Supporting PK-12 educators with free, virtual learning experiences focused on strategies for the intentional integration of media and technology in the classroom. MTPBS PD connects teachers to trusted resources produced by Montana PBS and PBS member stations. Workshops are offered to teachers interested in growing their resource toolboxes in the area of media literacy, social-emotional learning, civics, digital storytelling, STEM, Literacy and MORE!
Explore, Play, Teach: PBS KIDS Virtual Workshop Series for PreK-3 Teachers!
Join us for a fun and interactive virtual workshop series designed just for PreK-3 teachers! Discover how to bring the magic of PBS KIDS programs into your classroom to spark curiosity, creativity, and learning. These engaging sessions will introduce you to free, high-quality resources that make teaching more exciting and effective. Plus, you’ll earn OPI PDUs while exploring new ways to inspire your students. Best of all—it’s completely FREE! Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and play with PBS KIDS!
Workshops will take place on Wednesdays from 4pm-6pm pm on Zoom. All teachers who attend and participate will earn 2 OPI PDUs and a chance to win fun prizes. These workshops will not be recorded.
Series Schedule
Wednesday September 23
Natural Science with Sesame Street and The Great Elephant Adventure
Wednesday September 30
Problem Solving and Creative Thinking with Donkey Hodie
Wednesday October 7
Math and Environmental Science with Cyberchase
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Looking for some fun, FREE virtual workshops for PD days in October? Montana PBS has you covered! Join us for 4 special media lab workshops on Zoom from the comfort of your own home! There will be two workshops on Thursday and two more on Friday all taught by the Montana PBS Education team. Learn about PBS resources for teaching and media making with students alongside other like-minded educators from all over the state! Pick and choose the workshops that will help you meet your professional development goals, earn PDUs and a chance to win fun prizes! Session descriptions and registration links are below.
For Pre-K-2 Teachers and anyone who loves PBS KIDS
Learn about a brand new PBS KIDS series SUPER WHY’S COMIC BOOK ADVENTURES and how you can use it to support literacy with young learners. The animated series builds on the legacy and success of the beloved Emmy-nominated SUPER WHY! series and SUPER WHY’S COMIC BOOK ADVENTURES shorts. The new series will empower preschoolers and kindergartners by supporting early literacy skills through exciting 7-minute stories that launch them into a colorful comic book universe where every interactive story adventure brings reading to life. Teachers will watch clips of the series and learn about teaching resources on PBS platforms developed for using them in the classroom. There will be time to explore the resources and share ideas for how to use them with students.
For anyone interested in helping students make videos
Dive into the “production” phase of Media Production with an in-depth exploration of our recommended editing software, WeVideo. Find the answers to all of your questions about “actually making the video” and how to implement these projects in your classroom without any prior experience or expertise in this area. You will have the chance to record and edit your own short video segment so you can introduce (with confidence!) your students to a world of possibility when it comes to demonstrating their learning and passion. Leave with the skills and foundational knowledge to make media production an integral and effective engagement and assessment tool in your classroom or extracurricular club.
For anyone interested in helping students make videos
Continue the exploration of Media Production with a deep dive into curriculum options, free and customizable teacher toolkit, real-world opportunities for your students, and more. You will learn all that Montana PBS Media Mavericks has to offer you as an advocate for student voice. You will have the opportunity to explore our resources further, find the fit for your setting, and/or the opportunity to create or continue creating your own piece of media to use as a model when you introduce your students to the exciting world of Youth Media and Student Journalism. We hope to inspire you to incorporate media production into your classroom and present students with alternatives to traditional assessments and presentations of their learning.
For Pre-K-2 Teachers and anyone who loves PBS KIDS
Weather Hunters is a new animated series from PBS KIDS for children 4-8 created by Emmy-winning weatherman and Today show host Al Roker. Each episode is a 22-minute story featuring 8-year-old weather wiz and force of nature Lily Hunter and her family. The Hunter family explores and reports on everything from rain, snow, dew, thunder, lightning, ice, and fog to more extreme weather, like hurricanes. This series is about inspiring a new generation to explore the incredible world of weather and investigate its role in their lives. The show aims to cultivate awareness, curiosity, knowledge, and caring about how weather impacts individuals, communities, and global society. Teachers will watch clips of the series and learn about teaching resources on PBS platforms developed for using them in the classroom. There will be time to explore the resources and share ideas for how to use them with students.
The MTPBS Education department plans, promotes, and implements virtual workshops for Prek-12 teachers to support the use of digital tools and resources for STEM, Literacy, Social Studies, and Social Emotional Learning. All workshops are free and hosted on Zoom. MTPBS virtual professional development is open to anyone who works with students in Montana who wants to learn more about using PBS resources in the classroom. We host workshops during the school year for teachers looking for topic specific learning opportunities. These workshops are often two hours in length and offer a combination of learning from MTPBS Education staff, viewing media content, engaging with other attendees in the chat box or in break out sessions and exploring resources independently. All workshops are structured the same and teachers can expect the following from each session,
MTPBS Education hosts a summer conference in June for teachers interested in an online conference. MTPBS EdFest provides teachers with two days of virtual learning and features a variety of workshops hosted by instructors from Montana and the PBS system.
Visit this site often as new professional learning opportunities are posted throughout the year.
If you have questions about teacher workshops or EdFest contact Nikki Vradenburg at nikki@montanapbs.org
Build your content knowledge while being inspired to create engaging lessons for students when you watch full length, award winning programs from Montana PBS or PBS KIDS programs. This FREE professional development activity can be done when and wherever you are and is always open–no deadlines!
As of April 1, 2026 Montana PBS may no longer issue OPI PDUs for completing Watch and Learn activities. We can provide a certificate of completion for teachers who wish to seek credit through their districts.
Getting started is easy!
NOTE: Please allow up to 10 business days to receive information about viewing the films. You will get an email from Nikki Vradenburg with the links to the films and the reflection activities. Due to the high volume of requests it may take NIkki longer to respond to your registration. Thank you for being patient!