This course is designed for teachers of all levels and content areas that would like to develop new and creative ideas for their classrooms while still teaching the required standards. Children’s Literature has evolved into a new genre involving poetry, multi-cultural topics and biographies. This class will introduce dynamic picture books for elementary through high school teachers wanting new innovative ideas to grab their students’ attention.

Teaching is one of the most rewarding jobs out there—but it’s also one of the most demanding. With so many responsibilities pulling at your time and energy, it’s easy to feel like the day is never long enough. Finding ways to keep perspective and balance between school and life is more important than ever. At the same time, we know students need strong social, emotional, and academic support—and that starts with teachers who are able to take care of themselves first. In this course, you’ll discover practical strategies to help you manage your time, reduce stress, and build healthier routines that fit your life. We’ll focus on simple, realistic approaches to self-care and time management that allow you to show up as your best self in the classroom and still have energy left for the people and activities you love outside of school.

This course is designed for teachers who would like to have a better understanding of adolescents and their challenges today with digital footprints and social media. This course will cover how complications with relationships and social media can consume teens. We will discuss how we can better understand this by being supportive teachers and provide students with appropriate social emotional guidance.

Google Sheets can be used in hundreds of ways in the classroom, from data analysis to interactive student projects! Learn the basic elements of spreadsheets and graphs, how to manipulate student data, and ideas for using spreadsheets in the classroom! Students will learn the necessary skills to create spreadsheets that include titles, columns, rows, formulas, graphs and more. This course is an online course and will not have any face-to-face meetings. Students will retrieve assignments, participate in discussions and post projects online using Blackboard.

Investigate aspects of what makes a good presentation for the classroom. Consider how planning slides and presentations work in the classroom environment. Realize the tools that can be incorporated to create slides that can also assess student learning. Transfer your learning to create engaging, interactive Google Slides while addressing and measuring the standards associated with learning outcomes. This course is an online course and will not have any face-to-face meetings. Students will retrieve assignments, participate in discussions and post projects online using Blackboard.

The use of technology benefits educators from the stand points of managerial tasks and more effective teaching strategies. This course is one of a series of courses designed for K-12 educators interested in incorporating technology into their existing curricula and daily classroom management by enhancing their technology skills. This particular course will enhance the educator’s skill with Advanced Microsoft Office Applications to produce a number of classroom management resources as well as instructional materials. These materials are to be used in student assessment, parent communication, student communication, character education, collaborative learning, record keeping, and planning projects to name a few. Participants will complete projects, research, and reflection.

The use of technology benefits educators from the stand points of managerial tasks and more effective teaching strategies. This course is one of a series of courses designed for K-12 educators interested in incorporating technology into their existing curricula and daily classroom management by enhancing their technology skills. This particular course will enhance the educator’s skill with Advanced Microsoft Office Applications to create a number of classroom management resources as well as instructional materials. Participants will be required to complete a project outside of class.

Have you ever thought about combining “old school” strategies alongside cutting-edge technology? In this course we’ll examine ways to fuse together tried and true teaching techniques within our “modern” classrooms. Effective and engaging educators are masters at seeking out learning activities and behavior management techniques that fit their students and classrooms. Join us as we explore a world where innovation in the classroom is the intersection of the past and the present!

Educators have noticed a swift decline in levels of grit, communication, and problem solving in the last decade. Join us as we delve into the complex world of student mental health and the changes in our society. Knowledge is power, and the more we know about our students, the more we can make changes in our classrooms and our teaching practices to meet their needs. Whether it’s expanding purposeful play in kindergarten or creating a safer online experience for teens, it’s time for meaningful change!

This course highlights strategies to help educators communicate with and build positive relationships with families. Using these strategies makes communicating with students’ families manageable and realistic. When consistent contact is established with students’ families, student success is increased and classroom time is positively impacted. Join us as we explore ways to open up the lines of communication with our families and improve our own teaching practices.