Teaching Students with Special Needs in the Mainstream Classroom Grades K-6

This course teaches K-6 educators how to address students with special needs in the general classroom. This online course for teachers begins by providing a clear definition and scope of special needs. Then, the course provides information about teacher involvement in the special education process in terms of assessment, intervention, and collaboration. A variety of suggestions for working with students who have special needs such as learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, communication disorders, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, sensory impairments, and low-incidence disabilities are provided. Also included are strategies to assist English language learners, students who are considered at-risk, and gifted and talented students. Each special need is defined, and common causes and characteristics are identified, along with suggested instructional strategies. Intervention strategies and classroom adaptations are also provided to help teachers accommodate students with special needs in an inclusive classroom.

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Teaching STEM and NGSS at the Primary Level Grades K-2

This online course for teachers takes K-2 educators through a step-by-step explanation of the standards and includes examples and suggestions of how to incorporate them into your science classroom. The course also guides you through how to interpret the science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas at the K-2 level. Then, teachers are taken through each dimension with details provided for how to translate the standards into daily instruction. The 5Es of inquiry-based science are discussed, as well as how Universal Design for Learning, multiple intelligences, and STEM strategies all work together to connect the design and implementation of science lessons, labs, and stations. Specific strategies for connecting math and science are also shared. Additionally, teachers will be introduced to an overview of assessment and how it applies to the Next Generation Science standards, as well as a brief overview of how to manage an inquiry-based classroom.

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Targeted Instruction and Interventions with Reading Strategy Groups Grades K-5

This online course for teachers begins by discussing the elements and benefits of reading strategy groups. Since strategy groups are based on assessment, the course delves into a variety of assessment types and approaches. Throughout the course, teachers learn how to use research-based best practices to choose strategies, books, and activities for before, during, and after reading. Teachers will also learn specific reading strategies for working with English language learners and those who struggle with reading. Teachers will learn how to build students’ stamina and engagement as they work to become successful, independent readers. Teachers will learn the importance of relying on the science of reading as they work with their students across all areas of reading.

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Study Smarter Not Harder: Study Skills for Students Grades 4-12

This online course for teachers is designed to provide educators in grades 4-12 with the necessary tools to help students improve their study skills, not by working harder, but by working smarter. Throughout the course, teachers will gain valuable insights into helping their students set and track S.M.A.R.T. goals as they work to become active participants in the learning process. Teachers will be taken through the problem-solving process as they learn how to help their students apply their metacognitive skills so that they become more adept at studying. Teachers will learn specific techniques to help students stay organized (including space, time, and process). Teachers will be introduced to multiple techniques, ideas, and resources to help students learn how to ask questions, dissect different types of text, and understand text structures and features, all of which are geared toward helping them develop their study skills. Teachers will take a deep dive into specific study strategies for reading and vocabulary, and they will explore a variety of additional study techniques that can be applied to any content area across grades 4-12. Teachers will also learn several tips and tricks for helping their students master the art of taking tests, making them prepared and confident once test day arrives. By the end of this continuing education course, teachers will feel more confident and successful in their quest to prepare their students for the future by working smarter, not harder.

 

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Social, Emotional, and Physical Wellness for Students and Teachers Grades PreK-12

This online course for teachers is specifically designed to assist PreK-12 educators as they search for ways to make wellness, mindfulness, and mental health a priority, not just for their students, but for themselves as well. Teachers will learn specific self-care strategies for both students and staff. Teachers will explore ways to cultivate a more joyful classroom and school environment so that everyone’s social and emotional needs are better met. Specific strategies to cultivate empathy, compassion, and diversity are shared, including circle practices, modeling, making curriculum meaningful, connecting with the greater community, and celebrating student success.

 

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Responsive Classroom Management for the Primary Grades Grades K-3

This online course for teachers begins by introducing different management styles and helping you find just the right fit for your classroom. The course also addresses the importance of creating a trusting environment for students so they feel both engaged and motivated to learn. Some of the most daunting classroom management issues are addressed including how to keep your students motivated, working with diverse student populations, and response to intervention. Issues related to social-emotional learning will also be fully explored. Teachers will also learn about the importance of being organized, as well as how to create clear and concise rules and routines which have logical consequences. Suggestions for the best ways to connect character education to classroom management are explored. Rounding out the course is managing small groups, establishing a solid home-school connection, and how to prevent and address bullying issues.

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Responding to Students’ Mental Health Challenges with SEL Grades 6-12

This online course for teachers is specifically designed for educators in grades 6-12 who are looking to dig deeper into how these challenges impact mental health and how effective social-emotional strategies such as empathy, coping, problem solving, decision making, emotional resilience, and effective communication can make a difference. Teachers will be provided with thorough background information on each mental health challenge. The foundations of equity and equality in education will be discussed, as well as strategies for helping students who have suffered from trauma. Specific culturally-responsive social-emotional strategies will also be shared so teachers can be more effective working with students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Finally, teachers will learn how to explicitly teach self-advocacy — a skill that all students can benefit from, regardless of the challenges they face.

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Reading Workshop Approach in the Middle Grades Grades 4-8

This online course for teachers begins by establishing the foundations of implementing a reader’s workshop approach in your classroom. Then, commonly used and easy to administer assessment options are provided that can help teachers build group reading profiles. Once groups are established, teachers learn how to choose appropriate leveled books, how to help students set realistic goals, and how to confer with students about skills and strategies for independent growth to achieve maximum results. Teachers will also learn how to create learning stations that allow students some voice and choice. Suggestions for motivating students including creating book talks are shared. Differentiation strategies are also provided so that teachers may reach students at all skill levels. There is also an emphasis on management and routines to help the reader’s workshop run effectively and efficiently.

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Reading and Writing Strategies for Students with Special Needs Grades K-5

This online course for teachers is specifically designed to address the myriad literacy needs of students with learning disabilities who are present in general education K-5 classrooms. The course begins by introducing teachers to the science of reading so that they can understand why so many students with learning disabilities tend to struggle with reading and writing. From there, an overview of the MTSS framework is provided to help teachers understand the process of moving struggling students through the various literacy interventions throughout the tiers. Teachers will take a deep dive into all the foundational components of literacy as they explore numerous strategies and interventions to help students with special needs succeed and exceed in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. Throughout this course, teachers will learn how to use developmentally-appropriate activities, lessons, and interventions to help students with learning disabilities increase their literacy skills, often using a multi-sensory approach.

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Word Play: Vocabulary Instruction in the Primary Grades (Grades K-3)

This online course for teachers focuses on ways to improve students’ vocabulary in the primary grades. The course begins by building a foundation for teaching vocabulary including an understanding of the three tiers of words. Then, the effects of vocabulary on comprehension are explored. Then, options for vocabulary assessment are shared so teachers understand where students are at in their vocabulary development. The results of the assessment will be used to guide instruction and select appropriate and effective instructional strategies. Strategies presented in the course include word parts and word roots, semantic feature analysis, categorization/classification, analogies, semantic maps, concept maps, traditional resources, the cloze procedure, and the maze procedure. Teachers will gain an strategies for teaching sight words and high frequency words. Teachers will learn the importance of reading aloud to students and establishing a print-rich classroom environment in order to build students’ vocabularies. Strategies for teaching content area vocabulary are also shared. Finally, specific intervention strategies for struggling students are also provided.

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