Continuing education doesn't have to cost a lot of money.
Teachers need to keep learning. But continuing education doesn't have to be expensive. You can continue your education without paying another dime of tuition. However, getting credit for that free learning requires creativity and persistence.
Considerations
Think very carefully about why you need to continue your education. Do you just need to brush up on your skills or stay up-to-date with your field? If so, then you can probably take free classes, create an online personal learning network or read professional journals in your field. If you need credit to meet your district's professional development plan, you may be able to convince your school district to give you credit for independent learning. But if you need to take graduate classes to earn an advanced degree or an advanced teaching license, you're probably going to have to pay cash.
Benefits
Face it: no one really knows what you need to learn better than you. And if you take charge of your own professional development, you'll reap the benefits. You can improve your content knowledge in either your subject or in teaching methods. If you work with other people in a class, study group or discussion forum, you'll get the invaluable chance to connect with your colleagues. All this will make you a more effective teacher.
Sources
Finding free professional development isn't difficult. Start by checking the websites of your subject's professional organization. The National Science Teachers' Association has hundreds of free resources, including live online seminars. Many universities have developed online "courses" where you can watch recorded lectures, complete readings and even take tests. Two great resources for these courses are Apple's iTunesU and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's "Open Courseware" site.
Collaborating
One effective way to complete free professional development is by participating in an online "personal learning network." These are groups of teachers who use social networking services such as Twitter, Ning and Facebook to exchange ideas and share resources. To create yours, educational technology expert David F. Warlick recommends starting with respected education bloggers such as Will Richardson's Weblogg-ed.
Documenting
Some school districts will give teachers credit for participating in study groups, writing articles in their discipline or teaching professional development classes. Check with your school district beforehand to find out how they want you to document your continuing education. You may need to write a paper, complete a portfolio or do some other work to show what you've learned.
Tags: professional development, with your, continue your, continue your education, continuing education
