To provide the best possible teaching and learning environment, school leaders need to provide their teachers with professional learning opportunities that are personalized and engaging. This is not an easy task when there are so many areas to cover, very little time, and limited funds. edWeb.net is free and can help school leaders provide teachers with personalized PD that meets teachers’ needs and interests, and promotes collaborative learning with peers. Shannon Holden, Assistant Principal at Republic Middle School, MO, provides a guide for school leaders to demonstrate how edWeb.net can be used in any school or district.
Since he began teaching in 1997, Holbrook has been interested in the use of technology to facilitate learning in the classroom. Unimpressed with the online platforms provided by the university, Holbrook found out about edWeb through a colleague and was immediately pleased with the wealth of opportunity for collaboration and discussion. edWeb makes collaboration outside the classroom simple for Holbrook’s busy doctoral students, many of whom also balance families and full time jobs.
Rachel Langenhorst, K-12 Technology Integrationist and Instructional Coach in Rock Valley, Iowa, presented an edWeb.net webinar on “Implementing a Personalized PD Program in Your District” where she provided a guide for how educators can use edWeb in school districts as a tool to implement relevant and collaborative PD.
One of the most significant benefits of connected learning is the ability for educators to follow their specific passions to improve professionally. Motivated by an intrinsic desire to improve, connected learning and PLN’s provide personalization and differentiation like never before.
Rachel Langenhorst, Technology Integrationist at Rock Valley Community School District in Iowa, was interviewed by edWeb about the importance of keeping up with your own learning in order to provide valuable professional development for others. Rachel first came across edWeb as part of her graduate program, and found that it has helped her with her own personal learning as well as guiding the educators in her district through their professional development.
Dr. Robert Furman, Principal of South Park Elementary, was interviewed by edWeb to gain an administrator’s perspective on providing quality professional development for teachers and the social aspect of learning. While Robert first discovered edWeb as a webinar presenter, he quickly realized the site’s potential as a best-practices research platform, an affordable source of teacher PD, and an opportunity for growth-focused evaluation.