TELS Professional Development Activities

TELS researchers have collaborated with over 50 schools in six states to provide and investigate professional development that helps teachers plan, carry out, and customize TELS curriculum projects.

The TELS project offered a three-tiered certificate for teachers who became proficient in using educational technology as part of curricula that involve scientific inquiry. TELS teachers could earn continuing education credit for achieving each of the certificate tiers.

Our professional development activities have included topics that teachers have said would be useful for carrying out TELS projects. At the behest of the teachers, we conducted a series of annual workshops to address issues such as:

• Managing projects that use scientific inquiry
• Interacting with small groups who encounter difficulties
• Identifying examples to add to the mix of ideas that students express about scientific topics

Participation in the TELS Project