Current update

Welcome to the current edition of CPDNews. Please remember that emerging information can always be found on CPDScotland and the team blog – so please visit regularly.

CPDReflect

CPDReflect (a major new online toolkit to help with PRD and CPD identification) is currently being piloted by some colleagues in East Lothian Council. The toolkit is currently in beta version (techie speak for nearly there). Over the summer there will be a series of workshops to trial the toolkit with local authority CPD managers and give us a chance to reflect on how best to take advantage of its power.

The toolkit will be available in the first term of the new session to staff members of Glow.

To find out more, keep your eye on the CPDReflect tab on the team blog or drop Con Morris a line.

National CPD Conference

The annual CPD conference took place on 25 and 26 April in Edinburgh. There was a series of excellent contributions from Mike McCabe, Glenn Rodger, Graham Thomson, Walter Hume and Jim Keegans and lively debate on a number of topics. You can find copies of the presentations and handouts on the conference post.

CPDConfer

CPDConfer, our new tool for discussion on key CPD thought-pieces, went live in February.

The first edition concentrated on Coaching and Mentoring and contains examples and accounts of practice from across Scotland. It also features pieces written by Gary Bloom and Jan Robertson, who offer international perspectives on coaching in education. Currently live is a summary of the work of the International Thought Leaders programme by Fiona Taylor (erstwhile member of the National CPD Team).

Professional Learning Rounds

The Professional Learning Rounds pilot (led by Graham Thomson of SCSSA) recently held an orientation day with the six Directors of Education involved with the first stage. The pilot seeks to promote learning about system-wide change by putting key leaders close to the action in small professional learning communities. In the next school session, the pilot will be extended to leaders at all levels.

You can find out more by reading the briefing paper on the blog or emailing Graham Thomson.

Professional Review and Development

Jim Keegans of the National CPD Team recently chaired a group which set out to provide further guidance on the PRD process. It does this by suggesting a set of principles and recommendations which are exemplified by a number of recent case studies. The first draft of the PRD paper is available (see the Draft paper on PRD post). It will be posted on CPDConfer over the summer period and beyond for comment.