Benedum Collaborative Practitioner Research – Each year the PDSs engage in systematic inquiry into some area of their school improvement efforts. The inquiry questions that drive this practitioner research emerges from school data and target student learning needs. In April of each year, the PDSs gather together to make their inquiry work public, network with others, and support each others’ professional learning. For more information, please contact Diane.yendolhoppey@mail.wvu.edu
Nano-Biotechnology Partnership Program – A collaboration with area schools. The partnership includes both “teacher professional development (PD)” as well as “master teachers” for school-based work such as curriculum development and action research on student- and teacher- learning and school implementation details. For more information, please contact Eva Toth at eva.toth@mail.wvu.edu
National Board Cadre – Led by Benedum Collaborative Teachers, this is an incredible example of teachers supporting teachers. Supporting accomplished teaching is one of the most important ways to improve our schools. Explore ways that you can be part of a process and impact learning for students not only in your school and community, but in those across the country. For more information, please contact Natalie Webb at nlwebb@access.k12.wv.us
Coaching Support – Led by Benedum Collaborative teachers and WVU Doctoral Students with support from the Benedum Foundation, we have created a website designed to support those responsible for Coaching Job-Embedded Professional Development. Visit this website for more information: http://sites.google.com/site/jobembeddedpd/For more information, please contact Diane Yendol-Hoppey at Diane.yendolhoppey@mail.wvu.edu
Book Clubs – The Benedum Collaborative supports the development of online book studies designed to strengthen existing and new practices within schools and with colleagues. In a professional book study, teachers draw on the expertise shared in books and articles to learn new instructional techniques with the goal of implementing these practices in the classroom or broadening their pedagogical knowledge. For a complete list of Book Clubs, please visit this page.
Preston County Deep Literacy Initiative – The Preston County Deep Literacy Learning (PCDLL) initiative seeks to meet the identified needs of Preston County related to literacy instruction and the development of professional learning communities. This is a partnership between the College of Human Resources & Education (HR&E) at West Virginia University and the Preston County Schools, Title I Programs. For more information, please contact, Judy Abbott at judy.abbott@mail.wvu.edu
National Writing Project (NWP) –
Does your school site need/want assistance with writing-related professional development? The National Writing Project at WVU offers a wide range of professional development presentations and support. Topics range from writing (and reading) across the curriculum to technology issues to readers’ theatre to digital storytelling to . . . just about anything your school site needs.
The WVU National Writing Project provides books and facilitators to PLC’s that are interested in strengthening writing instruction at their schools. We have a cadre of Benedum Collaborative coaches trained as NWP facilitators to support the enhancement of writing. Additionally the NWP offers two open institutes each summer: one for new teachers (three years or less of experience) and one for any teachers who want to participate. For more information, please contact Sheila Benson at Sheila.benson@mail.wvu.edu
Project/Problem Based Learning Professional Development Partnership – In partnership with the Buck Institute, the WV Department Education, and the WVU Benedum Collaborative, we are offering support for K-12 teachers and university faculty to engage in professional development related to PBL. For more information, please contact Diane Yendol-Hoppey at Diane.Yendolhoppey@mail.wvu.edu
Mentor Certification – The WVU Department of HR&E is joining with teachers and administrators from the Benedum Collaborative Professional Development Schools to create a Mentor Certification program that promotes the cultivation of high quality mentoring for prospective teachers as well as teachers within the induction years. For more information, please contact Sharon Hayes at sharon.hayes@mail.wvu.edu
Instructional Practice Inventory – November 12th Training; Created by Dr. Jerry Valentine, the Instructional Practice Inventory (IPI) helps educators: 1) Develop the skills to take quick snapshots of what is happening in classrooms to assess student engagement; 2) Observe instruction and create profiles of school-wide instructional practices, and 3) Learn how to use the profiles to engage faculty in discussions about instructional change and school-wide instructional goals. Benedum Collaborative PDSs interested in learning how to use this tool are invited to a special professional development opportunity offered on November, 2009. Registration for this event can be completed at:
Register: http://wvde.state.wv.us/pd/register/20091112_Instructional_Practices_Inv/index.php
For more information, please contact Richard Lawrence (rlawrenc@access.k12.wv.us) at or Diane Yendol-Hoppey (diane.yendolhoppey@mail.wvu.edu)
Elementary GLOBE Project – GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science and education program. GLOBE’s vision promotes and supports students, teachers and scientists to collaborate on inquiry-based investigations of the environment and the Earth system working in close partnership with NASA and NSF Earth System Science Projects (ESSPs) in study and research about the dynamics of Earth’s environment. PDS teachers Paul Steel (a third-grade teacher hosting an intern) and Sarah Wilson (a second-grade teacher hosting a participant) are collaborating with Dr. Jim Rye to learn about the GLOBE curriculum and planning its implementation. During the upcoming academic year, the team will involve both Suncrest prospective teachers and the prospective teachers enrolled in the Elementary Science Methods course required in the Five-Year Program. Next summer, the team plans to present their work to other PDS teachers. For more information, please contact Jim.rye@mail.wvu.edu
