Professional Development Opportunities

Teacher Institute at Longwood Gardens

Discover Learning at Longwood Gardens! A variety of professional development opportunities introduce classroom content through a combination of tours, lectures, and hands-on activities.

Designing Schoolyard Landscapes for Learning
DATE: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday June 21-23, 9:00a.m. – 3:30p.m.
Cost: $75 passholder; $80 non-passholder
CODE: NC10SYD
CREDIT: 18 hours of Act 48.
Schoolyard gardens and habitats provide excellent opportunities for cross-curricular learning while fostering awareness of the environment, wildlife, nutrition, life skills, and gardening.  This workshop is designed to train teachers on how to design and implement schoolyard gardens or habitats that incorporate direct links to classroom curriculum. Participants will learn practical information about implementing a garden or natural habitat project; visit local schoolyard gardens and receive feedback from the teachers that realized them; participate in hands-on demonstrations; and take home curriculum resources and plant material! This workshop is offered in partnership with Delaware Nature Society. Lunch included on Tuesday and Wednesday.

All about Plants! 
DATE: Thursday June 24, 9:00a.m. - 3:30p.m.
Cost: $25 passholder; $30 non-passholder
CODE: NC10AAP
CREDIT: 6 hours of Act 48.

Get to know the basics of roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits through hands-on discovery and instruction. Participants will be introduced to the Plant Kingdom, Plant Morphology, and Propagation techniques that are easily translated into activities to do with students. Longwood staff will provide resource materials and plants to take home!

Introduction to Digital Storytelling
DATE: Friday, June 25; 9:00a.m. - 3:30p.m.
FEE: $45 passholder; $50 non-passholder
CODE: NC10IDS
CREDIT: 6 hours of Act 48.
Digital storytelling combines images and narration allowing people to communicate their unique vision and thoughts about the world. This workshop is designed to introduce educators to digital storytelling technology and its applications for classroom use.  Participants will learn practical tips about basic digital photography, how to manipulate images, and add narration and music to complete a digital story project that can be shared with others.  Laptops, PhotoStory 3 software, and Nikon cameras will be provided. Everyone will receive a memory stick, on which to store instructional resources and their completed digital story projects! 

Designing Schoolyard Landscapes for Learning II
DATE: Monday, Tuesday, June 28-29, 9:00a.m. – 3:30p.m.
FEE: $75 passholder; $80 non-passholder
CODE: NC10DLL2
CREDIT: 12 hours of Act 48.
Building on the information presented in the workshop “Designing a Schoolyard Landscape for Learning,” this workshop will dig more deeply into the principals and considerations of designing schoolyard gardens as well as the tips and tricks for preparing and installing successful garden projects on the school grounds.  Workshop activities will include presentations on garden design fundamentals, visits to area school gardens, hands-on activities to provide first-hand experience installing gardens, and collaborative working sessions focusing on design and installation.  Please bring a school site plan and/or measurements of the area of the grounds to be planted.  Participants are strongly encouraged to attend the workshop with a colleague from their school.  To register for this workshop, teachers must a) have participated in the workshop Designing a Schoolyard Landscape for Learning,  b) be working with a participant Designing Schoolyard Landscapes for Learning, or c) have experience with schoolyard gardening projects and receive approval of the instructors. This workshop is a partnership with the Delaware Nature Society.


To register for Teacher Institute workshops,click here.

Finding the Fun in Teaching Science

Come spend an interactive day loose in the lab with
Science Explorers and earn 6 units of your Act 48 credits with us! Open to teachers in grades K-6. Click here to register.

Friday April 23, 2010

Cost
$195.00 per person (Includes Catered Lunch)
3 or more teachers from same school $175.00 per person
(Submit your registration forms together to receive discount!)

Literacy in Bloom

Engage in literacy activities inspired by the natural surroundings, participate in "behind the scenes" tours by Longwood Gardens' professional staff, research a topic of personal interest, and collaborate with other teachers to create nature-inspired learning experiences for your students. In partnership with The Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project, earn three graduate credits spending five Saturdays at beautiful Longwood Gardens! For more information, click here.

Dates: July 12 - 16, 2010. Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Attend Cultural Events and receive Act 48 Credit!

The Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership is offering two ways for K-12 teachers throughout Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties to attend programs at participating performing and visual arts institutions and recieve Act 48 credit. And, tickets are tax-deductible! For more information, click here.