Indiana State University Newsroom

A variety of professional development will be open to teachers and administrators statewide in June with Indiana State University's new summer workshop series, INSPIRES (INdividualized Support Programs and Information Resources for Educators and Schools).

"We wanted to provide an opportunity for teachers to select workshops specific to their own or their school needs and plans," said Judy Sheese, assistant dean of teacher education and community outreach in the Bayh College of Education. "The school year can be extremely busy, so these workshops are available early in the summer. Teachers sign up for one or as many workshops as they want because they don't overlap and they can complete some professional development point requirements early."

Registration is open for the seven workshops are two days each and will run June 9-July 1 at University Hall, Room 325. Because a maximum of 45 participants will be allowed per workshop, early registration is encouraged.

The cost is $109 per workshop, including parking. Workshops will run 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. each day and some workshops may require materials. Participants should bring a lunch. Lodging, if needed, is available at a low cost in one of Indiana State's newly updated, air conditioned residence halls.

Indiana State faculty and other experts will serve as presenters, and each workshop will provide 12 contact hours for professional growth points. Certificates will be provided.

The topics, which were selected with input from schools and teachers, include: Special education for the classroom teacher, reading strategies for middle and high school teachers, math strategies using technology, technology in the classroom, behavior management, strategies for teachers of English language learners, and crisis intervention. Topics at the workshop will vary each year.

"Being responsive is the key," Diana Randolph, student support specialist for the Bayh College of Education, said. "We get a lot of feedback throughout the year from events we do, and we want to be responsive to what we hear about the needs of teachers."

Sheese said it is the Bayh College's mission to support teachers in schools across the state, and the workshops are "a workable way" to do that.

"Teachers are life-long learners by nature and they know what they want to learn more about," she said. "That's why it's important we provide teachers individualized options."

Registration is available at https://isu-aceweb-001.indstate.edu/ShowGroups.awp. For more information, call 812-237-3131.