#TeacherCPD Conferences by @TeacherToolkit and @CazzWebbo

One hot sunny afternoon earlier this summer, I re-tweeted a link to a Google document list of edu-teacher focused CPD events in the United States. @cazzwebbo saw it and said, “but it’s all USA focused events – we need one for the UK!” Subsequently we set about creating our own UK-based Google document, and within a couple of hours, had created #TeacherCPD conferences across the UK; a database to help capture and display UK focused CPD events.

TeacherCPD conferences across the UK:

There are quite a few entries in the database already. It’s a grassroots type list, with contributions made by educators, for educators. The more everyone populates the database, the more it will circulate and benefit everyone. Perhaps your own educational establishment organising CPD events and courses for external participants – could you ask them to add anything they are trying to promote?

This is not another version of the existing GoodCPDGuide. which launched in January 2012, offering a free database of CPD resources for education, including consultancy services, books, videos and podcasts. #TeacherCPD conferences across the UK is for CPD events only, organised by teachers for teachers. That’s it!

Listing CPD events:

You can see the list and contribute any CPD events  by clicking on the image below:

Click the image above to open the full database

Evidence:

If you need any evidence to convince your educational establishment that CPD events are worth attending and paying for, here are a few thoughts from Ofsted:

An Ofsted report outlined key findings on the impact of CPD on teaching and achievement. These included the following:

• Despite weaknesses in the evaluation methodology of the survey schools, well planned professional development had improved teaching, helped to raise standards and contributed to staff retention and promotion.
• Teachers who had been involved in CPD that was carefully designed, for example to develop their competence in areas such as assessment or ICT, had made gains in their knowledge and understanding. This was beginning to be reflected in their teaching and in pupils’ learning. The keys to success were thorough, focused planning, and regular monitoring. The following example from a secondary school illustrates the point.

The same Ofsted report also outlined findings related to the impact of CPD on staffing, including:

• The survey found that well planned CPD had a positive effect on the recruitment and retention of staff. It contributed to high morale and enthusiasm for teaching. The headteacher at one secondary school, for example, made effective use of newly created posts, such as secondments to refresh some of the long-serving staff.
• Many schools reap the benefits of providing high quality professional development for their support staff. This led to better support for teachers and pupils and, on occasion, provided a solution to staffing problems, as the following case study illustrate: A secondary school with a long-standing difficulty in recruiting good religious education teachers recognised potential in a voluntary helper. The headteacher appointed him as a teaching assistant, supported him through a part-time foundation degree in the subject at a local university, and then gave him the opportunity to work in the school as an unqualified teacher. He joined the Graduate Teacher Programme and gained qualified teacher status. Because of its support for this teacher, the school has resolved a difficult staffing problem.

The database:

Click the image to view the CPD events listed by teachers, for teachers. Your feedback is welcome on developing the database. Do you think you could add to the database and share the list?

References:

Ofsted (2006) Doc Ref HMI 2639

Thank you to @CazzWebbo for her support in making this happen.