What Works in Professional Learning for Educators of the Gifted

Abstract

This chapter discusses the implications of federal legislation on districts and states, research in teacher change and professional learning strategies, and the need for focused professional learning on the topic of gifted learners. In guiding future professional development for gifted learners, it is important to take two sets of standards into account: national gifted education standards and Learning Forward's Standards for Professional Learning. Learning Forward made a distinction between professional development and professional learning; the first implying the inservice for all teachers approach grounded in the leader's expertise, and the latter referring to a targeted, sustained approach that involves educators as active participants on their continuum of growth. A study comparing US educators to their global counterparts indicated that more than 90% of US teachers' professional learning was made up of mainly short-term experiences, such as conferences and workshops.