Professional Development Time Options

I wanted to send out a message to those folks who are looking to work on technology for your 20 hours of PD time. First off, I have modified my "available" hours on my appointment calendar so that you can now book me until 3:15 on (most) Mondays and Wednesdays.  I could even meet longer than that as long as you make arrangements with me in advance. I am happy to meet 1:1 or with groups of teachers to provide any support or training that you need.

Suggested Topics

I am happy to meet with anyone about anything having to do with integrating technology into your classroom. Keep in mind you need to have your plan approved by admin first in order for it to "count". But, if you want some ideas, here are some suggestions to get you thinking:
  • Learn about 3D design and 3D printing with Tinkercad and brainstorm how your students might be able to use it in your classes
  • Work on your website - look at how to make improvements to its use and/or move your site to the new Google Sites
  • Formative assessment tools - There are a wide variety available and I'd be happy to help you with any of them. Click here to see a list of some of them.
  • Gather tech resources for your standards/lessons - I have been building a "Tech Resource Guide" on my website to house resources I find for each given standard/indicator/topic. I would love to collaborate with you to find resources that fit your needs to integrate into your lessons next year.
  • Research and review VR/AR tools and apps to use in your classes. This also goes hand in hand with the suggestion above.
  • If you have a Mac, I can teach you how to use Lanschool to improve your 1:1 classroom management.
  • How to use Twitter to build your professional learning network (PLN).

Self Directed PD Options

Any of your PD hour proposals need to be approved by your building admin. However, here are some options that I've found for online classes that might be of interest to you:
  • CoSpaces EDU taught by Aquilla Education (20 hour online course, free or $5 if you want a certification of completion) - learn how to create virtual reality worlds and, therefore, think about how it could be applied to your own classes.
  • AR/VR in Education Free Mini-course from Aquilla Education (Undetermined time, Free)
  • Google for Education - Educator Level 1 Fundamentals Training (Varying lengths depending on number of lessons, Free) - "Welcome to Fundamentals training. By reading, watching videos, and doing activities, you'll learn how to integrate Google in your classroom. You can start and stop lessons at any time; we'll track your progress through the course. At the end of this course, you'll be ready to take the exam to become a Google Certified Educator Level 1."
  • Google for Education - Educator Level 2 Advanced Training (Varying lengths depending on number of lessons, Free) - "Welcome to Advanced training. By reading, watching videos, and doing activities, you'll learn cutting-edge strategies for integrating Google in your classroom. You can start and stop lessons at any time; we'll track your progress through the course. At the end of this course, you'll be ready to take the exam to become a Google Certified Educator Level 2."
  • Google for Education - Digital Citizenship and Safety Class (75 minutes, Free) - This looks like a great option to help you to teach your students about digital citizenship and safety as well as inform you about how to search smart, protect yourself from phishing/scams and even manage your online reputation.
  • Unit #2 Using GSuite in Classrooms with Diverse Learners (30 minutes, Free) - "While you will know best how to address your students’ learning needs, in this unit, you'll learn about key accessibility features in G Suite and explore whether these features may be helpful to use in the classroom."
  • Teaching Computer Science Fundamentals from Code.org (Undetermined time, Free) - Although intended for younger grades, this course is a great way to learn more about coding and how you can use it in your classroom. Math teachers, you might like using coding in your classes since so much of coding is math theory.
  • Earn Microcredentials from Bloomboards (Varied time, Mostly Free) - If you aren't familiar with micro-credentials, they are basically professional "badges" that let you demonstrate your level of understanding on a wide range of topics. There are a TON of topics available and I'm pretty certain everyone could find one that interests them. Most of them are free, but some might costs money depending on the micro-credentialing organization. Some are also available for graduate credit with a fee. IMPORTANT: You need submit any micro-credential applications by June 8, 2018 before they close out for the year in preparation for their new website.
  • PBS Teacherline (Varied time, Costs vary from free to $49) - "PBS TeacherLine’s facilitated and self-paced PD courses are designed to benefit both beginning and experienced teachers. Topics include science, reading, social studies, math, instructional strategies, and instructional technology."
  • edX Education & Teacher Training Courses (Varied time, Mostly Free unless you want a certificate) - If you are looking for an in depth class, you might want to check out these options. From Climate Change Education to Gamification to Design Thinking and Big Data, there are numerous classes that might be of interest.


Never stop learning. Susie from SimmonsClassroom.com

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