6 Professional Development Opportunities For Educators
Being an effective educator is not a quality someone is born with. On the contrary, knowing how to address the needs of students and guide them to success takes enormous hard work and discretion. The groups included here understand this, offering a diversity of professional development opportunities to help educators of all kinds maximize their pedagogical abilities and foster positive youth outcomes. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
6 Groups Offering Professional Development For Educators
| Name | Mission |
|---|---|
| Leading Educators | Partner with school systems to build and sustain the conditions, teaching, and leadership to ensure that the students furthest from opportunity succeed in school and in life |
| Click2SciencePD | Address the need for low-cost, high-quality professional development by providing OST professionals the resources and skills they need to create positive STEM learning experiences with youth |
| With Respect | Design and deliver tools and strategies that create and nurture equity and respect within individuals and organizations to create the environment to dismantle oppression |
| iLearn Collaborative | Create equity in education by building the capacity of educators to implement student-centered learning |
| Center for Schools and Communities | Work to strengthen the capacity of organizations serving children, youth and their families |
| The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning | Create and innovate in the field of Mind, Brain and Education Science research to allow teachers to maximize their effectiveness and students to achieve their highest potential |
An Overview Of Leading Educators
Toys & Games That Can Help Kids Learn
- Coding Robots
- Math Games
- Mechanical Puzzles
- Cranium Games
- Science Kits
- Telescopes
- Trivia Games
- Solar System Toys
- Talking Globes
The Impact of the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning
In Depth
The classroom isn't always just for kids. Teachers also spend time learning more about best practices and new trends in education in order to enhance their skills so they can help to improve outcomes for students. Here, in no particular order, are organizations dedicated to providing educators with the resources they need to boost their teaching knowledge.
Entering the list at #1 is Leading Educators, which works with school systems to strengthen and support their teachers. Its District Capacity Building program guides leaders in enhancing professional learning, providing a road map for systems design, implementation, and gradual release. Sample touch points include needs assessment and planning meetings, instructional leadership coaching, as well as data step backs and school walkthroughs.
The Developing Middle Leadership program works with partners to assess existing strengths, culture, and opportunities to bolster improvement. Leaders who receive development support from Leading Educators experience a variety of cohort based learning opportunities. These include equity, rigorous English language arts and math content, learning systems and conditions, and culture.
Leaders who receive development support from Leading Educators experience a variety of cohort based learning opportunities.
At #2 is Click2SciencePD, which provides science, technology, engineering, and math professional development resources. Specifically, it focuses on out of school time trainers and coaches supporting frontline staff, or volunteers working directly with youth. Its blended model uses a variety of ongoing experiences to improve instructional skills while facilitating learning experiences. Resources include step by step guides, webinars, and self directed lessons.
Video Based Learning Modules are professional development resources that include lessons and reflection questions. Learning units are incorporated into staff guides for use with facilitated sessions to fuel discussion and consideration. They feature frontline staff and volunteers from a variety of expertise levels and backgrounds in various programs.
Coming in at #3 is With Respect, LLC, which focuses on learning experiences for teachers, leadership, administration, and executives through its professional and personally customized development programs and courses for colleagues. Its signature program, Teach Like Their Lives Depend On It, incorporates social emotional learning, trauma informed practice, as well as, accommodation, adaptation, modification, and differentiation.
Its signature program, Teach Like Their Lives Depend On It, incorporates social emotional learning, trauma informed practice, as well as, accommodation, adaptation, modification, and differentiation.
With Respect, LLC offers professional development trainings through its book, Mindset Scaffolding Blueprint: The Art of Changing Their Mind. The text and in person courses provide a framework and plan for how participants can immediately use, apply, and expand upon the concepts and tools they learn. Course topics include Cultural Acuity, Leadership, Communication, and Conflict Negotiation.
In the #4 position is iLearn Collaborative, which works to build the capacity of teachers to implement student centered learning. Its Training For Educators By Educators, is a hands on workshop featuring expert facilitators. Topics include best practices in blended instruction, introduction to open educational resources, and digital content warehouse training.
The Readiness Assessment Package reviews existing documentation, including board mandates and strategic plans, to determine how blended learning can support current priorities. Additional services include a one day onsite visit to dive deeper into specific issues, and an in depth report that outlines findings, recommendations, next steps, and resources.
The Readiness Assessment Package reviews existing documentation, including board mandates and strategic plans, to determine how blended learning can support current priorities.
At #5 is the Center for Schools and Communities, which provides comprehensive services designed to build an organization's capacity through workshops, conferences, and trainings. Its Excellence in Leadership Certification Course helps participants identify strengths and weaknesses in order to improve their managerial effectiveness, increase workplace productivity, build interpersonal relationships, and manage stress.
The Center for Schools and Communities offers a variety of in person courses, customized technical assistance, consultation services, and conferences. Topics for these trainings include safety and youth violence prevention, community and family support, and education and youth development. Tailored trainings can be delivered to individual institutions or districts, and are eligible for continuing education credits.
Finishing up the list at #6 is the Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland. It trains its teachers and school leaders in Mind, Brain, and Education Science, which allows educators to maximize their effectiveness and students to achieve their highest potential. Among its regular workshops is The National Diversity Practitioners Institute, which engages participants with interactive sessions that deepen core knowledge around diversity, identity, and inclusion.
It trains its teachers and school leaders in Mind, Brain, and Education Science, which allows educators to maximize their effectiveness and students to achieve their highest potential.
The Principles and Strategies of Neuroeducation workshop focuses on kindergarten through twelfth grade educators and administrators, and approaches the science of learning through such academic themes as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Participants also receive tools and activities for next day classroom use. The Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning at St. Andrew's Episcopal School also hosts the Think Differently and Deeply podcast, which takes a deeper dive into Mind, Brain, and Education Science research.
