ABSTRACT : Programs for teacher education and professional development are undergoing a dramatic overhaul. To set the context for a discussion of the changes underway, the author, a noted authority in the field, describes the various kinds of knowledge teachers must have to succeed, including an understanding of subject matter, child development, cultural differences, teaching strategies, and curriculum resources and technologies. To gain this breadth of knowledge requires learning in a setting far different from traditional four-year teacher preparation programs and staff development workshops. The author describes the features and benefits of extended programs of teacher training, many of which are called Professional Development Schools. A continuous, collaborative approach to teacher learning is common in Japan and a number of other countries and is taking hold in U.S. school districts as well. Listing key features of successful professional development strategies, Darling-Hammond says they tend to be (1) experiential, (2) grounded in participants' questions, (3) collaborative, (4) connected to and derived from teachers' work, (5) sustained and intensive, and (6) connected to other aspects of school change. This kind of professional development benefits both teachers and students.;Author's note: This article draws in substantial part on the author's recently published book, The Right to Learn (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1997). Editor's note: See p. 90 for a review of The Right to Learn.
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Author's note: This article draws in substantial part on the author's recently published book, The Right to Learn (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1997). Editor's note: See p. 90 for a review of The Right to Learn.