Challenge #1: Try an Online PD Course (5 Ways to Learn for FREE Online)

In this post I talk about the courses that I am taking or have taken. Some are free and some are paid. The opinions in this post are my own, and I was not paid to say anything in this post.

In this next series of posts I am going to focus on Kasey Bell's "18 Challenges for Teachers in 2018" (Shake Up Learning). I know that 2018 has come and gone, but it doesn't hurt to try out the challenges even now!

The first challenge is to try an online PD course. Bell's course is just that, so check number 1! I have tried a great deal of online PD to a varying degree of success. Here are some available types:

1. Online Courses

I have tried a few online courses, but I am strapped for cash and am unable to pay for most courses that I would like to try. There are a lot of options out there for free courses and sometimes there are promotions that make courses free or much cheaper than they would have otherwise been.

Currently I am undertaking two online PD courses (in addition to Bell's "Challenges" course).

The first is "Leading Change: Go Beyond Gamification with Gameful Learning," a MOOC ("Massive Open Online Course") that I found thanks to Bell's first challenge. When taking a MOOC, you can either complete a free version of the course or pay a fee to earn a certificate. The fee for the Gameful Learning class is $49, so at least it is cheaper than most other online courses. I have been posting my reflections for the Gameful Learning class on this blog.

The second is a course offered by the Gilder Lehrman Institute titled "American Indian History: A Self-Paced Course." I am able to take this course for free because my school and I are affiliates of Gilder Lehrman. I highly suggest becoming an affiliate. They offer many free resources and primary sources that are excellent to use in the classroom! I haven't completed much of this course yet as I have just started, but my reflections will be posted here on my blog as well.

I also took part in the National History Day program's "Legacies of WWI" course, which was a college course. I earned a scholarship to complete the course and we used Schoology to meet our requirements. I liked the ability to use the online discussion format on Schoology. I have many posts about this course, and it was an incredible opportunity in which I learned a great deal.

2. Webinars

Webinars are a great way to achieve some quick and meaningful professional development. Most webinars last 30 minutes to an hour and cover a specific topic. I actually took part in a webinar last night in which I discovered a new, engaging resource to add to my toolbox.

The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian and World Strides put on a webinar titled, "Bringing Native American Perspectives into the Classroom." In this webinar, Colleen Smith (Education Products Developer at the NMAI) discussed how to use Native Knowledge 360 in the classroom. The interactive platform is really incredible and it offers a variety of perspectives and primary sources concerning issues such as Native American removal during the 1800s.

There is still one more webinar in the Smithsonian Insider Access Webinar Series titled "Discovering the Inventor Inside of You." This webinar will take place on February 12, 2019 at 7pm ET.

Many museums, educational websites, and ed tech tools these days have webinars available to teach about various topics. I suggest signing up for some newsletters for websites that you frequent often to make sure that you know when they are holding webinars.

3. Twitter Chats

I haven't been available to take part in many Twitter chats lately, but talk about an amazing way to share ideas with a professional learning network online! I have been introduced to many incredible resources and engaging activities just by taking part in Twitter chats.

It's worth a shot to simply watch a Twitter chat happen. I took part during the first Twitter chat that I came across, but it took me a bit to understand the rules! No one will get mad if you forget to tag your post with "A2" to say that you are answering question #2, but it does help for organization's sake so people know what you are talking about.

Twitter chats are not only a great way to learn new information; they are also an easy way to meet some awesome educators who have ideas to share.

4. Digital Summits

Digital summits seem to be becoming wildly popular. So far I have taken part in three different ones: Ditch Summit, Hive Summit, and Strobel Summit. Most summits are annual events.

In each summit, one video was posted each day. Each video was an interview featuring a different educational leader with something to share. Some topics include ed tech, engaging students, and wellness.

I learned an incredible amount through watching the one-hour interviews, and I have posted many of my reflections here on my blog.

5. YouTube

YouTube is excellent for providing videos on almost every topic possible. Many educators are moving to YouTube for various purposes. Some post videos for students, some post to show the community what is happening in the classroom, and some post videos to help teachers develop professionally.

I subscribe to a couple of educators on YouTube and look forward to when new videos come out. Even if the video is two minutes long, there is something new to learn or something new to try.

Two of my favorite channels are Michael Matera and Carrie Baughcum. Matera, author of Explore Like a Pirate, posts videos about gamification and activities that he tries in the classroom (how to make the classroom fun) as well as games that he enjoys playing outside of school. Baughcum also posts about gamification, but also has videos about sketchnoting. I love their creativity and they inspire me to add game elements to my classes.



In general, there are many ways to earn professional development, but I prefer to find ways that save me money! Hopefully you were able to benefit from what I've learned about searching for professional development opportunities over the years.