The University of Florida's Cathy Cavanaugh revealed a decade of research-based lessons in online teacher professional development when she participated in the 2011 Creating Rural Connections Speaker Series on Oct. 3.

Hosted by the National Center for Research on Rural Education (R²Ed), Cavanaugh's presentation addressed educator-centered applications of distance technology and the qualities inherent to successful professional development.

Cavanaugh stressed the importance of job-embedded professional development that allows educators to examine the impacts of teacher reforms on student learning. In the same vein, she called for the incorporation of methods and tools that evaluate technology's long-term influence on teacher practice.