Running Head: Literature Review Domain F

Week 2 Literature Review Domain F

Lauren Coleman
National University

In partial fulfillment for the requirements for TED 690

Professor Clifton Johnson
June 10, 2016

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Literature Review Domain F

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Abstract

This literature review focuses on an article written by Judith Warren Little titled,
Professional Community and Professional Development in the Learning-Centered School
and its significance towards my growth in Domain F of the Teacher Performance
Expectations.

Literature Review Domain F

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Literature Review

Author: Judith Warren Little

Title: Professional Community and Professional Development in the Learning-Centered
School
Publisher: National Education Association
Year: 2006
Summary
The article has several areas of focus that explore the impact of professional
development on the schools and teachers themselves.
First, the school must invest in the teachers learning. Little (2009) notes, The
basic premise of this paper is that a school is more likely to be effective in supporting
high levels of student learning and well-being when it plays a powerful, deliberate, and
consequential role in teacher learning (p. 2). The needs of the teachers should be
determined collectively among the staff and they should develop four goals that tie their
interests to the schools needs.
Second, professional development opportunities should be offered externally and
relayed back to the staff collectively. These external partnerships with professional
organizations are strategically chosen for their contributions to professional development
and a professional community. They should also be tied to the subject matter as well.
Professional development with a sustained focus on subject teaching strongly tied to the
curriculum, instruction, and assessment that students would encounter produces the
most consistent effect on subject teaching and subject learning (Little, 2009, p. 7).

Literature Review Domain F

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Finally, a professional community must be nurtured and developed to offer the

most effective learning opportunities for the students. As commonly used, the phrase
professional community refers to close relationships among teachers as professional
colleagues, usually with the implication that these relationships are oriented toward
teacher learning and professional development (Little, 2009, p. 15). In simplest terms,
teachers who work well and learn together will foster better student-learning and
experiences within the classroom.
Reflection and Review
I ended up using an Internet search about teachers and professional development
to find this article. I receive the National Education Association magazine in the mail, so
when this article appeared in the search I knew it would be something that interested me
while I was reading. I liked that this article is centered on the reasons for professional
development, not necessarily the opportunities available. It gives more background
knowledge regarding the benefits of professional development and also the methods that
are most effective for the school overall. There are several boxes and figures throughout
the article that break down the content. These visuals summarized the focuses of the
articles and provided shortened information to better understand the text. I would
recommend reading this article to others. Although its rather dry in humor, it does
provide many thought provoking ideas about professional development and its
importance not only to the teachers growth, but the schools success as well.