CORE's Professional Learning Award details

Key aim

One outstanding feature of the New Zealand educational landscape in the last two decades has been the amount of investment of time, energy and money made in teacher professional development. The stimulus for this development has come in no small part from Ministry of Education funded programmes, but it is also testimony to the initiative of thousands of teachers throughout the country. Teaching distinguishes itself as a career by its dedication to constant improvement and to professional learning and reflective practice as an embedded part of the job. Teachers, it seems, can always ‘do better’, even when they are already amongst the best in the world.

In announcing the CORE Education Professional Learning and Reflective Practice Awards, CORE Education wishes to acknowledge the impact that this dedication to professional advancement is having on teaching and learning in our centres and schools, and to celebrate the exemplary practice of some leading individuals and institutions in the profession.

General information

The CORE Education Awards for Professional Learning and Reflective Practice recognises teachers and institutions that can demonstrate how they have applied lessons from professional learning to improve their practice and outcomes within their educational setting.

There are two types of award:

Individual Award, one each for:

Early Years

Primary/Intermediate

Secondary

School/Centre Award, one award

• To apply for the Individual Award, applicants must produce a document on the impact of professional learning activities that they have undertaken. The impact could be directly on themselves, on their students or on wider contexts.
• To apply for the School/Centre Award, principals must submit a document on the impact of professional learning activities that the school or centre have undertaken. The impact should be on the whole school/centre.
• Applicants for either Award must complete an online application form and submit an e-version of the document, along with web links to all relevant evidence.
  
  • Individual's application form 
  • School/centre application form
    
• Applicants must complete ALL sections of the application form and ensure that ALL relevant documents and evidence are uploaded or identified in the web links section.
• Please ensure you read ALL sections of the application form carefully.

What counts as professional learning

For the purposes of these Awards, professional learning is defined as encompassing a range of formal and informal development activities including, but not restricted to:

• Training courses
• Formal learning or study
• Professional reading and reflection
• Peer review or mentoring
• Active engagement in learning communities
• Participating in formal professional development activities, e.g. ICTPD

The selection panel will be concerned with how the professional learning activities have impacted on teaching and learning rather than the nature of the professional learning activity.

Application process

Applicants will apply online

• Individual's application form
  
• School/centre application form
  

On the application form, please:

• Provide contact and professional information
• Attach your document or identify where it is located online
• Supply any web addresses of supporting evidence
• Supply the contact details of a person who can vouch from personal experience, the impact that your professional learning has had (individual Award only)
• Ensure that your supporter completes a supporting statement and that they e-mail it directly to foundation@core-ed.org by the closing date (individual Award only).
  • Supporting statement form

Applications to be submitted to CORE Education by 5PM August 29th 2011

Criteria for selection

• Applicants must be educators/schools/centres based in a New Zealand educational setting
• The impact of professional learning on teaching practice needs to be apparent in the discussion and appropriate evidence to support your discussion should be identified
• Supporting statement should identify how professional learning impacted on teaching and learning (Individual Award only)

The document

The document should be presented in an appropriate format (see below), which succinctly and clearly conveys what the professional learning activity was and how it has impacted upon teaching. Appropriate and compelling evidence should be included.

The document can be presented in any format that the applicant thinks is suitable, provided that the discussion demonstrates that professional learning activities have impacted upon teaching and learning. Acceptable formats include, but are not limited to:

• Formal written essay (guideline 2,000-3,000 words)
• Audio presentation (e.g. podcast, or MP3 file) (guideline 10-15 minutes)
• Video presentation (guideline 2GB or 10-15 minutes)
• Documentary (guideline 2GB or 10-15 minutes)
• Edited blogs/ePorfolios/wikis/etc

Applicants can refer to other evidence, such as websites, blogs, PowerPoint slides, photographs, wikis and samples of student work in their discussion, and should include all relevant web addresses to the evidence on the application form or post evidence to CORE Education.

The selection panel

• Selection will be conducted by a panel set up by CORE Education
• The panel will consist of at least two CORE Education representatives (one of whom will chair the panel) and at least one prominent member of the education community
• CORE Education may co-opt additional members onto the panel if necessary
• Panel members will be appointed by the Executive Team of CORE Education on an annual basis
• In the event of disagreement the chairperson’s decision is final.

The award

• Individual winners will receive NZ$3,000 towards professional learning activities
• School/centre will receive NZ$5,000 towards the school/centre professional learning fund.

Terms and conditions

• Applicants should ensure that all documents, evidence and supporting statements reach CORE Education by the deadline
• Individual Award winners will be required to provide receipt(s) for the professional learning activities undertaken and will be reimbursed
• School/centre award winners will be required to provide evidence of what professional learning activities have been undertaken
• Professional learning activities should be identified within 18-months of selection notification.