teacher.

             We live in an age of easy access to learning due to technology.  We can learn about any topic that we deem desirable.  To make learning the most useful for myself, I need to set a few guidelines for my future as a learner.  First, the learning must apply to my career as a teacher and coach that will directly impact my ability to help students achieve.  Second, the learning must come from a trusted source.  Finally, the learning must come at a low price if not free.  Within this criteria, I have decided on three separate topics that I want to learn more about.  They include, making social studies more engaging while aligned standards, using technology within the classroom and improving my golf coaching ability. 

             Most importantly, I need to keep my social studies curriculum alive and engaging for today’s learner.  The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) provides multiple opportunities to help improve my ability to teach social studies.  These opportunities include national and regional conferences, online workshops, a Live Learning Center to purchase tools to use in the classroom and off-site professional development. I most likely will get involved with local conferences, the online workshops and the Live Learning Center.  I would like the chance to attend the off-site professional development titled “Powerful and Authentic Social Studies (PASS).”  The program comes with a steep price, which may keep me away from this program.  However, the information learned within this program would benefit both me and my students.  PASS promises to engage student interest, using high standards that will enable students to achieve a much higher level of success. 

             I also need to keep up to date with the newest technology trends and how I can implement these trends into my classroom.  Glenn Wiebe continuously posts ideas about how to integrate technology into lessons on his History Tech blog.  I have used this blog often over the last few years.  I intend to continue to use this blog as I find very valuable ideas.  Just as a sample of information one can gather from his site, he has different posts about technology including, “Subversive Teaching and Video Games,” “Driving Creativity with Google Drive Apps,” “Virtual Globe Trotting with Google Maps,” ideas about how to use a flipped classroom and “Helping Students Experience the World Using Google Tools.”  Wiebe is very reputable, serving as a curriculum specialist and consultant in Kansas.  He currently travels around the country for on-site professional development and all of his content on his site is free.

             The other professional development opportunity, for the time being, that I would like to attend is an online workshop from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), for coaching high school golf.  I have played golf for years and coached the last two years.  However, I could use help on improving my ability to coach my varsity and junior varsity golfers.  This online workshop is organized into ten different topics ranging from building a program, to the swing, to creating golfers for life.  These topics would provide information that I could immediately apply to my golf program.  With completion of the program, I also would receive a NFHS Coaching Certification to show that I have an understanding and ability to coach and teach students in the game of golf.  The NFHS is a reputable organization around the United States, making this an intriguing course. 

             With the different modes of learning expressed above, I will be able to demonstrate to my students that even I am still learning, while also helping me become a better teacher.  Each opportunity will serve as a valuable experience, since they all directly impact a part of my professional life.  As a social studies teacher, I need to find a way to help keep students engaged in the learning process.  Part of this is achieved through the design of my lessons, which NCSS could help improve my abilities.  A second part is to use technology that helps students learns, while giving students excitement.  Glenn Wiebe does an excellent job doing this, making this a must use source in the future.  As a relatively new golf coach, I need to find ways to help improve my players all-around game, while learning how to motivate them to strive to be better.  The NFHS provides an opportunity that I should not ignore.