Testimonials

• General Comments
  
• Content-specific Comments:
  

  • Reading/Language Arts Courses
  • Technology Courses
  • Math Courses
  • Science Courses
  • Instructional Strategies Courses
  • STEM Courses

Jane Roberts, Media Specialist, Cobb County Schools, GA
Recipient, GaDOE 2009 Exemplary H.S. Library Media Program

General Comments

"My name is Cyndy Duggins, I teach computer skills for sixth through eighth grade at North Myrtle Beach Middle. To renew my certificate I took a course on Teacherline... I have never taken an online course before. I took "Teaching with WebQuests for Grades K-12."

It was an awesome experience.You have the opportunity to share with others all over the country. The facilitator did a great job of giving the assignments and commenting; almost instant feedback. There are help desks for assignments and technology questions. I needed graduate credit for this course and I was able to sign up online to get that as well; my transcript arrived about 2 weeks after I completed the course. I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to take some courses in a relaxed, fun manner! PBS has made the entire experience user-friendly."
Cyndy Duggins, Horry County Schools, SC

"I was able to incorporate all that I learned in the internet course in my lesson plans and the students excelled using power point presentations. The course was Using Technology in the Classroom. One of my colleagues took a math course from PBS Teacher online and we partnered up and we gave a great math lesson. She had a number of online web sites provided through the course for the students to use to reinforce what we had taught them. Learning new teaching methodologies is important in this digital age our students live in."
Joanne Gaboriau, St. Michael Catholic School, Garden City, SC

"This is the first place that I will look when I take classes in the future."
Anonymous Learner

"I began taking TeacherLine courses in 2004 in my effort to complete my Masters +30 certification. From the first course, I was hooked! I absolutely love the flexibility and stupendous learning potential that has accompanied every course that I have taken. At the close of this summer (2006), thanks in large part to PBS TeacherLine courses, I will have attained my certification goal.

I have been astounded by the benefits that come from collaborating and sharing ideas with my online classmates, who are comprised of teachers of all grade levels and disciplines from all over the country—all without leaving the comfort of my home! It is unquestionable that my students, and by extension, their test scores have benefited from the wealth of knowledge that I have gained through the TeacherLine online community. I am such a strong supporter of this format of learning that I am currently training to become a future TeacherLine facilitator so that I can share the knowledge that I have so happily received."
Betsy Long, SC 2008 Media Specialist of the Year, Doby's Mill Elementary School, Lugoff, SC
(Now a TeacherLine Facilitator!)

• “I have learned much about various authors. I have also received tips from my classmates.”
• “My students and I really enjoyed the tasks; before, during, and after we used the Technology Lab to research our author. We had good discussions and my students went on to read other books on their own by the same author.”
• "I have enjoyed this course for a few reasons. First, I have learned so much about the Web. I never realized how much information was out there for my students on the different authors. Second, it is always nice to correspond with different teachers. Their ideas are creative, manageable, useful and endless. Lastly, though I have spent many hours on the assignments, I am creating a unit that I will “actually use” in my classroom."
• "My expectations for this class were to learn about author studies and be able to apply this to my classroom. I have to say that I have not only learned how to complete an Author Study in my classroom but I also have learned about many new websites that can help me in my classroom as well as teaching and preparing lesson plans. I have learned many new ideas that I have already used and will continue to use in my classroom. I have shared new ideas, websites, as well as teaching my peers about completing an Author Study."
• "I really liked familiarizing myself with new authors and creating a list of resources for children's books."
• "This course has valuable content for all teachers of language arts. It showed me new websites that are student friendly and a new approach to get students interested in reading."
  

RDLA157 Teaching Phonemic Awareness and Phonics (PreK-3)

• "I have been introduced to wonderful information on teaching children to read. I have lots of resources that I didn't have before."
• "I really enjoyed the articles, the flow of the course and the ease of using the boards, etc. Super class! Well thought-out, great content, felt like I was learning up-to-the-minute info for best practice use with younger students."
• "I thought this course was great. It really made me think outside of my "box." I gained valuable info for my classroom and because of that, I would recommend this course to any of my colleagues."
• "The course load was very manageable, but yet challenging. I feel like I have gained a wealth of information that would greatly benefit students."
• "I enjoyed the great articles, strategies and discussions."
• "A well-planned course with good research-based readings."
  

• "I thought this course was very informative and will be very helpful in the classroom. It offered various strategies to use for diverse learners and activities that I will take back to my classroom. Very good class."
• "I learned a lot about fundamental literacy obtainment. It's the kind of knowledge universal to teaching. Also, the course was well organized and concise."
• "I really liked the final project - I actually have a two-week outline for starting school next year for reading in the language arts area. I also liked learning new resources for learning more about the topic."
• "I really liked the wealth of current research literature used that addressed a broad range of elements within literacy."
• "The thing I liked most about my teacherline course is that the required readings were interesting, enlightening and practical for classroom instruction. I am so excited about the knowledge and strategies I've learned; I look forward to putting theory into practice."
• "This course was helpful in many ways. The content was applicable to my classroom and the other students were very helpful. I gathered almost as many ideas from discussion with my colleauges as I did from the reading. My registration process was quick and easy and it was truly an enjoyable experience."
• "This course has helped me develop ideas for helping my reading students that I hadn't found anywhere else."
• "I came out with more understanding of the why."
• "The course was useful even for a high school teacher - I think special needs teachers would benefit from a variation of it."
• "I liked the flexible schedule, having a deadline once a week, and being able to share ideas with colleagues. I also liked the videos. It was like being in an actual classroom and watching someone teach. I always wished they were longer."
• "I really liked the specific comprehension and vocabulary strategies learned and online interaction with other educators and the course facilitator."
• "This course gave the foundation of reading and strategies that could be used to better the students as well as the teacher."
• "It was very reflective and made you think, but it wasn't strenuous work that was worthless. It was material and knowledge I will definitely use in the classroom in the future. Really helped me think about where the students are coming from."

RDLA340 Teaching Reading in the Content Area (Grades 6–12)

• "What I liked most about this course were the strategies I learned to help my students in the areas of vocabulary and comprehension. And that I could do the assignments at my convenience."
• "I liked the learning strategies that are directly transferable to my classroom and interacting with other teachers."
• "The information was very valuable to me as I teach reading and the information was very useful."
• "The strategies provided were incorporated effectively in my classroom."

• "The course encouraged me to learn more about the computer and how to better utilize it. It also showed me that there is so much out there for teaching Kindergarten. I love all of the info I came across while researching for this course!!!!"
• "It was wonderfully informative and relative to the classroom needs."
• "I really liked making a WebQuest that relates to the curriculum standards. Also, I will be able to use this WebQuest with my students."
  
• "I liked being able to create a resource that will address a gap in our third grade science curriculum and learning about different resources from others."
  
• "It was informative and the explanation of how to use a WebQuest and the importance of them were an eye opener."
• "This course is a great way to create a resource that can be used for your students and others if you choose to put it on the web. I gained a wealth of knowlege and resources from the sharing of other teachers."
  
• "I found it useful, it will help the kids, and my fellow teachers have been asking me questions."
• "It is a course that can be readily used in the classroom."
• "I liked making something I could use immediately with my students."
  

TECH300 The Computer for Personal Productivity K-12

• “Some of the information I was able to retrieve from some of the sites was used in my classes within the first 2 weeks.”
• "This class made me evaluate how well I am incorporating technology into helping me be more productive."
  
• "It was very stimulating to realize my attitudes were changing as my knowledge grew. I also enjoyed the interaction among the participants."
• "This course will assist even the novice in technology how to let go of the overwhelming feeling that there is too much to learn . The course gives a step by step method that leaves you feeling empowered."
• "It was immediately useful and helped me think of new ways to start the upcoming year off more proficiently."
• "The course is rigorous yet manageable. The instructor was great. The information given was great."
• "Broad topics with a chance to personalize content to your own needs."
  
• "I learned a great deal in this class. The format is good. This course allowed me to develop something that would be helpful to me right now. So many classes have you developing information that you probably will never use."
  

TECH335 Publishing on the Web (K-12)

• "I learned a lot! It integrated into my classroom work seamlessly. I learned by doing."
• "I like everything about this course. Especially the opportunity to discuss and receive feed back from fellow peers and well as the faciliator."
• "I liked that the course materials were well thought out and were well suited to the course teachings."
  

• "The content and the experience of taking this online course have improved my motivation, knowledge, and skills to integrate technology effectively."
• “I have gained the confidence to take my students to the computer lab in our library to research various topics on the Internet.”
• "Provided many opportunities to expand ideas for using technology in our lessons."
  
• "Great sharing of information by teachers from different backgrounds. Each week's content was informative."
• "The course made me stop and think about what I was doing in my class with technology. How I could improve an area of instruction with technology."
• "The discussions were fun and informative. The final product is something I can use with my classes."
• "Valuable resources and information; lots of ideas to use in classroom."
• "I liked the interaction with other peers and the in depth subject matter. Very applicable to my teaching."

TECH325 Searching and Researching on the Internet K-12

• "The curriculum covered a lot of essential and practical content. I actually impressed my students and teachers [with] the knowledge I learned from the course. Conversing with a group of peer educators in your class gives you broad perspectives from all over the nation."
• "It is very useful and easy to follow. The information will help a teacher teach their students about researching on the internet by using different search engines and strategies of searching on the search engines."
  
• "It was a hands-on experience with real world applications."
• "It helped me to use technology more efficiently. I am more confident."
• "Extremely well presented; information very useful; lots of techniques to take back to work with me."
• "I feel that this course should be required for all teachers as part of their technical training."
• "One of the most useful classes for both teaching and for personal use."
  
• "New approaches to searching on the internet has been a refreshing experience. Even though I am retired, I conduct searches regularly."
• "I really liked the opportunity to practice the research skills during the lesson. I learn so much better that way."

TECH522 Online Facilitator Training I: Mastering the Skills of Online Teaching K-12

• "What I liked most about the course was the wonderful collaboration that evolved, the fantastic resources, the physical layout of the online course and its components and the supportive manner of the facilitator."

Math Courses

• “The ideas of cooperative learning and math talk were eye opening.”

MATH181 Math in Everyday Life for Grades K-5

• “This course made me more aware of the use of calculators in the classroom....not as a crutch, but as a helpful tool.”

MATH250 Understanding Numbers and Operations: Addition and Subtraction (PreK-3)

• "I liked the comraderie among the teachers taking the course and their willingness to share ideas, techniques, and resources. The ease of obtaining course materials was also an added bonus."
• "I really liked the websites and games shared with me in relation to my course. Sometimes I can search on line for hours trying to find a game or activity to help enhance my student's classroom experience."
• "It wasn't busy work-it was meaningful to me and what I do in the classroom."
• "I liked the fact that I was made to think more about how I approach math. I was afraid I wouldn't learn a lot, but I did."
• "I really enjoyed the class. It made me re evaluate how I was teaching addition and subtraction in my classroom."
• "The course enables teachers to have a deeper understanding of the standards and how they should be taught."
• "The discussions were awesome! Teachers shared great strategies!"
• "This course was great for sharing ideas and getting information to use in the classroom."

MATH455 Seeing Math: Data Analysis (Grades 6-12)

• "My peers were very eager and knowledgeable, but the biggest help was definitely the facilitator. She made it comfortable to respond and give an opinion."
• "I liked the structure of the course and the fact that it was not very long."
• "I liked the challenging yet relaxed atmosphere of the class."

• "We really touched on co-teaching strategies and I feel many of my colleagues could benefit from this information."
• "The readings were very informative and well-written; I also enjoyed the discussion with other participants."
• "I enjoyed the articles, videos,and the discussion board."
• "Quality content; rigorous!"
• "I enjoyed many of the articles because it gave us a different view into the concepts that I am teaching in my classroom."
• "This was a very informative course that met me at my point of need in instruction. I have already shared some of the resources with my fellow coteachers."
• "Practical and "do-able" strategies presented. Discussoins from other teachers gives great new ideas that we can relate to."
• "It improved my teaching, allowing me to pick up some new perspectives, bounce ideas off colleagues, and have access to high quality resources."

MATH410 Seeing Math: Linear Functions (Grades 6-12)

• "It gave me so many new ways of presenting material to my students.”
• "I liked the real life problems [presented in the course]."
• "The activities, the accessibility of the facilitator, and dialogue between the participants were the things I liked most."
• "I'm thrilled that I will actually be able to use so many ideas in my classes!"
• "I liked the Aha!, Oops!, and Whe! moments."
• "The videos ,class room discussions, comments from discussion board, help from facilitator - these things helped me to have a change in my classroom teaching."
• "This course helped me to understand how to teach algebra by making real-world connections."
• "I have learned so much for this course. I know that it will help me as I continue to teach. Learning to "See Math" was a new concept for me. I know it will be for my students too."

Science Courses

• “I have already developed different ways of communicating with my students, as a result of my TeacherLine course in Scientific Inquiry. The best part of this course was the interaction between my classmates and our facilitator; at a pace which best suits a busy schedule…also this gives time to implement practices, and give and get feedback accordingly."
  
• "I liked the ease of completing assignments and the communication by the instructor."
  

SCIE504 Plants and Animals (Grades K-4)

• "I learned a lot of good information to use when planning plant and animal lessons. I also really appreciated the suggestions and ideas from fellow teachers."
• "It had a lot of good information about the topics and I learned a lot of useful information that I could carry back into the classroom."
• "I walked away with many ideas to add to my living things unit."
• "The subject fit perfectly in with our state standards. It was a very thoughtful course that covered the topic in depth."
• "The videos were very interesting and kept the course fresh."
• "I really enjoyed the discussion with other teachers. I learned so much from their interpretations and opinions about the content that I may have seen differently."
• "This course was very interesting and taught me things that I can take straight to the class."
• "I have shared with teachers all of the great ideas I received from this course and the videos!"

• “I have now incorporated collaborative groups and critical thinking questions into my practice.”
• "I got some wonderful new ideas on how to run my classroom more smoothly and still get my Science goals across from both the course and the great teachers who took it along with me. Also excellent web ideas."
• "I really liked the lesson on cooperative and collaborative learning."
• "The course created more stimulation for me to research about web-techniques than I had before."
• "The course is a very useful class for today's teachers."

SCIE568 Weather and Climate (Grades 6-12)

• "What I liked most about this course were the teacher resources, ex. Teacher's Domain."
• "It was very well organized and left very little question of what the objectives were and how to meet them. The video/animation snapshots were excellent supporting materials."
• "I liked the interactive videos."

Instructional Strategies Courses

• "This course offered a lot of information about thematic units that could be used in the classroom."
• "The course really helped me get a good look at the learning style of my students which I think will help me a great deal the rest of this year in planning to teach to their learning styles."
• "A theme based unit across the curriculum is a natural for the lower grades and this course helps in preparing them. For the upper elementary grades and even middle and high school, it is a way for teachers outside of their field to work together (i.e. math and sciences or Lit and the Social ) and bring cohesiveness to a school."
• "Flowed very well, assignments were very meaningful to each subject area."
  
• "I would love to see all teachers exposed to this kind of preparation and training."
• "I think this course gives everyone a good foundation for differentiated instruction if they don't already know how to plan units like Integrated Thematic Instruction Units or Universal Design for Learning Units. It had very good resources in it, imparting a lot of knowledge without hours and hours of studying traditional texts. The Kovalik and Associates site was very attractive as well as informative, particularly."
  

INST320 Connecting Family, Community and Schools K-12

• "The course had good informative material. I found it easy to get on the computer when I could and then looked forward to checking the discussion board."
• "The information was relevant and well rounded as well as the assignments...I now have a jump on a few things for next school year."
• "After taking this course I was able to come up with several programs that help to draw parents and business partners into our school, benefiting both our school and our local community."
• "This is a very valuable course to all educators. I feel that it should be a part of all teacher education programs. My regret is that I did not have this course years ago. I have truly enjoyed every aspect of this course."

• "I enrolled in Building Critical Thinking Skills for Online Research a few years ago and give it my complete endorsement. As a result of my taking this course, Broome teachers and I developed two programs that led to a BEST BUY TE@CH award and an Ed Tech award."
  Sheila Oliver, Broome High School, Spartanburg, SC
  
• "While taking "Building Critical Thinking Skills for Online Research," I developed a website evaluation tool that my 4th and 5th grade students use in determining the usefulness of a website."

INST300 Curriculum Mapping I by Heidi Hayes Jacobs K-12

• "The knowledge about curr. mapping was explained well and I feel that I can truly explain the info to others AND encourage them to either take the course or work with me on constructing a map!!"
• "The teachers are chattering away about their curriculum maps and the course in the lounge, on campus and everywhere – they are so excited about being a part of this and it is truly changing their lives. This is a great springboard for doing this districtwide."

INST315 Teaching for Multiple Intelligences K-12

• "I learned many immediately applicable ideas to use in the classroom."
• "I think that all teachers can use some strategies discussed in this course on MI theory."

Evaluation of PBS TeacherLine's Global Climate Change Education (GCCE) Professional Development
Research completed by the University of Memphis, Center for Research in Educational Policy

Findings:
Teachers demonstrated a significantly higher level of global climate change content knowledge after completing TeacherLine's "Global Climate Change Education for Middle School" course.

They also increased the frequency with which they integrated NASA resources into their classroom instruction and the number of different resources that they used.

• "I just finished the Global Climate Change course [STEM417] through PBS Teacherline. It was fun, and really very good...plus all online...no commuting to class. Loved it!"
  Kella Boatner, NC Educator