Welcome to PD Center

When student engagement is minds-on, involving intellectual activity, students develop their understanding through what they do. This module examines how to engage students in intellectual, active exploration with important and challenging content.

Participants will examine appropriate uses of technology, groups designed to enhance student learning, and materials and resources that are suitable to all students. This module emphasizes the need for student choice and input in the design process.

This module examines how to facilitate animated classroom discussions where all students are engaged, all perspectives are sought, and all voices are heard. Participants will construct a student-centered classroom where students assume responsibility for maintaining momentum and equality in discussions.

This module examines how students can support and encourage one another while also taking pride in their accomplishments. Participants will explore student risk taking in a safe environment, reflection, encouragement, peer review, and goal setting.

Participants will explore the benefits of students genuinely caring for one another in a healthy school environment with a focus on social-emotional competencies. Participants will discover how to teach respectful verbal and nonverbal behavior as well as team building strategies that support learning.

Volunteers and paraprofessionals can make substantive contributions to the classroom environment. Participants will acquire the skills to support volunteers and paraprofessionals, including developing guidelines, explaining duties, providing training, and discussing standards.

This course is designed specifically for teachers and is structured into four informative modules. These modules will: (1) review the laws and regulations that govern standards of conduct for educators in Pennsylvania and the legal processes for addressing misconduct; (2) discuss the student-teacher relationship, with a focus on establishing and maintaining appropriate boundaries; (3) examine the concept of sexual misconduct by educators; and (4) address the legal and ethical responsibilities regarding the reporting of educator misconduct, including sexual misconduct. Successful completion of this course will satisfy, in part, the training requirements of Act 126 of 2013, Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Act.

This module examines the teacher’s role of interacting with students in an environment of respect and rapport. Participants will explore when and how to use effective verbal and nonverbal skills and work with families to enhance their relationships with students.

Participants will discover how to communicate effectively in the eLearning environment, with an emphasis on ways to encourage online participation among students as well as interfacing with parents/caregivers. This module also examines how to choose between and implement synchronous and asynchronous sessions, and how to implement feedback protocols among teachers and students. This module is best suited for teachers of all grades and subjects who are teaching or planning on teaching in an eLearning environment.

This course lays the foundation of 21st Century Teaching and Learning by answering the question, “Why do I need to change my instruction?” This course will cause you to reflect on your current instruction in light of what 21st century students need and provide a systems view of what needs to change in the classroom and in the school system.

Participants will explore equitable access, the role of accessibility, and what tools/technology are freely available to support eLearning. This module emphasizes open source software/tools; the role of an LMS in an eLearning environment; the role accessibility plays in eLearning; equitable access to materials for students; and eLearning tools, technology, and tips for successful eLearning experiences.

This tutorial will cover the EL screening, identification, and placement process.

After completing this course, you will be able to define kindergarten transition, understand why it matters, and what you should consider when planning for transitions. You should also be able to identify who should be involved.

This module will discuss Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) with a focus on how they can impact development and learning, as well as introduce you to the concept of resiliency.

This module will discuss how to build and maintain trauma-informed schools with a focus on using the five trauma-informed care values throughout the implementation process.

This module will introduce you to Pennsylvania’s approach to trauma-informed schools with a goal of developing common language and providing a comprehensive introduction to trauma and trauma-informed schools.

This module will discuss child development through a neurodevelopmental focus.

This module will discuss self-care from an organizational and individual perspective.

This module focuses exclusively on types of learning activities that promote deep learning aligned with the goals of the lesson and that allow students to exercise some choice.