You know better than anyone how important it is to have a lifelong passion for learning. Fortunately, there are dozens of options for your professional development, outside of what is provided by your school district. Why not use your seasonal breaks and summer vacation to grow your skills in ways that matter?

Vendor-Provided Education

Many vendors will provide educational programs designed to enhance your use of their products. For example, Apple Teacher offers a full suite of free interactive programs to help you become an expert in the use of iPads and Macs in your classroom. Additional training in specific apps is also available at Apple stores and in weekly online educator chats.

Not to be outdone, Microsoft also provides in-person and online training for educators. You can attend one or two-day courses, sign up for sessions at national teacher conferences, or learn online through the Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Teacher Academy.

Self-Paced Study Options

In addition to online degree courses through local and national universities, you can also find offerings through portals such as CE Credits Online. Courses provide graduate credits, CEUs or professional development hours to meet your district’s requirements, as well as your greater goals for career growth and advancement.

Listings of paid courses are also available at Advancement Courses™ and through the PBS TeacherLine, which offers self-paced and educator-facilitated graduate-level courses.

Free Online Education

Nothing beats “free” when you’re on a teacher’s salary. That’s why you’ll want to take a look at edWeb for no-cost monthly webinars that provide CE certificates. Topics run the gamut, from building relationships with students (and parents) to online security and women in technology education. The websites Study.com and Teach Tomorrow also provide a listing of free online education providers and other teacher resources.

If that’s not enough to keep you busy, you can find additional information on education labs, toolkits, and state-based resources from the U.S. Department of Education.