AllThingsPLC
As
its name suggests, AllThingsPLC provides extensive resources, including
research articles and implementation tools, for educators seeking
information about professional learning communities. Along with data and
information on existing school PLCs, the site includes presentations
and blog entries by Rick DuFour, who is considered one of the leading
experts on teacher learning communities.
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
ASCD
is a nonprofit membership organization that develops and disseminates
information on effective teaching and learning practices. The
organization offers a number of professional development products,
including online courses, multimedia inquiry kits, books and videos. The
site also includes summaries and analyses of important teaching topics,
such as differentiated instruction and performance assessment.
Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement The
CCSREI has developed a searchable database of more than 4,600 articles
and abstracts on school reform and improvement. Other features include
an "ask the expert" e-mail service for help with school-improvement
strategies, and a collection of research and issue briefs on school best
practices.
Curriculum Associates: Topics in Education
The
curriculum and test-prep publisher Curriculum Associates hosts a free
professional development site for teachers. Offerings include
award-winning online course modules on key education topics, including
differentiated instruction and integrating the curriculum, as well as
podcasts on teacher-learning news and developments.
Education Reform Network
Edform.net,
part of the National Institute for Community Innovations, collects
"exemplary, free, and inexpensive professional development materials" on
school-reform initiatives identified by networks of expert education
communities. Topics include classroom instruction, classroom management,
and data-driven reform.
Federal Resources for Educational Excellence
The
government’s nicely designed education site compiles teaching and
learning resources from dozens of federal agencies. Materials are
available in core subjects and others, and include primary source
materials, lesson activities, and professional development tutorials.
Users can set up an RSS feed to receive regular updates of new resources
on the site.
North Central Regional Education Laboratory: Professional Development Best Practices
As
part of a "Pathways to School Improvement" series, NCREL provides
analyses of critical issues in teacher professional development. Topics
include creating time for professional development, rethinking teachers’
learning traits, effective use of technology, and evaluation of
outcomes. Each discussion includes an overview, a list of goals and
"action options," as well as resource links and contacts.
National School Boards Association: Professional Development Tips
Part
of NSBA’s "Education Leadership Toolkit," this feature provides
checklists for planning and evaluating professional development efforts,
as well as guiding principles for effective teacher training.
National Staff Development Council
The
NSDC is a national nonprofit organization that provides research and
resources on professional development and student improvement. The
NSDC’s site includes its official standards for staff developments,
along with related discussion and links to supporting resources. The
site also provides an extensive library of articles and reports on key
issues in professional development, from staff-development basics to
policy and advocacy.
SERVE Center: Tools Educator Quality
The
SERVE Center, an education-research organization based at the
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, has developed models for
professional learning, teacher research, and educator growth and
assessment. The site includes links to tools and resources in these
areas.
http://www.songsforteaching.com/
Creative
teachers can use music to teach content across the curriculum -- to
students of all ages. A host of educational experts brings you tested
ideas for using the magic of music in your lesson plans. This site
contains thousands of pages for you to peruse -- many with lyrics, sound clips, and teaching suggestions.
The top educational pros offer practical suggestions based on the
latest in brain-based learning. Innovative teachers share their
classroom pointers and extension activities using children's music.
Songs from a wide variety of popular artists are presented by academic
subject
Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative
The
U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative is
designed to provide instructional assistance and professional
development opportunities to teachers at a time of heightened academic
pressure. The site includes a schedule of workshops provided by the
department’s officially sanctioned Teacher Training Corp, and e-mail
updates of resources and activities. Perhaps most valuable are the
archived presentations and handouts from previous workshops in core
subjects.
Tapped In
An
online-community service designed specifically for teachers, Tapped In
allows educators to collaborate on learning projects, participate in or
lead topical discussions and groups, and engage in one-to-one mentoring
sessions. The site, which is modeled as a virtual campus, also hosts
online courses offered by professional development providers. A calendar
of events is provided.
Teacher Leaders Network
The
Teacher Leaders Network, an initiative of the Center for Teaching
Quality, is a professional community of accomplished educators dedicated
to sharing ideas and expanding the influence of teachers. The group’s
Web site includes blogs on instructional and teaching-policy issues, as
well as excerpts from members’ daily e-mail discussions on current
classroom topics.
The Teachers Network: Action Research Projects
The
Teachers Network, a nonprofit effort to connect exemplary teachers,
posts research studies conducted by classroom teachers on a variety of
professional development and student-improvement initiatives. Issues
addressed in current projects include teacher collaborative study,
interdisciplinary team teaching, supporting new teachers, and the impact
of NCLB on instruction.