edWeb4PD: Georgia Model for State-Wide Professional Learning

Presented by Joy Hatcher, Social Studies Program Manager, Georgia Department of Education; JoAnn Wood, Social Studies Program Specialist, Georgia Department of Education; Heather MacKenzie, Instructional Coordinator for Social Studies, Henry County Schools, GA; Angie Battle, Fourth Grade Teacher, Warner Robins, GA; and Jennifer Zoumberis, First Grade Teacher, Perry, GA

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Faced with implementing new standards and inquiry-based instruction with over 180 school districts and over 30,000 social studies teachers with a department of two people, the social studies team at the Georgia Department of Education turned to virtual learning communities on edWeb.net to reach Georgia teachers and leaders.

Watch the GaDOE Social Studies Department and their virtual specialists for this edWebinar as they share their three-year journey in creating and maintaining virtual learning communities for every grade level and course. They share their good, bad, and ugly moments and what they have learned together.

This recorded session will be of particular benefit to educators who are exploring how online communities can expand opportunities for collaboration and help to offset limited resources for the personalized professional learning and support that educators need. All educators including state, school and district leaders, and teachers are encouraged to attend.

About the Presenters
Joy Hatcher is the social studies program manager for the Georgia Department of Education. Prior to working at the DOE, Joy spent 12 years as a high school social studies teacher and two years as a professional learning facilitator in DeKalb County Schools. Joy has an M.Ed. from Georgia State University (GSU) in social studies education and is currently working on completing her doctorate at GSU.

JoAnn Wood has taught many years at the elementary and middle levels. She has been an instructional technology mentor, academic coach, and district social studies supervisor, and now works at the Georgia Department of Education as a social studies program specialist. Working with children and teachers is deeply satisfying to her, as is sharing her enthusiasm for excellent children’s literature to promote social studies inquiry. She is equally fervent about reading, travel, tennis, civic engagement, and her beagles Porkchop and Rufus.

Heather MacKenzie is an instructional coordinator for social studies for Henry County Schools, the eighth largest school district in the state of Georgia. She came into this position four years ago after 14 years as a classroom teacher, where she had experience as a special education, elementary, and middle School teacher. She is a former Gwen Hutchinson Outstanding Educator awarded by the Georgia Council for the Social Studies and most recently, the 2018 Social Studies Supervisor of the Year. During her career Heather has enjoyed presenting at the local, state, and national levels and brings that passion and enthusiasm into her role as virtual specialist for eighth grade.

Angie Battle has been a grades four through eight classroom teacher for over 26 years. She is passionate about sharing effective teaching strategies with social studies teachers. In addition to teaching fourth graders in Warner Robins, GA, Angie also serves as a Georgia Council on Economic Education Program consultant, the GaDOE fourth grade virtual specialist, and a social studies curriculum writer for Houston County, GA.

Jennifer Zoumberis is a first grade teacher at Langston Road Elementary School in Houston County, Georgia. Jennifer received her BS, MaE, and EdS in early childhood and elementary education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is currently in her 19th year teaching. Jennifer helps write curriculum for her county and facilitates the kindergarten and first grade webinars for the Georgia Department of Education. She is passionate about empowering her students to seek information and share what they know with others.

Join the edWeb 24-7 PDd community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view past edWebinars to earn CE certificates.

edWeb members can download a personalized CE certificate from their edWeb member page. Not a member?  Join here!

Listen to the Podcast

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If you would like a CE certificate for this presentation, watch the edWebinar recording and take the CE quiz.

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