Blending Online and Onsite Professional Development: Applying What the Research Says for Effective and Sustainable Learning Communities
Professional development administrators and experts charged with the design, implementation or evaluation of professional development should consider attending Blending Online and Onsite Professional Development: Applying What the Research Says for Effective and Sustainable Learning Communities, developed and presented by NSTA. Among eight sessions, this three-hour institute on Wednesday, March 28, provides a “real-world” look at both challenges and success cases in blended models of PD. Those that serve as master educators, coaches and mentors will also benefit learning of the value in blending online group discourse to extend to face-to-face PLCs, teacher PD digital portfolios, and resource sharing to extend local school-based professional learning communities.
Actual mini-case studies with question prompts lead by NSTA and district science specialists will be used to guide small group report-out discussions on such issues as (a) teacher engagement and recognition strategies, (b) learning pathways to address the personal learning needs and preferences of individual teachers, (c) the importance of organization support and affordable incentives for teacher effort, and (d) the need and value for integration in the blend to ensure a coherent and on-going growth experience for teacher learning.
Visit www.nsela.org for more information about each Institute or to register.