Professional Development


Teacher Training and Expanded Student Lessons Added to Free Pathfinders Computer Science Learning Platform

Infosys Foundation USA has launched a new Springboard digital skills initiative in the United States to provide educators, students, and aspiring professionals with free training and instructional content in computer science, and it includes expanded computer science, coding, and design lessons for K–12 students; streamable coding lessons for K–5 classrooms; and professional development content for teachers to learn how to teach computer science with no prior experience in the subject.

ED Announces $35M Competition to Boost Teacher Pipeline, Increase Diversity and Equity

The U.S. Department of Education today announced it will award $35 million in competitive grants through the Teacher Quality Partnership program, intended to expand the pool of well-prepared new teachers, promote diversity in the educator workforce, and bring a wide range of experiences into the classroom to support students.

Carolina Biological Launching Certified OpenSciEd Middle School Units and CTE

Carolina Biological, a supplier of instructional materials for science classes, on Tuesday unveiled new “certified” print and digital versions of OpenSciEd science instructional units for grades 6–8, including complete lab kits and flexible purchase options for schools, the company said in a news release.

Veritas Capital to Purchase Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in $2.8B Deal

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co., a provider of K–12 core curriculum, supplemental and intervention solutions, and professional learning services, today announced it is being acquired by private investment firm Veritas Capital in a deal valued at $2.8 billion.

SXSW EDU 2022 Gears Up To Reimagine Education: From Practical to Profound

Since COVID-19 turned the U.S. education system upside down, the movement to "reimagine education" seems to be having a moment, and SXSW EDU attendees can expect to hear a lot of discussion on remaking America’s public school norms when the event returns in-person March 7–10 in Austin with more than 350 in-person sessions, dozens of which will be streamed online as well for virtual attendees.

Teachers Want More Online, On-Demand, and Targeted Professional Learning Opportunities, New Survey Shows

In a new survey commissioned by learning technology firm D2L, only 20% of K–12 educators responding said they are “strongly satisfied” with the professional learning options, even as 94% agreed that ongoing professional development is important to a teacher’s effectiveness, D2L said Tuesday.

Epson Launches PD Courses for Educators Using BrightLink Interactive Displays

Epson this week unveiled new professional development courses for educators called BrightLink Academy to help teachers create more engaging learning experiences for students with the company’s BrightLink interactive displays.

Filmmaker Brett Culp Encourages Educators to See Their Actions as Heroic and Stay Focused on the Mission

Documentary filmmaker Brett Culp describes how his journey making documentaries that tell the stories of everyday people doing extraordinary things to make a difference in the lives of others, changed his definition of what a hero and what a leader is — and teachers are both.

Five Steps to Revolutionize Learning Using Student Goal Setting in the Workshop Classroom

What teachers most need is not another app, it’s student goal setting—the process of working with students to set a short-term learning goal, track progress toward that goal, and celebrate success. Senior education researcher and author Chase Nordengren lays out the five steps to start revolutionizing student learning with student goal setting in a workshop-style classroom.

NEA Survey Shows Big Jump in Educators Planning to Leave Teaching Sooner Than Planned

The National Education Association released its latest survey conducted in January 2022 showing 90% of educators responded that burnout is a “serious problem” for them, and more than half, 55%, of the 3,621 educators surveyed said the pandemic has made them “more likely to retire or leave education earlier than planned” — a significant increase from the 37% with the same response to the same question in an August 2021 NEA survey.