its design and delivery. It shifts from a traditional static approach of information
transfer through formal, structured lessons to a more networked understanding of
teaching and learning. This networked approach involves designing a
technology-enabled community of inquiry and interprofessional practice for life-long
learning. The interconnected,fluid, and complex nature of twenty-first-century
teaching and learning is accommodated in this program through the three elements of
technology-enabled, interprofessional, and inquiry-based. These three design ele-
ments will be detailed in this chapter following a brief introduction to, and description
of, the context and structure of the program. An evaluation of each of the three design
aspects will then be presented, using the combined data from three cohorts of teachers
who graduated from the program. This data illustrates the teachers’perceptions of the
importance of these three elements, their preparedness on entry into the program, and
their sense of achievement on completing the program to learn and work through a
technology-enabled community of inquiry and interprofessional practice.
Conclusions are drawn and suggestions are made to keep advanced professional
learning programs relevant for a changing educational landscape.
17.2 Specialist Resource Teacher Program
The Specialist Resource Teacher program was developed in response to a call from
the New Zealand Ministry of Education for the provision of an advanced post-
graduate course that would support both specialist and common core competencies
for advanced specialty teaching areas within the workforce. The program is for
experienced teachers and practitioners to gain further skills and knowledge to work
in a variety of educational contexts alongside teachers, parents, students, and other
professionals to improve educational outcomes for all learners.
This professional education program is a joint initiative funded by the New
Zealand Ministry of Education and managed by a consortium partnership of two
New Zealand universities, one in the North Island and one in the South Island. The
program attracts teachers and practitioners geographically from all regions across
New Zealand and from seven specialist areas including: Autism Spectrum Disorder;
Blind and Low Vision; Complex Educational Needs; Deaf and Hearing
Impairment;Early Intervention;Gifted and Talented;and Learning and Behavior.
Graduates of the program become resource teachers in these specialist areas and
contribute to the practice of Special and Inclusive Education in a range of contexts,
including early years, primary, secondary and tertiary sectors, and government and
nongovernment organizations.
The program is delivered as a postgraduate, part-time,flexible, and blended
qualification, using both online and face-to-face learning environments, thus
enabling teachers to participate anytime anywhere, while continuing to work and
study from home regardless of location. It is highly practical and self-directed, and
teachers are encouraged to focus their learning on their authentic casework. Generic
core content across all specialist areas as well as specialist content is covered to
254 M. Mentis and A. Kearney