The “big idea” that evolves in this issue is that one-size-fits-all professional development doesn’t fit many teachers at all! There are many resources and ideas here for teachers who want to take responsibility for their own professional learning. And if you’re a secondary teacher, please read these articles. The content applies to any grade level.
What Kind of Professional Development Is Best for Teachers? This article looks at alternatives to the one-size-fits-all sessions that many of us have been subjected to. And the other articles in the issue describe some of these alternatives in detail, including 7 Principles for Highly Collaborative PD. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are an ongoing, focused alternative to one-shot “sit and git” sessions. How to Create a PLC and Lessons Learned describe authentic experiences of participants, while Searching for Professional Development has suggestions for starting your personalized plan, including going outside your comfort zone.
Action Research describes how teachers planned a cross-grade peer-teaching project as part of their individualized PD. Their research studied the implementation issues and the impact of the project. I really liked the table in this article that described types or levels of action research from a single teacher to a district-wide initiative. In districts where actions research is a professional development option, there is often a journal or website at the district level for teachers to share these projects. (And there is an action research strand at NSTA conferences.)

The authors of Collaborative Distance Learning describe an effective way for teachers to connect with colleagues in other districts or in districts where traveling great distances between schools learning and modeling the technology. They share their experiences and reflections, and they also include a list of free internet-based software for conferencing, so that no elaborate equipment is necessary. It might be interesting to do some action research on the value of conferencing or to assemble a group of teachers to collaborate on learning new content via NSTA’s Science Objects.
Current Research: Summer Reading Suggestions has summaries of these research projects, and the complete versions are available in this month’s Connections.  Perhaps the action research model could be used to see what these findings would look like in your classroom or school.
Everybody Needs a Betsy illustrates the value of having a mentor and being a mentor as part of professional development. Many mentoring projects are orientation, Q/A, but this describes how a professional “friend” can be an effective role model. Leaving the Ivory Tower describes another type of mentoring—a collaborative project that involved classroom teachers, university faculty, and teacher candidates.
As I read Pair Up, with directions for making “kits,” I thought that this would be a great win-win for PD – teams of teachers work together to research the unit and then create activities and kits to share.
You Are What You Eat and Challenge of Nutrition provide lists of trade books on the topic and lesson suggestions for food pyramids and food testing. SciLinks also has resources related to nutrition.

Lessons from Portugal describes a collaborative effort to improve PD in other parts of the world, with teachers training other teachers.
As discussed in The Root of the Problem, a characteristic of a “profession” is the requirement for continued learning. (See NSTA’s Position Statement on Professional Development) As evidenced by the articles in this issue, science teachers have many opportunities for individualized and collaborative PD.
Other resources:
Planning Professional Development –SciLinks suggestions
Professional development on a shoestring.
Professional development (Science Scope April 2008)