October's Free Education Webinars

Even though it seems like September just started, October is just around the corner, we have just started the sixth week of school, and some teachers might be experiencing the downward slide to the low point of the first-year roller coaster. However, virtual professional development, which is a great way to get rejuvenated, is just a few clicks away. Here are some of the free upcoming webinars and online professional development opportunities coming in October.

The Association for Middle Level Education kicks off the month with Close Reading of Complex Texts: Making it Work in the Middle Level with Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey on October 1 at 3:00 pm ET. The AMLE also has two other webinars (one on teaching like a pirate in middle school and the other on working with boys.

National Geographic is offering Get Connected with Global Collaboration Projects on October 1 from 7:00 - 8:00 pm ET.

Besides having a number of achieved webinars available on demand, Education Week has eight webinars scheduled for October. You can see the entire list and register for them here, but ones that I'm most excited for are:

• Meeting the New Writing Expectations: Preparing Students for Success on October 8 from 2:00 - 3:00 pm ET
• Teaching Social Issues in the Common-Core Era on October 22 from 3:30 - 4:30 pm ET.
• Every Child Reading: Linking Knowledge and Practice to Support School Systems on October 28 from 2:00 - 3:00 pm ET

ASCD has Capacity-Building: Linking Professional Development and Practice on October 22 at 3:00 pm ET

edWeb.net has over 15 webinar offerings for October on topics ranging from differentiation to Veterans' Day. Webinars that I find particularly relevant to literacy instruction, reading, and English education include:

•  Difficulty and Complexity in the Classroom - Doing Both and Saving Time (October 20)
•  Unleash Student Potential: Personalize Learning through Storytelling Using Non-Fiction Books (October 22).