The National Standards and Professional Networks.

With the new National Professional Standards for Teaching, Victorian Teachers have a newcomer on the block with regards to terminology; “Professional Networks”.  Since I used this in a previous post I have received a couple of emails and it has been made clear that I have clouded the issue of what constitutes a "Professional Network".

"Professional Networks" in this case does not mean Networks with a singular identity run by someone in a professional capacity.  It simply means a network of people in related Professions from which you can draw upon for information related to your Teaching.  

 It is simply the “job related” version of a Social Network and there's no reason a teacher can't build their own network of professionals.

The idealized version of a “Professional Network” when in regards to the National Standards for Teaching is a network which includes immediate colleagues in your field, colleagues in related fields, outside professionals dealing in some way with your field and outside social organizations or individuals related to your field.

•  “Immediate Colleagues” is other CRTs.
•  “Colleagues in related fields” means other educational professionals whether they be Principals or other school leadership, Teachers in permanent positions, Tutors or Aides for example.
• “Other Professionals” means workshop/seminar lecturers and the like who, although they do not teach in a classroom setting, still provide valuable information on teaching in classrooms.
• “Social Organizations” are “support” and similar groups dealing with related subjects such as Autism/Dyslexia, domestic abuse, low income and other factors that influence teaching and learning.  Parent groups also come under this heading.

Teachers are perfectly free to build their own network as much as access an organized group or network facilitating the same sort of access.  

The Wodonga CRT Support Network aims to facilitate access to all of the above and be a ready-made "Professional Network" for local CRTs.  This doesn't mean you should rely solely on the network if an outside source is what you need as a CRT.

However we do aim to be something you can use as your core "Professional Network" and also provide examples of the opportunities you can access beyond us to build your own "Personal Professional Network".

• By supplying PD workshops we are facilitating access to “outside professionals”.
• By holding collegial meetings we are facilitating access to “Immediate Colleagues” in a profession-related manner.
• By inviting guest speakers we are likewise facilitating access to “Colleagues in related fields” and “Social Organizations”.

A well rounded approach we believe allows us to become the core of the Professional Networks for local CRTs.

What must be kept in mind is that not all CRT Networks are operated in the same way.  Different CRT Networks have different focuses depending on the local needs of Students and CRTs but that in no way means they are any less important to the Professional Networks of CRTs.

Some Networks concentrate on providing local CRTs with accessible and affordable Workshop or Seminar based Professional Development opportunities.  While this doesn't constitute a "professional network", they are all bulletproof additions to any Professional Network you are trying to build.  They allow easy access to outside professionals without having to have access to these professionals to build a personal rapport with.

Likewise there are Networks who concentrate on the Collegial Learning afforded through scheduled meetings with other CRTs.  Again, while not a "Professional Network" in it's entirety, they are an excellent addition to your own Professional Network.  They provide ready access to other CRTs all on a basis that has been pre-organized for your convenience.

In both cases these Networks will help you make the connections necessary to build your own Professional Network. 

Regardless of it's particular focus, every single CRT Network in Victoria is a valuable asset to CRTs in building their Professional Network.  We urge all Victorian CRTs to consider their local VIT CRT Network as an option to include in their Professional Network.  We truly believe that each and every VIT CRT Network is an invaluable resource for it's members and are only going to get more valuable as time moves on. 

Regards,

Mel.