Graduate Courses for Teachers

Protecting children is the role and responsibility of every adult. Be it in or outside of school, educators need to be aware of all red flags indicating a child is being abused.The course Child Abuse Prevention tackles this very sensitive issue and aims to equip teachers with the essentials of recognizing and preventing abuse to maintain safe and secure learning environments. Addressing accommodation, modification, and adaptation of curriculum, materials, and instruction to appropriately meet the needs of teachers and a variety of students.

We all know the brain plays a major role in learning, but few are aware of how. In a class where each child differs in ability to learn, it is essential that educators know how the brain is related to the process of learning, in order to help facilitate student performance. Such knowledge will also give the educator an advantage when faced with the challenge of teaching a child with special needs. This course equips educators with extensive knowledge about the process of learning.

Teachers are equipped to transform their classrooms into cohesive learning communities, through this three part online PD course package. The course begins with Classroom Collaboration where educators come to understand the importance of the teacher’s role in creating an environment where young people are willing and able to work collaboratively. Teachers are taught to recognize, appropriately handle and make accommodations, for diagnosable mental health issues among students. The course helps teachers understand that they play a valuable role, and can help save a life, by learning about the prevalence of suicide; understanding suicide and how it may be prevented.

Schools and educators all over the country are engaged in implementing the Common Core State Standards. This can be a challenge. This three part course is designed to provide teachers the support and confidence they need to implement the standards in their classrooms. The course focuses on practices teachers can use to promote student motivation and self-learning while decreasing and eliminating behavior issues. Teachers learn to assess basic academic skills and identify areas in which students need support. Teachers also learn to develop a process of reflective thinking and becoming sensitive and responsive to the needs and issues of students. The practical examples and techniques explained in this section provide an understanding of the phrase ‘learning while teaching.’

TThe implementation of Common Core State Standards across the curriculum provides a real-world approach to learning and teaching. It is increasingly essential for educators to develop students who not only are critical thinkers but innovators as well. This course helps teachers to build up such students. Educators learn about implementing Standard-Based Instruction through STEM, bringing together the benefits and opportunities associated with this new education paradigm and guides teachers to customize classroom instruction so that students develop the skills they need to survive in today’s knowledge-based world. This is extended in teaching educators how they can apply mathematical principles to everyday life. This course also helps teachers evaluate and monitor basic academic skills based on Common Core principles. By completing this course teachers gain the needed confidence to implement common state standards across the curriculum.

Teaching amongst the technological advances of the 21st century, brings with it unique challenges of combining education and theory with classroom practice. This three part course is designed to provide teachers the background knowledge and resources they require to use research findings to enhance their students’ learning. The course covers Research Based Instructional Strategies, which focuses on strategies teachers can use to channel research findings to improve their quality of instruction. Curriculum Development equips teachers to create effective, yet practical unit and lesson plans that equip students to learn more efficiently. The course also focuses on enabling teachers organize their teaching plans, work-life balance and the various aspects of their classroom.

Diversity is becoming a very real issue in our classrooms today. We have an increasing number of students requiring various learning styles, coming from different cultural backgrounds, and demonstrating ever-maturing attitudes. Reaching Diverse Learners is an integrated course that is brimming with ideas and strategies to help educators maximize abilities and cater to the individual needs of every student. Teachers learn about teaching English Language Learners and prepares you for your multicultural classroom. The course is also full of practical ideas and techniques that will help you as an educator learn to manage your classroom more effectively. Educators with learn concrete ideas and strategies to reach and teach every student in the diverse classroom.

Reading should be a meaningful activity that is focused on comprehension and that results in understanding. When students struggle with a specific subject matter the underlying reason is usually also identified as under developed reading skills. The strategies in this course are imperative for all educators to help their students become proficient readers. This course helps teachers understand how to assess reading skills in the classroom and plan instruction accordingly. It also equips educators to empower their students with confidence when handling tough text. Teachers also learn how to act as a facilitator for small groups for guided reading.

In an age where there are multiple approaches to teaching and educating students, it becomes important to ensure that a particular standard is maintained. This class helps educators achieve goals, while empowering you with skills and tools to deliver the best of quality education. Standards and Communications in Teaching is a three part integrated course that highlights various strategies for facilitating student learning and improving academic achievement. It also focuses on positive communication, both with students and parents, in order to achieve excellence in education.

Gone are the days when the word classroom brought to mind an image of a dusty blackboard, chalk or the dim light from an overhead projector machine. Instead we think of smart boards, computers, tablets and other technology. Libraries and books as reference material are supplemented by the internet, blogs and Google; all of which are available at our (and our students!) fingertips. This three part integrated course helps to bridge the gap, enabling safe implementation of technology in classrooms and preventing misuse by either students or adults while promoting effective learning. The course enhances professional development by presenting tools, techniques and resources to advance skills in using technology. Teachers learn to integrate technology in a way that promotes learning without being a distraction. The course is also filled with practical ideas and steps that educators can take to ensure safety of the students who have access to the internet whether through classroom technology, at home or via their cell phones.

As educators, we all face situations where we accommodate students with special needs in our classrooms. In such situations, how can we modulate our teaching to ensure that we reach each and every child? This course is designed to help educators encourage and maximize each child’s potential.Terms like Autism, ADHD, learning disability and gifted learners are being constantly used. What do they mean? What makes these children unique? And most importantly, how as an educator can you enhance these students’ learning ability? These are questions that are answered in this course.