This course is for K-12 teachers and administrators and meets the following professional development criteria: Teachers Teaching skills and Analyze and use data.
Participants will complete a written project, performance assessment and an action plan for implementation.
Participants will be assessed using a multiple choice pre and post assessment. Scores on the post assessment must be at least 80%. In addition a lesson plan or project with action plan is required.
Finally an implementation plan will be completed by participants indicating how new learning will be integrated into their assignments.

There is remarkable consensus among educators and business and policy leaders on one key conclusion: we need to bring what we teach and how we teach into the 21st century.

This interesting and interactive course will address this issue by discussing the skills students need to master in order to be successful in a globalized society. Educators will discuss: engaging instructional methods for teaching digital natives, 21st century skills we will be teaching digital natives, and how educators can address the needs of the millennial generation of students.

Selected excerpts from "The World is Flat," "A Whole New Mind," and "Millennial´s Rising" will be shared and discussed to validate the course´s premise ~ educators must bring what we teach and how we teach into the 21st century.

This is an online course. You will receive specific information concerning this course the day before the start date. A User ID and link to the course site will be emailed to you at that time. There will not be any additional electronic communications before then. If books or materials are inlcuded in the tuition, these items will be mailed to you, provided the course is paid for, before the start of the course.

Please make sure your email address is correct on your account!

“Building Your e-Portfolio” is a course created for professional educators committed to the idea of lifelong learning and reflection. The course will focus on identifying a rationale for creating an electronic portfolio of work, independent online training in the use of cutting edge e-Portfolio tools, and the creation of an e-Portfolio framework. Participants will be assessed using a multiple choice pre and post assessment. Scores on the post assessment must be at least 80%. They will also complete a project: the creation of an e-Portfolio which has been populated with a minimum of 4 teaching artifacts, and 4 reflections upon those artifacts. All e-Portfolios will be graded through the use of a rubric.

Pennsylvania law now mandates that new teachers participate in a formal induction process for a period of three years. “Building Your e-Portfolio” has been designed to give you a flexible, 21st Century-focused learning option for completing the portfolio requirements set by the Pennsylvania State Department (PDE) in form PDE427. Through exploration of a variety of web-based tools and options, you will determine how to create an e-Portfolio in a way which best suits your ongoing, professional needs. The course will also promote the idea of gathering best practices and artifacts throughout the teaching career, and the creation of professional dialogue around those artifacts within a community of learners. Therefore, this course would be of interest and benefit to educators at any point in their teaching career. Finally, the course will focus on the creation of e-Portfolios using the latest Web 2.0 technologies, which will also serve to add to teachers’ skill base when it comes to the infusion of emerging technologies into teaching and learning.

“Building Your e-Portfolio” is a one credit, four week long course (30 hours). It will be conducted online in a differentiated style, in order to address the learning needs of the adult participants, and to allow for multiple modes for reflection. Participants will be encouraged to read, train independently in web-based tool of their choice, and to share their experiences and expertise within a community of practice around the topic e-Portfolios. Required assignments include: reading(s), discussion board participation, web-based training, pre and post assessments, and an individual final project in the form of an e-Portfolio which has been populated with a minimum of 4 teaching artifacts (1 per domain) and 4 reflections which correspond to the 4 artifacts.

Students may expect to spend approximately 10 hours per week (for the first two weeks) reading, researching and participating in online group activities. The following two weeks (10 hours) will be utilized for completing a project, the post-test, reflections, and course evaluations.

NOTE:It is strongly recommended that students registering for this course have a minimum intermediate comfort level with technology, and have successfully completed at least one online course.

This course is online and available for 24 hours a day during the term of the course. Participants have 2 weeks from the end of the course to finish work.

This is an online course. You will receive specific information concerning this course or workshop on the day before the start date. A User ID and link to the course site will be emailed to you at that time, there will not be any additional electronic communications before then. If books or materials are included in the tuition, these items will be mailed to you, provided the course is paid for, before the start of the course.

Participants must have high speed Internet access and a working email account for the duration of the course.

Please make sure your email address and PDE ID# is correct in your account on this site.

This course will provide regular and special education teachers of any content area, grades 3, 4, and 5, with strategies and ideas to teach writing composition. Participants will engage in effective practices to model, coach, and design writing samples to improve student performance on state writing assessments. This course meets the following professional development criteria: content knowledge and teaching skills in the course subject area of Teaching and Learning and Professional Development. Out of class work: Participants will complete a pre-post test, an implementation plan, personal narratives and two lesson plans.

This course is designed for all educators K-12 who are interested in designing lessons that are theme based. It is aligned with the professional criteria of teaching and learning.

The participants will develop a theme related classroom unit. They will produce a portfolio of all theme related lessons, children´s work, games, etc. On the first day of class the instructor will model how a theme can be related to all areas.

When the group initially meets, they will work together to set the best date to meet and present projects. The date will be no more than three months after the start of the class.

The participants will work in small groups or individually to develop a theme-based classroom unit. Participants will develop an action plan for their classrooms and a portfolio documenting their lessons, children’s work, games, etc. and a bibliography of the research base or resources. The instructor will support the participants through email communication between the initial class and the project presentations.

*required out of class work will include the development of an action plan and portfolio. Participants will communicate by email between the first and the last classes with the instructor updating the instructor on their progress.

Participants will share their portfolios at the last class meeting.

Participants will be assessed using a multiple choice pre and post assessment.

This course is designed for all educators K-12 who are interested in improving their classroom management skills. It is aligned with the professional criteria of teaching and learning.

The participants will develop a behavior management system to be implemented in their classrooms. They will be prepared to present documentation of the plan, how it worked, recording keeping, incentives, photos, etc.

On the first day of class, the instructor will model various strategies that have proven to be successful. When the group initially meets, they will work together to set the best date to meet and present projects. The date will be no more than three months after the start of the class.

The participants will work in small groups or individually to develop a classroom management system. Participants will develop an action plan for their classrooms for their project, a portfolio documenting their plan and how it worked, a sample or description of the recording keeping system, incentives, photos, and a description and bibliography of the research base for their system.

The instructor will support the participants through email communication between the initial class and the project presentations.

*Required out of class work will include the development of an action plan and portfolio. Participants will communicate by email between the first and the last classes with the instructor updating the instructor on their progress.

Participants will share their portfolios at the last class meeting.

Participants will be assessed using a multiple choice pre and post assessment.

This course is designed for all teachers K-12 that are interested in improving their differentiated instruction skills through developing tiered assignments and grouping techniques. Participants in this course will work in small groups or individually to study areas related to the improvement of student achievement or special studies related to special education students. Participants will explore and share research, resources, classroom activities and instructional strategies. The study group will provide a collaborative and supportive forum for discussion, inquiry, reflection and research. Participants will develop an action plan for their classrooms based on their research and collaboration. Participants will be assessed using a 20 item multiple choice pre and post assessment. Scores on the post assessment must be at least 80%.

*Required out of class work will include the development of group or individual action plans and portfolios. Participants will communicate with the facilitator by email between beginning and ending sessions. The group will share the results of their study at the last meeting.

This course is for all teachers in K - 12 of any content area. This course meets the following professional development criteria: content knowledge in reading and teaching skills in the subject area of Teaching and Learning and Professional Development. All PA teachers may take any course that has a focus on reading in the content areas and teaching skills. This course will focus on an introduction to the essentials of lesson design that are grounded in the four lenses of learning and research-based instructional pedagogy:

1. text-rendering/note-making/graphic organizer
2. effective pair sharing and group work
3. providing opportunities for managed choice and individual success
4. making personal connections
5. integrating reading, writing, speaking, and listening

It meets the following professional development criteria: Content in Teaching and Learning and Professional Development: Teaching Techniques and Strategies. It will also meet all criteria for IU 1 courses: pretest(s), posttest(s), and a project. Internet access outside of class is needed.

One of several delivery structures will be used. All delivery structures will be based on three-hour cycles of participant-instructor and participant-participant interaction for each topic: Each cycle will include the following activities: facilitator presentation, a workshop/implementation activity, and sharing/reflection. For each three-hour cycle, two to three hours of out-of-class extension of workshop activities as well as responding to assigned readings are required.

Participants will be required to adapt the strategies presented in the course by planning/implementing lessons for their classes. Each instructional topic must be documented with the participant’s lesson plan(s), (possible observation by facilitator or other participant), and reflective journal responses. The final project will include samples of each strategy adapted for use (possible evidence of their use in the participant’s classroom: student artifacts and “During” notes made by observer) and the participants’ reflection journals. Assessment for the course will be based on the following: attendance, pre and post test/survey, successful classroom/lesson application of at least 80% of the strategies presented, completion of reflections on professional reading(s), and completion of the final project. Participants will also complete a final reflection on the course and its implications for their future teaching. For all sessions, participants should have text(s) from courses they teach with which to create lessons.

Participants must bring a binder with dividers, and book will be available on loan.

This course is for Teachers in grades 5 - 12 and meets the following professional development criteria: Reading content and comprehension and teaching skills.
Participants will complete a written project, performance assessment and an action plan for implementation.
Participants will be assessed using a multiple choice pre and post assessment. Scores on the post assessment must be at least 80%. In addition a lesson plan or project with action plan is required.
Finally an implementation plan will be completed by participants indicating how new learning will be integrated into their assignments.
Out of class work includes reading assignments and lesson design.

School teams are encouraged. This course is partially funded by a Benedum Foundation grant. A one credit followup course will be held during the school year.

Reading ApprenticeshipTM is a framework for helping students to improve reading comprehension skills in all subject areas.

Teachers and students alike thrive in a Reading ApprenticeshipTM environment because it:

• enhances content area classes through a focus on comprehension
• is an integrated, inquiry-based approach that gives teachers the power to teach in the true sense of being mentors, motivators, experts, and collaborators
• gives students the guidance and skills to take charge of their own learning.
• requires teachers to reveal the strategies, skills, and background knowledge they use to make sense of text, in much the same way a craftsperson might reveal the secrets of their trade
• allows students to collaborate with teachers and other students to solve real-world problems.
• is on-the-job training.
• allows teachers to guide the process as everyone contributes to the comprehension of the text.
• is not about re-teaching phonics to 16-year-olds
• is "metacognition," or thinking about how we think
• is helping students to gain confidence in their ability to understand complex, academic subject matter.
• is flexible.

This course is designed to familiarize teachers with the basic forms of manual communication that are used by hearing impaired persons in the U.S. Formalized systems of manual communication designed to facilitate language acquisition and less formal systems that have evolved historically will be studied.

The emphasis of the course will be on the development of core skills in both expressive and receptive use of finger spelling and the language of signs.

Environmental and other factors that can facilitate communication through manual forms of communication will be investigated. Techniques used in interpreting for deaf persons will be surveyed.

This course is designed to assist all teachers to communicate with hearing impaired students as well as other exceptional students in need of another communication system.

This course will present many signs in Signing Exact English and also signs in American Sign Language.

Required out of class work includes sign practice between classes and the design of a classroom activity. incorporating signs.

The course is designed to further expand teachers´ knowledge of the basic forms of manual communication that are used by hearing impaired persons in the U.S. Formalized systems of manual communication designed to facilitate language acquisition and less formal systems that have evolved historically will be studied.

The emphasis of the course will be on further development of basic skills in both expressive and receptive use of finger spelling and the language of signs. Environmental and other factors that can facilitate communication through manual forms of communication will be investigated. Techniques used in interpreting for deaf persons will be surveyed.

This course is designed to assist all teachers to communicate with hearing impaired students as well as other exceptional students in need of another communication system.

This course will present many signs in Signing Exact English and will also introduce many signs in American Sign Language. These two types of sign language are commonly referred to as ASL and SEE.

*Out of class work required includes sign practice between classes and the design of a classroom activity incorporating signs.

This course is for all educators in all grades.

Part 1 of this course is designed to familiarize teachers with the basic forms of manual communication. The emphasis of Part 1 will be the development of core skills in both expressive and receptive use of finger spelling and the language of signs. The course is designed to further expand teachers’ knowledge of the basic forms of manual communication that are used by hearing impaired persons in the U.S. Formalized systems of manual communication designed to facilitate language acquisition and less formal systems that have evolved historically will be studied.

The emphasis of Part 2 of the course will be on further development of basic skills in both expressive and receptive use of finger spelling and the language of signs. Environmental and other factors that can facilitate communication through manual forms of communication will be investigated. Techniques used in interpreting for deaf persons will be surveyed.

This course is designed to assist all teachers to communicate with hearing impaired students as well as other exceptional students in need of another communication system.

This course will use the books, A Word in the Hand and A Word in the Hand Book 2 by Jane L. Kitterman and S. Harold Collins. These books use signs that are adopted and preferred by Gallaudet College.

This course will present many signs in Signing Exact English and will also introduce many signs in American Sign Language. These two types of sign language are commonly referred to as ASL and SEE.

*Required out of class work includes sign practice between classes and design of a classroom activity incorporating signs.

*NOTE*
If you took the 1 credit Sign Language course you may not take this 2 credit one.

This course is for all Teachers and meets the following professional development criteria: teacher teaching skills and reading comprehension.
Participants will complete a written project, performance assessment and an action plan for implementation.
Participants will be assessed using a multiple choice pre and post assessment. Scores on the post assessment must be at least 80%. In addition a lesson plan or project with action plan is required.
Finally an implementation plan will be completed by participants indicating how new learning will be integrated into their assignments.

This course is designed to provide mastery of all of the features of the Smart Board, including Notebook, Video Player, Recorder, Ink Aware Applications, and the Floating Tools. This master’s certification is provided by a SMART Technologies Certified Master’s Trainer. It would allow the recipient to utilize the technology for classroom instructional methodology in addition to being able to train within their own school building or district. Without access to a Smart Board, some of the features of the software are still available for a free download. This may be advantageous for those who have occasional access to a board and want to create Notebook lessons for possible future use. The 9.6 download is available from smarttech.com.

This course is for teachers in grades K-12 and meets the following professional development criteria: Content knowledge in Art; Economics; Communication; Elementary Education; English; Geography; Health and Phys. Ed.; History; Library Science; Mathematics; Music; Reading; and Science; and Teaching skills

Participants will complete a written project, performance assessment and an action plan for implementation. Participants will be assessed using a completion question pre and post assessment. Scores on the post assessment must be at least 80%.

Sport has been a part of the national mind set since the country’s origin and its proper role in the American lifestyle has been debated since the time of the Puritans. In recent years this discussion has been elevated to academia. Numerous scholarly treatments of the topic are now available for classroom use in a variety of disciplines. Since virtually every aspect of American life– political, social, economic, etc... – can be analyzed through the context of sport history, the study of sport is recognized as a legitimate vehicle for both the study of academic content and the analysis of social value trends.

This course will take advantage of the popular and academic interest in sport, and the tremendous amount of valid documentary and multi-media source materials available, to examine in a conceptual, interdisciplinary format, the impact of sport on American life.

Various interdisciplinary lessons (including music, art, science, multi-cultural) based on sport history will be modeled during the workshop, but particular emphasis will be placed upon math and reading lessons that can utilize sport history on different grade levels.