What is Professional Development
Definition: Professional development includes all types of learning opportunities like academic degrees, conferences and non-formal learning opportunities. There are a number of ways to professional development, including teaching, sessions, and communities of practice, guidance, technical assistance, lesson study and supervision. A large group of people, such as engineers, teachers, non-commissioned and military officers, healthcare professionals and accountants enroll for professional development. These participants are interested in lifelong learning, besides improving professional competence, keep learning new technologies and enhancing career growth.
Description: Professional development opportunities will vary from one workshop to a semester-long educational course, to services offered by various professional development providers and ranging wide with reference to the philosophy, content, and format of the educational experiences. Different approaches to professional development include:
1. Case Study Method - This method is a teaching approach that helps students presenting them with a case, putting them in the role of a decision maker facing a problem.
2. Consultation - To assist people or a group of individuals to clarify and address immediate concerns by following a systematic problem-solving approach.
3. Coaching - To build up an individual competency in a specific skill area by providing a process of observation, reflection, and action.
4. Communities of Practice - To improve professional practice by engaging in shared information through like minded communities, and connecting with people who have common professional goals.
5. Lesson Study - To solve practical dilemmas related to intervention through participation with other professionals in systematically examining practice.
6. Mentoring - To promote an individual¡¯s knowhow of his or her professional development awareness by providing a structured approach of feedback and reflection of his/her actions and recommending a set of opportunities for self-professional development.
7. Reflective Supervision - To support, develop, and finally calculate employee performance through an inquisitive enquiry model that encourages one¡¯s professional development.
8. Technical Assistance - To assist people and their systems to improve by offering resources and information, supporting networking and change efforts.
Description: Professional development opportunities will vary from one workshop to a semester-long educational course, to services offered by various professional development providers and ranging wide with reference to the philosophy, content, and format of the educational experiences. Different approaches to professional development include:
1. Case Study Method - This method is a teaching approach that helps students presenting them with a case, putting them in the role of a decision maker facing a problem.
2. Consultation - To assist people or a group of individuals to clarify and address immediate concerns by following a systematic problem-solving approach.
3. Coaching - To build up an individual competency in a specific skill area by providing a process of observation, reflection, and action.
4. Communities of Practice - To improve professional practice by engaging in shared information through like minded communities, and connecting with people who have common professional goals.
5. Lesson Study - To solve practical dilemmas related to intervention through participation with other professionals in systematically examining practice.
6. Mentoring - To promote an individual¡¯s knowhow of his or her professional development awareness by providing a structured approach of feedback and reflection of his/her actions and recommending a set of opportunities for self-professional development.
7. Reflective Supervision - To support, develop, and finally calculate employee performance through an inquisitive enquiry model that encourages one¡¯s professional development.
8. Technical Assistance - To assist people and their systems to improve by offering resources and information, supporting networking and change efforts.
