Professional Development Institute
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Each PDI online course has a modestly-priced required resource book. The final assignment in the course is based on this book. Questions? Click here to send a message to Samantha Moore, PDI Program Coordinator, for assistance.
Active and Hands-on Science Instruction
“On Teaching Science: Principles and Strategies that Every Educator Should Know” by Jeffrey Bennett
Anti-Bullying Strategies for Primary Grades
“Little Girls Can Be Mean" by Michelle Anthony and Reyna Lindert
Best Practices for a Successful Primary Classroom
“At-Risk Students: Transforming Student Behavior” by Charisse Beach
Best Practices for a Successful 4th-6th Grade Classroom
"Mindsets in the Classroom: Building a Growth Mindset Learning Community" by Mary Cay Ricci
Best Practices for a Successful Middle School Classroom
“Managing Your Classroom with Heart: A Guide for Nurturing Adolescent Learners” by Katy Ridnouer
Best Practices for a Successful High School Classroom
“Discipline in the Secondary Classroom: A Positive Approach to Behavior Management” by Randall S. Sprick
Building Critical Social and Emotional Skills Using Literature
"The Trauma-Sensitive Classroom" by Patricia A. Jennings
Bullying: Awareness, Intervention, and Prevention
“Bullying Hurts: Teaching Kindness Through Read Alouds and Guided Conversations” by Lester Laminack and Reba Wadsworth
Character Education for the 21st Century
“Discipline that Restores: Strategies to Create Respect, Cooperation, and Responsibility in the Classroom” by Ron and Roxanne Claassen
Classroom Management Strategies for High School Teachers
“The Quick Guide to Classroom Management: 45 Secrets that All High School Teachers Need to Know” by Richard James Rogers
Classroom Management Survival Course
“Keep Calm and Teach” by Victoria Lentfer
Comprehension: The Key to Successful Reading
“The Ultimate Small-Group Reading How-To Book” by Gail Saunders-Smith
Comprehension Strategies for Middle and Upper Grades
“Comprehension Connections: Bridges to Strategic Reading” by Tanny McGregor
Conquering the Behavioral Challenges of Special Needs Students
“Lost and Found: Helping Behaviorally-Challenging Students” by Ross W. Greene
Content Area Multi-Sensory Teaching for Students with Special Needs
“Building on the Strengths of Students with Special Needs” by Toby Karten
The Daily 5
“Reading in the Wild” by Donalyn Miller
Data-Driven Instruction
“How Teachers Can Turn Data into Action” by Daniel R. Venables
Designing and Creating a WebQuest
“Web Literacy for Educators” by Alan November
Developing Phonemic Awareness in Emergent Readers
“A Fresh Look at Phonics” by Wiley Blevins
Differentiated Instruction: One Size Does Not Fit All
“How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms” by Carol Ann Tomlinson
Digital Storytelling: Using Technology to Write Stories
“Make Me a Story: Teaching Writing Through Digital Storytelling” by Lisa C. Miller
Educating the Whole Student: Mindfulness and Social-Emotional Learning in the Classroom
“Cultivating Mindfulness in the Classroom” by Jeanie M. Iberlin
Educational Technology 101
"Integrating Technology into the Curriculum” by Kathleen Kopp
Effective Strategies for Emergent and Early Writers
“The Writing Teacher's Companion” by Ralph Fletcher
Effective Strategies to Improve Student Writing
“Joy Write: Cultivating High-Impact Low-Stakes Writing” by Ralph Fletcher
Effectively Using iPads to Transform the Classroom
“Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works” by Howard Pitler, Elizabeth Hubbell, and Matt Kuhn
ELL Strategies for Mainstreamed Students
“Unlocking English Learners' Potential: Strategies for Making Content Accessible” by Diane Staehr Fenner and Sydney Snyder
Embracing Diversity and Equity Through Culturally Responsive Teaching
“Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching and Learning” by Sharroky Hollie
Engaging, Motivating, and Managing Your Students
“Passionate Learners: How to Engage and Empower Your Students” by Pernille Ripp
The Flipped Classroom: An Interactive Approach to Student Engagement
“Flipped Learning: Gateway to Student Engagement” by Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams
Focus on Phonics
“Making Sense of Phonics: The Hows and Whys” by Isabel L. Beck and Mark E. Beck
Google as a Classroom Tool for Learning
“Enhancing the Art and Science of Teaching with Technology” by Sonny Magana and Robert Marzano
Guided Reading 101
“Who's Doing the Work? How to Say Less so Readers Can Do More” by Jan Burkins and Kim Yaris
Guiding Emergent and Early Writers to Success
“Teaching Beginning Writers” by David L. Coker and Kristen D. Ritchey
Helping Middle Grade Struggling Writers Achieve Success
“Wrestling with Writing” by Nicholas Young, Bryan Thors Noonan, & Kristen Bonanno-Sotiropoulos
Implementing the Workshop Model in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science
“Reading Workshop 2.0: Supporting Readers in the Digital Age” by Frank Serafini
Improving Your Students' Test Taking Skills
“Test-Taking Strategies (Study Smart Series)” by Judi Kesselman-Turkel and Franklynn Peterson
Instilling a Growth Mindset in Students
“Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” by Angela Duckworth
Interventions for Middle Grade Struggling Readers
“From Striving to Thriving: How to Grow Confident, Capable Readers” by Stephanie Harvey and Annie Ward
Learner-Centered Math Instruction Using Manipulatives
“Guided Math: A Framework for Math Instruction” by Laney Sammons
Making the Most of the Internet in the Classroom
“The Classroom Teacher's Technology Survival Guide” by Doug Johnson
Mastering Google Apps for Education
“Tasks Before Apps: Designing Rigorous Learning in a Tech-Rich Classroom” by Monica Burns
Mastering the Text Complexity Challenge in Grades 4-8
“Text Complexity: Raising Rigor in Reading” by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Diane Lapp
Math Manipulatives in the Primary Classroom
“Guided Math Conferences” by Laney Sammons
Math Problem-Solving Strategies for Grades 3-6
““Making Number Talks Matter” by Cathy Humphreys and Ruth Parker
Middle School Math Problem Solving
“Modeling with Mathematics: Authentic Problem Solving in Middle School” by Nancy Butler Wolf
Motivating and Engaging Middle and High School Students
“Empower Your Students: Tools to Inspire a Meaningful School Experience” by Lauren Porosoff and Jonathan Weinstein
Multimedia Project Design and Development
“The Digital Writing Workshop” by Troy Hicks
A New Approach to Spelling Instruction
“Spelling K-8: Planning and Teaching” by Diane Snowball and Faye Bolton
The Next Generation Science Standards
“Proficiency Scales for the New Science Standards: A Framework for Science Instruction and Assessment” by Robert Marzano, David Yanoski, and Diane Paynter
Preparing English Language Learners for Success
“Navigating the Common Core with English Language Learners” by Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Hull-Sypnieski
Preparing Students with Special Needs to Meet the Standards
"Universal Design for Learning in the Classroom" edited by Tracey E. Hall, Anne Meyer, and David H. Rose
Reading Foundations for Emergent and Early Readers
“The Fluent Reader” by Timothy Rasinski
Reading Interventions for Middle School Students
“The Vocabulary-Enriched Classroom: Practices for Improving the Reading Performance of All Students in Grades 3 and Up ” by Cathy Collins Block and John N. Mangieri
Reading to Learn: Developing Strategic Reading Skills
“Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters” by Kyleen Beers and Robert E. Probst
Reading Workshop Approach for Middle Grade Students
“The Reading Zone” by Nancie Atwell and Anne Atwell Merkel
Response to Intervention in Reading
“RTI from All Sides: What Every Teacher Needs to Know” by Mary Howard
Responsive Classroom Management in the Primary Grades
“Better than Carrots or Sticks” by Dominique Smith, Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey
Science Inquiry Using the 5E Model
"Ambitious Science Teaching” by Mark Windschitl, Jessica Thompson, and Melissa Braaten
Study Smarter Not Harder: Study Skills for Students
“The Organized Student: Teaching Children the Skills for Success in School and Beyond” by Donna Goldberg
Supporting Math Foundational Skills in the Primary Grades
“Young Children's Mathematics” by Thomas Carpetner, Megan Franke, Nicholas Johnson, Angela Chan Turrou, and Anita Wager
Teaching Primary Grade Math Problem-Solving Skills
“Common Core Sense: Tapping the Power of the Mathematical Practices” by Christine Moynihan
Teaching STEM and NGSS at the Primary Level
“The 5 Es of Inquiry-Based Science” by Lakeena Chitman-Booker and Kathleen Kopp
Teaching Students with Special Needs in the Mainstream Classroom
“Getting Beyond Bullying and Exclusion: Empowering Children in Inclusive Classrooms” by Ronald Mah
Teaching Tolerance and Respect: Preventing Bullying in High School
“Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying” by Sameer Hinduja and Justin W. Patchin
Unleashing the Power of NGSS and STEM
“20 Strategies for STEM Instruction” by William N. Bender
Using Google Classroom for Teaching and Learning
“Google Classroom” by Ted Lebowski
Vocabulary-Building Strategies for Students in Grades 4-12
“Word Nerds: Teaching All Students to Learn and Love Vocabulary” by Brenda J. Overturf, Leslie H. Montgomery, and Margot Holmes Smith
Word Play: Vocabulary Instruction in the Primary Grades
“For the Love of Words: Vocabulary Instruction that Works” by Diane E. Paynter, Elena Bodrova, and Jane K. Doty