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We share evidence-based K-12 learning strategies that empower you to improve education.

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Blogs on Professional Learning Network (PLN)

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A Time for Family Traditions

Maurice EliasApril 14, 2009

Tags Professional Learning Network (PLN), , Teacher Development, All Grades

April is indeed a special time for strengthening social and emotional and character development (SECD). Reflecting on this past week, I've had some pertinent thoughts to share with students and their families around this time of the year. Feel free to use, adapt, or create your own.

Teachers Step Up and Assist with Global Issues

Suzie BossMarch 5, 2009

Tags Professional Learning Network (PLN), Teacher Development, All Grades

In southern Sudan, a region wracked by decades of civil war and famine, hope is rising. A new secondary school is going up in the village of Marial Bai.

Students Participate in Professional Development -- and Their Own Education

Suzie BossFebruary 10, 2009

Tags Professional Learning Network (PLN), Teacher Development, High (9-12), Pennsylvania

Long before I arrived in Philadelphia for Educon 2.1, I was picking up clues that this was going to be a different kind of education conference. There would be no sit-and-get workshops, according to organizer extraordinaire Chris Lehmann, principal of the Science Leadership Academy, which hosts this annual event.

Outstanding in Your Field: What It Takes to Be a Great Teacher

Ben JohnsonJuly 16, 2008

Tags Primary (K-2), Professional Development, Professional Learning Network (PLN), Teacher Development, All Grades

I am reading a book by Steven Covey called The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, which he wrote to help organizations and individuals find their voices. The premise of the book is that if you don't do this, you or your organization will not be able to achieve greatness.

The Barbed Wire Model of Classroom Management

Ben JohnsonJuly 9, 2008

Tags Classroom Management, Multiple Intelligences, Primary (K-2), Professional Learning Network (PLN), , Student Engagement, Teacher Development, All Grades

I had an epic battle with a tangle of barbed wire a while ago. I'm glad to report that my cuts and scratches are healing nicely, and I'd like to share with you about how this battle revealed to me a number of brilliant truths about classroom management.

Make Project Planning a Collaborative Practice

Suzie BossMay 7, 2008

Tags Curriculum, Integrated Studies, Primary (K-2), Professional Learning Network (PLN), Project-Based Learning, Teacher Development, Team Teaching, High (9-12)

Moving from traditional teaching to project learning takes effort: You have to be willing to rethink everything, from classroom management to homework expectations to assessment strategies. And if you're the only one in the building who is teaching this way, it can get a little lonely.

Open Professional Development: Learning in the World Classroom

Suzie BossMarch 14, 2008

Tags Mentoring, Online Learning, Open Education Resources, Professional Learning Network (PLN), Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades

Darren Draper, a technology specialist in Utah's Jordan School District, was getting ready to offer a professional-development course last fall about using social software in the classroom. Rather than a traditional sit-and-get workshop, he envisioned a more interactive experience in which teachers would use blogs, wikis, and the other Web 2.0 tools they would be learning about.

Forging New Connections: Building Online Peer-to-Peer Collaborations

Suzie BossFebruary 22, 2008

Tags Online Learning, Professional Learning Network (PLN), Project-Based Learning, Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades

Anyone who has spent time in an isolated classroom understands why teacher collaboration makes such good sense. If you don't have time to share ideas or plan projects with colleagues, you miss out on opportunities to grow and learn as a teacher. And your students miss out on something important, too.

Teachers, Like Students, Learn by Doing: Project Learning at Envision Schools

Bob LenzAugust 29, 2007

Tags Classroom Management, Pre-Service Teachers, Professional Learning Network (PLN), Teacher Development, Team Teaching

A quote by experiential-education pioneer Kurt Hahn projects brightly onto a large screen: "We are crew, not passengers." After a brief welcome, the thirty-five new teachers at Envision Schools are asked to respond to the quote in their journals. Then, following some quiet reflection time, the teachers meet their fellow group members.

Team Building and Collaboration: A Necessary Combination

Chris O'NealSeptember 26, 2006

Tags Professional Learning Network (PLN), Teacher Development, All Grades

Team building and collaboration are two of the most important components of an effective school. These are critical steps for any school working toward improvement.

Team building and collaboration are two of the most important components of an effective school. These are critical steps for any school working toward improvement. Read More