When I first began this inquiry project, I only wanted to focus on free online courses that offered professional development. I felt like I needed to use something that was structured like a typical course because I learn better that way. After struggling to work on my inquiry project for a few weeks, I decided I needed a new approach.
I searched for some new free professional development activities pre-service teachers could look into, but I had a hard time. Then, in the middle of searching, I found edWeb. They offer free online webinars for educators, and they’ve worked with many different organizations and educators. I realized that at the beginning of this inquiry, I hadn’t kept an open mind. While I have had experiences where I’ve listened to something and not retained what I learned, I’ve also had experiences where I’ve retained more.
After reflecting on this, I decided to watch this webinar on reading strategies, as this is a topic I’m interested in. I’m so glad I did! It was only an hour long, so I found it to be less overwhelming. It also gave me some great insights into reasons why students might have reading challenges, and strategies we might want to use to help them. I think this will definitely be of help to any pre-service or current teacher, as you never know who will be in your class!
Until next time!