Teacher development – 21st century perspectives

This paper highlights how we might continue to develop as teachers during the course of our everyday working lives. In terms of theoretical background, the workshop is underpinned by a sociocultural view of teacher learning, viewing it very much as a social process rather than as simply a matter of acquiring knowledge or applying theories to practice. Having said that, the thrust of this workshop revolves around practical ways in which we as teachers can develop, taking as a starting point the kinds of activities we ask our students to do and suggesting parallel activities that we might engage in as teachers for the purposes our own professional development. Acknowledging that 21st century teacher development need not be located in a particular physical environment, the workshop also includes an overview of online resources that we might use to facilitate our development.