Professional Development Network

This year's theme for the

WALKING THE TALK...

Professional Development Network

How are leading educators taking action for positive change? Find out at the the Center for Success’s Professional Development Network (PDN).
This network brings new and experienced teachers and leaders together to engage in helpful dialogue and problem solve, to collaborate on embedding new and more effective practices into their instruction, and to innovate new ideas, procedures and policies. The Center’s Professional Development Network (PDN) offers five tracks of learning for effective teachers and leaders and develops learning in each track that is job-embedded and geared to improve teaching and learning in classrooms and schools. We hope you’ll join the conversation as we “walk the talk” about . . .

Equity

Over half of the students in Illinois are racially, linguistically, and/or culturally different than the majority of teachers who are white. Do you have the best of intentions? Would you ever want to unintentionally say or do something wrong to make a student, parent, or colleague feel undermined, undervalued, or inferior? Most teachers strive to teach and treat all students like they are the same. The issue is, not all people are the same and we need to acknowledge it. “Walking the talk” about equity means taking action to acknowledge individual differences and provide each individual student what they need to be successful. When we are brave enough to learn new perspectives from people who are different from us, we open ourselves up to the possibility of growth we would otherwise not have. Let’s strengthen our classroom and school environments, by learning about implicit bias, the science behind culturally responsive teaching, and ways we can each take action to bring about change in our classrooms, schools, and communities.

Student Engagement, Teaching & Learning

Student Engagement, Teaching & Learning We all have done it in our classrooms – we have THAT lesson where we figured out a new way to explain a concept to previous befuddled students or developed an activity that engaged our students in learning like never before. The Innovative Teaching and Learning Practices sessions are designed to give you a chance to share what you are doing in your classroom, or come and learn from the ideas and practices of others. If you are doing something new that is working, you are encouraged to present one of these sessions.

Technology & Remote Learning

The technology sessions are geared towards interaction and the use of new or creative uses of technology as a tool for teaching, learning and/or a utility tool in the classroom. Active participation is encouraged. Share new and/or innovative ways to use a tech. tool in the classroom. Novice users, pre-service teachers, along with seasoned veterans are encouraged to participate in presenting a technology session. Come ready to leave with new and innovative ways to use a tech. tool in the classroom immediately.
Calling all technology lovers. If you enjoy using tech tools for an educational purpose, consider sharing your knowledge with others.

Social & Emotional Learning

These professional webinars will focus on topics integral to effectively implementing the social and emotional learning standards in your classroom or school. Each monthly webinar begins at 6 p.m. and will be an interactive discussion. These topical webinars are designed to be approximately 60-to 90-minutes in length for an audience of preservice teachers, inservice teachers, teacher leaders, administrators, and higher education faculty.

Teacher Leadership

Teacher Leadership These professional webinars will focus on topics core to formal and informal teacher leader roles in PK-12 schools. Each webinar begins at 7 p.m. and will be an interactive discussion led by teacher leaders. These topical webinars are designed to be approximately 30-to 45-minutes in length for an audience of inservice teachers, teacher leaders, administrators, and higher education faculty interested in teacher leadership. Preservice teachers are welcome!

The Center is sponsored by