Professional Development Resources: Organizations for Educators and Learners
Home | ISTE
The International Society for Technology in Education ((STE) is a non-profit organization that aims to empower educators to integrate technology into their teaching practice to enable learners to develop 21st century skills and be ready to solve the problems of tomorrow with technology that doesn’t exist yet. They provide a numerous of resources for members and non-members including many professional development courses and an ISTE certified educator program. ISTE drives instruction with their learner, educator, administrator and coach standards for integrating technology into teaching practices in a responsible, equitable and ethical manner. (International Society for Technology in Education, n.d.).
Khan Academy | Free Online Courses, Lessons & Practice
Khan Academy is non-profit organization which provides free education to anyone through their online platform. It hosts thousands of videos, articles, lesson activities for a multitude of grades from kindergarten - 12th grade. The subjects it offers vary from science, math to social sciences and even test prep. It promotes self—paced, differentiated content. As an educator resource classes could be created and student data and progress within a subject could be tracked to provide teacher feedback and further instruction (Khan Academy, n.d.).
Common Sense Education
Ever wanted to review a video before you showed it to learners, or had a break down the privacy policy of an ed-tech tool? Common Sense Education offers this and so much more. This non-profit, a subsidiary of Common Sense Media, is a go-to for rating and reviewing digital tools and media. They examine learner ratings, community feedback, and crucial privacy aspects. Their mission goes beyond just vetting. Common Sense Education also provides free, research-based resources, professional development opportunities and practical lesson plans, I personally have used their digital citizenship material in my teaching practice. All designed to help educators integrate technology and teach essential skills like digital citizenship (Common Sense Education, n.d.).
Edutopia - What Works in Education
Want to know what makes a difference in education? Edutopia is the place to find out. This initiative, from The George Lucas Educational Foundation, is a non-profit about showcasing "what works" in pre-K-12 classrooms. Their goal is to: provide information and resources to help educators adopt the best practices. They envision a world where students become lifelong learners, developing critical 21st-century skills like creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving (George Lucas Educational Foundation, n.d.).
References
Common Sense Education. (n.d.). Common Sense Education. Retrieved June 3, 2025, from https://www.commonsense.org/education
George Lucas Educational Foundation. (n.d.). Edutopia: What works in education. Retrieved June 3, 2025, from https://www.edutopia.org/
International Society for Technology in Education. (n.d.). Home | ISTE. Retrieved June 3, 2025, from https://www.iste.org/
Khan Academy. (n.d.). Khan Academy | Free online courses, lessons & practice. Retrieved June 3, 2025, from https://www.khanacademy.org/
