In the first eight months of operation, the Wellington College China Institute of Learning (IoL) has:
- Deliver >660 hours of direct input to Wellington College China staff
- Delivered >220 hours of training and development
- Completed 33 projects across Wellington College China
- Led two Inspiring Learning conferences in two cities with 336 participants from across China, the UAE, Thailand and Malaysia
- Provided a wide range of workshops to which 371 participants attended including educators from the Chinese education system and local international and private schools
Besides direct professional learning opportunities, the IoL has undertaken a number of strategic partnerships with local and international educations bodies and initiated a number of strategically important research projects.
However, greatest pride was garnered not from the extent of work undertaken, but from the feedback shared by participants in the professional learning opportunities offered to Wellington College China educators and those across China and beyond. Across all forms of professional learning activity, participant feedback revealed that:
- 90% of participants have committed to applying professional learning in their schools and classrooms
- This is verified through evidence of impact data
This statistic represents the fundamental vision of the IoL; to shape education across China through high impact professional learning. When evaluating the quality of professional learning, the focus of the IoL is never on whether participants merely enjoyed the experience, instead the focus on commitment to applying professional learning and ultimately impact. A position founded on a strong research base.
The relationship between professional learning or continued professional development (CPD) and impact on pupil learning is often murky, indeed often there is little if any correlation. What we know works is when CPD is:
- Embedded over a sustained period and woven into the ‘rhythm’ of the school
- Coherent and meaningful in terms of desired outcomes, process and content
- Structured around effective professional learning approaches
- Supportive strategic priorities for the school and staff and fully endorsed
Guskey (2009) and Coe et al. (2017)
This suggests that professional learning has impact when it is strategically important to the school and its educators, focuses on the empowering teachers to take ownership, occurs locally and occurs in context. Importantly, Coe et al. (2015) indicate the importance of a sustained model.
As schools finalise strategic plans for the 2019-20 academic year and targets set, it is essential that leaders and educators plan for high impact professional learning. The IoL has released the workshops on offer during the 2019-20 academic year, each of which has been specifically designed be:
- Founded on strong research
- Couple an input of theory and practical exemplification with support for implementation of professional learning through an application project
- Sustained over at least 12 weeks; statistically relevant
- Assist participants evaluate impact and plan for next steps
- Collaborative, through the establishment of a professional learning community to provide ongoing support and guidance
Part of upcoming workshops
Topic/presenter:
Middle leadership: Leading learning – Basia Lubaczewska & Suisui Yu
Date:
Session 1: 23rd September 2019 9:30-11:30
Session 2: 28th October 2019 9:30-11:30
Session 3: 25th November 2019 9:30-11:30
Location: Huili School Shanghai
Delegate fee: RMB 1,500
Topic/presenter:
Planning and delivering outstanding conditions for bilingual learning in the Early Years- Fiona Carter
Date:
Session 1: 26th September 2019 14:00-16:00
Session 2: 31st October 2019 14:00-16:00
Session 3: 29th November 2019 14:00-16:00
Location: Huili School Shanghai
Delegate fee: RMB 1,500
Topic/presenter:
Effective strategies for English language acquisition – Simon Ruscoe-Price
Date:
Session 1: 24th September 2019 9:30-11:30
Session 2: 29th October 2019 9:30-11:30
Session 3: 26th November 2019 9:30-11:30
Location: Huili School Shanghai
Delegate fee: RMB 1,500
Title/topic/presenter:
Leading research in a school context. – Dr Ahmed Hussain
Date:
Session 1: 24th Sep 2019 14:00-16:00
Session 2: 29th Oct 2019 14:00-16:00
Session 3: 26th Nov 2019 14:00-16:00
Location: Huili School Shanghai
Delegate fee: RMB 1,500
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