Professional Book Studies: What They Are and Why They Matter

1. Professional Book Studies: What They Are and Why They Matter The Benefits to Educators and Their Students Fall 2008

2. What are professional book studies? Professional book studies engage educators in critical reading, intentional dialogue,and job-embedded learning with the purpose of enhancing teaching and students’ learning.

3. What is high-quality professional development? Effective professional development… • Is connected to educators’ goals and teaching • Engages colleagues in collaborative learning • Is carried out over an extended period of time • Deepens teachers’ understanding of their content knowledge and pedagogy

4. How are book studies aligned with quality professional development? Professional book studies are… • Job-embedded • Sustained over time • Experienced with colleagues • Focused on student learning and achievement • Results-oriented

5. How are book studies connected to the daily work of educators in schools? Effective professional development is connected to the work of practicing educators in schools and challenges participants to link their learning to their teaching. Professional book studies invite educators to embed their learning into the work they do in schools and classrooms everyday.

6. How are book studies connected to duration, a trait of effective PD? Effective professional development is carried out over an extended period of time, allowing participants to adequately reflect on their learning. The duration of such learning increases the effectiveness of the professional development experience. Professional book studies provide time for participants to read and reflect on their reading before engaging in collaborative dialogue with their colleagues.

7. How are book studies connected tocollaboration, a trait of effective PD? Effective professional development is collaborative, providing practicing educators with the time and framework to learn from and with one another Professional book studies provide the structure for purposeful dialogue that richly connects a text to the participants’ work in schools. Such a collaborative structure promotes needed collegiality and professionalism among colleagues.

8. How are book studies connected todeepening teachers’ knowledge? Effective professional development helps teachers develop a deeper understanding of what concepts they teach and how they teach the concepts. Professional book studies require teachers to connect the text to instructional planning, thereby helping teachers make deliberate connections between the what and how of their teaching.

9. Are book studies focused on results for teachers and their students? Effective professional development requires teachers to focus their learning on their teaching, keeping student learning and achievement as a focus of their learning. Professional book studies challenge participants to be results-oriented by having teachers document their learning in the book study to their work with students.

10. What do teachers do as participants in a professional book study? Book study participants engage in the following cycle: • Read • Respond to text and classroom-focused questions • Participate in small and large group dialogue that is text-based • Make connections to their teaching • Summarize their participation in the learning session • Identify a learning goal that connects the text to their instructional planning • Repeat the cycle through the life of the book study

11. What can happen as a result of a professional book study? Professional book studies have led to: • Individual and/or collaborative action research projects • School-wide initiatives to apply key concepts outlined in the text • Curriculum studies and/or development • More frequent professional reading and dialogue that promote a culture of inquiry and collegiality

12. What impact do professional book studies have? “When educators gather regularly to discuss what’s being learned in a book, magic happens.” Dick Fields, Veteran Educator and PBS Facilitator

13. What impact do professional book studies have? “I made so many practical connections to my classroom…and my colleagues and I actually had the time to talk about teaching.” Dina Anderson, Classroom Teacher

14. How do professional book studies get started? • Teachers can form a professional book study based on their professional needs • School goals serve as an impetus for staffs to learn more about a topic that will impact teaching and learning • District initiatives can be the source for starting a professional book study • Collaborative partnerships with universities and colleges can ignite the need for such professional learning • A commitment to improving education for students is central to getting started

15. What books can be studied? Potentially, any educational book could be used. In most schools, the professional book study is related to school or district initiatives. In some cases, a number of teachers have an interest in reading, sharing, and implementing the concepts from the book.

16. Can professional journals be studied instead of a book? There are themed issues of professional journals such as Educational Leadership, The English Journal, or Middle Ground (as examples) that can serve as exceptional frameworks for a professional book study. Book study participants also have access to extensive electronic resources available through Saint Mary’s University’s library.

17. What books can be studied? Use book publishers similar to ASCD to locate relevant and readable books. ASCD resources, both chapters and full text books, can be accessed at: http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/menuitem.7ecb0460a2b144dd12c7c91061a001ca/ Here at last is a guide that helps you always know how to give the right feedback for all kinds of assignments, in every grade level and subject area. Susan M. Brookhart covers every possible aspect of the topic, from what kinds of feedback work best, to when and how often to give feedback, to how to use oral, written, and visual feedback. Lots of examples of good feedback help you choose the right feedback strategy and help you tailor your feedback to different kinds of learners, including successful students, struggling students, and English language learners.

18. What other publishers are recommended? Stenhouse Publishers In Tools for Teaching Content Literacy Janet Allen put a wealth of research-based instructional tools at teachers' fingertips to help students make connections with informational resources and to read critically. More Tools for Teaching Content Literacy extends this treasure trove with 25 new instructional strategies -- from Expert Groups to Point-of-View Guides, to Wordstorming -- using the same compact, tabbed flipchart format. Stenhouse resources, both chapters and full text books, can be accessed at: http://www.stenhouse.com/html/booksvideo.htm

19. Can the SMU order books for our book study? Yes. If you have your title and the number of books that are needed, the PDI Program Office can order your books for you. PBS facilitators are encouraged to check availability and price from online booksellers, as well. If SMU purchases the books, participants will need to pay for the book prior to the start of the book study. Contact the PDI Program Office if you need assistance ordering books.

20. What are some of the other benefits of collaborating with the PDI program at Saint Mary’s? Saint Mary’s University provides… • Instructor toolkits • Additional resources • Instructional coaching for facilitators • Reduced tuition • Job-embedded learning expectations • Responsive service • A history of supporting on-site, relevant professional development

21. What do book study facilitators need to do? • Plan thought provoking questions linking the text to the participants’ practice. • Facilitate processes that emphasize text-based dialogue, inviting and challenging the participants to comprehend the reading and make connections to their classrooms. • Provide opportunities to engage in formative assessments during and after each session to expand participants’ thinking. • Generate coaching questions that serve as feedback.

22. How do we get a book study startedthrough Saint Mary’s University? To get a book study started through the Professional Development Initiatives for Educators (PDI) program at Saint Mary’s University, contact the PDI Program Office: • By phone toll-free at 877-218-4755 • Via email at pdi@smumn.edu The PDI Program Office offers streamlined processes and procedures to facilitate the delivery of high-quality professional development.