Summer Professional Development Activities for Teachers

Let me know if you have any ideas about resources which could be added to this list. All ideas are welcome! Here is the list:

Summer Professional Development Activities for Teachers

BOOKS TO READ:

· A Whole New Mind, by Daniel Pink. Discover the skills and attributes that will be necessary for our students to master for 21^st century success – skills which are largely right-brained oriented rather than left-brained oriented. A fascinating read which isn’t specifically about education, but connects to education and preparing our students for their future in many ways.

· The World is Flat, by Thomas Friedman. A seminal explanation of how and why our world is changing because of technology, and where Americans need to position themselves for success in the 21^st century. This is a very long volume, but even reading a few key chapters, such as While I Was Sleeping, The Ten Forces That Flattened The World, The Right Stuff, and The Quiet Crisis serve to summarize the major themes of this book.

· Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenge of Online Social Aggression, Threats, and Distress, by Nancy E. Willard.

· Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, by George Barna.

· The New Brain: How the Modern Age is Rewiring Your Mind, by R. M. Restak. This book provides insights into the affect of technology on brain development, and shares why students are likely physiologically different than in the past. A place to start if you want to better understand your students and how they are different from students in the past.

SITES TO VISIT:

· The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills (http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/)

· International Society for Technology in Education (http://www.iste.org/). Be sure to take a look at the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for both teachers (http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2000Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2000.htm) and students (http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007.htm) NOTE: New teacher standards are to be announced this summer.

· The Horizon Report – 2008 (http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/CSD5320.pdf) – A summary of educational technology trends.

· Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants (http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf) – A classic article about the different approaches of teachers and students in regard to technology.

BLOGS TO READ:

· LutheranTech (http://www.lutherantech.com)

· Cool Cat Teacher Blog (http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/)

· Moving at the Speed of Creativity (http://www.speedofcreativity.org/)

COURSEWORK:

· MTM – http://www.mtmproject.org

· Free courses from November Learning through the Lutheran School Portal. View the courses at http://www.nlcourses.com/. Talk with Dave for more information.