Month: November 2016

Important Changes to Teacher Professional Development Programs

Professional Development Summer Institute for Teachers 06162016019The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences (CLS) made important changes that will impact departments and faculty who have offered Teacher Professional Development courses or State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs) for teachers attending workshops or events.

It is hoped these changes will make things easier for you and your attendees and also provide teachers with graduate credit or SCECHs for their continuing education.

CLS is now accepting online proposals for Teacher Professional Development courses for institutes to be held next summer. These courses provide graduate credit to participants and allow you to pass the handling of course logistics off to CLS’s Teacher Professional Development Coordinator, Rachelle Gariepy. We deal with collecting teacher applications for your course, assuring students are registered as degree seeking or non-degree seeking students, verifying teaching certificates, working with teachers to gain admittance into the Graduate School, arranging housing and meal coordination and assisting with advertising.

Complete the link below to request your educational offering for teachers takes advantage of these services. In addition, if you would like to have your course advertised at the Michigan Science Teachers Association or the National Science Teachers Association annual conferences, course proposals must be submitted prior to Jan. 27. In order to offer a Teacher Professional Development course, you must fill out this proposal.

The CLS department will now be working with the state to offer approved SCECH programs in which teachers are the primary focus. Historically, faculty have worked with the Copper Country Intermediate School District (CCISD) to provide this service. SCECHs are used by teachers to apply toward renewing their teaching certificate or advancing from a provisional to a professional level teaching certificate. If you are interested in applying for a State-approved SCECHs program, contact Gariepy. Be advised that all SCECH proposals submitted to the CCISD in the future will be returned to the CLS department for processing.

If you have any questions about how our Teacher Professional Development programs can assist you in your work with K12 teachers, feel free to contact Gariepy or CLS Department Chair Susie Amato-Henderson.