EDUX 500   Assessment Literacy 1 credit

This asynchronous, online K-6 course expands on the 2020-2021 PLC/Data Lead Learning Modules. It is designed to build a rich understanding of the power of assessment to drive instruction through the lens of cultural proficiency using modules in Schoology. Participants will examine how a balanced assessment system is foundational in developing a robust body of knowledge about students’ needs and skills. This foundation supports a tiered decision making model leading to the creation of personalized instruction designed to directly target identified academic needs. Participants will examine how various forms of culturally proficient assessment drive instructional insights and decisions. In this 35 hour course we will culminate in a personal plan to effectively integrate a powerful cycle of assessment and instruction to best meet each student’s needs.

EDUX 501   Collaborative Literacy: Using the Tools of Cultural Proficiency to Strengthen our Implementation 1 credit

Participants in this K-6 course incorporate the Tools of Cultural Proficiency with Collaborative Literacy to plan for building a rich community of readers and writers that accelerates growth for each student through intentionally planned whole group lessons, targeted independent practice, and personalized conferring. The first seven weeks of this eight week, 35 hour course will consist of asynchronous learning. In the final weeks of the course participants will engage in a synchronous coaching session at their site in order to integrate new learning and plan for implementation during the upcoming school year.

EDUX 502   Understanding Techquity 1 credit

Techquity describes technology use through the lens of equitable practices. This course will support participants by furthering understanding of how to apply technology and the five essential elements of Cultural Proficiency into instructional equity. Throughout this learning participants will have opportunities to synthesize the five essential elements and the 4C’s as a means to enhance strong learning environments and technology use. In this course, participants will engage in seven asynchronous modules in Schoology over the course of eight weeks. This EC-12 course will be designed for participants to earn 1 semester credit through our partnership with Concordia University. Each of the learning modules will be designed to support the content, processing, and application of learning up to 35 hours.

EDUX 503   Activating the Tools of Cultural Proficiency into Practice 1 credit

This EC-12 course is designed to build capacity with the Tools of Cultural Proficiency to create, manage, and sustain equitable change. Individuals will focus on understanding the beliefs, values, and assumptions we hold as educators and create Equity Action Plans that are designed to impact the setting where your work is most closely aligned. We will cover this content over the three phases in the course through a hybrid of 3 synchronous sessions along with 6 asynchronous modules that includes 35 hours of learning.

EDUX 504   Filling in the Gaps 1 credit

The foundation of our current educational system has faced unprecedented challenges over the last year. Educators have an opportunity to be a beacon of change. We now have a new awareness of the deficits our students have experienced academically, and as equally important, socially/emotionally/behaviorally. This course provides an opportunity to create and implement change in the academic and social/emotional work we do with our students.

EDUX 505   Understanding Executive Function 1 credit

Adolescence is a time of growth, as well as a time for much needed support in regards to academics and social/emotional health. Often, adolescent difficulties can be directly related to a lagging skill-set in executive functioning. Unfortunately, many parents and educators are not versed in the language of executive functions, and specifically how they relate to and impact ADHD. To implement growth, educators and parents need: access to executive function language and definitions; understanding the impact lagging executive function skills can have on a child’s development; and specific, research-based strategies to support students by increasing their executive functioning skills. Educators and families working together can create opportunities to support all of our children with ADHD and executive functioning areas of need.

EDUX 506   Restorative Teacher 1 credit

Participants in this course will learn how to build a tool kit for intentional ways to show up in their everyday lives. We will set intentions for restoring ourselves so that we can show up for those around us. We will begin our first meeting gathering as a community and creating vision boards to ground ourselves. We will use the text “12 Tiny Things” by Barr and Rosher to guide our circle discussions and our weekly reflections. Our two Zoom Circles will focus on the Circle process and lived experience of being in community. This class incorporates self-inquiry and healing. We know that in order to show up for others we first have to show up for ourselves.

EDUX 507   Differentiating for Advanced Learners 1 credit

Participants in this course will learn to plan for how to extend the learning for students who are already proficient. Participants will learn quality differentiation strategies within their core instruction for advanced learners in their classroom. This course begins with examining current thinking about advanced learners and instruction for advanced students. Participants work through self-paced learning modules for leading a differentiated classroom, curriculum compacting, quality questioning, and higher level thinking. Participants plan, teach, and reflect upon a lesson that implements strategies from the course for their final project.

EDUX 508   Feedback to Promote Learning 1 credit

Feedback is a rich source of information for both formative and summative purposes. K- 12 educators’ in this class will gain new insights on making decisions about the use of formative assessment to achieve curriculum and student achievement goals. There will be an emphasis on student self-assessment, giving feedback digitally, and grading for learning.

EDUX 509   Genius Hour: Fostering Passion and Inquiry in the Classroom 1 credit

Are you interested in promoting creativity and finding more ways to inspire students in their learning? This course is designed to teach you ways to implement a “Genius Hour” (student selected inquiry project) into your classroom. This blended class format will focus on developing inquiry questions, teaching students how to find good information, and turning research into an action.

EDUX 510   Teaching from the Heart 1 credit

Using the text, Heart!: Fully Forming Your Professional Life as Teacher and Life, plan to dive into the unique aspects of a professional life: happiness, engagement, alliances, risk and thought. Setting aside time to reflect on your professional practice is critical to student success. John Hattie, in his book, Visible Learning, advocates that teachers can make a difference despite other circumstance that may impede learning. Learn more about the degree of impact you have on student learning and how you can make a distinct, positive “heartprint” on students and colleagues.

EDUX 511   Project Based Learning 1 credit

Are you interested in promoting creativity and finding more ways to inspire students in their learning whether it is in the classroom or in Distant Learning? This course is designed to teach you ways to implement Project Based Learning into your classroom. This online class will focus on understanding how Project Based Learning can improve motivation and test scores; how to run and manage Project Based Learning in the classroom, and how to use assessment to guide Project Based Learning.

EDUX 512   Using Questioning Techniques to Differentiate 1 credit

This course is designed to guide K-12 educators’ differentiation skills through the application of effective questioning strategies. Research indicates that these techniques enhance critical and higher-order thinking in all students. Participants will learn about different types of questions and how to use them to differentiate curriculum to best meet the learning needs of students. Specifically, educators will explore how to adapt questioning strategies to a particular lesson, ability level, or subject area. Research that supports the use of questions and shows how this can contribute to significant improvements in student learning will be examined during the course, too.

EDUX 513   The Depth & Complexity Framework: Differentiating to Elevate Student Thinking 1 credit

Participants in this course will learn to plan for and implement the elements of the Depth and Complexity Framework to elevate and extend the thinking for students to investigate content with more depth and complexity. Participants will this learn how to use this powerful differentiation tool within their core instruction. Participants work through self-paced learning modules for the prompts for Depth and Complexity, the Content Imperatives, Universal Themes, Thinking Like a Disciplinarian, and Scaffolds and Organizers for Depth and Complexity. Participants will plan, teach, and reflect upon lessons that use the elements of the Depth and Complexity Framework throughout this course.

EDUX 514   Understanding Twice Exceptional Learners 1 credit

The term “twice exceptional” or “2E” refers to intellectually gifted students who have one or more learning needs, such as dyslexia, ADHD, OCD or autism. Twice-exceptional students may think and process information differently. Like many other gifted children, 2E children may be more emotionally and intellectually sensitive than children of average intelligence. At the same time, due to their learning differences, twice exceptional kids struggle with what other kids do easily. This course outlines characteristics of 2E learners, shares the perspective of stakeholders in a 2E child’s life, and provides classroom strategies for work with 2E students.

EDUX 515   Students not Meeting Expectations 1 credit

As students transition through their K-12 educational experience, teachers expect students to continually meet grade level expectations (social, emotional, academic, executive functions) and achieve at higher and higher levels. When students struggle to be successful, teachers need to be resourceful, creative and efficient in finding solutions to the child’s challenges. For some students, the mysteries are easily solved, but at other times, we are left at a loss on how to best advocate for the student and keep them on track. This course will provide strategies for identifying underlying deficits with a problem solving approach. We will provide tools for scaffolding support and building student capacity when there are recurring, unmet expectations in the classroom. With a greater understanding of a student's areas of need, teachers can create more inclusive learning environments and nurture the interests and assets of all students.

EDUX 516   Nature Matters: The Why and How of Bringing Nature into your Classroom & Life 1 credit

Time spent in, near, and viewing nature matters. World-wide children spend less and less time outside and in natural environments each year--and the Covid crisis has underscored the importance of nature for our health, well-being, and learning. The benefits of nature exposure are significant: better focus with increased knowledge retention, physical and mental health benefits, and improved soft skills such as leadership and environmental ethics development. Research indicates that nature-based learning is even a tool to build equity in the classroom, leveling the playing field across a variety of disadvantaged students. This class focuses on (3) key outcomes: 1) We will explore the “why” behind nature-based learning by examining current research across a variety of contexts and approaches. 2) We will also focus on the “how”: from plants inside your school, to your school yard as a classroom, to neighborhood and local natural resources via designing and implementing a nature-based learning project that will get your students outside. 3) We will develop our skills and confidence in connecting with nature nearby so that we can feel comfortable being in nature ourselves and better facilitate nature-based learning experiences for students via dedicated time outdoors exploring, listening, and engaging with nature.

EDUX 517   Teaching with your SOUL 1 credit

Using the text, SOUL!: Fully Forming Your Professional Life as Teacher and Life, ( the follow-up to the book, HEART!: Fully Forming Your Professional Life as Teacher and Life) will help you Search for, Overcome, Unify, and Live your own personal and professional soul story. Through research and reflection, you will learn how to use your soul story to help you overcome professional obstacles, and help you become more confident and joyful in your professional life. Teaching with your SOUL will help remind you, K-12 educators of all the positive impact you have had on our students and each other and the reason why we went into teaching.

EDUX 518   Not Light, But Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations 1 credit

Using the text Not Light, But Fire; How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom, and additional articles/ podcasts this course will offer district colleagues the time and guidance to reflect and prepare to facilitate meaningful, productive dialog about race in their schools.

EDUX 519   Engaging the Disengaged 1 credit

Any student can disengage from the school experience. Some students see school as the place that identifies them as being not quite “as good as” their peers. For other students, their academic success and resulting acknowledgements are not enough to maintain a sense of engagement. And some students fly under the radar, while waiting for the school year to be over: they are present, assignments are completed and they pass the grade. This course will cover how to determine the “why” behind academic disengagement, understand underlying challenges which could manifest as a lack of motivation, and strategies to increase independence in the classroom setting.

EDUX 520   Helping Students Succeed with Brain Aligned and SEL Strategies 1 credit

This course outlines the positive impact of well implemented SEL strategies to improve learning, emotional regulation and behavior. The course provides research on student brain development and structure. The course will promote the practice of considering student deficits through an emotional/behavioral co-regulation process. The material covers the shift in student focused management to adult intervention that takes into consideration an adult regulated brain and body responses. Adults will learn how their own self awareness positively impacts students . The goal is for there to be an introduction into social emotional learning themes and how to implement strategies that educators can use when students cope and succeed in their classrooms.

EDUX 521   Reading & Writing with English 1 credit

EDUX 522   Family Engagement and Student Success 1 credit

Teachers and schools can develop a culture that welcomes and further encourages parent engagement. This course is for staff who wish to bridge the gap between their students, guardians/parents and the academic setting. Research shows that positive family engagement in schools: is closely linked to better student behavior, increased attendance, higher academic achievement and enhanced social skills for students. The course will look at current research, provide narratives that often go unheard and offer a framework for future planning. It is up to educators and communities to transform the collective mindset and work together to create new opportunities for the caregivers and family engagement in our schools.

EDUX 523   Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls 1 credit

Though anxiety has risen among teens and young adults overall in the last 10 years, studies confirm that it has skyrocketed in girls. Research finds that the number of girls who said that they often felt nervous, worried, or fearful jumped 55 percent from 2009 to 2014 while the comparable number for adolescent boys has remained unchanged. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concern in the United States. Over 40 million adults in the U.S. (19.1%) have an anxiety disorder. Meanwhile, approximately 7% of children aged 3-17 experience issues with anxiety each year. Most people develop symptoms before age 21.-NAMI, 2022. Parents and educators are seeking tools to assist our female students when they are with us during their academic day. This course will utilize the book, Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls to understand the impacts of isolation and social anxiety, the importance of peers, social identity, connections, cognition, caring, cooperating, collaborating, and belonging.