Introducing EduPaths – Free Online PD

In addition to the online courses offered by the Kent ISD through the Professional Development Hub, you might hear about a new professional development platform called EduPaths.  The result of a statewide TRIG activity, this professional development portal is designed for ALL Michigan Educators.  EduPaths courses are aligned with school improvement framework, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and designed to expand understanding on a wide variety of topics.

Courses are available online, are completely self-paced, and free for any educator, childcare provider, administrator, pre-service teacher or individual that works for an educational entity in the state of Michigan. They are intended to help educators to personalize their own learning plan anytime and anyplace while supporting technology readiness and instructional practice. The web based resource will:

• Help educators identify learning interests or needs
• Link to meaningful options for professional learning
• Award SCECHs and Badges
• Connect to Statewide resources and opportunities
• Align with Continuous Cycle of School Improvement and MTSS Framework
• Create a collaboration between ISDs, REMCs, TRIG projects, and educational organizations throughout Michigan

Benefits for districts and administrators:  

• Alignment with School Improvement Framework 2.0 to support continuous improvement. This can then become part of the SI process.
• Allows administrators to guide necessary staff development
• Addresses diverse needs of staff through focus on instructional and/or technology opportunities

Benefits for educators:

• Access to free professional learning opportunities
• Provide awareness of professional learning opportunities from in region and across state
• Provide State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs)

Future statewide benefits:

• Provide analytics to pinpoint needs and guide creation of future professional learning throughout the state of Michigan
• Eliminates duplication of effort
• Digital badges

For more information, please watch this quick video https://youtu.be/xMQsLfEgZe8

#online, #onlinecourses, #professional-development

Michigan Learns Online Webinar – Free Online, Blended Courses, Resources

The Regional Education Media Center Association of Michigan (REMCAM) has a great project called Michigan Learns Online (MLO) and we’d like to share how you can use it.

The REMC MLO Portal (http://www.milearnsonline.org) contains resources that support online learning. If you attend the upcoming free webinar, you can learn how to use the REMC MLO Portal to find resources that support exceptional online learning, and how to access online learning courses, units and lessons.

The event starts March 4, 2015 and is then repeated the first Wednesday of each month; the last one will be May 6, 2015 from 4:00 – 4:30 PM.

To register: Go to http://tinyurl.com/learnmloportal

These Webinars are live facilitated web based learning opportunities that are easy to participate in requiring that the learner have a computer with an Internet connection. Connecting information will be sent to you when you register.

For more information email mailto:mksouden@gmail.com

#mlo, #onlinecourses, #remc, #webinar

Looking for EDIFY Course Content Writers

Kickstand is looking for teachers interested in writing engaging content area lessons for a new and innovative individualized learning management system (iLMS) called EDIFY.

In partnership with a Michigan ISD consortium, Kickstand is working to create core subject area courses for grades 4-8 by March 2015.  Kickstand is looking for teachers who would be interested in devoting a small amount of time to write 1-2 units for the courses being built. Take a look at the infographic which details the commitment for content writing and other information.

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Meghan Daniel @ 303-827-5485 or meghandaniel@gmail.com

#edify, #lms, #onlinecourses, #professional-development

Flexible PD at Kent ISD

Kent ISD is offering a couple online courses currently: Digitize Your Classroom and Essential Questions. These are comprised of short, focused modules designed to allow educators to access the learning at their convenience. You can click the  links to investigate further, but we are also seeking your input on what types of future offerings would be best. Please take a minute to answer the form by following the link below, and we thank you in advance.

Link to form

#onlinecourses, #pd