ONLINE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES FOR EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
Online learning is something for which I am very thankful. Without online coursework I would not be able to obtain a master’s degree due to coaching and family commitments. As for online professional development I have yet to pursue or research what is available. This year I will be unable to attend two professional development days and have to make up the time on my own. Online professional development coursework was strongly suggested by the technology coordinator. This assignment helped me decide this was completely true. I researched the three sites provided on my school districts website and have decided to work with the Michigan LearnPort site.
CustomGuide Online Learning: Online tutorials for various computer applications like Microsoft Word, Windows, Publisher, and PowerPoint. Available with a login and password through various school districts. Unfortunately, I do not have my username or password to this site, but others have used it with much success. A free training session is available. http://www.customguide.com/?_kk=customguide&_kt=c4e10713-f528-4bf0-86ff-11de4ac63e27&gclid=CNjtjbC8kJUCFR0RnQod-Smjgg.
PBS Online Resources: provides graduate credits, CEUs, and professional development credits. Courses include Teaching with WebQuests for grades K-12, Publishing on the Web, and Creating Units to Support Differing Learning Styles. http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/.
Michigan LearnPort: created by Michigan Virtual University and Michigan Department of Education. It provides professional development tutorials online to fit the personal and professional needs of teachers. Log in is needed and can be provided by your school district. http://mi.learnport.org/kc/login/login.asp?kc_ident=kc0001&strUrl=http://mi.learnport.org/Default.asp.