Professional development for teachers is important not because it is required but because education is changing radically.  No longer is the industrial model going to work. Our world requires lifelong learners who can learn on their own using the resources available: text, video, audio, etc.  Learning is not limited to textbooks anymore, and the presence of technology in the form of iPads, Chromebooks, laptops, and BYOD is a game changer. But the technology is not what is important.  Technology is merely a tool to help teachers increase learning through a student-centered approach.

Unfortunately, without professional development and coaching, teachers often use technology as a substitute for paper.  They teach the way they always have and use technology where it fits in.  Some teachers make technology use a major event and pull them out for big projects. Others are afraid to use them for fear a student might accidentally break something.  Others use them more regularly in the interest of having a paperless classroom, but the worksheets are still there in digital form.

If you are interested in building more student-centered classrooms where students have agency and are empowered to be responsible for their own learning, keep reading. There are many ways to create personalized classrooms through blended learning, station rotation, flipped learning, PBL, and authentic activities.  There is not one way to personalize learning; however, when teachers learn one effective way, they are able to personalize that system for their classroom.

If you are looking for useful, practical professional development for your teachers that honors where they are in the learning process, give us a call.  We have experienced instructors who will excite your teachers because they will learn what they need when they need it.

We are also developing online professional development workshops and courses for anytime professional development.  New teachers don’t have to be left behind.  They can get last year’s professional development by logging in. Let us know what courses you would like to see offered online.  With enough registrants, we are happy to customize a professional development course for your school, district, or state.