In Utah, Dixie State College offers free elementary education courses, such as Methods in Science and Professional Portfolio Development Seminar. Utah State University offers Research for the Classroom Teacher. It has 10 units of 35 self-study modules. The University of Utah offers Reading in Elementary School. This course focuses on phonics and reading motivation. Research principals and additional methods are included as well as strategies that can be immediately implemented. These courses are available online.
The Open University in England offers a whole collection of free education courses available online such as Involving the Family in Pupils' Literacy Learning; A Global Dimension to Science Education in Schools; and Language as a Medium for Teaching and Learning. In Indiana, Purdue University's Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security offers an online workshop on Keeping Information Safe: Practices for K-12 Schools. It covers how to avoid online threats while using technology. Teaching Students with Special Needs: Behavior Management Course is offered online by the University of Southern Queensland in Australia and includes assignments and quizzes on teaching strategies and effective behavior management.
PBS offers Teaching Evolution which examines evolutionary concepts, methods of teaching and reacting to controversy. Concept to Classroom has a series of workshops specific for teachers such as Teaching to Academic Standards; Assessment, Evaluation and Curriculum Redesign; and After School Programs: From Vision to Reality. Professional development credit is available if your administrator approves the workshops. The Panhandle Area Educational Consortium in Chipley, Florida, offers a number of teacher to teacher workshops in English and Language Arts, Math, Science and Professional Development available. Its website also provides information on a state-by-state basis of the acceptability of these workshops. All of these courses and workshops are available online.
Many Web-based courses are available for free, but typically no credit is included. Using the free lectures and reading material, teachers can learn additional skills. MIT offers Exploring K-12 Classroom Teaching; Learning Seminar: Experiments in Education; Media, Education and the Marketplace; and Computer Games and Simulations for Investigation and Education. The University of Connecticut offers Teaching with the Internet K-12: New Literacies for New Times.