New PD Tools from OTF (OTF Report)

During the  past  year the  OTF website, otffeo.on.ca, has become a new source for teacher professional development.

Teachers intuitively understand that effective professional development is founded on a few basic principles: it  is self-directed, reflective of the students’ needs and mindful of the school’s improvement plan. Furthermore,  effective professional learning  opportunities  must  be  flexible to  guarantee accessibility. Research clearly demonstrates the tangible educational benefits realized when educators are provided with time to dialogue and collaborate and therefore some provision for such activity should be provided for  during  the  instructional  day.  There  is  no one-size-fits-all model for effective PD. In short, if professional learning is to be meaningful then teachers must take the lead. OTF’s PD tools make this possible.

In  the  2005-2006  school  year,  OTF  received funding from the Ministry of Education for member  professional  development.  This  investment clearly acknowledged members’ commitment and expertise relative to  their  professional learning. During the fall of 2006, OTF conducted a needs assessment survey to analyze what teachers  per- ceived as their professional development needs.

Teaching  Matters,  a  multi-faceted   project designed to deliver innovative professional development, was  launched last spring at  the OTF conference Taking the Lead on Our Professional Development.To further assist members in their professional learning, OTF has developed several programs, all of which can be seen on the OTF website, otffeo.on.ca. These professional development tools are designed to address the needs of our diverse membership – from novice teachers to seasoned educators seeking opportunities to share their expertise.

Searching for a Relevant PD Event?

OTF’s online PD calendar is just a click away. Simply  visit  the  PD  web  centre  of  the  OTF website, click on “PD calendar” and sign in. The calendar can be searched by type of event, region, topic, grade level, or date. Teachers can sign up for email notification of similar opportunities as they are added to the calendar.

Does a hectic schedule restrict your ability to access PD?

Try on-line and on-demand digital PD videos. Visit the OTF website and access at your leisure in-depth professional development workshops from leading educational producers. These videos are available until October 31, 2008. The programs cover the curriculum from kindergarten to grade 12, and include arts, education, foreign languages, history, literature, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, as well as other professional development topics such as ADHD and conflict management. These outstanding programs are available 24 hours a day.

Last fall, OTF released two companion pieces – Beyond PD Days from PD that Works. This book and DVD are  training tools to assist members involved  with  planning  professional  learning opportunities for teachers. All local PD chairpersons received copies. To access both contact your federation local or purchase a copy from OTF.

These materials are a few of the tools featured in Volume I of OTF’s Teaching Matters newslet- ter, which was distributed to schools in October. OTF will publish a second issue of the newsletter in spring. In the meantime, I  encourage you to visit OTF’s PD web centre and to continue taking the lead in your professional development.