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PD Learning Network – Professional Development Built by Teachers for Teachers

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PDLN’s exclusive courses build proficiency and certify competence in the classroom application of Chromebooks, Google, iPads, 1:1, digital citizenship, flipped instruction, 21st century skills and more. PDLN was founded by innovation-award-winning educators, curriculum experts, and edtech trainers.

Below is our interview with Jennifer Gibson, CEO at PD Learning Network:

Jennifer-Gibson

Q: Jennifer, how would you describe PD Learning Network in your own words?

A: PD Learning Network creates online EdTech professional development courses for educators. Courses are based upon proven skill mastery, rather than on attendance. Upon successful completion of a course, participants receive digital badges, and for PDLN’s 15 hour courses, optional university credit. Courses are designed/created by teachers with the goal of making every assessment something an educator can submit for evaluation as well as use in his/her classroom immediately. Participants can work through courses in the order they were designed, or they can skip around to find their personal topics of interest. Because the PDLN team is made of up educators, our goal is to give teachers PD that is useful, applicable, and affordable.

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Q: You’ve recently announced a new partnership with University of the Pacific’s Center for Professional and Continuing Education (CPCE); tell us something more.

A: The partnership between PDLN and CPCE is one of the first partnerships formed to offer university credit to educators for completing competency-based professional learning and earning micro-credentials. Because digital badges are fairly new to K12, they aren’t always recognized as legitimate markers of professional mastery by schools, districts, or even states. That’s why the PDLN-CPCE partnership is so important. When an educator earns a digital badge through this partnership, it means that the educator’s competency was evaluated by credentialed curriculum experts against a rigorous, standards- and a research-based rubric. This partnership gives another level of validity to the professional development work done by the educator, and often, earning university credit allows educators to move up the pay scale, or to be eligible for a different position within the district. Teachers can simultaneously learn, use what they learn, and advance professionally.

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Q: What’s the best thing about PD Learning Network that people might not know about?

A:

  • Our assessments are designed to be immediately applicable in the classroom
  • Our content is curated/created by educators with the goal of immediate use in classroom/teaching practice
  • Built by teachers for teachers
  • We issue an Open Badge, which means that the earner of the badge can represent their skills anywhere – they are not tied to a certain badging platform
    • Badges link to the course syllabus, earners have the choice to link their actual course work

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Q: What can we expect from you in next six months?

A: PDLN is excited about bringing new content and partnerships to K12 educators including resources for STEM/STEAM learning environments. As we add more content, we are excited to help educators display skills, knowledge, and experience in a meaningful way through digital badges. We will grow our content library, including projects with our newest partners, Dremel 3D printers, California Association of Latino Superintendents, and Canvas.

  • Microsoft training
  • STEM/STEAM
  • Content Creation
  • EdTech & Inclusion
  • Blended Learning
  • Digital Storytelling
  • Developing A Personal Learning Network
  • Project Based Learning
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