Fall Professional Development Opportunities

Are you looking for some additional professional learning support or opportunities for continuing to deepen your practice? Check out the myriad offerings from some of our certified professional development providers open to registration this fall!

To register for any of these opportunities, please reach out to the provider directly and/or visit their website using the information in the Certified PD Provider Directory.

Academic Discoveries

Unit 2 Launch (October 1, 8:00–3:00, Southborough): Please join us in diving deeper into Unit 2 for Investigating History. We will analyze how the curriculum supports student engagement through inquiry-based practices. During our workshop, we explore pedagogical practices that support all learners. $300/person or $1000/team.

Inquiry-Based Practices (October 8, 8:00–3:00, Southborough): In this workshop, educators will learn new approaches to engage students through inquiry. Participants will have opportunities to share their current practices and to learn new ways of supporting learning for all students. $300/person or $1000/team.

Investigating History — When the Brain Learns Differently (October 25, 8:00–2:30, Southborough): In this workshop, educators will learn new concepts about supporting students with disabilities in their social science classrooms. Participants will have opportunities to dive into lessons and learn how to differentiate lessons to support all learners. $300/person or $1000/team.

Cor Creative Partners and Academic Discoveries

Virtual Masterclass Series (October 3, 10, 17, and 24; 2:30–3:30): This is a four-part masterclass series for experienced teachers. Participants will unpack and share methods to utilize the Investigating History curriculum to center students as they build their leadership skills and become independent learners. Sessions will include opportunities to apply learning and debrief classroom experiences with other committed educators. Teachers will leave feeling energized to bring the IH curriculum to life. Sessions address creating an IH-ready learning environment, making learning accessible to all students, promoting effective student discourse, and implementing equitable assessment practices. $700 for the series.

Cor Creative Partners

Unit Launch Series: This series is for educators new to the Investigating History Curriculum. Each session provides hands-on learning experiences that immerse participants in the inquiry and investigation approach from both the student and teacher perspectives. The series will cover key content and skills for Units 1-4, allowing educators to internalize, practice, and effectively plan for the upcoming unit within a supportive community of peers. Participants may sign up for sessions individually or for the series as a whole. $350/session; $1200 for all four sessions.

Lindsay Lyons and Kara Pranikoff

Investigating History Eduboost: Developing a strong teaching practice involves a constant cycle of reflection, planning, and implementation. Whether you are new to the curriculum or a returning teacher, gain the benefit of coaching through an online platform where you can ask any question you have about implementation of IH and receive a personal answer within-24 hours. We are open to any topics, but common areas for coaching include: specific lesson related questions, use of assessment data, developing inquiry routines, getting kids to ask good questions, differentiating materials, equitable grading, student-led discussions. $500/teacher for 10 weeks.

Local Civics

Unpacking Summative Assessments for Units 1 and 2 (October 15, 3:00–5:00) and Focusing on Differentiation and Scaffolding for All Learners (October 26, 2024, 9:00–11:00): We look forward to supporting even more educators across Massachusetts through this virtual professional development! Each fall session includes a package with a two-hour professional development session and three 30-minute coaching sessions to support specific needs. $500/person.

Primary Source

Virtual Asynchronous Unit Overview Courses: These courses are invaluable in supporting educators in successfully navigating and implementing challenging topics from the Investigating History curriculum in their classrooms. Each unit overview course mirrors the content and experience of a full-day seminar with a combination of scholar presentations and unit implementation advice from the authors of Investigating History, covering approximately six hours of material. Each course includes facilitation advice, making it a great solution for in-district self-facilitation. Teachers can complete these courses independently, in groups, or in any way that works for your district! $300/course.

Civics and Current Connections in the Grades 6/7 Curriculum (January 29, 9:00–3:00, Bentley University): Learn how Investigating History units connect to current events and issues in order to deepen student engagement and build their civic identities (a K–12 project!). The middle school approach of IH does this in a distinctive way by introducing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals applicable to each world region to prompt reflection about how the ancient and modern worlds confronted and tried to solve challenges. Further, it prompts students to explore how social justice has been envisioned and attempted in different eras and places, making history a grand laboratory of civic ideas and experimentation. This course is specifically designed to support teachers of grades 6 and 7. $500/person.

 
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