Low cost and free professional development

Professional Development Online (inexpensive and free)

With professional development budgets being what they are, it always helps to have low cost and free sources of professional development. Many of our professional organizations offer low cost and some free PD, so see what they have to offer below:

Math

NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics)

E-workshops ($149/course)

http://www.nctm.org/profdev/content.aspx?id=11804

History/Social Studies

NCSS (National Council for the Social Studies)

http://www.socialstudies.org/professionaldevelopment summer workshops, etc.

http://communities.ncss.org/ – communities – must be a member of the organization to participate

Science

NSTA (National Science Teachers Association)

http://learningcenter.nsta.org/ – general professional development. Includes FREE web seminars

Art

NAEA (National Art Education Association)

http://www.arteducators.org/olc/pub/NAEA/learning/learning_page_4.html Monthly mentor

http://www.arteducators.org/olc/pub/NAEA/learning/learning_page_3.html professional development links

Religion

NCEA (National Catholic Educators Association)

http://www.ncea.org/programs/index.asp Professional Development

English

NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English)

http://ncte.org/seminars web seminars ($80-100)

http://www.ncte.org/pathways – Pathways – year-long online classes which include access to all archived NCTE web seminars ($120-160)

http://www.ncte.org/newsletter Free weekly e-newsletter with news, ideas, lesson idea links

Foreign Language

CCLT (Connecticut Council of Language Teachers )

http://www.ctcolt.org/ has three conferences each year.

The next conference is http://www.ctcolt.org/fall_conference.htm $100-130.

All subject areas

PBS Teacherline

http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/ Online classes (generally $199)

You can use their resources for free by looking at the Syllabus of interesting classes, Googling the articles mentioned (you can find many this way), and getting yourself to do the exercises. You miss the collegiality of the classes (which can be rewarding and enriching), but there is no cost.

ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)

http://shop.ascd.org/search_results.cfm?mycategory=PD_Online ($99/course)

(Also web seminars periodically, cost a bit higher)

CEC (Council for Exceptional Children, children with disabilities, gifted)

http://www.cec.sped.org/Content/NavigationMenu/AboutCEC/Communities/Blog/default.htm?from=tlcHome – blogs with current information of interest (free)

http://www.cec.sped.org/Source/Meetings/webinars.cfm?section=Professional_Development# – web seminars ($150-200)

http://www.cec.sped.org/Content/NavigationMenu/ProfessionalDevelopment/Audio_Files.htm audiofiles ($100-150)

Annenberg Media
http://www.learner.org
Free online classes across the curriculum. Choose discipline and age group.

For similar information www.franblo.edublogs.org

Internet tools, Uncategorized | Comment (0)

Not just Wikipedia

You may have noticed your students using still more websites with Wiki somewhere in the title as sources in their research.  Like Wikipedia, these Wiki websites can be modified by anybody – in fact that’s the whole point – so I suspect we’re going to have to tell our students that any website with Wiki in the title cannot be used as a legitimate source for research. 

Wikis are intended to be modified by many people collaborating, and can be wonderful resources since many people are sharing ideas, but since anybody can change a Wiki, a Wiki really cannot be considered a valid research source.