Professional Development for Educators in the Digital Age

Before the technological age, the term professional development provokes thoughts of expensive fees, travel and inflexible times. Today professional development is offered in a quick and more cost efficient way......you guessed it, on the WORLD WIDE WEB. Online professional development is beneficial for teachers because it allows them to collaborate and learn with other educators from around the world. It creates a digital community that is easily accessible, works around educators busy schedules and provides a platform for educators to connect with people in different roles in the field of education.

There are many professional resources available digitally at the touch of our fingertips; these are extremely helpful in building our own professional development as continuous learners. Below are a couple resources that I find are valuable for educators to expand on their professional learning network.

Ed Web: this website is a professional social and learning network that has become a vibrant community for educators. The website hosts online webinars and educators are able to sign up at their own convenience. Certificates are given at the end of each webinar, which is a great incentive for teachers to continue their professional learning.Teachers use the site as a hub for storing ideas and inspiration, and for connecting to a large community of teachers when they have questions or need advice. http://home.edweb.net

Teaching Channel: Teaching Channel’s mission is to create an environment where teachers can watch, share, and learn new techniques to help every student grow. It is an interactive collaboration platform for professional learning. https://www.teachingchannel.org

References:

• https://www.teachingchannel.org

• http://home.edweb.net

• Google.ca (Images)