Professional Learning

I am a naturally curious person. For that reason, I have spent a great deal of time in my life seeking knowledge, both formally and informally, across a wide range of topics. This is something that I actually enjoy and seek out frequently. However, one type of learning that I have never particularly enjoyed comes in the form of forced professional development learning sessions. 

Maybe it's because they are not often aligned well with my position. Or, maybe because they cover information that I am already familiar with, and so offer little value in exchange for my time. Or, possibly it is because I don;t get to choose the topic. For any and all of these reasons, this type of learning usually fills me with dread.

The Presteridge (2019) reading offered some interesting insights into the difference between that type of professional development and professional learning. For instance, at least among the teachers who participated in their study, professional learning is seen as an informal type of learning that is self-driven and done independently. On the other hand, professional development is formal, with set objectives and rigid structure (pp. 148-149). This is also how I've viewed these types of learning over the years, and it is comforting to see that others agree.

I will say, though, that I  participated in a faculty learning group at my work that was specifically geared toward instructors that were interested in active learning in the classroom. That group included a number of formal workshops and professional development opportunities, but this was a group with self-selected membership and they were geared toward a very specific set of topics. I really learned a lot in that group, and thoroughly enjoyed many of those workshops. So, maybe  the benefit of those formal situations depends on how well-aligned they are to specific interests. Either way, I am going to continue to think about these things as I work on the PLN assignment.