Reflective Practice Professional Development Planning Essay

Reflective Practice Professional Development Planning - Essay Example 9) not only at a school-wide but district-wide levels, as well. The availability of materials online allows easy access to support schools and teacher in dealing with the students’ learning needs. Killion and Williams (2004) stresses the importance of embedding professional development in the regular school day. The role therefore, of instructional leaders in creating a culture of continuous learning among the teaching staff is important. Coaching, encouraging collaborative work and providing resources and support are among the essential responsibilities of those in the leadership or administrative position. Perhaps one of the major obstacles of an instructional leader is dealing with individuals who resist collaborative professional learning. De Lay (2009) in the article â€Å"Behold! The Power of Teacher Collaboration† however, clearly emphasizes the need to encourage and sustain education practitioners’ collaboration. De Lay (2009) outlines a number of ways to create connections and engage oneself in collaborative professional development. Engaging in reflection is the starting point where one can make a clear sense of one’s professional goals and needs. Finding other professionals with common needs and goals can enrich one’s insight in achieving these goals. Active participation in professional development meetings and in professional associations perpetuates the spirit of mutual learning where one can build on solutions and opportunities. Social networking resources, such as Facebook and Twitter, are good ways of building relationships beyond the confine s of the classroom or the school. The internet has opened limitless possibilities ready for constructive exploitation. The article highlights Google Docs as way for individuals to work together on the same document regardless of where they are.