Using digital technologies to support continuing professional development

This chapter outlines different forms of teacher Continuing Professional Development (CPD) that you may have access to and introduces ways that digital technologies can be used to support you to develop your professional knowledge. We consider a range of strategies for supporting your learning as it is your responsibility, as a teacher, to keep your professional knowledge and practice up to date.

While digital technologies can be used to support teachers’ continuing professional development (CPD), teachers also need CPD in how to use and appropriate digital technologies for their own pedagogic practice. The previous chapters in this book focus on your pedagogic practice. In this chapter we focus on the use of digital technologies to support your CPD.

Objectives At the end of this chapter you should be able to

• understand what CPD opportunities are available to you now and be motivated to join relevant professional organisations; • engage in the forms of continuing teacher education outlined in this chapter if you are not already using them; • set up your own regional, local or school based organisations where you can share your experience and knowledge with a view to growing collaborative professional development; • develop an understanding about the opportunities to access research through quick and easily available routes; • understand how to deploy relevant digital technologies to improve your own professional practice.