Professional development anytime,
anywhere!
This pilot project is now available from IEA, IFT and ISBE!
Join your colleagues in the online professional development pilot
program now offered through the Illinois State Board of Education.
Educators from Illinois have recently completed facilitation training
and will be putting their skills to work by providing this online
professional learning. Sign up today! There is no cost to participate
in this course. Courses will be completed online at your own pace
over a five- to six-week period (plus one week for orientation – 6 to
7 weeks total). All you need is access to an Internet-connected
computer! Work with your colleagues in an enriched online learning
community guided by a trained Illinois online facilitator. CPDUs will
be available for participants who complete the course.
These courses have been designed by EdTech Leaders Online (ETLO),
a division of Educational Development Center (EDC). ETLO has been
at the forefront of the dramatic explosion a national, capacity
building, research-based online learning program based at Education
of online and blended learning in providing high-quality, engaging
professional development to prepare teachers and school leaders to
teach and lead schools.
Registration is easy! A minimum of ten participants is required for
each course. We will close enrollment after the first 20 participants
register. You will be placed on a waiting list if you enroll after the
course is closed. Enroll early as courses fill up quickly. You may only
take one course during each session.
To register for the course, please provide the following information
by email to ilonlinelearning@illinicloud.org:
Name:
Course Selection:
Email:
Telephone Number:
You will receive an email confirming your enrollment in the course prior
to the beginning of the course. If you are not one of the first 20
registrants, your name will be placed on a waiting list and you will
receive an email indicating that if one of the participants is not able to
join the course, you may be enrolled in his or her place. The course
facilitator will send a welcome email at the beginning of the course with
directions for accessing the course online.
The following courses will be offered during this pilot program:
Best Practices for Vocabulary Instruction in the Elementary Classroom
Workshop Begins: April 14, 2015
Description:
In this course, participants will examine best practices for direct vocabulary instruction in order to
build the breadth and depth of student’s vocabulary for both comprehension and written expression in
grades three through five. Participants will learn the importance of creating a word-conscious learning
environment that encourages motivation and interest in learning new words. Participants will learn
how to model and encourage independent word-learning strategies that students can apply while
engaging in wide and varied reading. They will also explore the value of instructing students to infer
the meaning of words from context and word parts. For their final project, participants will
incorporate components of a balanced vocabulary program by designing a vocabulary lesson based on a
classroom text - either fiction or non-fiction.
Science 2.0: Using Web Tools to Promote Inquiry-based Science
Workshop Begins: April 14, 2015
Description:
In this course, participants will explore the use of online resources to enhance inquiry-based teaching
and learning in science. Over the course of this six-session course, participants will become familiar
with science-themed websites, online collaborative projects, science blogs and wikis, and the mapping
applications Google Maps and Google Earth. Considerable attention is paid to helping participants
identify ways that they can integrate these tools into their practice, and thus enrich their students'
engagement with science content. Promoting scientific inquiry is a central theme, and serves as a lens
for this course. Participants consider the issue of assessment, specifically as it relates to inquiry and
the use of online tools, later in the course. As a final project, participants develop plans for an inquirybased science lesson that uses an Internet-based data source.