7 research outputs found
Lessons from Albania : professional development that transforms educators, schools and communities
Programs of staff development for in-service teachers often focus on
the introduction of specific skills and technologies. Seldom do staff development
programs take on more broad goals of professional and personal growth. In this
article the authors describe one program, the Reading and Writing for Critical
Thinking project, a literacy-based project developed and implemented by the
International Reading Association. The project began as a training program with
rather modest goals of instructional skills development, but resulted in a
surprising number of unexpected outcomes. These outcomes clearly distinguished
this program as a professional rather than a technical development activity. The
project, a three-year training of trainers model, introduced innovative literacy based
techniques in Albania (and 29 other countries in Europe and Asia) from
1997-2001. The authors, both members of the International Reading Association,
participated in the project’s implementation and dissemination in Albania. In this
article, after reviewing the project, the authors summarize their investigation of
the project’s impact on individual participants through data collected in survey
and case study. In doing so, they differentiate between technical and professional
development and offer suggestions, based on this study, regarding how other in service
programs might be shaped to lead to opportunities for in-service teachers
to truly develop as individuals and professional educators.peer-reviewe