One of 13 Principles-Chapter 3

#11 Professional development for teachers and administrators that is both long term and ongoing (pg. 76)

I think that as with assessment, which is continuously going, professional development among educators and administrators is as well. I think that Conley wants the reader to understand the importance of P.D. I'm thinking that professional development is like staff development. As all of you know, this is when teachers and administrators get together and discuss issues, etc. I think that without professional development, there would be a decline in student learning and academic success. But that's my opinion. Basically, I believe that Conley's intentions are those listed above.

Conley's Chapter 3-First Posting

While reading chapter 3, I noticed the usual re-occurrence of the acronym, NCLB. Until taking education courses, I never realized the significance, relevance and ultimate importance of No Child Left Behind. The author's of the text state that NCLB mandates that teachers use proven and effective teaching and learning practices. (pg 62) Remember-ALL programs, assessments, etc. that are incorporated and utilized in today's classrooms should be based on proven scientific research. I found the organizing principle, idea, and content objective read quite informational. These are included in our content area literacies and text based approaches.I agree with the authors of the text when stated the teachers who focus on textbooks while ignoring state standards GAMBLE with students academic performance. Remember-Sometimes textbooks are extremely limited... (pg. 64) The term Critical literacy ties well into this chapter, in my opinion. If I'm not mistaken, critical literacy helps students read, write, and learn (successfully?? It's what I'm thinking.)with a critical eye! My two questions regarding this chapter are related to one another. 1. Could backwards mapping be similar or used in conjunction with/to concept mapping? 2. What other literacy techniques can be used with backwards mapping?