Web-based Professional Development

eLearning Delaware uses a Web-based model to provide effective professional development opportunities that lead to gains in teachers’ content knowledge, improvements in their teaching practices, and an increase in the achievement levels of their students.

Note: The 2009-2010 school year marks the fifth and final year of a Federal grant that supports eLearning Delaware.

Incentives

Why take an eLearning Delaware online course? The obvious answer is that as a lifelong learner, you want to increase your skills and knowledge to better help your students achieve higher results. In addition, you will become part of a collaborative learning community and communicate with educators from across the K-12 education arena. BUT there are more, not so obvious answers. The first is that, upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion worth 30 clock hours that you can apply towards the 90 clock hours required for re-licensure. The second is that, upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a "goodie bag" from WHYY that includes a large cloth bag, USB hub, USB flash drive, sticky pad paper cube, pen, and calculator.

There is no $ cost associated with the eLDE online courses. The only “cost” is your time and effort. The courses are designed to take 4-5 hours per week or 30 hours total to complete and is done entirely online (no face-to-face sessions). Each course runs for seven weeks with an orientation week followed by 6 weeks of content. Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive the incentives listed above: a certificate for 30 clock hours that can be applied toward the 90 hour re-licensure requirement and a "goodie bag" (compliments of WHYY) worth approximately $50. The "goodie bag" consists of a large cloth bag, USB flash drive, USB hub, stickie pad, pen, and calculator.

eLDE Course Offering Schedule

eLearning Delaware (eLDE) is offering online professional development courses according to the following schedule for the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year.

Registration Website: http://dcet2.k12.de.us/elearn

The next opportunity to register for eLearning Delaware courses
begins Monday, March 22, 2010 at 8:00AM.

SPRING 2010

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 to Tuesday, June 8, 2010

The following courses will be offered during the Spring 2010 session with the possibility of additional courses:

• Designing a Virtual Field Trip
• Digital Storytelling in the Classroom
• Finding the Best Educational Resources on the Web
• Learning and Teaching with Web 2.0 Tools
• Supporting Student-Centered Learning with WebQuests 2.0
• Technology Integration with Thinkfinity (6-12)
• Using Patterns to Develop Algebraic Thinking
• Using Technology to Help Students Become Better Researchers
• Wikis in the Classroom

Two courses have been added to the offerings. These two courses have been developed BY Delaware educators FOR Delaware educators.

• Differentiating Instruction in the Classroom
• Educational Uses of Blogs and Wikis

Registration (http://dcet2.k12.de.us/elearn) will open on Monday, March 22, 2010 at 8:00AM and close on Sunday, April 18, 2010 at Midnight. Courses offerings are dependent upon minimum (12) and maximum (24) enrollments. 

SUMMER 2010

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 to Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The following courses will be offered during the Summer 2010 session with the possibility of additional courses:

• Beyond Your Schoolyard: Google Earth and Geospatial Technologies
• Differentiating Instruction to Accommodate Learning Styles
• Finding the Best Educational Resources on the Web
• Improving Reading and Writing in the Content Areas
• Making the Most of Adolescent Literature
• Transforming the Classroom with Project-Based Learning
• Using Digital Portfolios to Foster Student Learning
• Visual Literacy Strategies for the Classroom

Registration (http://dcet2.k12.de.us/elearn) will open on Monday, May 17, 2010 at 8:00AM and close on Sunday, June 13, 2010 at Midnight. Courses offerings are dependent upon minimum (12) and maximum (24) enrollments.

Take A Cluster / Lead A Course / Develop A Course

Learn more about eLearning Delaware with the clusters that were developed and how the State of Delaware has built capacity to deliver online courses by training online course facilitators and online course developers.

Course Catalog

eLearning Delaware currently delivers online professional development courses that are not associated with clusters. Check out the course catalog for available courses. Not all courses will be offered in each session.

Blackboard

eLearning Delaware uses the Blackboard course management system to deliver online professional development. Effective January 2009, the State of Delaware has its own version of Blackboard - http://delaware.blackboard.com. This system is used for the delivery of professional development and technical assistance.

Cluster Moratorium

Cluster Moratorium: Since the summer or 2006, eLearning Delaware has provided professional development clusters to the Delaware educational community. With the moratorium placed on clusters effective May 11, 2008 and extending at least through FY10 (Fiscal Year 2010 ends June 30, 2010), eLearning Delaware will be providing online professional development opportunites that are not associated with clusters. When the moratorium is lifted, eLearning Delaware will be in a position to begin offering cluster opportunities again.

With the moratorium on clusters, eLearning Delaware has “de-activated” previously offered clusters: Addressing Student Needs with Technology, Technology Implementation in the Classroom, Secondary Math, Secondary English Language Arts, and Secondary Social Studies. eLDE is offering the courses associated with those clusters as stand-alone offerings.

This means that when the moratorium on clusters is lifted the Addressing Student Needs with Technology, Technology Implementation in the Classroom, Secondary Math, Secondary English Language Arts, and Secondary Social Studies clusters will NOT be offered again.

This also means that if you have taken the Addressing Student Needs with Technology cluster, you have already taken the following three courses: Differentiating Instruction to Accommodate Learning Styles; Special Students in Regular Classrooms: Technology, Teaching and Universal Design; and Finding the Best Educational Resources on the Web.

If you have taken the Technology Implementation in the Classroom cluster, you have already taken the following three courses: Approaches and Tools for Developing Web-Enhanced Lessons; Transforming the Classroom with Project-Based Learning; and Designing a Virtual Field Trip.

If you have already taken the Secondary Math cluster, you have already taken the following three courses: Getting Ready for Algebra with Virtual Manipulatives, Using Patterns to Develop Algebraic Thinking, and Using Real Data in the Math Classroom.

If you have already taken the Secondary English Language Arts cluster, you have already taken the following three courses: Strategies and Tools for Teaching the Writing Process; Helping Struggling Readers Improve Comprehension; and Making the Most of Adolescent Literature.

If you have already taken the Secondary Social Studies cluster, you have already taken the following three courses: Improving Reading and Writing in the Content Areas; Integrating Primary Sources into the Social Studies Classroom; and Using Technology to Support Research and Presentation.

Contact Information

For more information on how to become involved in eLearning Delaware, please contact us at whartschuh@doe.k12.de.us

eLearning Delaware is Delaware’s implementation of the e-Learning for Educators Initiative, a project funded through a federal Ready to Teach grant and a multi-state collaboration between ten state education agencies and associated public broadcast stations. eLearning Delaware partners are the Delaware Center for Educational Technology, the Delaware Department of Education, and WHYY.