5 alternatives to the traditional professional development.

YEA SUMMER TIME!  Time to relax, put your feet up, and sleep in....Ya right....

As many educators know this is the time of the year to review what went right and what went wrong in our classes.  Also, it's the time of the year for some professional development.

What?  You haven't signed up for any because it's too late?!  Well, here are 5 easy (and cheap) alternatives to the traditional professional development.


#1 - EdX - Wow!  This is not your normal free college course resource.  I once tried a course based upon comic book heroes. The course include video lectures, discussion boards, short self graded tests, and peer feedback.  These courses are very engaging.  The pool of universities are limited to a small number. Some of these include MIT, Harvard, UC Berkley, and Boston University. Finally, as with most online classes they are all on demand.Click here to learn more about EdX

#2 - Read a book- I love this option.  It's not only the simplistic, but most convenient.  You can complete this any place. While on the sunny beach, on that long flight to paradise, or just snuggling in bed.  Also, you get to focus on the subject you want.  This summer I plan on reading about the war of 1812.

#3 -  Open Educational Database- This is the Costco of EdX.  Nearly every kind of course you can image can be found.  And like EdX, all courses are free, and each include videos. Click here to learn more about Open Educational Database.

#4 -  Free Social Studies webinars with the American Institute for History Education (AIHE).  These are top-notch Social Studies webinars.  The webinars are both content and methods webinars.  Once you have completed viewing some of the recorded webinars, you may take a short quiz and then receive a certificate of completion.  If you are a history teacher, these are awesome webinars.  The speakers are experts in their field, and I ALWAYS learn something new from every webinar. Click here for more information about the AIHE webinars.

#5 - EXPLORE:  Turn a family vacation into a family field trip.  When visiting San Francisco take sometime to visit the old Nike Missile sites.  When in any state capital, take an hour or two to tour the capital buildings.  All the kids will love this tour. Check out the architecture, learn about the state and their history. With a little planning, you can always learn something new to take back with you to your class while relaxing with the family!

LOOKING for the best social studies resources/ activities on the Internet?  Check out the Social-Studies-Super-Store.