The importance and placement of professional activities will require the support of all stakeholders, including parents, students, and community members. Before redesigning professional development activities, it is important to understand the research on best practices in professional development. School change is the result of both individual and organizational development. The goal of professional development is to support the inquiry into the study teaching and learning. Teachers learn as a result of training, practice, and feedback, as well as individual reflection and group inquiry into their practice.
Professional development is essential to school development.
Professional development should be primarily school focused and embedded in the job. Professional development programs based on these beliefs are quite different from those based on traditional assumptions. While district wide workshops still will be appropriate on occasion, most professional development should be school based. Educators should attend hands on workshops and conferences, and be involved in a variety of ongoing, job embedded learning activities, such as study groups, action research, peer coaching, curriculum development, and case discussions. In Anderson County In Anderson County, the Office of Technology developed a system wide technology plan, which allowed school sites to develop their technology plans.