Professional Interest Communities
ASCD Professional Interest Communities are member-initiated, special-interest groups designed to unite people around a common area of interest in the field of education.
ASCD Professional Interest Communities are member-initiated, special-interest groups designed to unite people around a common area of interest in the field of education.
Connect with Members who Share Their Subject-Matter Expertise
Flexible, fluid, and based on the needs of its participants, each professional interest community is operated independently and provides different educational resources to its members.
Professional Interest Communities allow participants to
exchange ideas
share information
identify and solve problems
grow professionally
establish collegial relationships
You can meet like-minded educators to learn and grow together on the ASCD Professional Learning Community platform.
Start an ASCD Professional Interest Community
Explore the Professional Interest Communities FAQ for more information about Professional Interest Communities and how to start one.
ASCD Professional Interest Communities Directory
Advancing Issues Regarding Race and Equity
Connects educators interested in supporting equitable outcomes students regardless of culture or race.
Explores critical issues that support school improvement and reform focused on reducing the achievement gap between racial and ethnic subgroups.
Facilitator: Kelly Brown
FlexED
A community in which educators can come together and create self-care routines with fitness and nutrition plans that will help them burn stress, fuel appropriately and gain energy.
Facilitators: Kim Meyer
Gifted and Advanced Learners
Raise awareness regarding the unique academic, social, and emotional needs of gifted and advanced learners.
Serve as a forum for current and relevant dialogue regarding designing, supporting, and sustaining effective, diverse gifted education programs and services.
Support and advocate for equity and access of culturally, linguistically, and socio-economically diverse gifted and advanced learners to gifted education programs.
Share promising practices and current research in the field of gifted education.
Facilitators: Jaime Castellano
Hispanic/Latino American Critical Issues
Commits to enhancing the academic achievement of Hispanic/Latino American youth.
Serves as a forum on contemporary and relevant issues as related to the education of Hispanic/Latino American youth.
Strives to narrow the achievement gap and increase input of Hispanic/Latino American educators on relevant educational issues.
Facilitators: Jaime Castellano
Mentoring Leadership and Resource Network
Shares experiences with others involved in mentoring.
Learns from others about their mentor programs.
Provides a vehicle for mentoring initiatives.
Promotes new teacher induction training.
Establishes models for professional development through mentoring.
Facilitators: Richard Lange
Website: www.mentors.net
Multiple Intelligences
Promotes the use of multiple intelligences as a tool to improve individual instruction and help all students learn.
Provides a forum for members to share strategies and techniques for implementing multiple intelligences.
Facilitator: Thomas Hoerr
Personalized Learning
Advocating for our schools in meeting the needs of 21st century learners, Personalized Learning is an intentional shift in our approach to teaching and learning.
Components of discussion include mastery learning, instructional technology, and flexible learning environments in terms of space, time and pace, so they are student-driven with a teacher-facilitated approach.
Facilitator: Jill Thompson
Student-Driven Learning
This ASCD Professional Interest Community seeks to help more schools educate the whole child by empowering that child to be the main driver in their own education.
Find out how it's working across the globe and the steps you can take to make it a reality in your school.
Facilitator: Jethro Jones
Website: http://studentdrivenlearning.net/