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Abstract
Participatory online professional development opportunities created for teachers by teachers have emerged with the proliferation of social media. This article presents an investigation of a voluntary, participant-driven, 5-week online professional development offering in which two high school English teachers invited colleagues at a distance to explore teaching with young adult literature. This article details how the teachers who created and facilitated the course—voluntarily and with no compensation—describe their experiences. Findings reveal that participants described designing and facilitating a participatory online professional development opportunity as (a) a chance to address teachers' expressed needs; (b) a reciprocal process of enhancing confidence; and (c) a building block for future professional development offerings. Implications for teachers, teacher educators, and researchers are provided.
Funding
This research was supported in part by a grant from the Office of Academic Affairs at Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Luke Rodesiler
Luke Rodesiler is an assistant professor of secondary education at Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne, where he investigates nontraditional forms of teacher professional development, teaches courses related to educational technology and English methods, and explores the role of popular cultures, including sports culture, in the secondary classroom. Please address correspondence to Luke Rodesiler, Department of Educational Studies, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, 2101 E. Coliseum Boulevard, Fort Wayne, IN 46805, USA. E-mail: [email protected]