ONLINE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN GEOGRAPHY:THE LEARNING CLUSTER METHOD AND TEACHER LEADERSHIP

Abstract

The Gilbert M. Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education has been experimenting
with online professional development in geography. The first effort has been the
production of four video programs in a series called, “Geography: Teaching with the
Stars.” The programs are 1) “Globalization,” “Watershed Management,” “Agriculture
and Water,” and “Tidewaters.” Using these programs in a workshop environment, the
authors became aware that teachers found the online method of professional
development at least equally attractive to the traditional face-to-face method. Many
teachers found positive elements in both techniques and supported a hybrid approach,
which led to the development of the Learning Cluster Method, a hybrid (online and
face-to-face) configuration that relies mainly on the power of teacher leadership traits,
while at the same time significantly increasing opportunities for dissemination of
quality professional development in geography. The authors believe that this approach
holds substantial promise for international collaboration in teacher professional
development.