GRADUATE Course – Cohesive Classroom Communities
| Average Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Five Stars | |
“This is a comprehensive, practical and useful course on early onset of mental health issues in the classroom. As a Special Education teacher for 17 years – many of those years spent in alternative school settingeas – this course still had much in the way to offer in terms of knowledge, resources, and up-to-date perspectives on mental health for educators!”
1 Graduate Credit
- Grading: A-F
- Materials: Included in the course fee!
- Graduate Credit: 1 Graduate Credit
- Instruction Mode: Self-paced, Asynchronous (Online Class)
- Time Frame: Enroll and start any time
Course Description:
This course on Cohesive Classroom Communities is a self-paced online course with instructor interaction.
A teacher’s role can be summarized as ‘the provider of learning’. However, within this seemingly simple phrase, lie intricate responsibilities that can often be very challenging and rather difficult to handle. It is with this in mind, that this 3 part online PD course package has been designed – to equip teachers with knowledge, tools and strategies to create truly cohesive classroom communities that allow optimal learning.
Section A, Classroom Collaboration enables teachers to implement collaborative learning in classrooms and develop successful learners. This framework enables teachers to recognize characteristics of collaborative classrooms, be aware of student and teacher roles, and practice group activities as an essential part of the classroom. Teachers are introduced to school-wide policy reforms in place today that promote collaboration and group activities. Teachers are also provided with ideas and strategies to accommodate learners, including students with special needs. The practical examples, real-life experiences, and templates in this online course provide teachers a structure to use in their own classrooms.
Section B, Recognizing Early-onset Mental Health Disorders, provides educators with a basic understanding of warning signs of early-onset mental illness in children and adolescents which is useful for professional teaching and learning as it strengthens teacher-parent communications.
Section C, Suicide Prevention helps teachers understand suicide and how it can be prevented. Teachers will learn to identify early signs of suicide ideations and will be equipped with basic tools to help students. Teachers will be introduced creative activities and strategies that can help promote safe classroom environments. The course also equips teachers to work together with the school to initiate and implement school-wide policies and programs on suicide prevention.
Objectives & Outcomes:
As a result of successful participation in SECTION A Classroom Collaboration, students should be able to:
- Understand the basics of Collaborative Learning, and the need for it
- Know what effective collaboration looks like in the classroom
- Comprehend optimal alignment of collaboration to State Standards
- Choose grouping strategies and apply Collaborative Learning Techniques like discussion, reciprocal peer teaching and graphic organizers successfully
- Use web tools for collaboration
- Identify the characteristics of a collaborative classroom and understand student and teacher roles in a collaborative classroom
- Create and manage collaborative learning spaces in today’s classroom
- Implement interesting collaborative activities in the classroom
- Understand possible approaches to collaborative assessment
- Successfully resolve challenges in a collaborative classroom
As a result of successful participation in SECTION B Recognizing Early-onset Mental Health Disorders, students should be able to:
- Understand the prevalence, nature, causes and experience of mental illnesses, as well as effective treatments and the role of medication.
- Examine the educational implications of the evaluation and treatment of mental illnesses and deal effectively with behavior, which perpetuates stigma.
- Understand the manifestations of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder), ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), CD (Conduct Disorder) and Anxiety Disorders, along with their treatments and classroom applications.
- Symptoms and warning signs associated with OCD, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, PTSD, etc. and examine classroom applications of the knowledge of such mental illnesses and strategies to deal with them.
- Work with parents of children with mental illnesses, and understand their emotions during the process.
- The role of mental health professionals and coordinating with them for the child’s best interest.
- Examine the IEP process – setting and evaluating appropriate learning goals.
- Understand assessments and assignments in the context of mental illnesses
As a result of successful participation in SECTION C Suicide Prevention, students should be able to:
- Understand the myths and truths behind suicide, the role of mental health and signs of depression.
- Identify suicide warning signs and risk factors
- Help at-risk students and build resilience
- Successfully incorporate humor and develop a culture of safety and health maintenance
- Choose an appropriate mechanism to nurture students
- Assess classroom climate and student adjustment
- Developing emotionally safe environments in classrooms
- Work together as schools and communities on suicide prevention programs
- Choose the appropriate responses as Crisis Response Team Members
Special Instructions:
After completing the course, you will be directed to the university for registration.
This was a great course. I enjoyed spending the time reading the materials and determining ways to improve my teaching and enhance my curriculum.
The class was very easy to understand!
The course was informational and easy to complete. I like the online format and being able to work on the assignments on my own time.
Loved the self-paced instruction. This course exceeded my expectations!
This was my first course using the Professional Learning Board. I am planning to take more classes because of the online flexibility and course content.