Click to view weekly topics.

Course 1 Outline

Course 2 Outline

Course 3 Outline

With a focus on candidates as learners and their learning, this course outcome goal is to strengthen participant knowledge base, skill sets, and dispositions toward online teaching through self-efficacy and goal setting.

Candidates will complete a needs assessment that guides self-assessment reflective practice inclusive of a cooperating district/organization resource assessment.  Candidates will engage with empirical research, current trends, and online programs that support a learning outcome and practice of:

• Professional Responsibilities
• Digital Pedagogy
• Community Building
• Learner Engagement
• Digital Citizenship
• Diverse Instruction
• Assessment and Measurement
• Instructional Design
• Instructors will utilize the candidate needs assessment and reflection as diagnostic data to support session focus and design.  

Candidate progress will be formatively assessed throughout each course session.  Candidates will experience and initiate practice of synchronous, asynchronous, and blended learning models supporting effective online teaching.  Instructors will utilize candidate need assessment data to provide guidance and practice that will target candidate learning goals and their cooperating district/organization resource support structure.

Direct instruction and modeling will enhance candidate experiential learning through the online platform; session assignments will provide candidates an opportunity to practice, reflect, and set goals for student learning lesson designs.  Candidates will collaborate with program colleagues through professional learning communities, professionalism, protocols, and processes (i.e., whole group and small group chat, discussion forums, peer review, and feedback). 

Reflective practice and goal-setting protocols promote content and context differentiation needs of each candidate in their specific service area and field.  Specifically, this assignment and supportive session assignments will allow candidates to integrate learner development, learning differences, and learning environments effectively through an online format.  As candidates implement goal-setting action steps, they will ensure student application of content and assessment through online instructional planning that demonstrates effective online learning strategies.

With a focus on candidates’ content knowledge, application of content, assessment, and planning for instruction through effective online instructional strategies, this course will allow candidates an opportunity to begin implementing action steps outlined in their reflective practice and established personal learning goals, completed in Course I, through action research with coaching.  Action research will be conducted in line with ethical practice and in collaboration with colleagues and supporting district/school/organization leadership.  

Candidates will practice and demonstrate mastery of effective online teaching with supportive instructor coaching.  The course instructor will coach candidates through implementing goals with action research.

The Action Research Process

Each candidate will engage in this cyclical protocol as they focus on implementing effective online learning:

1. Selecting a focus
2. Clarifying theories
3. Identifying research questions
4. Collecting data
5. Analyzing data
6. Reporting results
7. Taking informed action

While continuing to model effective online learning, course instructors will provide coaching as candidates practice and begin mastering online teaching.  Candidates will put knowledge, skills, and dispositions gained in Course I into practice with students.  Specifically, candidates will practice and begin mastering synchronous and asynchronous online learning that attends to students’:  

• Development and differences
• Content knowledge and application
• Assessment
• Response to assessment outcome

Candidates will be coached as they explore and utilize the online resources supported by their district/school/organization with intentional coaching to explore new formats and effective online learning strategies.  Candidate coaching will follow clinical supervision protocols, ensuring small group and/or individual sessions supported by pre and post-dialogue.  

The third course is designed to focus on candidates’ (a) understanding of development, learning, and motivation; (b) understanding of curriculum; (c) ability to assess, analyze student learning, and use assessment; (d) ability to plan instruction and teach; and (e) demonstrate professionalism.

Candidates will build a portfolio of artifacts demonstrating the following performances during online teaching (as defined by TKES Level III or IV):

1. Professional Knowledge
2. Instructional Planning
3. Instructional Strategies
4. Differentiated Instruction
5. Assessment Strategies
6. Assessment Uses
7. Positive Learning Environment
8. Academically Challenging Environment
9. Professionalism
10. Communication

Program candidates will engage in portfolio peer review protocol to promote collaboration and candidate efficacy.  Program instructors will engage in progressive candidate assessment from formative to summative, ensuring iNACOL online teaching standards and TKES Georgia teacher standards are demonstrated at a mastery level (i.e., TKES formative phase observation for coaching feedback).

Successful program completers will be encouraged to share their effective online teaching portfolio with district/school/organization leader(s) and colleagues.  

Course Resource Requirements

• No text is required
• Computer with working camera, audio, and stable internet capabilities compatible with Chrome and supporting the Blackboard platform
• Candidates must have a Google mail account (gmail)

Overview

• Year-long program
• 150 contact hours/15 PLUs
• Comprised of 3 separate courses, each lasting 10 weeks
• Required performance-based field experience assignments via video recordings 
• Virtual delivery via Blackboard and Zoom; to include synchronous meetings and asynchronous study assignments

Candidates Will Understand and Apply:

• Knowledge, skill sets, and dispositions towards online teaching
• Gradual release toward proficiency in online teaching and learning
• Learners and their learning
• Content knowledge, application of content, assessment, and planning for instruction through effective online instructional strategies
• Understanding of development, learning, and motivation
• Curriculum and assessment
• Instructional design and teaching
• Professionalism

The participants will experience online teaching and learning through the support of the MRESA Blackboard platform; experiential learning will allow candidates to transition best practices and effective teaching and learning strategies to the technical tools and programs available within their organization and district.

Admission Requirements

• Candidates must hold a valid T-4 or higher, Clear Renewable Certificate in any teaching, service, or leadership field.
• Candidates must currently be teaching or delivering school lever or system‑level professional learning weekly.
• Candidates must be recommended by their employing principal and/or system-level leadership.

Tuition Costs

• The individual course cost is $350.
• The total cost for all three required courses is $1050.
• Participants will not be allowed to begin a course until payment is received by Metro RESA.
  • All fees are non-refundable.