Professional development for educators
Collaborate with other like-minded educators to share ideas, learn from one another, and implement new techniques in the classroom.
What we believe about adult learning
As an education organization, our work is anchored in the best practices for how people learn. When we provide any professional learning opportunity, from an individual coaching session to an online course to multi-day in-person training, we strive to provide an experience that meets the following principles:
- Learning is social
- Learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented
- Learning is continuous
- Learning is relevant and honors previous experiences and knowledge
In addition, we believe that fostering authentic connections between teachers in our programs is the foundation for uniting our world through global education. Why wait for an annual conference or professional development day to have these opportunities? A core element of our professional development offerings is the Community of Practice.
Introducing Communities of Practice
Within a community of practice, continuous, problem-centered learning can fit into busy teacher schedules and happen more frequently. Communities of Practice provide an opportunity for educators to connect around similar topics, passions, and areas of expertise. They encourage information and knowledge sharing, allow for instant feedback and collaboration, and have the potential to connect educators from around the world.
Communities of Practice are the cornerstone of our exclusive professional learning platform. Each community offers a tailored experience with downloadable resources, live webinars, discussion forums, and courses to earn digital badges.
How does a Community of Practice differ from traditional professional development?
Communities of Practice are different from professional learning networks (PLNs) because teachers do not only learn new techniques, they get the opportunity to actively apply that learning to a certain problem they are having within their teaching practice. Within Communities of Practice teachers are sharing their experiences while problem-solving together in an iterative process of feedback and connection that occurs in real time.
Feedback from teachers
Educators in our communities are raving about their experiences within the communities of practice. Why do they come back each week?
- Strong source of connection and support
- Important source of learning and development
- Source of inspiration
- Relevant content: teachers can apply what they learn
- Engagement around global education topics
“You cannot imagine how much I love to be in touch with each one of you! Thanks for sharing with us your knowledge and amazing ideas.”
– Hector Guevara Galiano
“I like that we share some experiences, feelings, tools, and lots of optimism. Another thing I like about the chats is the frequency, I can recognize some faces of other teachers and of course, learn more.”
– Gemma Ruiz Velasco
“Starting to use Padlet with my students! I hope they like the activity. Thanks to all the #unitedweteach community for encouraging me to learn and try new activities with my students!”
-Cecilia Camarero
United We Teach
This community serves as a global gathering place for teachers from all over the world to share stories and support one another as we all adapt to teaching and learning during the current global pandemic. Through live chats and discussion threads, this community tackles a variety of topics related to best practices for digital and global learning.
Upcoming opportunities
We will regularly share links and registration information of opportunities for professional development for global educators. Until our next opportunity, you can watch the recordings from our most recent event, the United We Teach Summit.
