|
Aberdeen City Council has
worked in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council, Shetland Council and EDNET
(Educational Networking), University of Aberdeen to develop Pathways CPD, a
powerful software tool for self evaluation and action planning to support the
Professional Review and Development (PRD) and Appraisal processes in schools.
Many schools began using
the CD version of Pathways some years ago. The latest version of the software,
Pathways CPD Online, replaces the original CD version.
What
is Pathways CPD Online?
Pathways CPD Online allows
employees to access the software and their own CPD records via the internet,
which means that they can use Pathways any time and anywhere, with any internet
connected computer. As the software is internet based, action plans and requests
for CPD support can easily be shared between the employee, their PRD reviewer,
CPD coordinator and head teacher. Requests for specific CPD can also be sent by
schools directly to the Authority, which will allow the Authority to respond
more appropriately to the needs of schools and individual employees. All data is
held very securely by the software, and information and requests can only be
passed to others if the employee so wishes.
A number of additional
tools and enhancements have also been added to the online version of the
software:
§
The program now caters for LAMPs
(Leadership And Management Pathways), including project leadership, team
leadership, school leadership and strategic leadership.
§
The program now fully supports
self evaluation and action planning for school support staff, including school
janitors, resource centre/librarians, all categories of school technician, pupil
support assistants, business managers, office admin and clerical staff, and
music instructors.
Is
the use of Pathways CPD Online compulsory for PRD reviews?
NO! Pathways CPD Online is
not compulsory for any stage of the PRD process. Employees are free to
use any other systems of preparation and follow up to the PRD review, providing
that a CPD plan is created and agreed by the reviewee and reviewer. However,
Pathways Online should be considered as a very powerful tool for assisting the
whole PRD/CPD process.
How can I start using Pathways?
In order to use Pathways CPD Online you will need your own
personal user account. Any member of staff in Aberdeen City schools can request
a Pathways account.
To request an account, please
send us an email, giving details of your name, school, job title and email
address. We will then create an account for you, and you will receive an automated
email containing a link to your account, at which point you will able to set
your own password and begin using the system.
If you would like to request usernames for a large group
of staff within your school, please create a table or spreadsheet giving the
name, job title and email address of each staff member who wishes to have an
account created for them, and send this to us by
email. All of the accounts will then be created in one batch, and each
individual will receive an automated email with a link to their account.
Demonstrations
and Training
Demonstrations of Pathways
and hands-on training workshops are available to schools. These can be requested
by schools at any time. A user guide for teachers and a separate guide for
support staff are available and have been distributed to all schools which have
staff registered on the Pathways system.
Request
a demonstration session, hands-on workshop or additional user guides.
Funding
of Pathways
Aberdeen City Council
invested SEED CPD funding in both phases of the Pathways development. Pathways
is marketed through EDNET to other local authorities, and the City benefits from
royalties received from sales of the software. Aberdeen schools are not charged
for the use of Pathways. |
