Overview

The Pennsylvania Department of Education
English as a Second Language (ESL)

2008-2009 Professional Development Opportunities

The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Teaching and Learning Support, is offering professional development opportunities to provide English as a Second Language (ESL) support to local education agencies (LEAs). This support is designed to build the capacity of educators and administrators to improve the achievement of English Language Learners (ELLs).

In order to best meet your training needs, professional development opportunities are being offered in a variety of formats this year – video conferences, live online trainings via Elluminate® and prerecorded trainings available for viewing at any time. 

Video Conferences
Live video conferences will be hosted in Harrisburg and be broadcast to various downlink sites at Penn State University campus locations throughout the state. Participants may attend the live site or one of the downlink sites.

Pre-registration and lunch: Pre-registration for all video conferences is strongly encouraged. Participants who register during the open registration period will receive lunch. Individuals who register late or on-site the day of the event, will need to bring/acquire lunch at their own expense. The PA Department of Education and the Center for Schools and Communities will NOT reimburse participants for these lunch expenses.

Live Online Trainings
A number of professional development opportunities will be offered exclusively on the internet via Elluminate®. Participants will be able to log in to the trainings from any location with a computer (with speakers) and an internet connection (for sessions that allow voice communication, participants will need a microphone). These trainings will be no longer than two hours in duration each. Online trainings longer than two hours are broken into multiple sessions that are scheduled on different days.

Recorded Trainings
A number of pre-recorded trainings will be posted to this portal and will be available for viewing at any time. Additionally, as the recordings of live sessions are processed following each live session, they will be added to the recorded trainings page. 

Target Audience

  • Directors of ESL Programs
  • ESL Teachers/Coordinators
  • Directors of Pupil Services
  • Building Administrators
  • Central Office Administrators
  • District Teams
  • Content Teachers
  • Paraprofessionals
  • Special Education Teachers
  • Guidance Counselors
  • Intermediate Unit ESL program coordinators
  • Federal Program Coordinators


Act 48 Credits

The Center for Schools and Communities, as a division of the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit, offers Act 48 professional development credit for those with Pennsylvania teaching or administrative certificates. Participants must attend the online workshop from beginning to end to receive credit. A Center for Schools & Communities staff member will track your participation during the online session. Within five (5) business days of the completion of the session, you will receive, by e-mail, the required Act 48 form for completion. If you are interested in receiving Act 48 credit, please check the appropriate box on the online registration form.

Please note: In order to receive Act 48 credit you MUST list your Professional ID # on the appropriate Act 48 paperwork supplied after the event. If you are unsure of your Professional ID # you can look it up prior to the event, by going to the Pennsylvania Department of Education website (www.pde.state.pa.us ) and clicking on the "Act 48 Reporting System" link under the Access Services column and then click on the "Get Your Professional Personnel ID" link and complete the required information.

Recording of Professional Development Trainings 

Video and/or audio recordings are planned for most of the 2008-09 professional development trainings. Participants registering for these video conference and web-based trainings indicate their willingness to participate in sessions that are being recorded and archived on the web for future viewing. Sessions not being recorded and/or archived are identified in the individual training descriptions.


Questions

For additional questions, please contact: Center for Schools and Communities, by phone at: 717-763-1661