Professional Development

It’s easy for today’s educator to feel overwhelmed--in a complex and ever-changing educational environment, teachers are often expected to complete more in one day than they have time for in an entire week. They must, for instance, reach increasingly diverse student bodies, meet standards and assessments, integrate technology into the classroom, and meet certification requirements.

Luckily, with a new crop of online professional development opportunities, flexibility and convenience are becoming more than just a teacher ’s dream. With a reliable computer and internet access, teachers can access information and training to directly enhance their students’ learning--while gaining professional recognition!

Courses often relate directly to curriculum and classroom activities, allowing teachers to design useable projects or lesson plans that align with NCLB. Furthermore, many courses highlight the integration of technology in the classroom, as well as offer tools to support the tailored delivery of instruction to learners with unique needs. And many online professional development programs offer teachers the opportunity to collaborate and share ideas and strategies with other teachers in an online “community,” with trained facilitators guiding discussions and providing feedback.

• Teachers gain tech skills while in their PJs
  Fri, Aug 24, 2007 Primary Topic Channel: Professional development
  A professional development program that stresses IT learning at home has brought tech skills to a record number of teachers in St. Mary Parish Schools, Louisiana.…
  
  
• NECC exhibitors launch online educator communities
  Wed, Aug 01, 2007 Primary Topic Channel: NECC
  The use of Web 2.0 technologies to create interactive, online social environments for networking and professional development was on full display in the exhibit hall at the 2007 National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) in Atlanta.
  
  
• NECC 2007 exhibitor news: Professional Development
  Thu, Jul 05, 2007 Primary Topic Channel: Professional development
  Read about some of the promising professional development products featured at the 2007 National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) in Atlanta.
  
  
• Technology helps deliver solid professional development at lower costs
  Fri, Sep 01, 2006 Primary Topic Channel:
  Using technology to provide professional development services for teachers and administrators is providing two simultaneous bottom-line benefits, education experts say: strengthening skills and reducing costs.
  
  
• Online communities transform teacher development
  Sun, Jul 01, 2007 Primary Topic Channel: School Administration ,Professional development
  Teacher professional development is undergoing a radical change for the better, thanks to the development of new online professional “learning communities” that give educators the chance to network and exchange ideas with their peers at their own convenience. Members of these online communities also have “just in time” access to instructional tools such as videos, tutorials, and other advice whenever they need it
  
  
• "Peer Connection" provides tools for instructional coaches
  Sun, Jul 01, 2007 Primary Topic Channel: School Administration
  Instructional coaches looking for resources to help their colleagues can turn to Peer Connection, a brand-new web site from PBS TeacherLine.
  
  
• PBS debuts comprehensive new online portal for teachers
  Sun, Apr 01, 2007 Primary Topic Channel: Curriculum
  PBS has formally launched a comprehensive new web site for K-12 educators, called "PBS Teachers." In production for more than a year, the site is the front door for all educational resources and services that PBS offers, including thousands of free lesson plans, teacher professional development opportunities, videos, blogs, and more
  
  
• $3M grant to aid online teacher education
  Mon, Mar 05, 2007 Primary Topic Channel: Private
  Western Governors University, a private, nonprofit online school founded and supported by the governors of 19 western states, will receive $1 million per year for three years from the U.S. Department of Labor to test a new teacher education model. The program's goal is to help rural school systems find and retain highly qualified teachers in hard-to-staff disciplines such as math and science. WGU will offer online scholarships for rural teaching candidates, as well as academic support and mentoring following graduation from the program. The program allows individuals to continue residing in their communities while accessing their classes online.
  
  
• Arkansas, PBS focus on teaching skills
  Wed, Nov 01, 2006 Primary Topic Channel:
  Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican, helped launch the Arkansas IDEAS program, or Internet Delivered Education for Arkansas Schools, in Sept. 2006. An online training program to give public school teachers new tools to help students perform better in school, the program was designed to help teachers complete 60 hours of required professional development each year as mandated by the state legislature.
  
  
• ED unveils new educator training site
  Thu, Oct 07, 2004 Primary Topic Channel: School Administration ,Professional development
  The U.S. Department of Education (ED) unveiled a new professional development web site for teachers and administrators. Its architects hope the free resource--built by teachers for teachers--will encourage the use of proven classroom strategies and provide more effective ways of using data to improve instruction in the nation's schools