Faced with a buffet of online courses, choose PD against long-term goals, context and time, and use it in five steps (STEEL) so it turns into classroom change.
STEEL
- Students’ needs → your learning need: one classroom area, one SMART goal.
- Theory and practice in balance: prefer courses with reliable research.
- Experiment in your own context, with time to try.
- Evaluate what worked; adapt.
- Learn with others: a buddy or a community of practice.
- Selection questions include: Does this contribute to my longer-term plan? Is my learning measurable?
Evidence cited
Richardson & Maggioli (2018) Cambridge Papers in ELT; Kennedy (2016) Review of Educational Research 86(4); Wiliam (2016, 2019).
Limits
Advocacy; STEEL itself untested.
Apply in my context (Claude)
- Run DELTA prep through it: Module 1 reading is “T”, but the LSA cycles are “E–E–L”. Pick one focus per term.
Connections
Sustainable PD - decide what should stick · Matching CPD to the teacher - Teacher’s Choice Framework · Sustained CPD with communities of practice