Professional Learning

Our professional learning opportunities are designed in collaboration with scholars as a way to bridge research and practice. Designed in learning pathways and aligned to standards for professional practice, the overarching goal is to:

~ use research to guide practice
~ provide opportunities for self-reflection and discussion of given topics,
~ provide opportunities for exploration, experimentation, and collaboration with peers,
~ provide a space for creative ideation and innovation,
~ share design knowledge, practices, and tools with the education community,
~ support educators in becoming the designers of learning experiences that create equitable outcomes for all learners.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion pathway (K-12)

Culturally-responsive teaching by design

A professional learning for educators designed to:

develop the essential knowledge of cultural-responsive teaching principles and practices;

develop the critical dispositions of a culturally-responsive practitioner;

design and develop a culturally-connected unit of study that builds on and strengthens the intellective capacity of diverse learners.
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Human rights and gender equality

A professional learning for educators designed to:

provide opportunities for self-reflection and discussion on gender identity, including transgender students;

develop understanding of inclusive practices that build safe and caring learning environments;

apply evidence-based practices that foster safety and belonging for all students.
We can't teach what we don't know

A professional learning for educators designed to:

develop understanding how prejudice, discrimination, and racism operate at the interpersonal, intergroup, and institutional level;

reflect, discuss, and self-assess to uncover practices that undermine pedagogical equity;

create opportunities for students to learn about historical truths, affirm the dignity and humanity of all people and become agents of social change to promote equity.
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Online course design and development pathway (K-16)

Orienting your online learners

A professional learning for educators designed to:

understand the importance of social-emotional design for learning which includes welcoming your students, orienting your students, facilitating introductions, introducing the design-logic (teaching philosophy, communication channels, communication patterns, course structure) and more.
Fostering and maintaining online learning communities

A professional learning for educators designed to:

design, develop, and maintain instructor and student social presence in support of learner engagement, learner interaction, and the development of an online learning community.
Active learning by design: From principles to practices

A professional learning that:

develops the pedagogical knowledge of active learning design principles and practices;

guides educators through the process of conducting an active learning course review;

guides educators through the backwards-design process of designing an active learning unit of study for their respective discipline.
Universal design to improve online learning environments

A professional learning for educators designed to:

connect the research behind the principles of universal design to the development of online learning environments.
e-Inclusion by design

A professional learning for educators designed to:

introduce instructors to the principles of e-Inclusion

apply the principles of e-Inclusion when declaring learning outcomes, selecting learning resources, and designing learning activities and assessments for online delivery.
Roles of the online instructor

A professional learning for educators designed to understand the pedagogical, social-emotional, managerial, and technical instructor roles when teaching online.
From learning design to learning outcomes analytics

A professional learning for educators designed to:

map their existing learning design to disciplinary learning outcomes, program-level outcomes, and higher-order skills and dispositions

explore creative learning designs that foster future-facing skills.

Greening the curriculum pathway (K-12)

Integrating a circular economy challenge into the curriculum

This workshop guides teachers through the process of integrating a circular economy challenge into their existing curriculum using an INQUIRY-BASED approach.
Regenerative ecosystem design

This workshop guides teachers through the process of integrating a regenerative ecosystem challenge into their existing curriculum using a PROBLEM-BASED approach.
How nature solves problems

This workshop guides teachers through the process of integrating a design challenge using the principles of biomimicry into their existing curriculum using a PROJECT-BASED approach.
Sustainable products and packaging design

This workshop guides teachers through the process of integrating a product or packaging redesign challenge into their existing curriculum using a DESIGN-BASED approach.

Science of learning and development pathway (K-12)

The guiding principles of whole child design

This workshop introduces teachers to the guiding principles of whole child design.

Teachers engage in reflective practice and discussion on strategies and action steps to integrate these principles into practice.
Developing the skills, habits, and mindsets of an equitable educator

This workshop introduces teachers to the skills, habits, and mindsets of an equitable instructor.

The outcome of the workshop are action steps, strategies, and practices tailored to your local classroom.
Designing authentic learning experiences

This workshop guides teachers through the backwards design process of integrating an authentic learning task into their curriculum.

The outcome of the workshop is an authentic learning task mapped to local standards.
Conducting a pedagogical course review

This workshop guides teachers through the process of reviewing their curriculum for active learning.

Teachers engage in reflective practice on their review findings and creatively brainstorm active learning methods.
Fostering and maintaining positive developmental relationships

This workshop focuses on the importance of fostering and maintaining positive developmental relationships. Its focus is on how teachers can personalize relationships with learners, build relationships with families, and build supportive relationships among peers.

Services

Professional Learning