Leading Professional Learning

Tools to Connect and Empower Teachers
Thomas C. Murray - Alliance for Excellent Education
Jeffrey J. Zoul - Deerfield Public Schools
Leading Professional Learning
January 2015 | 80 pages | Corwin
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eBook
ISBN: 9781483379937
Available from January 0001
Paperback
ISBN: 9781483379920
Available from January 0001

Description

Expert strategies for personalized, 21st Century professional learning!

Empower teachers to take ownership of their own professional learning. Recognized EdTech leaders Murray and Zoul guide you step-by-step through the process. Confidently learn to build a values-driven school culture, personalized professional roadmaps, and a collaboration-minded staff. You’ll find concrete examples, leadership profiles, and a wealth of resources to help administrators and teachers:

  • Take ownership of their professional growth
  • Design meaningful learning opportunities
  • Collaborate and learn using technology, blogs, and social media
  • Model and support professional learning for others

Transform teacher learning and see your student achievement soar!

The Corwin Connected Educators series is your key to unlocking the greatest resource available to all educators: other educators. Being a Connected Educator is more than a set of actions: it’s a belief in the potential of technology to fuel lifelong learning. To explore the other books in this series, visit the Corwin Connected Educators website.

Check out the Connected Educator Series matrix to find out which book is right for you.   

"Leading Professional Learning: Tools to Connect and Empower Teachers masterfully connects how and why professional learning for teachers can be transformed. It's an accessible, practical resource that every educator should have in their toolkit."
—Cindy Johanson, Executive Director
Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation

"This is a brief, but powerful, book about making professional learning for teachers more meaningful and personal. Murray and Zoul have identified several important ways to improve how we support our teachers' learning so that they are better equipped to support their students. The book offers practical tips that schools and districts can take and use immediately."
—Todd Whitaker, Professor of Department of Educational Leadership
Indiana State University

Contents

Preface by Peter DeWitt

Preface by Peter DeWitt

Introduction

  • 1. A New Vision for Professional Learning
  • Who Owns the Learning?
  • Teachers as Learners and Leaders
  • Tool Spotlight: Google Forms for Soliciting Teacher Feedback
  • Leadership Profile: Michelle Nebel
  • 2. Lead Learners Model the Way
  • The Leadership Gap
  • Time: Stop Spending; Start Investing
  • Tool Spotlight: Today's Meet
  • Blogging to Lead, Blogging to Learn
  • Tool Spotlight: Edublogs, Blogger, Wordpress
  • Leadership Profile: Jimmy Casas
  • 3. Personalizing Learning Plans in Action
  • Empower Staff to Design Their Own Learning
  • Designing the Personalized Roadmap
  • Expanding Boundaries
  • Tool Spotlight: Tweetdeck
  • Tool Spotlight: The Official Chat List
  • Leadership Profile: Laura Fleming
  • 4. Developing the 21st Century Professional Learning Mindset
  • Professional Learning is Collaborative
  • Job-Embedded Professional Learning and the Role of Coaching
  • Professional Learning Communities
  • Professional Learning is Engaging
  • Professional Learning is Relevant and On Demand
  • Tool Spotlight: Voxer
  • Leadership Profile: Tom Whitford
  • 5. Shifting the Focus Forward
  • Common Core Shifts Require Shifts in Professional Learning
  • From Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side to Meddler in the Middle
  • A Call to Action

References

References

Resources

Connected Educators Website

http://www.corwin.com/connectededucators/

Additional materials

Description

Expert strategies for personalized, 21st Century professional learning!

Empower teachers to take ownership of their own professional learning. Recognized EdTech leaders Murray and Zoul guide you step-by-step through the process. Confidently learn to build a values-driven school culture, personalized professional roadmaps, and a collaboration-minded staff. You’ll find concrete examples, leadership profiles, and a wealth of resources to help administrators and teachers:

  • Take ownership of their professional growth
  • Design meaningful learning opportunities
  • Collaborate and learn using technology, blogs, and social media
  • Model and support professional learning for others

Transform teacher learning and see your student achievement soar!

The Corwin Connected Educators series is your key to unlocking the greatest resource available to all educators: other educators. Being a Connected Educator is more than a set of actions: it’s a belief in the potential of technology to fuel lifelong learning. To explore the other books in this series, visit the Corwin Connected Educators website.

Check out the Connected Educator Series matrix to find out which book is right for you.   

"Leading Professional Learning: Tools to Connect and Empower Teachers masterfully connects how and why professional learning for teachers can be transformed. It's an accessible, practical resource that every educator should have in their toolkit."
—Cindy Johanson, Executive Director
Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation

"This is a brief, but powerful, book about making professional learning for teachers more meaningful and personal. Murray and Zoul have identified several important ways to improve how we support our teachers' learning so that they are better equipped to support their students. The book offers practical tips that schools and districts can take and use immediately."
—Todd Whitaker, Professor of Department of Educational Leadership
Indiana State University

Contents

Preface by Peter DeWitt

Preface by Peter DeWitt

Introduction

  • 1. A New Vision for Professional Learning
  • Who Owns the Learning?
  • Teachers as Learners and Leaders
  • Tool Spotlight: Google Forms for Soliciting Teacher Feedback
  • Leadership Profile: Michelle Nebel
  • 2. Lead Learners Model the Way
  • The Leadership Gap
  • Time: Stop Spending; Start Investing
  • Tool Spotlight: Today's Meet
  • Blogging to Lead, Blogging to Learn
  • Tool Spotlight: Edublogs, Blogger, Wordpress
  • Leadership Profile: Jimmy Casas
  • 3. Personalizing Learning Plans in Action
  • Empower Staff to Design Their Own Learning
  • Designing the Personalized Roadmap
  • Expanding Boundaries
  • Tool Spotlight: Tweetdeck
  • Tool Spotlight: The Official Chat List
  • Leadership Profile: Laura Fleming
  • 4. Developing the 21st Century Professional Learning Mindset
  • Professional Learning is Collaborative
  • Job-Embedded Professional Learning and the Role of Coaching
  • Professional Learning Communities
  • Professional Learning is Engaging
  • Professional Learning is Relevant and On Demand
  • Tool Spotlight: Voxer
  • Leadership Profile: Tom Whitford
  • 5. Shifting the Focus Forward
  • Common Core Shifts Require Shifts in Professional Learning
  • From Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side to Meddler in the Middle
  • A Call to Action

References

References

Resources

Connected Educators Website

http://www.corwin.com/connectededucators/

Additional materials

SAGE Publishing Logo

Leading Professional Learning

Tools to Connect and Empower Teachers


January 2015 | 80 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781483379920 $37.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781483379937 $35.00

Expert strategies for personalized, 21st Century professional learning!

Empower teachers to take ownership of their own professional learning. Recognized EdTech leaders Murray and Zoul guide you step-by-step through the process. Confidently learn to build a values-driven school culture, personalized professional roadmaps, and a collaboration-minded staff. You’ll find concrete examples, leadership profiles, and a wealth of resources to help administrators and teachers:

  • Take ownership of their professional growth
  • Design meaningful learning opportunities
  • Collaborate and learn using technology, blogs, and social media
  • Model and support professional learning for others

Transform teacher learning and see your student achievement soar!

The Corwin Connected Educators series is your key to unlocking the greatest resource available to all educators: other educators. Being a Connected Educator is more than a set of actions: it’s a belief in the potential of technology to fuel lifelong learning. To explore the other books in this series, visit the Corwin Connected Educators website.

Check out the Connected Educator Series matrix to find out which book is right for you.   

"Leading Professional Learning: Tools to Connect and Empower Teachers masterfully connects how and why professional learning for teachers can be transformed. It's an accessible, practical resource that every educator should have in their toolkit."
—Cindy Johanson, Executive Director
Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation

"This is a brief, but powerful, book about making professional learning for teachers more meaningful and personal. Murray and Zoul have identified several important ways to improve how we support our teachers' learning so that they are better equipped to support their students. The book offers practical tips that schools and districts can take and use immediately."
—Todd Whitaker, Professor of Department of Educational Leadership
Indiana State University


Table Of Contents:

  • Preface by Peter DeWitt
  • Introduction
  • 1. A New Vision for Professional Learning
  • Who Owns the Learning?
  • Teachers as Learners and Leaders
  • Tool Spotlight: Google Forms for Soliciting Teacher Feedback
  • Leadership Profile: Michelle Nebel
  • 2. Lead Learners Model the Way
  • The Leadership Gap
  • Time: Stop Spending; Start Investing
  • Tool Spotlight: Today's Meet
  • Blogging to Lead, Blogging to Learn
  • Tool Spotlight: Edublogs, Blogger, Wordpress
  • Leadership Profile: Jimmy Casas
  • 3. Personalizing Learning Plans in Action
  • Empower Staff to Design Their Own Learning
  • Designing the Personalized Roadmap
  • Expanding Boundaries
  • Tool Spotlight: Tweetdeck
  • Tool Spotlight: The Official Chat List
  • Leadership Profile: Laura Fleming
  • 4. Developing the 21st Century Professional Learning Mindset
  • Professional Learning is Collaborative
  • Job-Embedded Professional Learning and the Role of Coaching
  • Professional Learning Communities
  • Professional Learning is Engaging
  • Professional Learning is Relevant and On Demand
  • Tool Spotlight: Voxer
  • Leadership Profile: Tom Whitford
  • 5. Shifting the Focus Forward
  • Common Core Shifts Require Shifts in Professional Learning
  • From Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side to Meddler in the Middle
  • A Call to Action
  • References

Recent Product Reviews:

“Murray and Zoul outline what it takes to be a Future Ready School District as it relates to professional learning. It is imperative that school districts move from the one-size-fits-all, sit and get model of professional learning to a system where teachers are empowered, human capacity is built, staff take ownership of their own learning, and leaders serve as a models in their own learning. This book offers practical advice that can be implemented by any educator and is a needed tool for their tool chest!"
Governor Bob Wise, President, Alliance for Excellent Education
"Leading Professional Learning: Tools to Connect and Empower Teachers masterfully connects how and why professional learning for teachers can be transformed. It's an accessible, practical resource that every educator should have in their toolkit."
Cindy Johanson, Executive Director, Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation
"This is a brief, but powerful, book about making professional learning for teachers more meaningful and personal. Murray and Zoul have identified several important ways to improve how we support our teachers' learning so that they are better equipped to support their students. The book offers practical tips that schools and districts can take and use immediately."
Todd Whitaker, Professor of Department of Educational Leadership, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana
" There is nothing more important than the professional learning of teachers. Murray and Zoul outline easy to implement strategies while providing an array of tools to assist any educator, regardless of experience, take control of his or her learning."
Eric Sheninger, Author of Digital Leadership
"Too many school leaders dread staff meetings and professional development days because they aren't prepared to make these events meaningful learning opportunities for their staff members. This book will help school leaders feel excited about the next staff learning event by giving them the knowledge and tools to make a positive impact on those they lead."
Curt Rees, Principal, Northern Hills School, Onalaska, Wisconsin

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