Online Professional Development Through Virtual Learning Communities
Powerful collaborative learning—anytime, anyplace!
Online learning seems like a perfect solution for cost-conscious districts and busy teachers, but can these programs also deliver high-caliber professional learning? Using one district’s success story as a model, this timely book shows you how to combine well-designed online instruction with the energy of peer-to-peer collaboration. At the heart of this book is a model that supports powerful professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for every student.
Sonja Hollins-Alexander writes from her own experience building a successful online professional development (PD) program for a large urban district. Readers will find
- Research-based support for online PD and the author’s original Learner-Learner model
- A thorough planning guide and ten action steps for program development
- Best practices for managing staffing and resources
- Strategies for establishing a true community of learners online
Discover how to create a sustainable online PD program that promotes collaboration and growth!
“This book provides district and school leaders with a practical guide to shifting professional learning from more traditional ‘sit and get’ models to technology-enhanced models that foster collaboration and co-creation.”
—Catherine Huber, Principal
Northwood Elementary, West Seneca, NY
Watch Sonja Hollins-Alexander's webinar, Professional Learning Through Virtual Communities, hosted by Learning Forward
"This book provides district and school leaders with a practical guide to shifting professional learning from more traditional "sit and get" models to technology-enhanced models that foster collaboration and co-creation. Leaders charged with the work of transforming professional learning will benefit from this practical text."
"As educators, we need to rethink our designs of teaching and learning in order to prepare our students for a more advanced technological future. Using a virtual PLC model for professional development directly aligns districts with the type of learning students should be involved in. I envision Online Professional Development Through Virtual Learning Communities as a pioneer, forging the way for virtual PLC's all over the world."
