LECTURE 4
Worksho
ps
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Benefits of workshops.
Procedures for planning
effective workshops.
WHAT ARE WORKSHOPS?
Workshops are one of the
most common and useful
forms of professional
development activities for
teachers (Richards, Gallo,
& Renandya, 2001),
although the first
workshop for teachers
dates back only to 1936
(O’Rourke & Burton,
1975).
BENEFITS OF WORKSHOPS
Workshops can provide input from experts. Workshops give
teachers the chance to learn from experts. As we talked about in
lecture 1, teachers can also improve their skills on their own, for
example, by keeping a journal, observing others, or creating
portfolios. However, some topics—like portfolio assessment or
classroom research—may require expert guidance. In these
cases, a workshop offers a chance for teachers to learn directly
from someone with experience in those areas, in a relaxed and
supportive setting.
Workshops offer teachers practical classroom
applications. Workshops help teachers develop practical skills
they can use in the classroom. Instead of just learning theory,
teachers gain hands-on strategies, techniques, and materials to
improve their teaching.Workshops develop collegiality. Because a
workshop is a highly interactive activity, spending a few hours
with other colleagues helps develop bonds of collegiality and
personal relationships that often last well beyond the workshop
itself.
Workshops help teachers develop practical skills they can
use in the classroom. Instead of just learning theory, teachers
gain hands-on strategies, techniques, and materials to improve
their teaching. Example: A workshop on classroom management
might teach teachers how to handle disruptive students by
practicing real-life scenarios and learning specific techniques
they can apply immediately.
BENEFITS OF WORKSHOPS
Workshops can raise teachers’ motivation.
Workshops take teachers out of the classroom to a forum
where they can share problems and concerns with
colleagues or teachers from different schools. They also
can serve to rekindle teachers’ enthusiasm for teaching.
The concentrated nature of a workshop also helps to
maintain participants’ interest levels.
Workshops develop collegiality. Because a workshop
is a highly interactive activity, spending a few hours with
other colleagues helps develop bonds of collegiality and
personal relationships that often last well beyond the
workshop itself.
Workshops can support innovations. Workshops can
be a crucial strategy in the implementation of a
curriculum or other kind of change. For example, if a new
educational policy mandates an unfamiliar teaching or
curriculum approach such as competency-based
instruction or contentbased instruction, workshops would
be an ideal format for preparing teachers for the change.
BENEFITS OF WORKSHOPS
Workshops are short-term. A
workshop can vary in length, though it is
usually of limited duration. Because a
workshop focuses on a very specific topic,
it can be dealt with in a limited time
frame, which is an advantage for teachers
and institutions that have very little time
available for additional activities.
Workshops are flexible in
organization. Although workshops
involve consideration of issues and
problems, often based around theoretical
or conceptual input followed by problem
solving and application in pairs or groups,
the way such activities are sequenced can
vary according to the preferences of the
leader and the participants.
VIGNETTE
- Desire to apply a lot of activities however questioning whether those
activities are more likely to succeed.
Feedback: I assumed that running group activities was mainly a question of
common sense. However, this workshop was very useful because the leader
was a specialist in cooperative learning and offered a whole new perspective
on the nature of group interaction. One of the most interesting parts of the
workshop was when we studied a cooperative learning technique based on
the jigsaw technique, where each group mastered a text on an aspect of
cooperative learning theory and then took turns presenting it to the other
groups. All in all, I found the workshop very useful and I have started
implementing some of the things we learned. If I were to comment
negatively about the workshop, it would be that it was too crowded and we
could not interact enough with the facilitator.
REFLECTION
- What do you think is the
optimum number of
participants in a
workshop?
- What kinds of issues
would you expect to
explore in a workshop
about
group work?
PROCEDURES FOR PLANNING
EFFECTIVE WORKSHOPS
1. Choose an appropriate topic.
2. Limit the number of participants.
3. Identify a suitable workshop leader.
4. Plan an appropriate sequence of activities.
5. Look for opportunities for follow-up.
6. Include evaluation.
3. IDENTIFY A SUITABLE WORKSHOP
LEADER.
A number of qualities are needed in the workshop leader or
leaders:
Knowledgeable about the subject matter.
Familiar with ways of conducting a workshop.
Familiar with teaching adult learners.
4. PLAN AN APPROPRIATE
SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES.
Unity-building activities.
Direct instruction presentations. Sessions providing an overview or instruction on key
topics, ideas, theories, and techniques, often supplemented by written materials
Partner work. Pair-work problem-solving and discussion activities involving interviewing,
problem solving, discussing readings
Small-group discussions. Focus groups of four to six members in which participants
discuss information and suggestions from the workshop and develop strategies for
application
Role-play/practice sessions. Role-play sessions in which participants apply and practice
strategies and techniques presented during the workshop
Co-planning activities. Lesson-planning activities designed to develop skills in working
with a partner
Reflection time. Sessions scheduled at the end of each day to reflect on what has been
learned in pair or group discussion or through journal writing
6. INCLUDE EVALUATION.
Evaluation should seek information on the following issues: Design of the workshop. Did it achieve its
goals? Was the content suitable? Was the coverage of material appropriate? Was the time spent on each
topic and on group work sufficient? Were the tasks effective?
Presenter. Was he or she a successful facilitator and a good communicator? Was he or she knowledgeable?
Were his or her teaching methods suitable for adult learners?
Resources. What resources were used and were they adequate and useful (e.g., articles, books, materials)?
Learner participation. Did all participants have a chance to speak? Did they stay through the workshop?
What kind of interaction and participation was required of them? Was the workshop appropriate for those
who attended?
Learner satisfaction. Were the participants satisfied with the topics, the facilitator, their level of
involvement, the facilities, the tasks, and the structure of the workshop?
Changes in understanding. Did the participants develop new understandings of the content? Have they
changed as a result of the workshop?
Usefulness and applicability.Can the knowledge gained during the workshop be applied in teaching? Will the
knowledge transfer to participants’ situations? What impact is the workshop likely to have? It might be
useful to ask them to identify two or three of the most important things they learned from the workshop,
and how they will be able to apply them in their teaching.
VIGNETTE
In our department teachers are offered the chance to take part in one workshop
per semester. The workshops are usually led by members of the department,
though sometimes an outside specialist is invited to lead a workshop.
To find topics for workshops, all teachers are consulted early in the semester
for suggestions about workshop topics and to see if they would like to organize a
workshop. We have a set of departmental guidelines we can use, if we
wish, that give suggestions on how to run the workshop and for follow-up.
Most of the teachers in our program take part in a workshop at least once a
year, though workshops are not compulsory. I find they are usually helpful
and are also a nice break from teaching.
REFLECTION
- What topics do you think
you could offer a
workshop on?
What kinds of follow-up
activities can be useful
after a workshop?
SUMMARY
A well-conducted workshop can have a lasting impact on its
participants and workshops can plan a key role in achieving a
school’s institutional goals as well as meeting some of the
individual needs of its teachers. Providing opportunities for senior
teachers to develop skills in running workshops is an important part
of staff development. Giving teachers regular opportunities to
update their professional knowledge through participating in
workshops also sends an important message about the school’s
commitment to quality and to professional development.
Workshops also give teachers an opportunity to step back from the
classroom, make connections with colleagues, and return to
teaching with a renewed sense of enthusiasm.
