2026 KSPA Professional Development Events
|
|
The Kansas Scholastic Press Association is back this year with special professional development days for educators to share and develop instructional resources that respond to recent changes to the Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway and its impact on journalism and media classes in Kansas. These events will equip teachers with essential resources and strategies in a collaborative setting. At just $40 (lunch included) for member schools, you won’t find a better deal to help you immediately walk away with practical tools you can immediately put to use in your classroom. Our events will allow you to both learn from experts in the field as well as time to work within our professional learning community to develop and share lessons. In 2025, advisers at our Winter PD event compiled shared resources and ideas for improving their instruction. Teachers left with ideas and strategies and tools they could immediately implement in their classrooms. In short, they left with a feeling of accomplishment! Join our community of expert educators again in 2026. |
When and Where?
Feb. 9: (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) – Fort Hays State University
- Register by Jan. 30
Feb. 20: (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) – Johnson County Community College
- Register by Feb. 9
Feb. 20: (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) – Wichita State University
- Register by Feb. 9
Feb. 25: (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) – University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism
- Register by Feb. 13
Feb. 26: (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) – Kansas State University
- Register by Feb. 13
Cost
Registration is $40 for KSPA member schools. All registrations include lunch. Registrations are final.
• Check your KSPA membership at this link.
• Update your KSPA membership at this link. Please note that memberships for new advisers and middle school teachers are free. The regular membership fee is $50.
Agenda
Please note: This is the anticipated agenda for the day. Some timing may vary by location.
9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Welcome and Overview
Review of the day’s objectives and schedule.
Brief overview of the new state standards and instructional challenges.
9:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Finding common ground
Break into small groups of common instructional interests and challenges.
Set goals for meeting the most pressing challenges in that area and brainstorm instructional ideas for:
- Teaching essential journalism skills
- Integrating multimedia and digital journalism
- Emphasizing ethics and responsibility in reporting
10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Break
10:30 a.m. – 11: 30 a.m. Guest Presentation
Expert guest speakers will offer perspectives and instructional ideas for teaching new areas of the standards.
11:30 a.m.-Noon Return to small groups
12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Lunch Break
1 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Building Lesson Plans and Assessments
Hands-on workshop:
- Drafting specific lesson plans for core topics
- Designing assessments that align with the standards
- Exploring project-based learning opportunities
- Peer review and feedback on lesson plan drafts
2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Break
2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Resource Sharing and Collaboration
Share resources
- Share lessons worked on during the day
- Share other favorite resources and tools (e.g., articles, multimedia creation tools, websites)
- Discuss potential guest speakers, field trips, and partnerships with local media
- Identify opportunities for cross-curricular integration
3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Closing and Next Steps
Recap the day’s work
Outline follow-up tasks and deadlines
Gather feedback on the session
What will attendees receive?
Attendees will receive a certificate of completion for their PD points. Attendees will help create and will be given access to a shared Google folder with resources they can use in implementing the standards.