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Incredible Resources at Your Fingertips
hether you are a first-year teacher or a seasoned one, by now you can probably attest to the fact that teachers spend considerable time learning, whether formally or informally. Findings from a 2022 National Survey of Educators in district, charter, and private schools, conducted by EdChoice, indicate that 43% of teachers spend between 1-3 hours a week on professional learning (McShane 2022).
Consider technology for classroom use, for example. Over the last ten to twelve years or so, we have had to learn how to incorporate smart boards, implement one-to-one devices, adopt Google Suite, Google Classroom or other LMS platforms, blended learning, robotics, video production, school broadcasting, and now AI!
In addition, according to the MDR Report on Classroom Trends, teachers spend on average between 4-5 hours a week searching for instructional materials and/or creating their own (EdNET Insight Report, 2016). Altogether, that amounts to a lot of time!
Fortunately, as an Adventist teacher, there are a number of resources already available to you. The NAD provides teachers with free access to a host of online professional learning courses and resources offered through the Adventist Learning Community (ALC), in partnership with the NAD Office of Education.
To begin on ALC, use your Adventist Education Dashboard username and password to login. This login information connects your ALC account to your Conference and Union Registrar, so you can automatically report and track all your professional learning.
Take a look at some of the resources available on ALC for Adventist teachers. (Click on a heading to view details.)
Spring ’23
PD Courses
On ALC, select the “teacher” audience filter to browse through the topic sliders. You’ll find online NAD curriculum training for Encounter, Pathways, Mental Health for Educators, courses in teaching STEM, technology, plus all the NAD Marzano SBL training courses.
Courses are self-directed, so you can take any and as many courses as you want at your own pace and convenience. Are you interested in a specific topic? Type in key words in the search bar and explore all the options!
Simple K12 Mini Courses
As an NAD teacher, you have free access to all SimpleK12 mini courses! There are over 4, 500 courses on a myriad of topics related to classroom teaching and learning, each only 30-min long. Type in key words in the search bar to get started or browse through the Simple K12 course sliders.
Academic Credit Courses
Do you need academic credits to renew your NAD Certification? Check out the 5 courses offered by Andrews University, through ALC, each worth 1 graduate academic credit. The courses are free, simply pay $150 to Andrews for a recording fee and transcript.
Live Events
ALC now hosts live events or webinars. Look for announcements on upcoming events, join live or watch the recording afterwards. Fill out the CEU request form at the end to earn your continuing education credit.
Adventist Teacher Connect
Join Adventist Teacher Connect and collaborate with teachers and classrooms around the Division and around the world. Browse through teacher profiles and organize a virtual connection with a classroom or record and share videos with your partner class of activities you work on together. In addition, check out the project page to find PBL project starters that align with and build on our Adventist world view.
STEM Cohorts
New 2023 cohorts starting soon! If you are interested in STEM teaching, sign up to join one of the 5 cohorts that will run this spring for 6 weeks, each led by a STEM expert. Join live sessions and engage in discussions with your fellow teachers. Facilitators will share model STEM lessons for you to teach in your class and will provide coaching and feedback on writing your own STEM lesson plans. Look out for sign-up information coming soon.
STEM Tuesdays videos
Watch a STEM video lesson with your students each week! Download the lesson plan and have your students try out the experiment themselves. Each week of the month, a different grade level group is targeted: grades PreK-2, grades 3-5, grades 6-8, and grades 9-12.
CIRCLE Database
From articles and research on Adventist education, to shared lesson plans and units, the CIRCLE database contains a wealth of information and resources from various Divisions related to Adventist education. Do you have instructional resources you have created? We welcome you to share them here!
Toolbox
When you have taken the Standards-based Learning trainings, you will be given access to the Teacher Toolbox, where you can find proficiency scales, unit plans, pacing guides, and instructional resources by standard. Access is granted by your Conference.
The next time you sit down to look for teaching and learning resources, remember to check out the Adventist Learning Community! Explore, learn, connect, and share!
Goldbert, M. (2016). Classroom Trends: Teachers as Buyers of Instructional Materials and Users of Technology. EdNET Insight Report, State of the K-12 Market 2016.
McShane, M. Q. (2022). How Do Teachers Spend Their Time? Reporting Findings from a National Survey of Educators in District, Charter, and Private Schools. EdChoice.
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