Teachers as Peer Learners: Professional Development in an Advanced Computer Learning Environment

This chapter presents our vision of the classroom of the future. We describe the kinds of learning and teaching processes that will be needed in such classrooms, and conceptualize a process of building such an environment in a project entitled SELA (the Hebrew initials for Learning Environment with Advanced Technologies). The SELA project provides a model of professional development that was implemented in Israel (Salomon Sc Almog, 1994, 1996). The project integrated the Group Investigation (GI) model (Dewey, 1909), based on its Israeli adaptation (Hertz-Lazarowitz 8t Zelniker, 1995), within a teacher peer learning community, using advanced computer technologies. We provide the background for this project and a description of the program. We also discuss the implications of our perspectives for professional development of teachers and how participation in this program influences subsequent behavior in the classroom.