Course Description: The Introverted Educator by Dr. Rochelle Green features reflections from six introverted educators on how they incorporate their more reserved learners into their lessons. As these teachers share the positives and negatives of their own childhood educational experiences, they discuss strategies for meeting the needs of a variety of personality types present in the classroom.

Course Hours:  Members who complete this course receive 4.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.

The hours breakdown is

• 2.5 hours for reading
• 1.5 hours for discussion prompts
• 0.5 hours for reflection

Course Description: The Questioneers by Andrea Beaty (author) and David Roberts (illustrator) is a series of picture books and early-reader chapter books written between 420 and 820 Lexiles. Each picture book introduces a new ‘questioneer’ as they come to realize their own strengths including Ada Twist (Scientist), Rosie Revere (Engineer), Iggy Peck (Architect), Sofia Valdez (Future Prez), and Aaron Slater (Illustrator). The chapter books take their stories deeper and allow students to follow the students as their growth mindsets take them further into their passions. These books may be elementary focused, but the lessons learned are valuable for learners at any level! In this book discussion, you may read any 1 picture book and any 1 chapter book in the series for a total of 2 books. These two books will require 2 ½ hours of reading time with 2 hours of complementary PEARL-based content (1.5 hours for the discussion questions and 0.5 hours for reflection items) for a total of 4 ½ total hours of learning.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 4.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours. The hours breakdown is 2.5 hours for reading, 1.5 hours for discussion activities 0.5 hours for reflection prompts.

Hours: 4.5
Requires Books

Course Description: Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) are often under-represented in the standard K-12 curriculum, challenging educators to bring these important histories to students in other ways. Author and illustrator, Vashti Harrison, introduces readers to dozens of influential BIPOC figures in her series of Little Leader Books including: Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History; Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World; and Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History. Participants in this book series study must access and read either one entire book (40 histories) or any combination of 40 histories from all three books to participate in this course.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 4.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.

Hours: 4.5
Requires Books

Course Description: Jory John and Pete Oswald bring “charming and enduring text” and “bold, expressive illustrations” together in their series of books focused on foods and their behaviors. The Food Group series includes well-known, bestselling books including: The Good Egg; The Bad Seed; The Cool Bean; The Couch Potato; The Smart Cookie; and seasonal versions of these stories. In this book discussion, participants explore applications for how these books can be used at all levels to promote social and emotional skill fluency and help prevent bullying during the learning process. Picture book are not just for the elementary kids anymore, so middle and high school educators should consider joining as well.  Participants must access and read at least three Food Group series books to participate in this course.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 4.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.

Hours: 4.5
Requires Books

Course Description: Children’s literature, including picture books, offer powerful tools to bring learning to students at all levels. In this book series discussion, readers will Kobi Yamada’s three award-winning, New York Times best-selling books as featured in the What You Do Matter boxset: What Do You Do With An Idea?; What Do You Do With A Chance?; and What Do You Do With A Problem? Each of these books offers a unique take on elements that students face daily and are growing to better understand presented through the combination of Mae Besom’s gorgeous illustration and Kobi Yamada’s unique take on symbolic narrative. The course will focus on parallels between these books and social and emotional skills development to facilitate a greater collective knowledge about how to engage students in critical self-reflection and self-management. Participants must access and read all three Kobi Yamada books to participate in this course.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 4.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.

Hours: 15
Requires Book

Course Description: In this asynchronous, online book study, participants will prepare for, read, and discuss Ibram X. Kendi’s How To Be An Antiracist for a total of 15 Act 48 hours or a certificate to submit for 15 Chapter 14 hours (per district approval). The New York Times called this book “a groundbreaking approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in our society—and in ourselves.” During the Prereading activities, participants will learn about the book and author. Then, they will explore strategies for critical reading from their lens as an educator. Then they will engage in two activities i: one focused on identifying perspectives and another on applying this practice to students.  During the actual reading, participants should read the book critically and complete chapter-by-chapter reflection prompts throughout their reading journey (not just at the end) to help them remember key points in the text. During the Postreading activities, participants will engage in forum-based dialogues about their reactions, learning, and applications for the material in the school setting. Participants will leave this session with knowledge and resources to apply what they read with students at any level.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 15 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours. The hours breakdown is 10 hours for reading, 1.5 hours for pre-reading activities 2 hours for reflection prompts 1.5 hours for post-reading activitis Total: 15 hours

Teacher: Gina Gullo

Course Description: When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids by Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski shares the never-before-seen side of America’s favorite neighbor and Pennsylvania native, Mr. Rogers, in his essential work with the “tools for learning” in school, work, and life. “These tools can boost academic performance, social-emotional well-being, and even physical health. They cost almost nothing to develop, and they’re up to ten times more predictive of children’s success than test scores.” Perfect for educators at any point of their career, this book shares a fresh and human-centric approaches to learning for anyone who cares about children.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 10 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.

Hours: 1.5
Recorded Webinar

Course Description:  This session, presented by NEA members and Chrissy Waldhoer (Oklahoma Elementary Teacher)  and Elizabeth Luis (Michigan Secondary ELA Teacher), was captured from a live PSEA CPL webinar broadcast on July 15, 2021, and it presents ideas for implementation of culture into all literature and standards for reading/writing in the classroom. In this course, participants learn about approaches to learning in the classroom that use cultures and backgrounds to connect students to the literature, particularly at the elementary level. 

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 1.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.

Course Description: In this session, educators receive practical and immediate steps to assess the manner in which their curriculum is providing equitable representation to all students.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 2 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.

Course Description: This presentation, taken from a live PSEA Center for Professional Learning Webinar broadcast session on September, 21, 2021 is rooted in relational equity and culturally responsive social emotional learning. Participants will learn about the importance of building authentic relationships with students, families, and staff members and how these essential relationships impact student success, resiliency, and hope. They will learn how relationships are the core to beginning the work of SEL, and once secure relationships are established, SEL tools can be incorporated.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 2 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.

Course Description: Learn how to meet the needs of English language learners, special needs students, and students who are above or below grade level in reading and writing.  In the course participants will learn how to Identify common accommodations, learning scaffolds and Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) features, understand elements of explicit instruction that support all learners in an asynchronous distance learning environment, and learn how to write learning objectives for asynchronous learning and choose accommodations that are aligned with your objectives.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 3 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.

Course Description: This is a NEA developed course that focuses on how to keep equity at the forefront during COVID-19 school closures. Participants learn about the digital divide and how it impacts students. The course helps educators understand the components of the digital divide, along with the supports and strategies necessary to assist students who experience it, implement a variety of teaching and learning digital resources with students, and consider other issues students may be facing outside of academics, and their impact on students.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 3 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.

Course Description: Many world language teachers struggle to maximize target language (TL) use in their class. With ACTFL's Position Statement on TL Use as a base, explore various ways to instruct novice and intermediate learners in the TL and encourage student use of the TL as well. Through visual support, comprehension checks, encouraging spontaneous language, and providing appropriate feedback, you will develop strategies for increasing TL use in your classroom and for building student (and teacher) confidence in speaking.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 1.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours.

Course Description: This course explores the purpose of author studies to get students reading and provide differentiation through leveled texts. Author Studies provide an opportunity to connect readers to a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction.  Author studies can be used to enhance the curriculum, explore types of writing or simply get students reading great texts!  Author studies get your students reading and writing.  It provides the teacher with an engaging tool to differentiate instruction and teach high interest text.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 1 HOUR of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.

Course Description: This session, captured from a live PSEA CPL webinar broadcast by NEA members and current educators Kristal Jaaskelainen & Jeffrey Austin, helps educators think about the importance and process of building and maintaining a "humanized" classroom. While educators know the enduring value of trusting relationships with students, building and maintaining a humanized classroom requires us to rethink our purposes, practices, and pedagogies to ensure our classrooms exist at the intersection of equity and care. This webinar helps educators foster imagination and purposeful action around community, hospitality, and justice.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 2 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.

Extended Course Name: Wonder Women: The Importance of Strong Female Characters, Everyday Heroes, and Making Connections to Children’s Books

Course Description: Children’s books have always included spunky, feisty female characters like Ramona and Beezus Quimby, Matilda, and Harriet the Spy. But is spunky and feisty enough? The blockbuster success of the 2017 Wonder Woman movie and 2018’s Black Panther indicates there is room for much more - in movie theaters and children’s books. Female characters that overcome obstacles, solve problems, break stereotypes, and empower others have great appeal to both boys and girls. This class focuses on choosing books for our classrooms and libraries that affirm positive roles for girls and boys. Ms. Bissonette discuss the assumptions we make when we think in terms of “girl books” and “boy books”; the effect gender stereotypes have on young readers (and the publishing industry’s puzzling role in perpetuating those stereotypes); and the role children’s books have in developing empathy among young readers (which can lead to reduced bullying among other things). Partiticpants explore the evolving theory about children’s books as "mirrors, windows, and sliding doors" and how reading the right books helps students rehearse for and succeed in real life situations. Finally, children's author Aimee Bissonette talks about the reactions and responses she's gotten from girls and boys with whom she has shared her own “strong women” books

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 2 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.

Course Description: In this recorded conversation, two experienced teachers discuss the use of various free resources to support the elementary classroom curriculum. They review a variety of sites for finding these sources to enhance standards-based lessons in Math, Science, Social Studies, and ELA. After watching the video, participants will find and share other possible resources as well as reflect on the best use of them in the courses that they teach or plan to teach.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 1 HOUR of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours.

Course Description: When students are exposed to the same content in different subjects and through multiple senses, they are able to make connections across the disciplines and from home to school. In this session, participants will see examples of cross-curricular lessons that incorporate science, writing, social studies, music, and visual arts. Participants will see and hear examples from the classroom, and they will have an opportunity to immediately apply what they've learned.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 2 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.

Course Description: NEA's Kristal Jaaskelainen and Jeffrey Austin lead this recorded presentation (from July 27, 2021) helping educators see beyond the traditional grading practices that often go unexamined despite their potential for harm. This webinar is designed to critically examine assumptions about grading, look at current grading practices, and imagine alternatives to the status quo. 

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 2 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.

Fall 2021 Professional Issues Session

Course Description: Educators throughout the Commonwealth are challenged to serve students returning to in-person instruction following various levels of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Educators are encouraged to accelerate learning to help combat learning loss; however, issues such as social and emotional needs and staffing shortages create barriers to success. Several programs and funding initiatives are available to assist schools and educators as they support students; however, educators face time and resource limitations when working with students. This session seeks to empower educators to better determine which supports are likely to yield the most benefits to students. PaTTAN’s Gina Spicknall-Cook and Donna Halpin guide educators in this session to fully capitalize on the multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) available in most PA schools so that they can provide efficient and effective supports that meet the unique needs of their student populations.

Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 1.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.