How do you take a 60 minute online workshop and turn it into a sustained professional development experience?
Here's just a few ideas from your peers. Share your ideas below.
Middle and Secondary English Teachers Gather to Talk and Earn Credit
These sessions are an inexpensive method of bringing well-known literacy experts in the field to our district. Our district purchases one connection in nearly every Web seminar that NCTE offers each school year. I reserve a meeting room and invite teachers from across the district to attend. By offering credit for participation in NCTE Web Seminars, we have been able to facilitate some wonderful discussions throughout the district.
--Sue Hughes, Allegany County Maryland
Listen in as she explains why she is offering credit for this effective, yet inexpensive method of professional development.
Elementary School Teachers
Knowing that obtaining school funds would be tough, and travel to conferences was no longer an option, teachers from a New Jersey school split the cost of the Web seminar.
Knowing that obtaining school funds would be tough, and travel to conferences was no longer an option, teachers from a New Jersey school split the cost of the Web seminar.
Professor, Department of English and NCTE Student Affiliate Organizer
In the past year our campus launched an NCTE Student Affiliate group and with the financial support of our English Education Department we purchased a seat in several NCTE Web seminars to provide as many outreach events as possible to serve the entire K-12 English Education students and faculty. These educational events not only served this purpose, but also gave our group an opportunity to promote and establish our organization’s presence on campus as a professional organization.
--Toby, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Western Michigan University
On Demand CD Use
We have had great success in viewing the On Demand CD's because of fewer issues with scheduling and since I preview the recording, I know where I should skip ahead or pause the presentation to best suit our needs. I usually faciliate the conversation and with the option to play and pause when needed we could have talked all night!
---Melissa, Instructional Coach, Wisconsin
Incorporation Within a Methods Course
At Johns Hopkins University, the Methods of Teaching in Secondary Schools (English) class decided to attend the Web seminar, Reading in the Reel World, featuring John Golden. There were approximately 40 students present.
They chose to participate for these reasons:
Here is how they set up their Web seminar experience:
Both sections of students gathered in one classroom
They purchased one access at the member rate
They had one computer located in the front of the room. The content was projected onto a large screen at the front of the room.
Students volunteered to stand and type at the computer. If a student had a “burning desire” to share his/her specific opinion to a topic, he/she was encouraged to come to the computer and share.
They voted as a class when there were multiple choice questions. They shouted out answers on occasions where multiple responses were allowed.