March 2017's Online Professional Development Opportunities

I can't believe that March has started. Where I'm at, this means spring break, standardized tests, and starting to think about the second-half of the semester. It also presents a great time to take part in some professional development to refine skills and ideas or to learn (and try!) new ones.

February 2017's Online Professional Development Opportunities

With everything that is going on in the country and the world, it can be a little hard to focus on other things. However, I've found that, at times like these, it can be comforting to to find things that you can do that are proactive and that can help improve the future. I've been telling my students that, as future teachers, they have a unique opportunity and responsibility to help bring about change. In order to do this, it is vital to keep learning new techniques in teaching. So, without further ado, here are some very promising (and free!) online professional development opportunities for this month.

August's and September's Online Professional Development Opportunities

Despite my best intentions, class prep and beginning-of-the-semester meetings got in the way of posting this month. However, before the month is out, I wanted to do a quick round-up of the upcoming professional development opportunities that August and September still have in store!

June's Online Professional Development Opportunities

I know - it can be a little hard to even think about professional development in June, just as you are coming off of (or finishing up) another busy school year. However, kicking off your summer (or ending your school year) with some professional development can be great; besides being a chance to connect with other educators and reflect on the past year, it also can be nice to be in more of the student role for a change. With this in mind, here are some intriguing online professional development opportunities that are being offered this month.

January's Online Professional Development Opportunities

Happy (belated) new year, and I hope your 2016 is off to a good start!

While January can be a bit of a letdown after the excitement and stress of the holidays, I like to think of it as a time of renewal and starting fresh. If one of your resolutions for this year is to take part in more professional development, then here are some resources to help you.

October's Professional Development Opportunities

While I can't believe that it is October already (and that we are only two weeks away from fall break, which marks the mid-point in the semester), the chilly, rainy weather in my little corner of the Midwest assures me that October is here. Besides fall break, cooler temperatures, and Halloween, October also marks a time when things seem to get even busier at schools. While it can be hard to find (or make) time for professional development, I've found that PD can be an invigorating and inspiring. Fortunately, there is a plethora of free online opportunities that can work with crazy schedules.

September's Professional Development Opportunities

In August, #nctechat's topic was professional learning networks (PLNs), which is near and dear to my heart. Near the end of the chat, the participants were asked to share their goals regarding PLNs in the next school year. One of my goals is to keep active in my PLN, which is easier said than done. Based on the first week of classes, this looks to be a busy semester! Luckily, there are some great professional development opportunities this month to help keep me engaged with my network and to provide support, ideas, and enthusiasm, even as things get busy.

August's Professional Development Opportunities

I apologize for not posting in July - the month was dedicated to preparing for a trip, going on a trip, and recovering from the trip. That said, August is upon us, and while some people have the month (or most of the month) off, many others are getting ready to start back to school. To help those of us in the latter category get into the right frame of mind, here are some free online PD opportunities:

October is Connected Educator Month

While I associate October with a lot of exciting things (fall weather, fall break, and the midway point in the semester), perhaps the thing that I'm most excited about (well, besides fall break :) is Connected Educator Month (CEM). According to the CEM website, the purpose of CEM includes:

• Getting more educators proficient with social media to improve their practice
• Deepening and sustaining learning among those already enjoying connection’s benefits
• Helping schools credential/integrate connected learning into their formal professional development efforts
• Stimulating and supporting innovation in the field

September's #nctechat on Comics & Graphic Novels is Sept. 21

In preparation for Banned Books Week (Sept. 21 - 27), this month's #nctechat is on comics and graphic novels in the classroom. Join in the conversation on Sunday, September 21 at 8:00 pm ET.

Helpful hints for participating in #nctechat:

• NCTE puts the chat up on Storify afterwards so you can go back and review what was said (or you can read people's responses if you couldn't make the chat). For instance, you can see July's #nctechat on the teacher as writer.
• For the sake of your sanity (and because there is often a lag on Twitter with the most recent tweets), you might want to use a tool like TweetDeck or TweetChat when participating. I'm partial to TweetChat because I find it more straightforward than TweetDeck (and its many columns). I also love that it automatically adds the hashtag to any tweet I do.
• If you've never participated in #nctechat, don't be shy - it is a fun and welcoming group. You don't have to respond to every (or any) question on conversation that is happening. If you do decide to join in, just be certain to use the hashtag when responding. Also, be certain to denote which question you are answering (for instance, if you are responding to question 1, put A1 at the beginning of your tweet).

Do you have questions, comments, or concerns? Please feel free to leave a comment or send me a tweet.

Pre-Service Teachers & Professional Development: Virtual Options (Part II)

from Edudemic.com

As mentioned in an earlier post, I'm hoping to do a better job encouraging my students, who are pre-service teachers, to become more involved in professional development. My first year in my education program, I had the good fortune to attend the annual meeting of the TCTE, and it changed my life. Besides giving me a different perspective on education, it made me feel like a professional who was part of something bigger than myself. For this reason, and for the reasons mentioned in the other post, I want my students to have the opportunity to experience professional development before they enter the classroom. However, I realize that, as students, their time and funds are limited. Consequently, this post is going to provide some ideas on ways students can participate in professional development using social media and other virtual tools. Not only does this provide a more convenient and more affordable alternative to attending in-person professional development events, but it also shows students that professional development is only a click away.

August's #nctechat on Building Classroom Community is Sunday (August 17)

One of my favorite virtual professional development activities is the monthly #nctechat on Twitter. While it can be a rapid-fire experience, I always walk away from the discussion inspired by lots of great ideas. This month's #nctechat is on building a classroom community. Come join in the fun this Sunday (August 17) at 8:00 pm ET.

Helpful hints:

• NCTE puts the chat up on Storify afterwards so you can go back and review what was said (or you can read people's responses if you couldn't make the chat). For instance, you can see July's #nctechat on the teacher as writer.
• For the sake of your sanity (and because there is often a lag on Twitter with the most recent tweets), you might want to use a tool like TweetDeck or TweetChat when participating. I'm partial to TweetChat because I find it more straightforward than TweetDeck (and its many columns). I also love that it automatically adds the hashtag to any tweet I do.
• If you've never participated in #NCTEChat, don't be shy - it is a fun and welcoming group. Just be certain to use the hashtag when responding. Also, be certain to denote which question you are answering (for instance, if you are responding to question 1, put A1 at the beginning of your tweet).

Do you have questions, comments, or concerns? Please feel free to leave a comment or send me a tweet.