Over the summer, IMSE began running some of its first IMSE Impact trainings as a way to prepare educators for the 2022 school year. One thing that was different this summer from the previous two? 

School districts across the U.S. are bringing in-person professional development back through their doors. 

With in-person training taking place in many cities nationally, IMSE instructors were prepared to break through their computer screens and bring the energy back to school districts everywhere. To pump up that energy, IMSE introduced educators across the country to the recently launched IMSE Impact trainings, with the first class beginning June 6th.

So, that leads us to our next question.

Is There a Difference Between Online and In-Person Professional Development?

This question is one that is beginning to roam through the minds of educators everywhere as we shift back into what we once called “the norm.” 

When EdWeek posted an article written about a research study around professional development performed by The Journal of Teacher Education, they noted that in both groups, the researchers found, “Teachers reported increased confidence with new curriculum materials, enacted those materials consistently with curriculum designers’ intent, and their students learned from curriculum successfully and in equal amounts.”

When it comes to the content learned during professional development, there is no difference between online and in-person learning. Educators are provided with the same materials and information, just with a slightly different experience. 

There are benefits for both in-person and online professional development, and they include:

So, Are Districts Going Back to In-Person Professional Development?

The answer is yes.

Check out this article that focuses on one IMSE-trained school district that brought in-person professional development to its educators. Rome City Schools in Georgia trained 84 of their educators over the course of five days, including all of their K-2 reading teachers and many of their 3rd-grade literacy teachers. 

The article states that a benefit of this in-person training included engagement and hands-on activity that were front and center throughout the entirety of the training. This training isn’t only beneficial to the educators who participated but also to the students they will teach this coming school year and in the years to come. The article declares, “the RCS goal is to have all students reading on grade level by the time they complete third grade.”

While we are beginning to see many school districts ease back into how things were before the COVID-19 pandemic, many are still taking advantage of online professional development. By providing their educators with a more flexible schedule with online learning, they can ensure more educators take advantage of the many benefits of professional development.

IMSE provides school districts with the opportunity to bring professional development to your area or to provide educators with a training voucher to sign up for training that fits in their schedule. So consider bringing IMSE to your school, or be sure to check out our training schedule to find a training appropriate for you!

Please connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest to get tips and tricks from your peers and us. Read the IMSE Journal to hear success stories from other schools and districts, and be sure to check out our digital resources for refreshers and tips.