instructional technology network
tri-county educational service center

If you’re looking for some professional development options during the summer that don’t even require leaving the house, take a look at the online professional development offerings from state edtech partners, PBS and eTech Ohio. These courses cover a wide variety of subject disciplines and both course providers offer graduate credit options through multiple universities.

WVIZ/PBS TeacherLine
(http://www.wviz.org/edsvcs/teacherline/TriCountyModules.asp)

• Spring HQT session begins April 7. $300
• Summer/Summer HQT Session I begins June 10. $200/$300
• Summer/Summer HQT Session II begins July 1. $200/$300
• Registration for TeacherLine courses available up until the course begins

eTech Ohio eLearning
(http://www.etech.ohio.gov/programs/elearning/)

• Summer registration deadline: April 23. Courses begin June 15. $50

American Museum of Natural History’s “OLogy” is a good source of information on science and social studies topics, such as biology, archeology, and even mythology. Each area of the site has information, illustrations, and interactive modules for exploring the topic.

“With age-appropriate content in archaeology, astronomy, biodiversity, genetics, marine biology, paleontology, and physical science, OLogy makes science learning rich and engaging. Educators can find suggestions and tips on how to use the OLogy Web site in the Educator’s Guides. They can also use the index provided below to sort by grade, title, type, and topic; while kids can explore the Web site itself at http://www.ology.amnh.org.”

This resource is targeted toward ages 7 to 12. I recommend checking out the Site Map for a quick survey of the site’s activities.