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teacher leaders age, experiments, and projects featured upgrade in programs such as Nova and Zoom. If you, like many of us, could use a brush- your up in science, “Plants and Animals: Teaching Elementary Life Science” or “Teaching Reading in Science” might teaching credS just be the course for you. The selec- tion of reading and literacy courses are also top-notch. PBS courses require about five hours a week over six weeks. Assignments can be completed when- 11 online claSSeS worth your time ever or wherever it’s convenient (no scheduled log-in times). Format:Online courses By lucinda Blumenfeld Price: Varies on-campus courses. “The best part was when you’re a teacher, you have to regular and connected feedback from What you get:Units in continuing professors,” says one teacher. Classes ed (CEU), professional development keep going to school just to keep use a combination of Web technology points (PDP), or even work toward your job, so it pays to know the and, of course, real children’s books. a graduate degree. Offered in both most interesting and convenient pro- Format: Online courses intensive (45 hours/3 credits) and con- grams available. That’s why we found Price: $551 per credit; $1,653 per densed (30 hours/2 credits) formats. not just 10, but 11 professional develop- 3-credit course LearN more: www.teacherline.pbs.org ment options that work for teachers’ What you get: Credit through real-life schedules. (Psst, one is even 3 Pennsylvania State University )BEST FOR LITERaCY INSTRUCTION: free!) From “Teaching Life Science” LearN more: www.worldcampus. SCHOLaSTIC REd to “How to Get Parents on Your Side,” these are courses that received top psu.edu/teach Looking to upgrade your middle marks from other teachers, so you’re school’s literature and writing program? 2 likely to like them too! )BEST FOR SCIENCE & TECH: Here’s a course for you. “Foundations PBS TEaCHERLINE of Adolescent Literacy: A Professional 1) BEST FOR CHILdREN’S LITERa- Go ahead, shoot for the stars— Development Program for the Whole TURE: PENN STaTE UNIvERSITY and take your students with you. PBS School” will teach you how to assess literacy needs at every grade level, Penn State Online offers a offers science courses that draw from lead a school-wide literacy initiative, grad certificate (15 credits) in chil- its deep resources, including video foot- and choose the right books for a new dren’s literature just for teachers and librarians. What book lover wouldn’t want to sign up for “The Art of the Picture Book” or “Fantasy Literature for Children”? The latter course takes you from A.A. Milne to J.K. Rowling with many stops along the way. Teachers report that online courses are as rigorous and as fascinating as r rF)/Vee hy( rap g o ot h p bis r o C © o: ot h p 47 INSTRUCTOR september/october 2007 teacher leaders generation of adolescents. “After tak- using data-collection technology and leagues in group discussions. ing ‘Foundations,’ I revamped my whole earn two (quarter) Graduate Science Format: Online courses with audio/ sixth-grade reading program with new credit hours. video podcast components books and new activities,” says one Format: Workshop in data-collection grades: K–12 teacher. First-grade teachers can head technology Price: $175 per credit hour instead to “Putting Reading First in Your Price: Free What you get: Graduate credit through Classroom K–2.” The focus of Scholastic What you get: Graduate credit through Regent University RED is to raise reading achievement. Portland State University LearN more: www.regent.edu/ All courses are a combination of online LearN more: www.vernier.com/ academics/online learning and site-based study groups, workshop/evaluation.html 8 so you’ll likely make some new teacher )BEST FOR ELL: PEaRSON 6 friends along the way. )BEST FOR aRT & HISTORY: aCHIEvEMENT SOLUTIONS Format: Online courses aNNENBERg MEdIa RESOURCES “Introduction to SIOP,” based Price: $475 One of our favorite courses on the SIOP model for teaching ELL, What you get: Credit is available from Annenberg is a video workshop offers weekly online discussions as well through eight different universities. called “The Arts in Every Classroom,” as activities to synthesize, apply, and LearN more: www.scholasticred.com which teaches you as an elementary reflect on learning. You can expect to 4 teacher how to plan art units and incor- find a well-articulated, practical model )BEST FOR PERSONaL ENRICHMENT: porate them into the curriculum you are of sheltered instruction across content WaLdEN UNIvERSITY already teaching. The course includes areas. And SIOP is only one of the site’s You’ve been teaching awhile how to use concepts from the avant- resources, all of which boast a highly now and have your curriculum down. It’s garde Cirque de Soleil to approach class- specialized inquiry project model in time to delve into the complicated world room arts in new ways. Alternatively, if which participants incorporate particu- of communication with courses such as you take “Inside Writing Communities” lar issues they face in their professional “How to Get Parents on Your Side” and (for teachers of grades 3–5), you’ll have lives into their trajectory, find the best “The High Performing Teacher.” The the chance to watch 10 master teach- solutions, and glean from the wisdom of word from teachers is these courses are ers model teaching strategies and then colleagues and experts. great for stress reduction, motivation, listen to them reflect on their practice. Format: Online or DVD courses and building positive relationships in These are two terrific opportunities. Price: $435–$485 per course and out of school. Other Walden courses Format: DVD/VHS workshops, Web What you get: Graduate credit through with high marks? Several teachers told site, and learning guides Drake University us they learned a great deal about con- Price: $220–$310 per DVD program LearN more: www.teacher-courses.com flict resolution and child psychology in What you get: Graduate credit 9 “Succeeding with Difficult Students” through Southern Oregon University and )BEST FOR TECHNOPHOBES: and “Teaching Students to Get Along.” Colorado State University aPPLE PROFESSIONaL Walden’s online format includes personal LearN more: www.learner.org dEvELOPMENT journaling, automated grading, and digi- Whether you are tech-savvy or tech- 7 tal homework submission. )BEST FOR SPECIaL Ed: challenged, you can benefit from Format: Video and online courses REgENT UNIvERSITY Apple’s enticing professional develop- Price: $450 per course With a nationwide shortage ment courses, which are geared toward What you get: Graduate credit of special education teachers and the educators at all levels. In “iLife for the through Walden University salaries rising, more and more class- Classroom,” explore five of Apple’s LearN more: www.waldenu.edu room teachers are looking for special most popular media applications, 5 certification. Regent University offers including iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD. )BEST FOR TECHNOgEEkS: vERNIER a Masters in Special Education or a With “Documentary Filmmaking in the SOFTWaRE aNd TECHNOLOgY certificate in Teaching Autism, both Classroom,” you’ll be able to teach stu- In a free four-hour workshop media-rich and highly integrative. With dents how to visually narrate their own offered in 40 national locations, sci- classes such as “Methods for Students stories using iMovie HD to integrate ence software provider Vernier offers with Autism Spectrum Disorders” and personal photos and video, print imag- teachers training for its new Labquest “Behavior Management and Social es, and clips. As one science teacher product: a handheld graphing interface Skills,” there’s a lot to learn here. reports, “iMovie allows my students for math and science curriculums, great Participants can view professional vid- to focus on content in a way that can for those who take an inquiry-based eos, consult with faculty in a virtual be easily shared. It’s an exciting way approach. Complete a follow-up project classroom, or share insight with col- for students to take control of content, 48 INSTRUCTOR september/october 2007 teacher leaders summarize it, and share it with others. incorporate technology training and six times a year (at eight weeks each). Format: On-site workshops cross-cultural awareness. One satis- One student reports, “I work 55 hours Price: Varies fied teacher reports, “My coursework in a week, have two small children and a What you get: Graduate credit through TESOL helped me to integrate differenti- wife who works…I found the program Ball State University ated instruction in my lesson plans for to be manageable because I could go to LearN more: www.apple.com/ my ELLs. Taking my courses online has class anytime, day or night.” Courses in education/solutions/apd made me more aware of the importance “Educational Psychology” and “Literacy of technology, too, because I got to cre- and Diversity,” among others, will help 10 )BEST FOR LaNgUagE ate multimedia language lessons.” you to interact better with both your INSTRUCTION: NOva SOUTH- Format: Online courses gifted students and students with dis- EaSTERN UNIvERSITY Price: $470 per credit abilities. A key feature: If you need to Faculty at Nova Southeastern University What you get: Graduate credit through take a break for any reason, no problem! Southern Association of Colleges and tell us there is virtually no difference Classes can be paused and resumed. Schools (SACS) between their on-campus instruction Virtual office hours and real-time, LearN more: www.fischlerschool. and their online offerings. Choose faculty-monitored chat rooms give the nova.edu from a multitude of courses covering program bonus points in our book. the most current topics in education— 11 Format: Online, CD-Rom, video, and )BEST FOR BUSY SCHEdULES: from TESOL to teaching the learning audio courses THE UNIvERSITY OF impaired. We recommend the Masters of Price: $385 per credit hour SCRaNTON Science in Spanish Language Education What you get: Graduate credit through and the Masters in Teaching English We like the University of Scranton for its the University of Scranton as a Second Language, both which flexibility; their online programs repeat LearN more: www.uscranton.com/top10 1/2 Horizontal Right Coming Next Issue in Instructor going green How you can make your classroom environmentally friendly IEPS Made Simple Managing IEPS can be a complicated night- mare. Here’s how to make it easier. 2/3 Vertical Right The Big 1O Teachers choose the top professional books for you from the past decade. Holiday Bulletin Boards From Thanksgiving to Chinese New Year, fresh and stylish boards that teach 7 Everyday Bad Behaviors (and how you can turn them around!)