About the webinar
Education professionals around the world recognize that classrooms need a significant amount of change to meet the demands of the 21st century job market. In order to change classrooms, professional development needs to be reflective of evolving understandings of the needs of 21st century learners. A 2012 report from the Teacher Development Trust in the UK states "where participants are not given structured, frequent opportunities to engage with, understand and reflect on the implications of new approaches and practices, neither extended nor great frequency of contact were sufficient to make substantial changes to teacher practice or improve student outcomes." This finding illuminates the need to provide teachers with sustained, job-embedded professional development that creates new pathways for developing professional growth mindsets.
However research shows that most current professional development has little or no impact on student outcomes. A 2013 report published by the US Centre for Public Education states that 90 percent of teachers participate in traditional workshop-style training sessions during the school year and these workshops often don't change teacher practice. This research highlights the gap between traditional professional development and in-classroom implementation.
This workshop looks at some of the challenges of traditional professional development and proposes alternative continuing professional development models.
About the speaker
Leslie Davis has been an educator for a decade in a variety of contexts – as an English teacher in an international school in Turkey, a Literacy teacher in public schools in the US, and teaching EFL to adults in New Zealand. Before coming to Singapore, she worked as a teacher mentor for Primary teachers in Sarawak, Malaysia.
Leslie is passionate about supporting educators to find solutions for issues in their classroom. Recently, through Master Classes and workshops, she has focused on Subject Literacy, Oracy and Encouraging Personal Response. Additionally, she has recently delivered a series of Master Classes to secondary and adult students as part of the Prudential Creative Education programme. She has a BA in English Language and Literature from The College of William and Mary and a Master’s of Teaching from the University of Virginia. She is a registered teacher both in the US and in New Zealand and has a special interest in Literacy.
At British Council Singapore, Leslie holds the post of Training Consultant, Secondary and JC Education.