IDEAS delivers online professional development courses to teachers
There is a reason why most colleges are filled with young people—most don't have day jobs. Arkansas teachers now have the flexibility to take courses whenever it fits into their schedules, thanks to a new Internet portal that delivers online professional development to the state's teachers, reports eSchool News
The portal created by the Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas Educational Television Network, and PBS TeacherLine helps teachers fulfill the state requirement of 60 professional development hours per year.
Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced the Internet-Delivered Education for Arkansas Schools (IDEAS) at a news conference.
Arkansas IDEAS will take professional development where the teachers are and help the state continue to lead the way in education."
The program offers free online courses which can be credited to teachers' professional development requirements. Through the web portal, teachers can access 70 PBS TeacherLine courses. Teachers can also take courses in digital literacy and integrating technology into the classroom.
There are 4,000 course enrollments being offered this year. A typical course lasts six weeks.