When developing the 21st Century e-Teacher initiative we were committed to building on scientifically- based research. One area of particular emphasis was on what works in teacher professional development. There is a growing body of research that investigates the effectiveness of various forms of teacher training as well as whether such professional development leads to student academic achievement.
What we've found in the research is that twenty-first century skills professional development efforts should exist as part of an aligned system of teaching and learning that includes 21st century skills standards, curriculum, instruction and assessments.
Among the research and resources that influenced the design of the 21st Century e-Teacher initiative are the following:
e-Learning for Educators: Effects of On-Line Professional Development on Teachers and their Students . Laura M. O'Dwyer, Jessica Masters, Sheralyn Dash, Raquel Magidin De Kramer, Andrea Humez, & Michael Russell
Connecting Instructional Technology Professional Development to Teacher and Student Outcomes. Martin, W., Strother, S., Beglau, M., Bates, L., Reitzes, T., & McMillan Culp, K
Professional Development: A 21st Century Skills Implementation Guide. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills
Technology in Today's Classroom: Are You a Tech-Savvy Teacher? Stephanie Diamond Hicks.
Making Practice Public: Teacher Learning in the 21st Century. Ann Lieberman and Desiree Pointer Mace