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A couple of quick takeaways for me (Michael Wacker) are that it's nice to see professional development called out as something we need, but we really have to get away form the paradigm of thinking it's something we do "to" teachers or is done "to" us.  The other takeaway I have after reading this is around a question I've asked before. If we're truly "blending" our teaching and environment, what does the space look like? How can we professionally develop as teachers to be better prepared to adapt and modify our existing learning spaces to better meet the needs of a flexible, student centric, tech infused learning environment? If shifting the ENTIRE teaching model paradigm upside down is NOT an option, what is? Is this something that needs to be built, modeled, and then iterated? I culled some nuggets from the reading.

"PBS LearningMedia offers professional development designed to help you grow in your field"

"Take online professional development courses when, where and how you want"

" Two years of music instruction in elementary and even secondary school can trigger biological changes in how the brain processes sound, which in turn affects language development."

"President-elect Donald Trump pledged to step away from his family-owned international real estate development, property management and licensing business before taking office Jan. 20. With less than two weeks until his inauguration, he hasn't stepped very far."

"Parent-child reading is widely advocated to promote cognitive development, including in recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics to begin this practice at birth."

""Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency," the report states. "We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump.""

I could disagree more with this statement! Schools have nothing to do with it - people do - some of us are called teachers, some are called relatives; some we meet F2F, some we only meet in virtual spaces.

"teachers who were most effective at teaching students at risk for failure to read: (a) used small-group instruction, (b) reported collaborating with colleagues, (c) communicated with parents about students' progress, (d) guided students in applying word identification skills as they read, (e) had a common system for monitoring progress, and (f ) were provided extensive professional development on instructional practices."

"Recent research has rekindled a focus on assessing literacy skills developed over the long term, such as oral language, vocabulary, and reading comprehension."

"Resilient children are those who adapt well, despite experiencing adversity in their lives. Families, schools, and communities have a profound influence upon children's ability to be persistent, overcome obstacles, and develop hope for their future. When children are influenced by caring adults with high expectations for their success, they are more likely to withstand negative pressures and become responsible adults."