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Building Better Professional Learning February 25, 2021 | Volume 16 | Issue 12 Table of Contents
Marcus Conyers and Donna Wilson
Over two decades, our BrainSMART professional development program has employed a teacher-centered focus, with positive effects on teachers' reactions to training and their learning as well as organization-wide results. Our approach focuses on sharing principles and practices that teachers can readily apply in their classrooms (Wilson & Conyers, 2020). This practical element is key to making professional development stick. As Guskey (2002) states, teachers experience the most significant changes in their beliefs and attitudes after they begin using a new practice and observe the positive effects on student learning.
When we asked what teachers thought they most needed to learn, they asked for practical knowledge, skills, and strategies that could increase student achievement. Teachers identified the need for teaching practices, including how to assist students to think at higher levels, sustain positive engagement, and support students to transfer learning from one context to another (Conyers, 2017).
As we gathered teachers' input, we asked ourselves, "How can we share this theory and research and these strategies with educators in a way that results in actual changes in teaching practice?"
To answer this question, we utilized Joyce and Showers' approach for effective PD design (2002), which includes: 1) presentation of theory or rationale, 2) demonstration or modeling of skill or concept, 3) practice of skill or concept under simulated conditions, and 4) feedback.
With those concepts in mind, we developed a list of PD strategies that will have practical, long-lasting use for teachers.
Six "Sticky" Professional Development Strategies:
Our BrainSMART model, which employs these strategies, has been studied based on the four levels of the Kirkpatrick Model for evaluating training (Kirkpatrick Partners, 2016). Results suggest a positive effect on teachers in the following areas: 1) reaction to the training, 2) learning of the material, 3) use of what they learned, and 4) results of professional development on the organization.
One study of 294 educators who participated in the BrainSMART program (Conyers, 2017), revealed that participants:
Now that we know how to present PD in a sticky way, we're going to focus on three key concepts for improving learning across the lifespan, rooted in the science of learning and development research: brain plasticity, metacognition, and social-emotional learning.
Learning about the brain fascinates people of all ages. In our professional development, we have found that educators are motivated when they discover that they can develop and improve the knowledge, skills, and outlooks that support effective teaching at any age, thanks to brain plasticity that powers lifelong learning and growth mindsets. As Michael Merzenich, a pioneer in neuroplasticity research, puts it, "the brain's machinery is being continuously rewired and functionally revised, substantially under your control, throughout the course of your natural life" (2013, p.2).
Scientists refer to the brain as "plastic" to describe its capacity to change in response to the individual's experiences and sensory input from the environment. Related to brain plasticity is the process of synaptogenesis, the creation of synaptic connections between brain cells in response to learning. These neuronal connections form as a result of the one-of-a-kind blend of experiences we have throughout our lives.
In professional development, the following strategies can be used to make the most of brain plasticity. Teachers also can use these strategies in the classroom to teach the basics of brain plasticity.
In our professional development events, we make practical metacognition a key focus. When participants think about what they are learning in the context of their classroom, they are better able to transfer what they learn to their teaching practice.
Defined as "thinking about thinking," metacognition is an essential tool in the development of teaching expertise. Neuroscientist Stephen Fleming (2014) characterizes metacognition as a foundation for learning, success, and achievement that is applicable to almost any field. Metacognitive educators are more intentional, adjusting their approach based on students' needs and the content, and are more effective in how they plan, execute, and access their teaching. As a result, they are more likely to perceive themselves as having greater efficacy than teachers who do not use metacognitive strategies (Conyers & Wilson, 2016).
Practical metacognition is supported by the use of our PEAK Model: Planning, Execution, Assessment, and Keep making progress (Conyers & Wilson, 2015). Prior to using PEAK, establish your clear intent. Create a positive, motivating goal and envision its benefits. Using questions such as those presented below will support the "learning brains" of you and your students. (These questions were adapted from our book, Teaching Students to Drive Their Brains, which features many methods for teaching with and for metacognition.)
(P)lan: Develop a specific plan for progressing positively and ask yourself …
(E)xecute: Focus fully on the implementation and monitor learning with questions such as …
(A)ssess: Assess, monitor, and adjust your thoughts and actions as you implement your plan and after you complete an action step. Ask yourself …
(K)eep making progress (and improving the process): Aim for steady gains in a positive direction and be open for ways to improve the process.
A vital key to making professional development stick is the harnessing of positive emotions. When educators' brains are in a positive state in a safe and supportive learning environment, they can be more engaged, motivated, and open to using creative applications of learning (Davidson & Begley, 2012).
In our professional development, we model a positive mood so that the experience is enjoyable, and we share the evidence of this approach on student outcomes. A 2011 meta-analysis found that students whose schooling incorporated social-emotional learning instruction experienced significant academic gains—11 points higher than students who did not receive this type of instruction (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011).
The following thought-provoking questions can be used in PD as well as with students in the classroom.
Ask participants …
It is exciting to provide learning experiences that support educators to make a positive effect on student learning. Creative and practical applications of the science of learning is key to PD that sticks.
Conyers, M.A. (2017). Improving teaching practice through education, mind, and selected brain research. (Ph.D. Thesis). Retrieved from Westminster Research, University of Westminster.
Conyers, M. A., & Wilson, D. L. (2015). Positively smarter: Science and strategies for increasing happiness, achievement, and well-being. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley.
Conyers M. A., & Wilson, D. L. (2016). Smarter teacher leadership: Neuroscience and the power of purposeful collaboration. New York: Teachers College Press.
Davidson, R. J., with Begley, S. (2012). The emotional life of your brain. New York: Hudson Press.
Duerden, E. G., & Laverdure-Dupont, D. (2008). Practice makes cortex. The Journal of Neuroscience, 28(35), 8655–8657.
Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students' social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1). Retrieved from https://casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ meta-analysis-child-development-1.pdf
Guskey, T. R. (2002). Professional development and teacher change. Teachers and Teaching, 8(3), 381–391.doi:10.1080/135406002100000512
Joyce, B. R., & Showers, B. (2002). Student achievement through staff development (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Merzenich, M. (2013). Soft-wired: How the new science of brain plasticity can change your life (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Parnassus.
Wilson, D. L., & Conyers, M. A. (2016). Teaching students to drive their brains: Metacognitive strategies, activities, and lesson ideas. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Wilson, D.L., & Conyers, M.A. (2020). Developing growth mindsets: principles and practices for maximizing students' potential. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Marcus Conyers and Donna Wilson are the authors of 20 books, including Developing Growth Mindsets (ASCD, 2020) and Teaching Students to Drive Their Brains (ASCD, 2016). They are founders of BrainSMART and developers of graduate degree programs focused on applied mind, brain, and education science. Marcus is an international keynote speaker and a Ph.D. research supervisor with Canterbury Christ Church University. Donna is an international consultant and speaker, an ASCD faculty member, and a featured author on the ASCD (2018) professional development video series, Teaching Students to Drive Their Brains.
More on This Topic: Getting More Than "Entertrainment"
ASCD Express, Vol. 16, No. 12. Copyright 2021 by ASCD. All rights reserved. Visit www.ascd.org/ascdexpress.
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