Welcome to PD Center

Participants will explore how they may create a culturally responsive classroom through equitable teaching practices. The effects of implicit bias and vulnerable decision points are explored. Participants will create an action plan designed to help them implement culturally responsive teaching and support colleagues to do the same. PLEASE NOTE: Ensure that you have successfully completed Self-Awareness and Reflective Practices for Equitable Classrooms, which is a prerequisite to this module. The work you completed in the prerequisite module will be used during this module. After completing this module, it is recommended tha you enroll in Addressing Implicit and Explicit Bias in the Classroom.

In this course, we will discuss the purpose of standards and examine how to use PA Standards to effectively design instruction. You will examine key concepts, skills, and gain an understanding of PA Standards to develop engaging instructional activities for successful student learning experiences.

Teaching Matters! Every day teachers make instructional decisions that affect student outcomes. Achieving the strong results we desire requires rigorous planning using data to inform decision making. Good teaching then involves the thoughtful selection of instructional strategies based on student needs, subject matter, and the context of the lesson. These effective instructional strategies offer the highest probability of success and serve as a good starting point for increasing student learning.

This module examines the need for spoken and written language that is clear and correct, with vocabulary appropriate to students’ ages and interests. Participants will explore how language influences students’ understanding of what they are expected to do as well as the rationale behind it. Methods for bringing content to life through strategies such as metaphor, analogy, vocabulary, and expressive language will be examined.

This tutorial is meant to introduce you to the Future Ready PA Index (FRI) and how the EL Indicator in the FRI is calculated.

According to Charlotte Danielson, “student engagement may be hands-on…but more importantly it should be minds-on, involving intellectual activity” (p. 304). In this module, participants will discover strategies to help form and adjust engaging, productive instructional groups where students assume some responsibility for their group’s productivity. This module introduces grouping methods, methods of assigning roles and responsibilities, and ways to create expectations for group work.

This module explores activities and assignments that promote deep learning, engage all students, and encourage students to initiate or adapt activities to enhance their understanding. Participants will examine instructional materials and resources that engage students while investigating how to provide student choice among materials. This module also examines lesson structure and pacing that allow the opportunity for reflection and closure.

This tutorial is meant to help you plan for reclassification.

This module explores how participants can improve their content backgrounds, pedagogy, resources, and professional responsibilities in their specific content areas. Participants will explore methods for sharing their content knowledge and professional development beyond the classroom to make a difference in the profession.

Participants in the advanced module will explore their roles in supporting novice teachers, facilitating professional learning communities, taking the lead on school and district projects, facilitating a peer feedback program, and overseeing professional growth plans. PLEASE NOTE: Enhancing Professionalism is best suited for teachers who are experienced supporting novice teachers and facilitating PLCs. Teachers with a novice knowledge-base or who need the foundations of professionalism should consider enrolling in Exploring Professionalism. Those with intermediate skills should consider Developing Professionalism.

Participants will evaluate how teacher, student, family, and school community involvement create accountability for student achievement in which all members support the value of learning.

Participants will explore strategies for facilitating student-centered and peer-to-peer learning. Utilizing approaches that integrate 21st Century skills, this module explores tools that effectively engage students in the collaborative learning process.

Participants will explore how to effectively present, explain, and design activities related to content. This module also examines strategies and activities that teachers can apply to make connections to student interests, experiences, backgrounds, and prior knowledge.

Participants will be introduced to the benefits of a professional learning community and a culture of professional inquiry where they share strategies and develop relationships with colleagues. Participants will also explore the professional benefits of providing volunteer services to school and district projects, strategies and methods to stay informed about content and pedagogy, seeking out and welcoming feedback from colleagues, and creating a professional growth plan. PLEASE NOTE: Exploring Professionalism is best suited for novice teachers or those who seek an introduction to the benefits of PLCs and a culture of professional inquiry. Teachers who wish to experience the benefits of a professional learning community and explore how they can promote a culture of professional inquiry should consider enrolling in Developing Professionalism. Those who wish to explore more advanced roles in supporting novice teachers, facilitating professional learning communities, taking the lead on school and district projects, facilitating a peer feedback program, and overseeing professional growth plans should enroll in Enhancing Professionalism.

Participants will learn how to implement effective verbal and nonverbal communication techniques to help them encourage, redirect, engage, and challenge students in successful classroom discussions that enhance student learning.

Participants will explore the teacher’s role in a classroom environment specifically designed to support self-directed student learning and teacher-student collaboration. This module examines the instructional flexibility teachers need to create a repertoire of alternative activities and strategies, and the ability to implement them rapidly. PLEASE NOTE: Flexible and Responsive Teaching is best suited for intermediate teachers who are looking to improve their skills with flexible and responsive teaching. Teachers with a novice knowledge-base or who need the foundations of grouping students should consider enrolling in Fundamentals of Flexible and Responsive Teaching. Those with more advanced skills should consider Advanced Strategies for Flexible and Responsive Teaching.

This module examines the foundations for managing student behavior. Participants will explore how to uncover causes for behavioral issues, learn about their students, and set expectations for learning and behavior. Participants will also analyze how and when to create, enforce, and revise standards of conduct.

This module examines the fundamentals of planning and designing both formative and summative assessments that are congruent with instructional outcomes. Participants will design new and improve existing assessments (aligned with outcomes and PA Core Standards) to use with their students. In addition, this module explores rubrics/scoring tools that clearly reflect expectations.

This module explores the essential foundations that are requirements of a flexible and responsive classroom. Accommodating student interests, explaining outcomes, creating activities, and designing instruction that ensures engagement and success among all students are key ingredients. Participants will examine, implement, and reflect on the basics of lesson adjustment and teachable moments, and will seek resources for students who need either additional support or more challenging experiences. PLEASE NOTE: Fundamentals of Flexible and Responsive Teaching is best suited for novice teachers or those who need a foundation for flexible and responsive teaching. Teachers with an intermediate knowledge-base should consider enrolling in Flexible and Responsive Teaching. Those with more advanced skills should consider Advanced Strategies for Flexible and Responsive Teaching.

The Pennsylvania Standards Aligned System (SAS) is a collaborative product of research and good practice that identifies six distinct elements which, if utilized together, will provide schools and districts a common framework for continuous school and district enhancement and improvement. In this course, participants will learn about the six components of the SAS, how to utilize the SAS Portal, and how to use the information to develop an action plan on the use of SAS and the SAS Portal. The focus will be on maximizing instructional effectiveness and providing targeted resources for individual students that are standards-based, promote active engagement, and reflect effective instructional strategies.