workplace learning which is long-term in focus and practice-orientated and work-based. In order to improve future practice it needs to be embedded in critical reflection and evaluation of workloads. The purpose of the book is to introduce the notion that there is an opportunity for every teacher to develop their role through their workloads, e.g. workloads are a vehicle for professional development. Ways to achieve this are identified by exploring the practice of experienced and successful teachers. The author then goes on to offers guidelines for promoting constructive practice, which is using the outcomes of reflection in the workplace to achieve role development.

Dr Angela Steward has taught for over thirty years in the FE sector. She currently teaches Education Studies at the Centre for Continuing Professional Development at City College Norwich, UK. Angela is also a consultant for the East of England Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training and a fellow of the Institute for Learning.

"Steward has 30-plus years of experience in the further education (FE) sector; she has written seven previous texts available from Continuum on post-secondary teaching. Her latest book suggests ways that FE teachers and trainers can fulfill the UK's continuing professional development (CPD) requirements and develop constructive classroom practices, without investing time and money in specialized external courses and training activities. She introduces and develops the idea that FE teachers have an opportunity to engage in their own professional development through their everyday workload. Containing elements of a "how to" book, a "self-help" manual, and textbook, this practical text includes theory-based models and frameworks from professional development and teacher training experts that Steward has found useful in her own practice. It incorporates numerous case studies of experienced and successful teachers throughout. For teachers, tutors, trainers, lecturers and instructors." -Eithne O'Leyne, BOOK NEWS, Inc.