"Who Took My Chalk?" Pearson, The EdVenture Group Launch New Teacher Professional Development Program
Professional development designed to better incorporate 21st century skills into the classroom
Boston, MA (PRWEB) March 31, 2010
Pearson and The EdVenture Group today announced Who Took My Chalk?--a series of two-day professional development institutes designed to introduce administrators and teachers to what a true 21st century skills learning environment looks like, as well as provide strategies they can use to begin establishing the foundation and culture such an environment requires.
Who Took My Chalk? institute sessions focus a critical lens on how 21st century skills are used to create an engaging classroom through interactive discussions and hands-on activities that administrators and teachers can implement immediately in their schools. Participants also will discuss the common obstacles to creating a 21st century learning environment in their classrooms and gain a better understanding of the change process within school systems, including the relationship between positive attitudes, culture and change.
"We continue to invest in professional development programs that support teachers as they work to improve student achievement," said Susan Badger, CEO of Pearson's Teacher Education & Development Group. "Who Took My Chalk? is designed to give teachers a better understanding of the relationship between 21st century skills and student achievement, and includes a strong emphasis on an often-overlooked piece of the puzzle: helping teachers deal with change."
Who Took My Chalk? institutes will be held in Houston on June 14-15, 2010, with additional institutes scheduled for Chicago, Seattle, and Tucson. For schools and districts interested in bringing Who Took My Chalk? to a local audience, the institutes are also available for delivery on-site as a focused professional development event.
The EdVenture Group is an education consulting firm specializing in customized professional development, curriculum design and 21st century solutions for education and business. Built on more than 25 years of experience teaching and leading in K12 education, the organization's unique approach to creating and delivering solutions for their clients has impacted thousands of organizations and individuals. The EdVenture Group is one of the founding members of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills' Professional Development Affiliate Program.
The EdVenture Group believes that attitude change is critically important for the successful implementation of any large-scale initiative, including changes to the fundamental approach to education. Created from a classroom perspective, the Who Took My Chalk? program was based on techniques used by successful businesses to implement changes and new strategies in a global world.
"Who Took My Chalk? brings these effective change strategies to the education environment, providing educators the opportunity to analyze and discuss what needs to change, why it needs to change and how to change. The EdVenture Group is excited to partner with Pearson to expand this program," said Lydotta M. Taylor, President & CEO of The EdVenture Group.
Pearson's Teacher Education & Development Group is the only business in the education industry that is completely dedicated to supporting the education and professional development of teachers from preparation through practice, with content and services that represent the research and knowledge of America's leading education researchers. Respected imprints and programs, including Allyn & Bacon, Merrill and MyEducationLab, provide today's students who will be tomorrow's teachers with powerful insights and applications into how real-world classrooms work. In fact, six out of ten teachers in the United States used Pearson content and services in their teacher preparation programs, including customized solutions for alternative certification along with graduate degree program offerings.
Practicing teachers also benefit from evidence-based professional development programs in mathematics, literacy, RTI and for English learners that help improve the academic achievement of diverse student populations, including the recently acquired A+RISE business, with its Standards2Strategy database of online support. In addition, Pearson's SIOP® Model offers a specific, proven pedagogical approach to teaching both content knowledge and language skills, and has helped instruct millions of students in the United States. Pearson's other research-based offering for educators and school improvement includes the Assessment Training Institute (ATI), founded by Rick Stiggins, to coach educators on assessment for learning skills and practices; and Pearson Learning Teams, which helps teachers focus the 21st century skills of collaboration and problem solving on improving student achievement.
Pearson also offers diagnostic, research and evaluation services in order to help school districts measure the impact of their professional development initiatives and provide critical insights to guide decisions about follow-up training and support. In addition, Pearson's Evaluation Systems offers customized and off-the-shelf teacher certification assessments for more than 20 states, and partners with the National Board for Professional Teacher Standards to support their nationally recognized program. Online test preparation for these certification exams is also available from Pearson, including online test preparation for the Praxis exams.
About Pearson
Pearson has global-reach and market leading businesses in education, business information, and consumer publishing (NYSE: PSO).
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