Research - Case Studies
Ethiopia Teacher Professional Development:
Children's Home Society and Family Services
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia • 24-28 August 2009

Next Steps
The week teacher training set a foundation for supporting and sustaining the learning community. As the principal Fekadu Negusie noted metaphorically, the building is excellent hardware and what we are doing this week is providing the software. Organizations I have worked with in governmental and not-for-profit realms have emphasized professional development in the 'start up' stages. This includes regularity with workshops developing foundational thinking tools that support the teaching and learning environment. I would recommend that the trainings initially occur every other month:

• November 2009
• January 2010
• March 2010
• May 2010

Potential Outcomes of Further Sessions as Teacher Trainers
The trainings would continue to refine, master and implement methods and techniques that support a collaborative Thinking School environment.  The participants become a teaching community that could train other schools in Ethiopia – state (public) schools, private schools in Addis Ababa and rural ‘countryside’ regions. The sessions would take place in both Children’s Home Academy in Addis Ababa, and at ‘countryside’ school locations providing reciprocal learning in a wide variety of conditions and locations. The facilities at Children’s Home Academy provide a location that offers the potential for training many educators (conference center and amphitheater), creating a cadre of ‘trainers of trainers’, and the access to model methods and techniques with students.

Leadership Training
Implementing a leadership training component for all educators who are in leadership positions. Leadership is a key element of successful schools and organizations. The training would mirror the strategies and methods with the teacher training with the frame from the leadership perspective.

In addition to training the teachers, and from conversations with the head of Audio Visual (who attended Friday’s session), Abraham and others, the ‘thinking tools and methods’ we used throughout the week equally applicable with an organization – including CHSFS Ethiopia.

Training Materials
The potential of creating training materials for teachers to take from the sessions was very clear. The videographer, still photographer, and sound engineers were all very professional in collaborating while filming and with the actual video and still images they filmed. The images could be distilled to very short video clips and still images, along with visual storyboards of how to do the techniques and methods they have learned. A short descriptive in English and Ahmaric could accompany the video and storyboard. Like professional athletes, they would then be able to review the video when needed to focus on the finer points of various strategies, methods and techniques. The ability of CHSFS Ethiopia to ‘turn-around’ print and video within the week with the adoption process, could be mirrored with teacher professional development. Please refer to Appendix E for more on Video Documentation for Reflection and Training Materials.

New Curriculum Development
Curriculum to build upon the foundation thinking tools and methods would be an essential component of the ongoing staff development. Like the mobile phone has accelerated communications from virtually no phone system to a cellular system that is closer to the ‘state of the art’, it is very possible to use the best possible teaching methods, strategies and techniques with the selected curriculum to catapult the program to a progressive educational model based research on teaching/learning and brain function. This would be based on research and materials needed to implement the curriculum in an effective and broad manner.

Action Research Grants
Action Research Grants could be awarded through the Thinking Foundation and other groups to support teachers understanding and implementing high quality practices. This would provide a way to document teaching and learning in the schools, for teachers to be reflective on their practice, and to create a body of examples of best practices.

Collaborative Technologies
Exploring and implementing collaborative technologies for regularly supporting educators:

• video conferencing using Skype via the Internet or similar means  to provide ongoing support in between trainings/support onsite in Ethiopia
• email contact – approximately 2/3 of the participants had email
• use of mobile phones – all participants had a mobile phone