Introduction to the PDP

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Introduction to the PDP

• Inquiry into Professional Practice

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What is a PDP

• Professional Development Project
• AKA Action Research
• Research on the effectiveness of specific
  teaching practices
• Answers the question How do you know X works?

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Three styles of PDP

• Testing the effectiveness of specific practice
• Recounting the journey to answer a particular
  question
• Measuring the differential effectiveness of a
  particular unit (similar to practicum assignment)

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Path 1 Test the effectiveness of a specific
practice

• Focus is on one teaching or management technique
• Data is typically quantitative or a mix of
  quantitative and qualitative
• Typical question What effect does cooperative
  groups have on student achievement?

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Path 2 Recount the journey to answer a
particular question

• Focus is on several teaching or management
  technique
• Data is typically qualitative or a mix of
  quantitative and qualitative
• Typical question What classroom management
  techniques work best for me?

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Path 3 Measuring the differential effectiveness
of a unit

• Focus is on a single unit
• Data is typically quantitative or a mix of
  quantitative and qualitative
• Typical questionWhich students understood and
  which did not understand photosynthesis (or
  adding rational expressions)?

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Whichever path you take remember

• You will need multiple (gt3) sources of data
• The focus is on you and your actions
• A negative result is still a result (so)
• Taking what you learned and strategizing how you
  are going to change your teaching is the most
  important element of the PDP