The Professional Development Center (PDC) is the outreach agent of the School of Education and Human Development (SEHD) of the University of Southern Maine. Our mission is to provide innovative and sustained professional development that enables PK-12 educators and school communities to serve the needs of their students.
Course Registration
To request to register for any of our Fall 2024 courses, please complete the form at the following link:
Request to Register (Google form)
Course Descriptions
PDS 660 Curriculum and Methods for Teaching Students who are Gifted
Description: This course is for individuals responsible for a) developing or modifying learning experiences for gifted/talented students at the elementary or secondary school level, b) implementing differentiated learning experiences within the regular classroom or through a special grouping arrangement, and/or c) creating/selecting instructional materials to support the implementation of differentiated learning experiences.
Dates: September 17 – December 10, 2024
Location/Format: Online asynchronous (with one synchronous meeting)
Class meeting (via Zoom): Tuesday, September 17 4:00-6:00 pm (otherwise asynchronous)
Instructor: Patti Drapeau
Credit: 3 graduate credits
Prerequisites: None
Tuition/Fees: See the Student Financial Services (SFS) Tuition page and contact SFS with any questions
Audience: Practicing educators who work with gifted/talented students, all levels
EDU 561 English Linguistics for Educators
This course is offered within the Literacy, Language, and Culture Department as part of the TESOL program. EDU 561 is offered in a blended format this fall with in-person meetings on select dates on the USM Portland campus. This course meets a requirement for the ESOL endorsement through the Maine Department of Education.
This is a discussion-based course for the prospective or continuing English as a Second Language (ESOL) teacher which will examine the various linguistic elements of the English language and their relevance to teaching and learning. Students will explore how theory and research in the field of English Linguistics inform classroom practice and policy in ways directly related to one’s teaching context, needs, and individual learners. Primary emphasis will be placed on a better understanding of English linguistics, including phonetic, morphological, syntactic, pragmatic, and semantic elements and the ways in which sociocultural and sociolinguistic factors impact applications to classroom practice.
Dates: September 3 – December 13, 2024
Format: Blended (a mix of in-person meetings and asynchronous online work)
Class meeting dates: Wednesdays from 5:00-7:30pm on the following dates: 9/11, 9/25, 10/9, 10/23, 11/6, 11/20, 12/4
Location: USM Portland campus, Science Building 533 (and online)
Instructor: Kathleen McGovern
Credit: 3 graduate credits
Prerequisites: None
Tuition/Fees: See the Student Financial Services (SFS) Tuition page and contact SFS with any questions
Audience: PK-adult educators in any content area who support multilingual learners, or who wish to in the future
Questions?
Contact the PDC at pdc@maine.edu or call 207-780-5400.