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Professional Learning | Empower Teachers

Professional Learning

Empower Teachers

We believe in empowering teachers to create high quality, engaging instructional environments when they have access to the necessary skills, tools and rich sources of information. We provide educators with free instructor-led courses and events with the opportunity to earn free SCECHs.

Clicking on any calendar event will reroute you to our registration website - Wisdomwhere.  You will need to create an account or login to your account to reserve your spot.

Upcoming Events

  • 7 Dec
    • Discovery Interactive Event 12:00 AM to 12:01 AM
      Discovery Interactive Event
      Date: Dec 7
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:01 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
       
      The at-your-own-pace course is asynchronous and delivered via Google Classroom. No Zoom calls to make or deadlines to meet. Simply sign up for the course, complete the activities at your own pace, participate in the discussions and submit a few simple assignments. Earn up to 5 SCECH, one for each assignment completed. It is that easy! By completing each section you will learn all about Discovery Education resources, instructional strategies, student access, ready to use lesson activities and more!


      SPECIAL NOTE: This course will be hosted in a Google Classroom by Discovery Education specialists.  You will need to use a personal Google account to join the course due to safety restrictions placed on school Google domains.

      Hours

      Description

      1

      Discover Resources in Discovery Education Interactive Course

      • Reflection question on topic

      1

      Engage Students in Discovery Education Interactive Course

      Reflection Questions on topic

      1

      Explore the Student Experience in Discovery Education Interactive Course

      Reflection Questions on topic

      1

      Designing Digital Lessons with Studio Interactive Course

      Reflection Questions on topic 

      1

      Course Reflection and Application Segment
  • 14 Dec
    • Podcasting- From Idea to Implementation Cancelled
      Date: Dec 14
      Time: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
      Location: Winding Brook Conference Center
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Engage in the active development of a podcast designed to amplify your voice, as well as that of your students or colleagues.  This workshop is a hands-on experience, equipping you with knowledge, skills, and time to begin developing and creating your own podcast. Teams or individuals are both welcome. 
    • Podcasting- From Idea to Implementation- ONLINE Cancelled
      Date: Dec 14
      Time: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Engage in the active development of a podcast designed to amplify your voice, as well as that of your students or colleagues.  This workshop is a hands-on experience, equipping you with knowledge, skills, and time to begin developing and creating your own podcast. Teams or individuals are both welcome. 
  • 9 Jan
    • Student-Centered Learning Across Michigan Cohort 2: January 9 - February 19, 2023
      Date: Jan 9
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:01 AM
      Location: Virtual / Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now

      In this learning opportunity, we will utilize Modern Classrooms Project’s free course to pause, reset and create a local support structure as you work to design your own elements of a blended, self-paced, and mastery-based classroom. The Modern Classrooms Project is a nonprofit that has developed an instructional framework grounded in blended, self-paced, mastery-based learning that leverages technology to foster human connection, authentic learning, and social-emotional growth.

       In this 6 week largely asynchronous, self-paced course, we’ll work to design learning for your students that makes it easier to meet the needs of all your students (even when they’re absent), allows you to have a clearer picture of student learning, and includes a blended learning framework to allow you to work with smaller groups of students while the learning continues in your classroom.

      This Virtual course will be offered: 

      Cohort 1 - October 31, 2022 - December 11, 2022

      Cohort 2 - January 9, 2023 - February 19, 2023

      Cohort 3 - April 10, 2023 - May 21, 2023

      Cohort 4 - July 10, 2023 - August 27, 2023

    • Creating Instructional Videos for the Classroom
      Date: Jan 9
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Video has made an impact on learning for decades. Now it is easy to create and edit your own instructional videos to teach a concept to students and colleagues using FREE online applications. Learn about best practices for video creation, various video creation applications that fit the educational need, basic video editing, and sharing videos.
    • Deeper Learning through Developing Master Students of Collaboration and Communication
      Date: Jan 9
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Collaboration and communication are critical life skills used at home, school, and work. Teach students how to use these skills to succeed at home and in school. Improve classroom management as students take ownership of learning in partnership with teachers. The course is designed to promote positive change in instructional practice and support teamwork.
    • Developing Student Media Literacy
      Date: Jan 9
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      We are all immersed daily in media and exposed to various types of messaging from the time we get up until we go to bed.  Help your learners access, analyze, evaluate, create, and even interact with media messaging to become effective communicators and critical thinkers.  You will use REMC’s Media Literacy Toolkit to build your knowledge around media literacy, discover resources for use with your learners, and create practical applications to integrate media literacy in your classroom, regardless of the grade level or content area(s) you teach.
    • Dynamic Presentations 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Dynamic Presentations
      Date: Jan 9
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Learn best practices for using a variety of presentation applications. Gain dynamic performance insights. Build your presentation confidence! Learn about the different presentation programs available for FREE to educators and students. By the time the course is done the participant will have either enhanced a presentation created beforehand or create a new presentation to share with students or colleagues. Learn how to connect with your audience by using polling, interactives, video and images from the public domain.
    • Engaging Students in a Personalized Classroom
      Date: Jan 9
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      This class focuses on personalizing content delivery to support student achievement by giving students control over their own learning environment. Participants will learn about student voice and choice, using tools that customize student’s strengths and needs. The course offers fun and engaging interactive resources for educators to use with their students. Classroom structure and flexible seating options are also shared, these strategies impact student behavior and learning outcomes. 
    • Fostering the 4Cs with Literacy and Technology Integration
      Date: Jan 9
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Explore how literacy and technology can help deepen each of the 4C's for our learners: critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication. Through a series of lessons, reflection, and meaningful interactions, you will create four lessons. Many technology tools and resources will be available to explore and possibly integrate with one or more of your lessons. For secondary educators who teach a content area other than English Language Arts the lessons will be based on the disciplinary literacy that supports your content. 
    • Learning to use Open Educational Resources on #GoOpen Michigan
      Date: Jan 9
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Open Educational Resources (OER) are free, high quality, openly licensed educational tools that can be retained, reused, revised, remixed, and redistributed. Explore the dynamic collections of OER on the #GoOpen Michigan website. OER are available/searchable by subject area, grade level, and standards. Educational resources include lesson plans, presentations, activities, assessments and much more.
    • More Professional Presentations, Part 2
      Date: Jan 9
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      This second course focuses on the Collaborator and Facilitator roles outlined in the REMC Presentation Skills Toolkit. Learn to maximize learning time and increase engagement with adult learners. Expand and strengthen your professional presentation skills to deliver highly successful presentations and highly engage adult learners during presentations by planning and delivering an actual presentation. "Preparing Professional Presentations" is a prerequisite for this course.
    • Multimedia Tools to Engage Students
      Date: Jan 9
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Participants will learn about technology tools that help students communicate their ideas creatively and clearly, and that demonstrates their knowledge and competency skills. Experience how the application of digital animation and video tools can enhance your lessons and engage your students. Expand the opportunities for creative communication, collaboration, and expression while meeting Michigan Technology Competencies for Students (MITECS). Experience and try-out free multimedia resources that present opportunities for building digital portfolios and as an assessment that demonstrates learning. Explore free media creation options that students can use to create digital artifacts.
    • Practical Differentiated Instruction
      Date: Jan 9
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Explore the instructional strategies that support diverse learners. Learn the six elements of differentiation. Understand common language for implementing practical differentiation. Impact success through thoughtful and intentional planning and implementation.
  • 6 Feb
    • Applying Google Apps in Chrome
      Date: Feb 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Google Workspace for Education provides an expansive repertoire of tools for empowering students and managing instruction. Learn how to promote collaboration and communication seamlessly within your educational community. Participants will explore Google Workspace to boost productivity, organize digital files and transform the learning environment in the classroom and beyond.  
    • Blended Learning Environments with Google Workspace
      Date: Feb 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Personalize your classroom experience with Google Workspace. Using Google Classroom, Meet, Slides, Forms and Docs, participants will create new digital classroom routines that support struggling students, build robust blended learning environments, design assessments, and learn how to provide valuable feedback. Take your teaching to the next level. 
    • Constructing Your Blended Learning Classroom
      Date: Feb 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      "How do you take the best of the new tools and skills you used during virtual learning, and make them work in your face-to-face classroom? What new strategies does this open up for better connection with your students in all circumstances? 
      This course will provide you with resources to support learning and increase efficiency when teaching. You will leave this course with tools and strategies that will minimize and often prevent disruption in student learning."       
    • Creating Digital Breakouts for the Classroom
      Date: Feb 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Breakout boxes have become a popular activity that has students combine critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication. Create your very own digital breakout box to engage and educate your students using Google Workspace tools like Sites, Docs, Drawings, and Forms along with additional resource . By the end of the course, you will have a fully functioning digital breakout that you can use right away with your student. 
    • Effective Online Classroom Communication Strategies
      Date: Feb 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Make the most of your online presence while complimenting your traditional classroom! Effectively use your district’s course management tool and/or a classroom website for organized communication with students and parents.  Learn how to organize your online classroom/website, best methods for communicating online with students and parents, and how to create or locate online quality resources that will make your online presence successful. 
    • My Classroom in the Digital Age
      Date: Feb 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Don’t let your digital life consume you, cause you to lose your perspective, or sidetrack you! Learn and teach your students how to manage life’s digital demands and use digital tools efficiently to meet your responsibilities and goals. Examine your Digital Footprint, learn about tools to improve online safety and security, and customize your digital device(s) to manage your life. Gain knowledge to make smart choices about your digital environment, establishing efficiency, control, and balance. 
    • OER: The What, Why, and How of Open Educational Resources
      Date: Feb 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Open Educational Resources (OER) are free, openly licensed, high-quality tools that allow users to retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute them for educational purposes. In this course, participants will: (1) Build an understanding of OERs. (2) Discover ways to use OER to differentiate instruction. (3) Learn where to find free image and audio resources, online books, videos, audiobooks, interactive simulations, game-based learning, lesson plans, textbooks, online courses, and much more. (4) Explore how to use OER to develop or enhance a unit, lesson, or project to meet the diverse needs of learners. (5) Share resources and collaborate across geographic boundaries to ensure learners have equitable access to up-to-date and innovative materials. Participants create an authentic lesson, unit, or project that uses an OER to enhance student learning. Participants also develop a plan for creating an OER that fills an unmet need in their professional practice. 
    • Power Up: Effective Communication
      Date: Feb 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      This course is designed with multiple differentiated pathways to help you address questions regarding building positive classroom culture and relationships, impacting student learning, developing skills in feedback, and addressing challenging conversations. By reflecting on the course content, engaging with other participants, and applying it to classroom practices, participants will grow in their understanding of the importance of effective communication in education.
    • Searching Safely and Strategically
      Date: Feb 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      It has become essential for teachers and students to know how to search safely and efficiently to retrieve reliable information. The course provides educational database links to safe, accurate sites. Participants will also learn to evaluate information from the internet to determine its authenticity. Participants will also leave with a good grasp of what is available in Michigan eLibrary; FREE resources for every resident in Michigan. 
    • Social Media: Strategies for Designing Learning Experiences
      Date: Feb 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Social media tools and platforms can enable educators to lead and learn with other professionals from where they stand in classrooms, offices, and buildings. Explore how social media tools aid with building and expanding professional networks and create opportunities for building authentic learning experiences for our students.
    • Storytelling to Enhance Teaching
      Date: Feb 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Storytelling is a dynamic way to engage students in learning and make your content come alive. The use of storytelling can address multiple learning styles and content areas making it a perfect fit for face-to-face or online teaching environments. Participatns will explore strategies and best practices with storytelling, see how stories can set the stage for learning and enhance your content. Plan and practice your own story for a content area of your choice while learning to use free, online resources such as Book Creator, Microsoft Sway and others. 
  • 14 Feb
    • Discovery Interactive Event 12:00 AM to 12:01 AM
      Discovery Interactive Event
      Date: Feb 14
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:01 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
       
      The at-your-own-pace course is asynchronous and delivered via Google Classroom. No Zoom calls to make or deadlines to meet. Simply sign up for the course, complete the activities at your own pace, participate in the discussions and submit a few simple assignments. Earn up to 5 SCECH, one for each assignment completed. It is that easy! By completing each section you will learn all about Discovery Education resources, instructional strategies, student access, ready to use lesson activities and more!


      SPECIAL NOTE: This course will be hosted in a Google Classroom by Discovery Education specialists.  You will need to use a personal Google account to join the course due to safety restrictions placed on school Google domains.

      Hours

      Description

      1

      Discover Resources in Discovery Education Interactive Course

      • Reflection question on topic

      1

      Engage Students in Discovery Education Interactive Course

      Reflection Questions on topic

      1

      Explore the Student Experience in Discovery Education Interactive Course

      Reflection Questions on topic

      1

      Designing Digital Lessons with Studio Interactive Course

      Reflection Questions on topic 

      1

      Course Reflection and Application Segment
  • 28 Feb
    • Promoting STEM Through Literature
      Date: Feb 28
      Time: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now

      Use literature to get your students excited about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by actively involving them in the design thinking process. Participants in this virtual  event learn to use these resources with students in a virtual environment and how to implement Design Thinking in virtual maker education

       Each of the titles selected for the project shares a story where something was built or invented by designing, planning, gathering materials, and creating. In addition to strengthening literacy skills, your students will develop inquiry and problem-solving skills. They will also see that with perseverance, anyone can be innovative and invent new things. The project is available for free at stemandlit.com.

      The same session is being offered on three different dates and times.  Pick the one that works best for you.

      A box of materials (including a free book that is part of our project) will be shipped to each participant before the event.  

  • 6 Mar
    • Digital Citizenship - Practical Implementation
      Date: Mar 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      In a digitally connected world, students need guidance to navigate the world safely and professionally. Learn the ISTE indicators for Digital Citizenship to build a knowledge foundation. Present practical applications for students. Guide students in developing plans to navigate high speed communication, job opportunities, social media, personal security and more.


    • Gamification for Student Engagement & Learning
      Date: Mar 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Student engagement is a key element for learning and academic achievement. Gamification is a system of tools such as badges, achievements, levels, and leaderboards to engage participants. Explore how to combine strategies to inspire students to practice, study, and learn more academic content. These gamification strategies result in increased student-led learning, critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem-solving.

    • Igniting Student Curiosity with Inquiry and Technology
      Date: Mar 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      What makes YOU curious? Students who ask questions engage themselves in learning to find answers as curiosity is the simplest and most effective way of learning. Join other educators as we spark our curiosity about the importance of asking questions. Explore how to nurture a culture of inquiry in the classroom by helping students formulate great questions in their learning and how to integrate technology to ignite and sustain critical thinking.

    • Increasing Efficiency and Productivity
      Date: Mar 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Become more productive, efficient and organized in your professional and personal life. Increase and improve productivity using apps and other simple technology.  Tech Tip 1: When selecting an app, learn to use it regularly. For example, update and check a calendar each day. Or create tasks in a list app, then complete and check them off.Tech Tip 2: Don’t try using everything at once. Start with one or two applications and then add more as needed.


    • Integrating Technology into the Middle School Classroom
      Date: Mar 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Dive into skills grade 5-9 students should master through technology integration using MITECS and ISTE Standards for Students. Participants will access and explore 100’s of free, technology and standards aligned activities. Resources include lesson guides for teachers, and Quests, Breakouts and Quiz activities for areas such as Social Networking, Digital Footprint, Cyber Safety, Computational and Design Thinking from 21things4students.
    • Integrating Technology with the Foundational Elements of Literacy Instruction
      Date: Mar 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Dive into skills grade 5-9 students should master through technology integration using MITECS and ISTE Standards for Students. Participants will access and explore 100’s of free, technology and standards aligned activities. Resources include lesson guides for teachers, and Quests, Breakouts and Quiz activities for areas such as Social Networking, Digital Footprint, Cyber Safety, Computational and Design Thinking from 21things4students.
    • Media Literacy: Fake or Real? 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Media Literacy: Fake or Real?
      Date: Mar 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Which media sites are reporting the truth? How to discern the difference between real and “fake” or false information? More importantly, can students differentiate between real and fake news? Most children have a difficult time discerning between what is real or fake, how to differentiate between an advertisement and a news article, and identifying where they got their news. We need to stop the cycle of passing forward news and information that has not been substantiated. This course will help educators and their students become smarter consumers and producers of information.
    • Open Education Resources (OER) for School Leaders
      Date: Mar 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Educational leaders will learn about freely available OER for use in curriculum, discover ways OER support differentiated instruction, understand how OER are vetted for quality, and explore how OER can support teaching, learning, and professional development. Participants will complete portions of a guidebook relevant to their individualized need or role. Open Educational Resources (OER) are free, openly licensed and high-quality, and allow users to retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute them for educational purposes. 


    • Power Up: Curriculum & Content Development
      Date: Mar 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Delve into content curation and development to build a toolbox of resources to support a curriculum that strengthens your ability to increase learner outcomes. You will learn about the critical components of an effective curriculum, identify your areas of strength and growth, and explore free online educational resources and tools available to help you grow.
    • Teaching with Google Workspace
      Date: Mar 6
      Time: 12:00 AM to 12:02 AM
      Location: Virtual/Online
      Calendar: WW Calendar
      Register Now
      Google Workspace for Education is a robust and versatile set of digital tools. In this course, you will explore the most essential Google digital tools for teachers. Learn the basic skills across tools such as Google Drive, Documents, Sheets, Forms, Slides, Classroom, and much more. Distinguish yourself as an educator and demonstrate basic mastery with Google tools. Upon completion of the course, you will be presented with the opportunity to get your Google Educator Level 1 Certification at no cost.