CPD Team

John Daffurn of the National CPD Team sums up his group’s view at the recent CPD network meeting.

We were asked to consider how best to exemplify the professional Standards on CPDReflect.

Here are the key issues raised:

• Allows us to refocus on the Standards
• be wary of the Big Brother tag
• HTs need to be more aware of corporate management issues. Will that be reflected in the SfH? Possible use of HMIE Leadership for Learning document?
• How will local processes tie in with CPDReflect
• Checklists are good for speed but how deeply is practice being reflected on?

Jim Keegans of the National CPD Team sums up his group’s view at the recent CPD network meeting.

We were asked to consider how best to exemplify the professional Standards on CPDReflect.

Here are the key issues raised:

• Good exemplification sources already in place, J2E, HMIE, GTCS, Learning about Learning and are already quality assured
• Check Strathclyde University ITE benchmarks site
• CPD network to be responsible for quality assurance
• Include all Standards in time
• The Highlands exemplification was very interesting
• Take care not to overwhelm with exemplification

This a guest post from Kirsty MacRae of East Lothian Council, who sums up her group’s view at the recent CPD network meeting.

“We were asked to consider how best to exemplify the professional Standards on CPDReflect.

Here are the key issues raised

• whilst there is more confidence now in sharing and risk-taking (promoted by recent ITE arrangements), there is a fear that older colleagues may not be so forthcoming
• some colleagues are more ready to use online technologies than others
• as the tool allows colleagues to add their own exemplification, there must be clear guidelines on the process
• ensure the ability of others in the authority to have a presence (eg how will colleagues access CPD offered by the HR department)
• sustainability of the exemplification process (eg meeting the standards within the standards)
• consider a ‘blog’ tool for endorsements and/or comments on exemplification

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This a guest post from Peter Kormylo, Area Adviser for Learning & Teaching Scotland, who sums up his group’s view at the recent CPD network meeting.

“We were asked to consider how best to exemplify the professional Standards on CPDReflect.

Here are the key issues raised:

• questioning should begin with articulating the positive (appreciative enquiry technique)
• are there other exemplifications needed beyond the standards?
• the standards offer consistency
• some local authorities will want to offer their own exemplification
• the CPDReflect tool works on both sides of PRD (interviewee and interviewer)
• PRD is not the only mechanism. Other mechanisms deal with other issues
• reference to good practice through Journey to Excellence. Do not dilute it!”

This group felt strongly that the Standards are the base and that the LTScotland websites are powerful enough to keep exemplification live and up-to-date. The Standards offer unity of concept to all in the profession. Local authorities may develop local support documentation but linking to the Standards.”

The latest meeting of the CPDReflect usability group met yesterday with colleagues of 3T Productions Ltd who are developing the self-evaluation toolkit for LTScotland and the National CPD Team. As ever, I am indebted to colleagues who come from far and wide and give of their time to provide invaluable feedback on the way the tools are developing.

In preparation for the session, we were able to get a ‘wee shot’ of the 1st version to go online. Although, the functionality is a long way from complete, the potential power of the tool to reflect on professional standards and identify CPD objectives and activities is already apparent.

A key step in realising the power of CPDReflect takes place next week at the CPD Network meeting in Glasgow. This is the group that represents the local authority CPD managers, CPD providers, Universities and other key bodies such as the GTCS. A good part of the meeting will be dedicated to CPDReflect and, in particular, how we can provide relevant and up-to-date examples of practice to bring the professional standards to life. Already colleagues such as Terry Kerr of Highlands Council and Raymond Young of Clackmannanshire have sent me some of their work in this area, which is very much appreciated.

Considerable progress has been made on the CPDReflect front over the last few months. Here are some of the details and decisions made.

• We have agreed a detailed design and 3T are developing the solution as I write (more pictures soon!)
• LTScotland has agreed to host the tool on their servers to let us get maximum benefit from integrating this product with other LTS online services (including our very own CPDFind)
• We will exemplify the Standard for Initial Teacher Education and the Standard for Full Registration in the initial phase.
• CPDReflect will only be readily available to users of Glow

Timescale

Read more…

I promised you an update on what’s happening with CPDReflect toolkit (see blog here) and would welcome your thoughts at any time in any form!

We are hoping to sign off the detailed design in early September. The process by which we are getting there is enlightening.

The project is adopting a user-centred design approach that puts the end users’ needs first before pen touches paper (so to speak!)

I am very grateful to the usability group some of whom are pictured above. These brave souls took part in the 1st usability workshop before the summer break and took the trouble to return questionnaires during it.

A key part of the next stage has been the production of a document which highlights key journeys through the system. I have posted an extract from the document. If there are key journeys you think we have missed please feel free to comment.

I will post soon on the best way to exemplify the reflection process and I look forward to sharing with you the 1st ‘look and feel’ screenshots in September.

One of the CPD team projects that’s not yet featured on the CPD Scotland site has the working title of CPDReflect.  

CPDReflect (other suggested names are welcome!) will be an online toolkit to help with reflecting on, planning, recording and evaluating of CPD. It’s been developed in partnership with 3T Productions Ltd and is due for release in 2008.

You can get a flavour of the functionality it will offer in the article on CPD Scotland I wrote for Connected 17. It’s early doors yet but comments are always welcome from those many people who have already been involved in the specification and those new to the project.

What stage are we at?

3T have already developed the high-level design of the product and we start the usability work tomorrow (June 20th) with an intensive workshop with 8 kind volunteers, who have various interests in the PRD and CPD processes. I’ll fill you in on how the workshop went and future plans soon.

Con