"Our teachers need to be constant learners.” (Testimonies 6, page154) Education must respond to the changing needs of students and their teachers, just as business has reacted to its changing needs by implementing employee training. For example, Saturn automobile company employees spend 5 percent (92 hours a year) of their work time learning.

The staff development segment of the office of education offers on-going training opportunities for teachers, administrators and non-instructional staff to continually update their knowledge and skills throughout their careers. Student learning is directly related to teacher learning. The focus of the staff development workshops has been: differentiation, content area expertise, and technology and its integration into the classroom. As needs arise, other areas of focus will be added. A fundamental lesson learned in the past decade of school reform efforts is that far more time is required for professional development and cooperative work than is now available. In fact, time has emerged as the key issue in every analysis of school change appearing in the last decade (Fullan & Miles, 1992). Teachers likely will require more than 20 percent of their work time for learning and collaboration if they are to be successful in implementing ambitious reform initiatives. The National Education Association (1994) recommends that 50 percent of teachers’ time be given to professional development. Although providing even 20 percent of teachers’ work time for these activities may seem like an unachievable goal in our system, we need to strive toward that goal by “thinking outside the box” to revamp the working conditions of teachers so they will have the support required to plan and implement ambitious reform. Resources for Staff Development
. Educational PowerPoint Presentation Slide
. 4MAT Learning Task Checklist
Links:
About Learning is a site that features the 4MAT System. 4MAT provides an understanding of the core elements of learning, and provides guidance in how to use these elements to improve learning effectiveness. 4MATION is a powerful web-based curriculum and instruction technology. It is a tool for collaborative planning of lessons and curriculum, featuring a powerful standards alignment capability. The Brain Store is an educational publisher that specializes in books and materials about brain-compatible learning and teaching. International Alliance for Invitational Education is a site that promotes the concepts of Invitational Education. Contact us:
W. Eugene Brewer, EdD
Development Specialist
Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventist
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T: 404-299-1832 Ext. 410
F: 404-299-9726

3978 Memorial Drive
Decatur, GA 30032