Professional Development
Forming a Teacher Study Group

Activity One
Starting and Sustaining a Teacher Study Groups

  • Brief Description
  • Objectives
  • Materials and Resources
  • Activity Description
  • Internet Resources

    • Brief Description

        Teachers often seek out their peers to talk about their experiences in the classroom and share stories. The experience of teaching in a K-12 classroom brings with its own unique and powerful perspective on learning and teaching practice. In the past, teachers have formed study groups (also called research or learning groups) with peers who share their interests in an attempt to solve real-world problems they encounter in the classroom and understand alternative ways of managing their classroom practice. Teachers have a wealth of knowledge and experience they can share with others that provides helpful insight into specific learning situations and settings. With the advent of technology, especially telecommunications tools (such as e-mail and the Web), teachers can form and participate in groups with teachers outside their school or district. By using e-mail, teachers can participate in study groups as they have time and to the extent their interests overlap with other teachers.

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    Objectives

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    Materials and Resources

        In developing our lessons and activities, we made some assumptions about the hardware and software that would be available in the classroom for teachers who visit the LETSNet Website. We assume that teachers using our Internet-based lessons or activities have a computer (PC or Macintosh) with the necessary hardware components (mouse, keyboard, and monitor) as well as software (operating system, TCP/IP software, networking or dial-up software, e-mail and a World Wide Web client program, preferably Netscape, but perhaps Mosaic or Lynx). In the section below, we specify any "special" hardware or software requirements for a lesson or activity (in addition to those described above) and the level of Internet access required to do the activity.

    1. Special hardware requirements: none.
    2. Special software requirements: none.
    3. Internet access: Medium-speed (28,800 BPS via phone) or higher.
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    Activity Description

        Usually the idea of a teacher study group is formed by a few teachers who share common interests or ideas. Sometimes, these groups are formed under the direction of school faculty or university researchers. If you regularly communicate with teachers in your school, your district, or elsewhere, you can easily form a study group using basic Internet tools such as e-mail. For more aggressive people, setting up a list server may offer the most flexibility for group communication. For group collaboration, some combination of e-mail and access to shared Web space may do the trick. The extent to which the group works together, shares ideas and thinking, and supports individual work is an essential element of what is decided when these groups form.

    There are many ways that teachers can find and establish regular communications with other teachers. These include:

         Once you have identified potential teachers for your group, the next step is to have members of the group meet, either face-to-face or electronically, so you can establish your goals and priorities, as well as brainstorm ways that you will meet those goals. Make sure all participants are engaged and involved in keeping the group going and realizing benefit from participating. Encourage people to help shape the group to meet their own needs, and they will get out of it as much as they put into it.

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    Internet Resources

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