Testimonials from CORE Participants
See what teachers and counselors are saying
about our courses and our instructors!
Thank you Anthony L. for this incredible evaluation! We truly appreciate your kind words!
What I love about CORE P.D. courses specifically is that, unlike some of the other
organizations that I have taken courses with, the classes that CORE offers don’t overlap
and do not feel redundant. I am now 72 credit above my Masters, and they have been
with a handful of different organizations, so I think I am qualified to say this!
What I have found with other institutes is that by the 4th or 5th class, it just feels like you are hearing the same ideas, concepts, and ideologies over and over, said in different ways by different instructors. In the many classes I have now taken with CORE, we have explored completely
different topics. In last month's class, I was reading about physical and emotional health issues
relevant to the students I teach. Before that, the class was about building relationships
with students and parents. As someone who has taken so many classes in such a short period
of time (two years), I really appreciate the work you all do to make sure that I don’t feel
like I’m hearing the same things over and over in every class I take.
I also want you to know that I am not just saying any of these things just to say them; I am so thankful I found CORE P.D. courses and recommend CORE to anyone and everyone that asks me about getting professional development credits. I will continue to do that long after I finish my own 75 credits..
As I mentioned in my last assignment, the link you sent with the Social-Emotional Learning activities
is exactly the type of thing that makes these classes so worth it. That’s something I have already sent to coworkers that we will ACTUALLY use. The student profile templates from the "Emotional Intelligence" and "At Risk Students" classes have already been saved in my work Google Drive
that is now part of my arsenal from your courses. Long story short:
These classes genuinely help me and I’m so glad to have gotten to work with all of you!
********************************************************************************
"I just want to say thank you for such a wonderful experience!
From beginning to end, everything about CORE P.D. was fantastic! I certainly
see what all the hype was about; all of the great things I heard about CORE are true!
I received my course completion and CTLE certificates today - thank you for
getting them to me so quickly! I will definitely be back soon for another course!"
"Thank you so much for another outstanding course! CORE Professional Development
is an amazing site and I have been recommending it to coworkers. I learned so
many things about how I can better incorporate multiculturalism into my classroom.
Thank you so much for your thorough responses and for sharing so many
personal stories; it really makes me feel like I am not alone. I look forward to
bringing awareness to my building and hopefully across my district. Thank you!"
"One of my favorite parts of the course was receiving your feedback. I was always
so impressed on how quickly you were about to return feedback and how in depth it was.
Although this class was online, I was able to really connect to you as a professor and
have a meaningful online relationship. The course encouraged me to
think about gender issues and allowed me to answer openly and honestly."
"As summer comes to an end I just wanted to reach out and say thank you. It was an
absolute pleasure taking your courses this past spring and summer. Your instructors are fabulous
and you are such an easy person to communicate and work with. I truly appreciate your kindness
and efforts in helping me with this process. Thanks again and I will be back soon with CORE PD."
"It is a pleasure to take these courses! I have completed other online courses, with different organizations, and did not look forward to completing any of the course assignments. I feel very differently about the coursework through Core Professional Development. I look forward
to reading the articles and I am enjoying the assignments. They are meaningful and have
me thinking critically! Taking a course at CORE P.D. has been such a great experience!"
"I would like to end by acknowledging the quick and thorough feedback that I received
on every single assignment. It was not only appreciated, but also taught me even more
about at-risk students! Thank you for the time you put into choosing worthwhile
material and for the detailed feedback that enhanced my learning even more!"
about our courses and our instructors!
Thank you Anthony L. for this incredible evaluation! We truly appreciate your kind words!
What I love about CORE P.D. courses specifically is that, unlike some of the other
organizations that I have taken courses with, the classes that CORE offers don’t overlap
and do not feel redundant. I am now 72 credit above my Masters, and they have been
with a handful of different organizations, so I think I am qualified to say this!
What I have found with other institutes is that by the 4th or 5th class, it just feels like you are hearing the same ideas, concepts, and ideologies over and over, said in different ways by different instructors. In the many classes I have now taken with CORE, we have explored completely
different topics. In last month's class, I was reading about physical and emotional health issues
relevant to the students I teach. Before that, the class was about building relationships
with students and parents. As someone who has taken so many classes in such a short period
of time (two years), I really appreciate the work you all do to make sure that I don’t feel
like I’m hearing the same things over and over in every class I take.
I also want you to know that I am not just saying any of these things just to say them; I am so thankful I found CORE P.D. courses and recommend CORE to anyone and everyone that asks me about getting professional development credits. I will continue to do that long after I finish my own 75 credits..
As I mentioned in my last assignment, the link you sent with the Social-Emotional Learning activities
is exactly the type of thing that makes these classes so worth it. That’s something I have already sent to coworkers that we will ACTUALLY use. The student profile templates from the "Emotional Intelligence" and "At Risk Students" classes have already been saved in my work Google Drive
that is now part of my arsenal from your courses. Long story short:
These classes genuinely help me and I’m so glad to have gotten to work with all of you!
********************************************************************************
"I just want to say thank you for such a wonderful experience!
From beginning to end, everything about CORE P.D. was fantastic! I certainly
see what all the hype was about; all of the great things I heard about CORE are true!
I received my course completion and CTLE certificates today - thank you for
getting them to me so quickly! I will definitely be back soon for another course!"
"Thank you so much for another outstanding course! CORE Professional Development
is an amazing site and I have been recommending it to coworkers. I learned so
many things about how I can better incorporate multiculturalism into my classroom.
Thank you so much for your thorough responses and for sharing so many
personal stories; it really makes me feel like I am not alone. I look forward to
bringing awareness to my building and hopefully across my district. Thank you!"
"One of my favorite parts of the course was receiving your feedback. I was always
so impressed on how quickly you were about to return feedback and how in depth it was.
Although this class was online, I was able to really connect to you as a professor and
have a meaningful online relationship. The course encouraged me to
think about gender issues and allowed me to answer openly and honestly."
"As summer comes to an end I just wanted to reach out and say thank you. It was an
absolute pleasure taking your courses this past spring and summer. Your instructors are fabulous
and you are such an easy person to communicate and work with. I truly appreciate your kindness
and efforts in helping me with this process. Thanks again and I will be back soon with CORE PD."
"It is a pleasure to take these courses! I have completed other online courses, with different organizations, and did not look forward to completing any of the course assignments. I feel very differently about the coursework through Core Professional Development. I look forward
to reading the articles and I am enjoying the assignments. They are meaningful and have
me thinking critically! Taking a course at CORE P.D. has been such a great experience!"
"I would like to end by acknowledging the quick and thorough feedback that I received
on every single assignment. It was not only appreciated, but also taught me even more
about at-risk students! Thank you for the time you put into choosing worthwhile
material and for the detailed feedback that enhanced my learning even more!"
Fostering Executive Function Skills in All Grades and Subject Areas
First and foremost I would like to thank you for instructing this course and for all of your positive feedback. I enjoyed taking the course and felt like I was able to further my knowledge on executive functioning difficulties, along with strategies that can be incorporated for students in need. Specifically, I felt that though I had some prior knowledge and experience working with students with these deficits, I was able to learn on a deeper level and also learned new facts I was unaware of. Many of the assignments allowed me to reflect on my experiences and how I would handle certain situations. I always enjoy assignments like that because it allows me to reflect on how I handle situations. I feel that in those situations I’m able to also think about how I could’ve handled things differently or how I would want to handle it in the future.
I liked how the later assignments all expanded off of one another and I was able to use a real life example of a student I have currently, who is having a great deal of difficulty. After those assignments, I had many conversations with my team about him and about some strategies that we could implement. I feel that this course allowed me to take a step back to see some interventions already in place with him, and also has allowed me to come up with some new ideas as well.
I’ve taken many courses now through CORE PD and I always enjoy the different courses. Though some classes specifically apply to teachers, I feel that I’m typically able to take each and every assignment and make it my own. I think that in this course specifically, was easy for me to navigate the assignments and I felt that they were all relatable to my field. I feel that all of the assignments were appropriate, based on the description of the course. Everything was laid out in the syllabus with the required links attached, which was appreciated.
Your feedback was very quick, which is always appreciated. Thank you again for instructing this great course!
-Nicole S.
First and foremost I would like to thank you for instructing this course and for all of your positive feedback. I enjoyed taking the course and felt like I was able to further my knowledge on executive functioning difficulties, along with strategies that can be incorporated for students in need. Specifically, I felt that though I had some prior knowledge and experience working with students with these deficits, I was able to learn on a deeper level and also learned new facts I was unaware of. Many of the assignments allowed me to reflect on my experiences and how I would handle certain situations. I always enjoy assignments like that because it allows me to reflect on how I handle situations. I feel that in those situations I’m able to also think about how I could’ve handled things differently or how I would want to handle it in the future.
I liked how the later assignments all expanded off of one another and I was able to use a real life example of a student I have currently, who is having a great deal of difficulty. After those assignments, I had many conversations with my team about him and about some strategies that we could implement. I feel that this course allowed me to take a step back to see some interventions already in place with him, and also has allowed me to come up with some new ideas as well.
I’ve taken many courses now through CORE PD and I always enjoy the different courses. Though some classes specifically apply to teachers, I feel that I’m typically able to take each and every assignment and make it my own. I think that in this course specifically, was easy for me to navigate the assignments and I felt that they were all relatable to my field. I feel that all of the assignments were appropriate, based on the description of the course. Everything was laid out in the syllabus with the required links attached, which was appreciated.
Your feedback was very quick, which is always appreciated. Thank you again for instructing this great course!
-Nicole S.
The Teacher-Student Relationship: Providing Essential Supports for Learning, Motivation and Achievement
This was extremely beneficial to my practice of teaching. I have not previously had a course focused on this topic and I find it critical for every teacher. The assignments included a combination of videos, reflections, articles, and activities to be done with students which allowed for a variety of methods to present information. The assignments were extremely fair in length and complexity; they required reflection, thought, and creative input without being overwhelming. From this course, I learned extremely useful strategies that can be immediately implemented into the classroom. I found the articles to be less abstract and more concrete for teachers to use, which I appreciated very much.
Judi provided clear, consistent, extremely helpful feedback on every assignment. This instructor practices what she preaches! She reads every assignment, provides positive feedback, and even though I have not met her in person, I feel as though she knows me personally. I saw components of this class implemented from her standpoint. For example, we learned about the power of an introduction letter from a student perspective and now looking back I recall this is how she started our course. Her feedback was detailed, personal, and helpful. She took time to build a relationship with her students in this course, even though it was all virtual through written correspondence!
I would 100% recommend this course to a colleague mainly due to the rapport and feedback of the instructor as well as the usefulness of the information presented in the course. I look forward to taking more classes centered around this topic of teacher-student relationships and more courses from this incredible instructor.
-Alyssa H.
This was extremely beneficial to my practice of teaching. I have not previously had a course focused on this topic and I find it critical for every teacher. The assignments included a combination of videos, reflections, articles, and activities to be done with students which allowed for a variety of methods to present information. The assignments were extremely fair in length and complexity; they required reflection, thought, and creative input without being overwhelming. From this course, I learned extremely useful strategies that can be immediately implemented into the classroom. I found the articles to be less abstract and more concrete for teachers to use, which I appreciated very much.
Judi provided clear, consistent, extremely helpful feedback on every assignment. This instructor practices what she preaches! She reads every assignment, provides positive feedback, and even though I have not met her in person, I feel as though she knows me personally. I saw components of this class implemented from her standpoint. For example, we learned about the power of an introduction letter from a student perspective and now looking back I recall this is how she started our course. Her feedback was detailed, personal, and helpful. She took time to build a relationship with her students in this course, even though it was all virtual through written correspondence!
I would 100% recommend this course to a colleague mainly due to the rapport and feedback of the instructor as well as the usefulness of the information presented in the course. I look forward to taking more classes centered around this topic of teacher-student relationships and more courses from this incredible instructor.
-Alyssa H.
The Growth Mindset: Helping Students Understand the Value of Effort, Persistence and Challenges
It was an absolute pleasure to work with Dr. Bernadette Weltsek. “The Growth Mindset: Helping Students Understand the Value of Effort, Persistence and Challenges” was well thought out and prepared. The assigned readings were informative and offered strategies that can easily be adapted into the classroom. I especially enjoyed readings that compared and contrasted what a growth mindset is and what it isn’t.
The information offered will certainly facilitate the growth mindset conversations in my classroom. I think my students will benefit from me exploring the ideas offered in this class. Dr. Weltsek was always available to answer questions and her feedback on all assignments was always thoughtful and quick. I’ve taken 3 courses from Core Professional Development and have been nothing less than extremely pleased with the professors and content that I have explored.
-Tanya W.
First, I want to thank you for giving me amazing feedback! This course was extremely interesting; it kept me so motivated that I kept going because I found myself looking forward to the next assignment. I learned a great deal and I feel it related to my past teaching experiences as well as definitely helping me with my future ones. I really enjoyed all the assignments and learning new information about a Growth Mindset vs. a Fixed Mindset.
My favorites would have to be Assignments 3 and 4 because they discussed how we need to praise the process and focus on challenges rather than solely on a student's intelligence. I also loved all the videos in Assignments 10 and 11. It helped me to reflect on my past experiences. It also taught me how to help students who have a Fixed Mindset move towards having a Growth Mindset. I also enjoyed reading a variety of articles from the important sites that you provided for us. It gave me new strategies to use in my classroom and helped me to reflect on what I already do.
I believe we are all in this together and we learn from each other by sharing. Thank you for giving me this opportunity and I look forward to implementing this in my classroom, especially the “not yet."
-Clare G.
I loved this course and all of its assignments. I really liked how all the assignments aligned with growth mindset but hit the topic from a variety of different angles. With each CORE P.D. course, I look for takeaways that I can implement in my own classes. From this class, I gained many takeaways that I can use with my students.
My biggest and a most important takeaway is my own self-reflection. I realized through these articles and videos that I am not teaching Growth Mindset in the best of ways. Going forward, I plan to watch my feedback and how I present information to my students.
Thank you for all your kind and meaningful feedback and I would highly recommend this course to other educators!
-Thomas S.
It was an absolute pleasure to work with Dr. Bernadette Weltsek. “The Growth Mindset: Helping Students Understand the Value of Effort, Persistence and Challenges” was well thought out and prepared. The assigned readings were informative and offered strategies that can easily be adapted into the classroom. I especially enjoyed readings that compared and contrasted what a growth mindset is and what it isn’t.
The information offered will certainly facilitate the growth mindset conversations in my classroom. I think my students will benefit from me exploring the ideas offered in this class. Dr. Weltsek was always available to answer questions and her feedback on all assignments was always thoughtful and quick. I’ve taken 3 courses from Core Professional Development and have been nothing less than extremely pleased with the professors and content that I have explored.
-Tanya W.
First, I want to thank you for giving me amazing feedback! This course was extremely interesting; it kept me so motivated that I kept going because I found myself looking forward to the next assignment. I learned a great deal and I feel it related to my past teaching experiences as well as definitely helping me with my future ones. I really enjoyed all the assignments and learning new information about a Growth Mindset vs. a Fixed Mindset.
My favorites would have to be Assignments 3 and 4 because they discussed how we need to praise the process and focus on challenges rather than solely on a student's intelligence. I also loved all the videos in Assignments 10 and 11. It helped me to reflect on my past experiences. It also taught me how to help students who have a Fixed Mindset move towards having a Growth Mindset. I also enjoyed reading a variety of articles from the important sites that you provided for us. It gave me new strategies to use in my classroom and helped me to reflect on what I already do.
I believe we are all in this together and we learn from each other by sharing. Thank you for giving me this opportunity and I look forward to implementing this in my classroom, especially the “not yet."
-Clare G.
I loved this course and all of its assignments. I really liked how all the assignments aligned with growth mindset but hit the topic from a variety of different angles. With each CORE P.D. course, I look for takeaways that I can implement in my own classes. From this class, I gained many takeaways that I can use with my students.
My biggest and a most important takeaway is my own self-reflection. I realized through these articles and videos that I am not teaching Growth Mindset in the best of ways. Going forward, I plan to watch my feedback and how I present information to my students.
Thank you for all your kind and meaningful feedback and I would highly recommend this course to other educators!
-Thomas S.
Mental Health Issues in Children and Adolescents: Impact on Learning Readiness, Behavior and Achievement
This was my very first professional development course. I have to say…it set the bar pretty high! The assignments were well thought-out and very relevant in today’s world. I learned a lot of statistics, some very alarming, but necessary to know. I was also made more aware of warning signs I need to look for in childhood mental illness. This is a course I think every educator should have to take.
Judi was a complete dream! Her responses were almost instantaneous and full of wonderful insight. I truly do not have anything negative to say about this course and I will definitely be taking more CORE PD classes in the coming future! Thank you for the opportunity.
-Cassandra P.
This was a wonderful class... I truly enjoyed the conversations and reading the articles. I have taken many classes over the years and yours are always my favorite. I learn best through conversations and I think the topic of this class is one that is so relevant not only to educators and people who work with children and young adults, but to pretty much anyone is society who is concerned about the suffering endured by so many. I truly believe that the mental health crisis in our country needs to be handled differently. The stigma around mental health has to be changed. Mental health illnesses need to be handled like any other illness or disease. Hopefully by the bravery of the young people like Megan and Cole this country will be able to see how much needs to be done and how many changes need to be made so our young adults can lead happy, healthy, productive lives. Thank you for a wonderful class!
-Beth V.
For me, this was the most interesting course that I have taken thus far in my professional development. I do not have much experience with mental disabilities and found learning about it to be fascinating. My favorite assignment was creating the two student profiles. I liked how the questions were so specific and required me to use deeper thinking to create data on each of the students. I liked following those questions as opposed to making my own annotations; I think both annotations and specific questions would serve as good data when presenting information about a student at a team or administrative meeting. I am going to save these questions to use in the future when gathering data on a student I am having concerns about.
I also loved the assignment that had the TED talks with the two girls who had mental health disorders. I thought they were both so brave to share their personal experiences and these were two videos that would really make a difference to many people. All of the articles were interesting, as was the assignment with poetry written by young people dealing with depression and anxiety. I typically do not read poetry but the selections you chose really gave the reader a connection and understanding of each author’s feelings.
Thank you so much for teaching me about this topic. I hope I get to take another class with you again. I loved your feedback as it made me feel that you really cared about what I was saying, which made me hold myself more accountable for the assignments!
-Courtney M.
Similarly to the last course I took with you, I thoroughly enjoyed taking this course. Mental health Disorders are such a prevalent concern for children and adolescents in schools. It is important for educators to be aware of the signs of these disorders so that we can assist our students as best we can. Additionally, you again made this course so enjoyable for me. Out of all the teachers and professors I have had in my life (and there have been MANY!) you have given by far the most thoughtful feedback. I really looked forward to receiving each e-mail response from you getting to read through your comments on my assignments. It makes it even better because throughout this course, we have the opportunity to express our true feelings, concerns and beliefs about the topics we are discussing and it is interesting to read your feedback on those thoughts that we share. You always respond with such kindness and acceptance and I am very grateful for that. Thank you for another great experience and I will definitely be taking more courses with you in the future!
-Paige B.
I thoroughly enjoyed this class. In my short time teaching, I continue to notice a rise in mental health issues. This course provided me with a deeper understanding in the rise of mental health issues our students are experiencing. I loved the articles that were presented throughout the course. I especially loved reading about how Long Island school districts are taking a proactive approach to dealing with the rise in mental health. The assignments that were presented were both powerful and meaningful. I also loved all of the assignments in the class. I think my favorite assignment was Assignment 6. It included a variety of poems, videos and T.E.D. Talks and they were all excellent. The inclusion of poetry was amazing; the poems that were selected really showed you what a mental illness is like, and how a person is affected. In addition, the T.E.D. talk videos were moving. I think anytime we try to show our students something, it is best to hear it from someone who has experienced it rather than a lecture on the topic. It carries weight and is more impactful, especially the two videos that were chosen for this class. Finally, The Virtual Calming Room is a great resource for any educator. All of the assignments of this course provided a plethora of information to help students and families in need.
I was very pleased with the class and Professor Weissman’s feedback. When I submitted assignments, she got back to me quickly and responded to my comments. I I was taken aback by the effort put in to reading and responding to all of my assignments! It made me feel special, and that my work meant something. I will highly recommend taking this course to my colleagues. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and the assignments that were provided. Professor Weissman, I cannot thank you and your staff enough for the effort and care that is put into every course. I look forward to taking more classes at CORE P.D. Thanks again for all that you do!
-Scott L.
This course truly discusses such an important and upcoming topic in our education system. I feel as though I have gained a wealth of knowledge from all of the articles and videos provided through this course. The information was presented in a clear and logical way. I feel as though I am more equipped to address the needs of my students that do experience mental health issues as a result of this course. I understand that we are navigating some unprecedented times right now, so having a better understanding of this topic will be useful. Thank you for creating such a meaningful course, I will cherish everything that I have learned from you! It has been my honor taking your classes this summer!
-Michelle S.
This was my very first professional development course. I have to say…it set the bar pretty high! The assignments were well thought-out and very relevant in today’s world. I learned a lot of statistics, some very alarming, but necessary to know. I was also made more aware of warning signs I need to look for in childhood mental illness. This is a course I think every educator should have to take.
Judi was a complete dream! Her responses were almost instantaneous and full of wonderful insight. I truly do not have anything negative to say about this course and I will definitely be taking more CORE PD classes in the coming future! Thank you for the opportunity.
-Cassandra P.
This was a wonderful class... I truly enjoyed the conversations and reading the articles. I have taken many classes over the years and yours are always my favorite. I learn best through conversations and I think the topic of this class is one that is so relevant not only to educators and people who work with children and young adults, but to pretty much anyone is society who is concerned about the suffering endured by so many. I truly believe that the mental health crisis in our country needs to be handled differently. The stigma around mental health has to be changed. Mental health illnesses need to be handled like any other illness or disease. Hopefully by the bravery of the young people like Megan and Cole this country will be able to see how much needs to be done and how many changes need to be made so our young adults can lead happy, healthy, productive lives. Thank you for a wonderful class!
-Beth V.
For me, this was the most interesting course that I have taken thus far in my professional development. I do not have much experience with mental disabilities and found learning about it to be fascinating. My favorite assignment was creating the two student profiles. I liked how the questions were so specific and required me to use deeper thinking to create data on each of the students. I liked following those questions as opposed to making my own annotations; I think both annotations and specific questions would serve as good data when presenting information about a student at a team or administrative meeting. I am going to save these questions to use in the future when gathering data on a student I am having concerns about.
I also loved the assignment that had the TED talks with the two girls who had mental health disorders. I thought they were both so brave to share their personal experiences and these were two videos that would really make a difference to many people. All of the articles were interesting, as was the assignment with poetry written by young people dealing with depression and anxiety. I typically do not read poetry but the selections you chose really gave the reader a connection and understanding of each author’s feelings.
Thank you so much for teaching me about this topic. I hope I get to take another class with you again. I loved your feedback as it made me feel that you really cared about what I was saying, which made me hold myself more accountable for the assignments!
-Courtney M.
Similarly to the last course I took with you, I thoroughly enjoyed taking this course. Mental health Disorders are such a prevalent concern for children and adolescents in schools. It is important for educators to be aware of the signs of these disorders so that we can assist our students as best we can. Additionally, you again made this course so enjoyable for me. Out of all the teachers and professors I have had in my life (and there have been MANY!) you have given by far the most thoughtful feedback. I really looked forward to receiving each e-mail response from you getting to read through your comments on my assignments. It makes it even better because throughout this course, we have the opportunity to express our true feelings, concerns and beliefs about the topics we are discussing and it is interesting to read your feedback on those thoughts that we share. You always respond with such kindness and acceptance and I am very grateful for that. Thank you for another great experience and I will definitely be taking more courses with you in the future!
-Paige B.
I thoroughly enjoyed this class. In my short time teaching, I continue to notice a rise in mental health issues. This course provided me with a deeper understanding in the rise of mental health issues our students are experiencing. I loved the articles that were presented throughout the course. I especially loved reading about how Long Island school districts are taking a proactive approach to dealing with the rise in mental health. The assignments that were presented were both powerful and meaningful. I also loved all of the assignments in the class. I think my favorite assignment was Assignment 6. It included a variety of poems, videos and T.E.D. Talks and they were all excellent. The inclusion of poetry was amazing; the poems that were selected really showed you what a mental illness is like, and how a person is affected. In addition, the T.E.D. talk videos were moving. I think anytime we try to show our students something, it is best to hear it from someone who has experienced it rather than a lecture on the topic. It carries weight and is more impactful, especially the two videos that were chosen for this class. Finally, The Virtual Calming Room is a great resource for any educator. All of the assignments of this course provided a plethora of information to help students and families in need.
I was very pleased with the class and Professor Weissman’s feedback. When I submitted assignments, she got back to me quickly and responded to my comments. I I was taken aback by the effort put in to reading and responding to all of my assignments! It made me feel special, and that my work meant something. I will highly recommend taking this course to my colleagues. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and the assignments that were provided. Professor Weissman, I cannot thank you and your staff enough for the effort and care that is put into every course. I look forward to taking more classes at CORE P.D. Thanks again for all that you do!
-Scott L.
This course truly discusses such an important and upcoming topic in our education system. I feel as though I have gained a wealth of knowledge from all of the articles and videos provided through this course. The information was presented in a clear and logical way. I feel as though I am more equipped to address the needs of my students that do experience mental health issues as a result of this course. I understand that we are navigating some unprecedented times right now, so having a better understanding of this topic will be useful. Thank you for creating such a meaningful course, I will cherish everything that I have learned from you! It has been my honor taking your classes this summer!
-Michelle S.
Blended Learning: How Student-Centered Learning Can Enhance Traditional Instruction
I thoroughly enjoyed this course with Jessica! It really led me to reflect on how I view blended learning and what steps I have taken as an educator to encourage my colleagues to employ these methods; also, what I still need to do in the coming school year. I was aware of blended learning but I don’t think I ever stopped and took the time to consider what is involved in including it in lessons and the planning and preparation needed by teachers to ensure it is successful. I enjoy taking classes like this in the summer because it gets me excited about the upcoming year and reenergizes me which I think was really necessary after the past year and a half that we’ve all had professionally.
My favorite assignments were assignment 3 and 4 because I enjoyed having an opportunity to learn more about the different blended learning strategies. I think blended learning is a broad term and sometimes that makes it challenging to understand what is and isn’t included in blended learning. It also is challenging to immediately think of how blended learning could be integrated into the classroom and I think both of these assignments gave tangible ideas. I am eager to share these with
my teachers and not just tell them about blended learning but give them authentic ideas that they
can start to include right away in their lesson planning.
I absolutely loved the design and progression of the course and think you are an awesome instructor! Thank you so much for this meaningful learning experience!
-Danielle R.
I wanted to thank you for such an amazing class! I have never had someone provide so much feedback on my assignments, I greatly appreciate it all! This course gets a 10/10! All of the activities and assignments were extremely relevant to blended learning and I enjoyed learning about the many many different styles! I have to say my favorite assignment was the lesson plan; being able to bring together everything that I learned is always fun!
I thought this course was great, don't change it! You introduced the different styles of blended learning, provided resources that integrate well into blended learning and gave us examples of different blended learning lessons. You did a great job, Jessica!
-Carmen Z.
I thoroughly enjoyed this course with Jessica! It really led me to reflect on how I view blended learning and what steps I have taken as an educator to encourage my colleagues to employ these methods; also, what I still need to do in the coming school year. I was aware of blended learning but I don’t think I ever stopped and took the time to consider what is involved in including it in lessons and the planning and preparation needed by teachers to ensure it is successful. I enjoy taking classes like this in the summer because it gets me excited about the upcoming year and reenergizes me which I think was really necessary after the past year and a half that we’ve all had professionally.
My favorite assignments were assignment 3 and 4 because I enjoyed having an opportunity to learn more about the different blended learning strategies. I think blended learning is a broad term and sometimes that makes it challenging to understand what is and isn’t included in blended learning. It also is challenging to immediately think of how blended learning could be integrated into the classroom and I think both of these assignments gave tangible ideas. I am eager to share these with
my teachers and not just tell them about blended learning but give them authentic ideas that they
can start to include right away in their lesson planning.
I absolutely loved the design and progression of the course and think you are an awesome instructor! Thank you so much for this meaningful learning experience!
-Danielle R.
I wanted to thank you for such an amazing class! I have never had someone provide so much feedback on my assignments, I greatly appreciate it all! This course gets a 10/10! All of the activities and assignments were extremely relevant to blended learning and I enjoyed learning about the many many different styles! I have to say my favorite assignment was the lesson plan; being able to bring together everything that I learned is always fun!
I thought this course was great, don't change it! You introduced the different styles of blended learning, provided resources that integrate well into blended learning and gave us examples of different blended learning lessons. You did a great job, Jessica!
-Carmen Z.
Fostering Executive Function Skills in All Grades and Subject Areas
I thoroughly enjoyed this course. The instructor was extremely informative on the topic and I learned many new strategies that I can turn-key to my colleagues and apply to my speech students. The course materials were easy to understand, and if I had a question, the facilitator of this course was easily accessible. My assignments were read and reviewed quickly and I was provided with constructive feedback. My favorite assignments were Assignments 8 and 9, because I learned many new strategies that I can apply in my practice. And, in Assignment 10, I learned about and created the “game plan.” This is a course I would highly recommend to colleagues looking to gain knowledge on working with students with executive function deficits. This was a very productive way to obtain in-service credits!
-Nancy Do.
Thank you, Margaret, for teaching this course. Not only was it informative; it also provided interesting feedback on what executive functioning is as well as some helpful strategies and tools to help students continue to develop these skills. As a special education teacher, I feel that many general education teachers and parents do not have a strong understanding of the deficiencies of executive functioning and how it relates to specific disabilities such as ADD or ADHD. Overall, I am very satisfied with this course and will recommend it to both my special education and general education colleagues. One assignment that I thought stood out was the case study in Assignment 5. I believe real world application of these strategies is an important part of understanding the information presented in this course. I enjoyed continuing to build on the case study of my student and look forward to implementing many of the strategies I learned in this course into my classroom.
-Andrew C.
This course was very beneficial especially as a special education teacher but for
all teachers in general. One of the most surprising things I learned was how early
executive functioning skills begin developing in children and the various ways that
parents and teachers can help these skills develop. The two activities that I found to be
the most helpful and beneficial were creating different UDL and metacognition
strategies to assist students and then highlighting many of these strategies into a lesson
plan. It was able to make me see how many strategies that assist with executive
function I have used in lessons in the past, but also show me opportunities I can use in
the future. I enjoyed this course and learning about new strategies and ideas to help my
students with executive functioning.
-Cassandra M.
Thank you for all your feedback throughout the assignments. I found that this course helped
me refocus some of the language I was using with my struggling students. Sometimes we
get caught in forgetting that teachers are human, and we may be confusing or not thinking
deeply enough about why our students may be struggling. I really like the lesson that looked
at the downward spiral. I know I sometimes use language that is not going to help the
student succeed. During the case study assignments, I found myself being flooded with so
many students that I know have struggled in my class and reading through the articles I see
that I could have done a better job with guide them to a better outcome. I believe that this
coming year, very fast approaching, I will be utilizing many of the graphics and charts you
presented in the course to help identify and develop plans for my struggling students.
-Stephen G.
I truly enjoyed this class. It was relatable to my students and myself. Executive functioning is a term that you hear often in the field of education. Many people use the term, but do not really understand the science and what it actually means. I liked watching the videos in the beginning of the course. As simple as those videos were, they made so much sense. Now teachers, specialists and parents are learning more about EF to help all children in and out of the classroom. Assignments seven, eight and nine were the most helpful for me to translate into my teaching. I look forward to using those strategies with my students.
Personally, I am someone who has received intervention for executive functioning. I have
always been hyperactive. Growing up, I was known as the energizer bunny who kept going and
going and going. It was not until a severe concussion in 2016 that my neurologist gave me
medication. He also sent me to a specialized Occupational Therapist at the Viscardi Center. This
experience changed my life. I learned techniques for organization and worked through critical
thinking exercises. I learned how to concentrate, problem solve and manage my everyday life. I
went twice a week for close to two years. I went to college, graduate school, and always
continued my education as an educator and learned more about myself in those two years than
I'd ever learned before. I was constantly thinking of myself throughout the course and thoroughly enjoyed understanding and learning about the “why” in my day to day life.
-Shari M.
This was a great course! Thank you for your hard work with finding great materials and resources. As a special educator, so many of our students lack core executive functioning skills needed to be successful in school. I enjoyed both assignments 3 and 4. It was interesting to see some differences between executive functioning needs in individuals with ADHD vs. Autism. Also, in assignment 4, I am happy to have created an executive functioning checklist. I look forward to using this in the beginning of the year to more quickly notice areas of need for particular students. Thank you again and I look forward to taking another class with you!
-Karalyn M.
I thoroughly enjoyed this course. The instructor was extremely informative on the topic and I learned many new strategies that I can turn-key to my colleagues and apply to my speech students. The course materials were easy to understand, and if I had a question, the facilitator of this course was easily accessible. My assignments were read and reviewed quickly and I was provided with constructive feedback. My favorite assignments were Assignments 8 and 9, because I learned many new strategies that I can apply in my practice. And, in Assignment 10, I learned about and created the “game plan.” This is a course I would highly recommend to colleagues looking to gain knowledge on working with students with executive function deficits. This was a very productive way to obtain in-service credits!
-Nancy Do.
Thank you, Margaret, for teaching this course. Not only was it informative; it also provided interesting feedback on what executive functioning is as well as some helpful strategies and tools to help students continue to develop these skills. As a special education teacher, I feel that many general education teachers and parents do not have a strong understanding of the deficiencies of executive functioning and how it relates to specific disabilities such as ADD or ADHD. Overall, I am very satisfied with this course and will recommend it to both my special education and general education colleagues. One assignment that I thought stood out was the case study in Assignment 5. I believe real world application of these strategies is an important part of understanding the information presented in this course. I enjoyed continuing to build on the case study of my student and look forward to implementing many of the strategies I learned in this course into my classroom.
-Andrew C.
This course was very beneficial especially as a special education teacher but for
all teachers in general. One of the most surprising things I learned was how early
executive functioning skills begin developing in children and the various ways that
parents and teachers can help these skills develop. The two activities that I found to be
the most helpful and beneficial were creating different UDL and metacognition
strategies to assist students and then highlighting many of these strategies into a lesson
plan. It was able to make me see how many strategies that assist with executive
function I have used in lessons in the past, but also show me opportunities I can use in
the future. I enjoyed this course and learning about new strategies and ideas to help my
students with executive functioning.
-Cassandra M.
Thank you for all your feedback throughout the assignments. I found that this course helped
me refocus some of the language I was using with my struggling students. Sometimes we
get caught in forgetting that teachers are human, and we may be confusing or not thinking
deeply enough about why our students may be struggling. I really like the lesson that looked
at the downward spiral. I know I sometimes use language that is not going to help the
student succeed. During the case study assignments, I found myself being flooded with so
many students that I know have struggled in my class and reading through the articles I see
that I could have done a better job with guide them to a better outcome. I believe that this
coming year, very fast approaching, I will be utilizing many of the graphics and charts you
presented in the course to help identify and develop plans for my struggling students.
-Stephen G.
I truly enjoyed this class. It was relatable to my students and myself. Executive functioning is a term that you hear often in the field of education. Many people use the term, but do not really understand the science and what it actually means. I liked watching the videos in the beginning of the course. As simple as those videos were, they made so much sense. Now teachers, specialists and parents are learning more about EF to help all children in and out of the classroom. Assignments seven, eight and nine were the most helpful for me to translate into my teaching. I look forward to using those strategies with my students.
Personally, I am someone who has received intervention for executive functioning. I have
always been hyperactive. Growing up, I was known as the energizer bunny who kept going and
going and going. It was not until a severe concussion in 2016 that my neurologist gave me
medication. He also sent me to a specialized Occupational Therapist at the Viscardi Center. This
experience changed my life. I learned techniques for organization and worked through critical
thinking exercises. I learned how to concentrate, problem solve and manage my everyday life. I
went twice a week for close to two years. I went to college, graduate school, and always
continued my education as an educator and learned more about myself in those two years than
I'd ever learned before. I was constantly thinking of myself throughout the course and thoroughly enjoyed understanding and learning about the “why” in my day to day life.
-Shari M.
This was a great course! Thank you for your hard work with finding great materials and resources. As a special educator, so many of our students lack core executive functioning skills needed to be successful in school. I enjoyed both assignments 3 and 4. It was interesting to see some differences between executive functioning needs in individuals with ADHD vs. Autism. Also, in assignment 4, I am happy to have created an executive functioning checklist. I look forward to using this in the beginning of the year to more quickly notice areas of need for particular students. Thank you again and I look forward to taking another class with you!
-Karalyn M.
Spanish for Educators: Communicating with Students, Parents and Staff
I am extremely satisfied with this course! I feel very informed with resources and websites that I didn’t even know existed. I relied heavily on Google Translate. But because of this course I feel more confident with the vocabulary and what I should do/say when greeting parents; when I need to be more formal/informal. I am also extremely satisfied with the Professor of the course. Ms. Malley was timely with her responses. She also gave valuable feedback directly on the document so I could see where I needed to make corrections. I wasn’t going to take classes this summer. Not only am I glad I did, but I am also glad I took this course. I feel better prepared for my incoming ELL students and more confident when communicating with their parents!
If I was given a new ELL student who spoke only Spanish, I would take a deep breath and now know that I am better prepared. While I would still prep my space as I said in my first assignment, I would also have my conversations AND assignments from this class in my physical ELL folder. This way I can easily access them for my students and parents. I will also have the Spanish Lesson (shortcut to typing in Spanish) on my school desktop and chromebook. Not just my personal computer. I would still need Google Translate, but I don’t feel I need to rely so heavily on it. Thank you!
-Dana M.
Thank you so much for providing this course! This is professional development that would be beneficial to all teachers. Many teachers would naturally shy away from a situation like this and assume that the ENL student will get his/her needs met in an actual ENL classroom but there is so much that teachers can do to enrich and enhance a student’s experience as he/she becomes familiar with the English language. This course offers so many tools that are practical and instantly usable. As a result, it changes the teacher’s whole perspective on how to relate to the student, knowing that there are resources to help them communicate. I loved making up dialogue examples because this is a perfect example of conversations we may actually have with ENL students and their families. Whereas I would have felt shy and unprepared to speak to an ENL student, now I feel empowered to make contact because I have the necessary skills. I would have been terrified to call a non-English speaking parent over the phone and would have asked a Spanish speaking colleague to help me, but now I feel like I can take this step without anxiety, knowing I have a script that I can follow with words and phrases that I can have ready for different situations.
I am so grateful for the resources provided and that Señora Malley took the time to find
sites that were specific to my music program. I appreciated her feedback and all the time she took to make this course informative and engaging. ¡Gracias!
-Annie P.
I am extremely satisfied with this course! I feel very informed with resources and websites that I didn’t even know existed. I relied heavily on Google Translate. But because of this course I feel more confident with the vocabulary and what I should do/say when greeting parents; when I need to be more formal/informal. I am also extremely satisfied with the Professor of the course. Ms. Malley was timely with her responses. She also gave valuable feedback directly on the document so I could see where I needed to make corrections. I wasn’t going to take classes this summer. Not only am I glad I did, but I am also glad I took this course. I feel better prepared for my incoming ELL students and more confident when communicating with their parents!
If I was given a new ELL student who spoke only Spanish, I would take a deep breath and now know that I am better prepared. While I would still prep my space as I said in my first assignment, I would also have my conversations AND assignments from this class in my physical ELL folder. This way I can easily access them for my students and parents. I will also have the Spanish Lesson (shortcut to typing in Spanish) on my school desktop and chromebook. Not just my personal computer. I would still need Google Translate, but I don’t feel I need to rely so heavily on it. Thank you!
-Dana M.
Thank you so much for providing this course! This is professional development that would be beneficial to all teachers. Many teachers would naturally shy away from a situation like this and assume that the ENL student will get his/her needs met in an actual ENL classroom but there is so much that teachers can do to enrich and enhance a student’s experience as he/she becomes familiar with the English language. This course offers so many tools that are practical and instantly usable. As a result, it changes the teacher’s whole perspective on how to relate to the student, knowing that there are resources to help them communicate. I loved making up dialogue examples because this is a perfect example of conversations we may actually have with ENL students and their families. Whereas I would have felt shy and unprepared to speak to an ENL student, now I feel empowered to make contact because I have the necessary skills. I would have been terrified to call a non-English speaking parent over the phone and would have asked a Spanish speaking colleague to help me, but now I feel like I can take this step without anxiety, knowing I have a script that I can follow with words and phrases that I can have ready for different situations.
I am so grateful for the resources provided and that Señora Malley took the time to find
sites that were specific to my music program. I appreciated her feedback and all the time she took to make this course informative and engaging. ¡Gracias!
-Annie P.
Mastery Learning: Strategies for Successful Student Performance in All Academic Areas
This course should be mandatory for educators because it reiterates the importance of students taking ownership of their learning and making sure that they are building a strong foundation for the ultimate goal of mastery learning.
The course was well-balanced with readings and videos. The readings were the perfect length and they were engaging. The assignments were thought provoking.
Overall, I thought it was a great course! Caryn Drezner gave feedback on every assignment. I would recommend this course to every teacher regardless of how long they have been teaching!
-Monica E.
This course should be mandatory for educators because it reiterates the importance of students taking ownership of their learning and making sure that they are building a strong foundation for the ultimate goal of mastery learning.
The course was well-balanced with readings and videos. The readings were the perfect length and they were engaging. The assignments were thought provoking.
Overall, I thought it was a great course! Caryn Drezner gave feedback on every assignment. I would recommend this course to every teacher regardless of how long they have been teaching!
-Monica E.
Dealing with Difficult Students: How Crisis Intervention Can Keep Schools Safe and Help Students Succeed
As a School Counselor, I found this course to be highly relevant to my work in observing and addressing student crises. The course provided valuable insights into the impacts of crises on student performance and behavior, and how to effectively address these issues through crisis intervention techniques.
The course covered a wide range of topics, including identifying different types of crises, understanding the psychological effects of crises on students, and developing crisis intervention plans to support students in need. The course also emphasized the importance of having a district crisis intervention plan and having staff familiar with it. I think a huge takeaway was how critical it is to have effective and consistent communication.
One of the most useful assignments in the course were the interviews and creating a crisis intervention plan for situation that had already happened based on other experiences. This assignment allowed me to apply the concepts and strategies I learned throughout the course. Cindy's feedback on the assignment was very helpful and provided me with valuable insights into improving my crisis intervention plan.
The course was well-organized, and the materials were presented in a clear and concise manner. Cindy is VERY knowledgeable and experienced in the field of crisis intervention and provided valuable insights and practical advice. I felt connected to her as our roles in education are somewhat similar. The course also included websites, articles, and case studies, which helped to reinforce the concepts presented in the course and were all relevant. I bookmarked some of the articles because I thought they were phenomenal.
Overall, I found this course to be highly informative and relevant to my work as a School Counselor. The course provided me with valuable insights into dealing with difficult students, particularly during crises, and equipped me with practical strategies for promoting student safety and success. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in improving their skills and knowledge in crisis intervention and promoting student well-being.
Thank you so much, Cindy! This was by far one of the best courses I have taken.
-Brittany M.
First and foremost I would like to thank you for instructing this course. I enjoyed taking this course, reading the selected articles, and completing the assignments. I felt that I was able to reflect on my own experiences on many of the assignments.
This course is very helpful for all PPS staff members and I felt that all of the assignments pertained to my role. I personally enjoyed the assignment in which I was able to reflect on my experience during my internship and felt that it was a therapeutic way for me to discuss it and write about it. I also enjoyed the assignment regarding social media. I feel that with the way the current times are, this assignment is important to give much thought into. I found all of the readings to be helpful and they were not filled with jargon, so they were easy to read and enjoy. I also found myself furthering my research by looking into additional websites and articles, which I feel allowed me to broaden my knowledge on crisis situations.
Completing these assignments, I feel like I was able to rely on my knowledge of the topic, as well as my own experiences. I feel that all of the assignments were explained well and were all relevant to the description listed on the Core PD website. With the increase in school shootings, as well as additional crises within a school setting, I feel that this course is vital for all educators.
I liked how some assignments and articles went into detail regarding the breakdown of one’s role during a crisis situation. Even though everyone has different roles and responsibilities for crises, a common goal is shared. The topic of dealing with crisis situations is so important, considering the negative effect it can have on students' mental health, physical health, academic performance, and well- being, in general. No matter how much experience someone has in crisis situations, dealing with them is never easy and each crisis has different elements from one another. Everyone is human and it’s normal for us as educators to feel emotions when dealing with a crisis situation, but I feel that learning more about this topic can help a person handle the situation in a calm way.
This course was both engaging and enjoyable to take. I appreciated all of your feedback on each of the assignments and your timely responses to all of the questions I had. Your responses to each assignment were filled with thought and helpful suggestions too. Thank you again and I hope to take another course with you in the future. I look forward to continuing my research on crisis situations. Though I can only hope to not have to deal with anymore major crises, I’m aware it is part of my job and I hope to handle every situation I encounter with best practice in mind and the best interest of the student and others at heart.
-Nicole S.
This course gave me the opportunity to reflect on my responses to crisis situations as an educator. I reflected on my involvement when faced with a crisis. I explored not only my actions but my emotional response. I reviewed the readings but also researched further on topics that are relevant to my students and teaching practices. I had the opportunity to further research topics relevant to my discipline and tailor the assignments to best intervene with my students.
Assignments 5 and 6 made me reflect on my preparedness and emotional response to fire drills. It has given me the opportunity to think about what other items I can add to my emergency bag in case of a true emergency. It made me reflect on my own anxieties and how they might affect my students.
Assignment 11 was most impactful for me. During the past year and a half, I have felt overwhelmed and burnt out trying to teach during the pandemic. I believed I understood the impact on my students and families but taking the time to engage in readings and now having time to reflect, I realized my struggles were so minimal as compared to my students and their families.
I appreciated the feedback on the assignments and I look forward to taking my next course. Dedicating time to reflect on one’s response to students crisis is an essential part of being an educator.
I have always considered myself a reflective teacher but this course gave me the opportunity to reflect in a calm environment and be better prepared to address any future crises. Thank you!
-Phyllis P.
As a School Counselor, I found this course to be highly relevant to my work in observing and addressing student crises. The course provided valuable insights into the impacts of crises on student performance and behavior, and how to effectively address these issues through crisis intervention techniques.
The course covered a wide range of topics, including identifying different types of crises, understanding the psychological effects of crises on students, and developing crisis intervention plans to support students in need. The course also emphasized the importance of having a district crisis intervention plan and having staff familiar with it. I think a huge takeaway was how critical it is to have effective and consistent communication.
One of the most useful assignments in the course were the interviews and creating a crisis intervention plan for situation that had already happened based on other experiences. This assignment allowed me to apply the concepts and strategies I learned throughout the course. Cindy's feedback on the assignment was very helpful and provided me with valuable insights into improving my crisis intervention plan.
The course was well-organized, and the materials were presented in a clear and concise manner. Cindy is VERY knowledgeable and experienced in the field of crisis intervention and provided valuable insights and practical advice. I felt connected to her as our roles in education are somewhat similar. The course also included websites, articles, and case studies, which helped to reinforce the concepts presented in the course and were all relevant. I bookmarked some of the articles because I thought they were phenomenal.
Overall, I found this course to be highly informative and relevant to my work as a School Counselor. The course provided me with valuable insights into dealing with difficult students, particularly during crises, and equipped me with practical strategies for promoting student safety and success. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in improving their skills and knowledge in crisis intervention and promoting student well-being.
Thank you so much, Cindy! This was by far one of the best courses I have taken.
-Brittany M.
First and foremost I would like to thank you for instructing this course. I enjoyed taking this course, reading the selected articles, and completing the assignments. I felt that I was able to reflect on my own experiences on many of the assignments.
This course is very helpful for all PPS staff members and I felt that all of the assignments pertained to my role. I personally enjoyed the assignment in which I was able to reflect on my experience during my internship and felt that it was a therapeutic way for me to discuss it and write about it. I also enjoyed the assignment regarding social media. I feel that with the way the current times are, this assignment is important to give much thought into. I found all of the readings to be helpful and they were not filled with jargon, so they were easy to read and enjoy. I also found myself furthering my research by looking into additional websites and articles, which I feel allowed me to broaden my knowledge on crisis situations.
Completing these assignments, I feel like I was able to rely on my knowledge of the topic, as well as my own experiences. I feel that all of the assignments were explained well and were all relevant to the description listed on the Core PD website. With the increase in school shootings, as well as additional crises within a school setting, I feel that this course is vital for all educators.
I liked how some assignments and articles went into detail regarding the breakdown of one’s role during a crisis situation. Even though everyone has different roles and responsibilities for crises, a common goal is shared. The topic of dealing with crisis situations is so important, considering the negative effect it can have on students' mental health, physical health, academic performance, and well- being, in general. No matter how much experience someone has in crisis situations, dealing with them is never easy and each crisis has different elements from one another. Everyone is human and it’s normal for us as educators to feel emotions when dealing with a crisis situation, but I feel that learning more about this topic can help a person handle the situation in a calm way.
This course was both engaging and enjoyable to take. I appreciated all of your feedback on each of the assignments and your timely responses to all of the questions I had. Your responses to each assignment were filled with thought and helpful suggestions too. Thank you again and I hope to take another course with you in the future. I look forward to continuing my research on crisis situations. Though I can only hope to not have to deal with anymore major crises, I’m aware it is part of my job and I hope to handle every situation I encounter with best practice in mind and the best interest of the student and others at heart.
-Nicole S.
This course gave me the opportunity to reflect on my responses to crisis situations as an educator. I reflected on my involvement when faced with a crisis. I explored not only my actions but my emotional response. I reviewed the readings but also researched further on topics that are relevant to my students and teaching practices. I had the opportunity to further research topics relevant to my discipline and tailor the assignments to best intervene with my students.
Assignments 5 and 6 made me reflect on my preparedness and emotional response to fire drills. It has given me the opportunity to think about what other items I can add to my emergency bag in case of a true emergency. It made me reflect on my own anxieties and how they might affect my students.
Assignment 11 was most impactful for me. During the past year and a half, I have felt overwhelmed and burnt out trying to teach during the pandemic. I believed I understood the impact on my students and families but taking the time to engage in readings and now having time to reflect, I realized my struggles were so minimal as compared to my students and their families.
I appreciated the feedback on the assignments and I look forward to taking my next course. Dedicating time to reflect on one’s response to students crisis is an essential part of being an educator.
I have always considered myself a reflective teacher but this course gave me the opportunity to reflect in a calm environment and be better prepared to address any future crises. Thank you!
-Phyllis P.
Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching: Developing Students' Critical Thinking and Cognitive Skills
I learned a great deal of new information about interdisciplinary learning as well as better ways
to approach it in an elementary school setting. I found the assignments meaningful and helpful
and I appreciate the feedback I got from the instructor. It helped me to think through issues that I mentioned in the assignments. I could tell that the instructor was taking the time to really read through my work and provide feedback based on what I wrote. It was specific to each assignment and
I plan on implementing the course strategies and instructor's suggestions going into the school year.
Thank you for a great class!
-Amy Y.
I found this course to be most fulfilling and satisfactory. The readings, resources, and feedback were all deeply meaningful and inspiring. The strategies and practices that I gleaned from this course will be of great service to me in my instruction and teaching as I continue on my journey as an educator. I also would be remiss without saying that the instructor was personable, kind, caring, and attentive, which was very encouraging for me. Thank you for a great class.
-Darryl S.
I learned a great deal of new information about interdisciplinary learning as well as better ways
to approach it in an elementary school setting. I found the assignments meaningful and helpful
and I appreciate the feedback I got from the instructor. It helped me to think through issues that I mentioned in the assignments. I could tell that the instructor was taking the time to really read through my work and provide feedback based on what I wrote. It was specific to each assignment and
I plan on implementing the course strategies and instructor's suggestions going into the school year.
Thank you for a great class!
-Amy Y.
I found this course to be most fulfilling and satisfactory. The readings, resources, and feedback were all deeply meaningful and inspiring. The strategies and practices that I gleaned from this course will be of great service to me in my instruction and teaching as I continue on my journey as an educator. I also would be remiss without saying that the instructor was personable, kind, caring, and attentive, which was very encouraging for me. Thank you for a great class.
-Darryl S.
Examining Diversity in Our Schools: Promoting Cultural Awareness and Maintaining High Expectations for All Students
As with all Core P.D. classes I have taken, I was impressed and engaged throughout the entire course. While I am still blown away by the considerate responses that are given after each assignment,
it was clear the articles in this course were thoughtfully and deliberately chosen to best meet
the needs of the readers and learners.
My favorite assignment was Assignment #6. There is no question that I learn new information during these courses; however, my favorite thing is when I find resources that I can bring right back to my classroom. Assignment #6 provided me with so many resources that I just know will benefit my students.
Understanding the many levels and aspects of diversity can be overwhelming at times. However, this course broke each piece down, allowing me to leave feeling confident in my understanding of diversity in schools. Thank you for the assignments and your comments, which always brought my understanding and thinking to the next level.
-Kimberly L.
I thoroughly enjoyed t this course and found it incredibly valuable for several reasons. The course provided a safe and inclusive space for open dialogue and sharing of ideas. Each teacher brought unique experiences and insights from their respective school districts, allowing us to gain a broader understanding of diversity issues. The discussions were thought-provoking and challenged my own assumptions and biases. It was inspiring to hear different perspectives and learn from the experiences of others. Another reason why I enjoyed this course is because the course materials and facilitation were exceptional. You curated relevant and up-to-date resources on diversity in the classroom, which enhanced our learning experience. You skillfully guided the discussions, ensuring everyone had an opportunity to contribute and fostering a respectful environment. The resources provided throughout the assignments were relevant and insightful. I will definitely use the resources provided to enhance diversity in my classroom. I highly recommend this course to educators who are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment.
-Christina M.
As always thank you for yet another wonderful course. I have stated this with each course, and will continue to do so as I take your courses; your sincere evaluations and responses to each of the assignments encourage me to want to write more to gain additional feedback. I take into account the way in which you respond to my writings and hope to respond to my students with similar kind, well thought out responses. I found this course to be of particular interest to me because I truly believe in the need for a major educational overhaul in our country to address the inequity faced by those in poorer communities in our nation. I also wanted to comment on the fact that each course has a unique set of assignments that allows the student to understand a topic through a variety of avenues. I also wanted to let you know that I bookmarked the website with the timeline of key educational initiatives and hope to use that in my historical research elective course in case any of my students choose to research an education based topic. I also enjoyed the political cartoon and video clips because they were a unique, more casual way to understand topics as a later assignment in the course. Once again, thank you very much for an excellent course.
-Patrick S.
Once again, I would like to thank you for the research and information you presented. I learned a great deal about diversity and its impact on learning and student success. I found the articles to be interesting and informative and I always enjoy the “add on” activities you include in your courses. I loved the bullying assignment you added to the end of this course. I have used this in groups at the middle school and found it to be a memorable and powerful experiential activity. It makes quite the impact, particularly when addressing relational aggression within girls groups. This class has been a very positive experience.
I want to say that I so appreciate that you take the time to read and comment on the submitted assignments. I have taken many in-service and a few graduate classes with several different agencies and you have been the only instructor to comment on submitted materials. It just seems to make the course more enjoyable so thank you!
-Jean B.
As with all Core P.D. classes I have taken, I was impressed and engaged throughout the entire course. While I am still blown away by the considerate responses that are given after each assignment,
it was clear the articles in this course were thoughtfully and deliberately chosen to best meet
the needs of the readers and learners.
My favorite assignment was Assignment #6. There is no question that I learn new information during these courses; however, my favorite thing is when I find resources that I can bring right back to my classroom. Assignment #6 provided me with so many resources that I just know will benefit my students.
Understanding the many levels and aspects of diversity can be overwhelming at times. However, this course broke each piece down, allowing me to leave feeling confident in my understanding of diversity in schools. Thank you for the assignments and your comments, which always brought my understanding and thinking to the next level.
-Kimberly L.
I thoroughly enjoyed t this course and found it incredibly valuable for several reasons. The course provided a safe and inclusive space for open dialogue and sharing of ideas. Each teacher brought unique experiences and insights from their respective school districts, allowing us to gain a broader understanding of diversity issues. The discussions were thought-provoking and challenged my own assumptions and biases. It was inspiring to hear different perspectives and learn from the experiences of others. Another reason why I enjoyed this course is because the course materials and facilitation were exceptional. You curated relevant and up-to-date resources on diversity in the classroom, which enhanced our learning experience. You skillfully guided the discussions, ensuring everyone had an opportunity to contribute and fostering a respectful environment. The resources provided throughout the assignments were relevant and insightful. I will definitely use the resources provided to enhance diversity in my classroom. I highly recommend this course to educators who are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment.
-Christina M.
As always thank you for yet another wonderful course. I have stated this with each course, and will continue to do so as I take your courses; your sincere evaluations and responses to each of the assignments encourage me to want to write more to gain additional feedback. I take into account the way in which you respond to my writings and hope to respond to my students with similar kind, well thought out responses. I found this course to be of particular interest to me because I truly believe in the need for a major educational overhaul in our country to address the inequity faced by those in poorer communities in our nation. I also wanted to comment on the fact that each course has a unique set of assignments that allows the student to understand a topic through a variety of avenues. I also wanted to let you know that I bookmarked the website with the timeline of key educational initiatives and hope to use that in my historical research elective course in case any of my students choose to research an education based topic. I also enjoyed the political cartoon and video clips because they were a unique, more casual way to understand topics as a later assignment in the course. Once again, thank you very much for an excellent course.
-Patrick S.
Once again, I would like to thank you for the research and information you presented. I learned a great deal about diversity and its impact on learning and student success. I found the articles to be interesting and informative and I always enjoy the “add on” activities you include in your courses. I loved the bullying assignment you added to the end of this course. I have used this in groups at the middle school and found it to be a memorable and powerful experiential activity. It makes quite the impact, particularly when addressing relational aggression within girls groups. This class has been a very positive experience.
I want to say that I so appreciate that you take the time to read and comment on the submitted assignments. I have taken many in-service and a few graduate classes with several different agencies and you have been the only instructor to comment on submitted materials. It just seems to make the course more enjoyable so thank you!
-Jean B.
Strengthening the Home-School Connection: Using Technology to Create Positive Relationships with Students and Their Families
This was my first, and definitely not my last, CORE P.D. course. I am very satisfied with the content, instructor, and variety that this course offered. While each assignment had its own level of value, I found the correspondence and discussion that I was able to have with Andrew most beneficial. I appreciated his responses to my submissions and his feedback allowed me to think more critically about my practice as an educator.
I really found assignments 4 and 9 most intriguing and relevant. Assignment 4 allowed me to view and reflect upon practices that are much needed in my district. It really offered insight into ways we can enhance our parent involvement in Commack and on Long Island. Assignment 9 was relevant and helpful. Taking a closer look as to my own practices and the practices of those around me help me to think more critically about how I can utilize technology and social media to enhance and benefit my students and overall educational approach.
Andrew, thank you for your quick and helpful feedback! I look forward to taking more of your courses.
-Jessica P.
This was my first, and definitely not my last, CORE P.D. course. I am very satisfied with the content, instructor, and variety that this course offered. While each assignment had its own level of value, I found the correspondence and discussion that I was able to have with Andrew most beneficial. I appreciated his responses to my submissions and his feedback allowed me to think more critically about my practice as an educator.
I really found assignments 4 and 9 most intriguing and relevant. Assignment 4 allowed me to view and reflect upon practices that are much needed in my district. It really offered insight into ways we can enhance our parent involvement in Commack and on Long Island. Assignment 9 was relevant and helpful. Taking a closer look as to my own practices and the practices of those around me help me to think more critically about how I can utilize technology and social media to enhance and benefit my students and overall educational approach.
Andrew, thank you for your quick and helpful feedback! I look forward to taking more of your courses.
-Jessica P.
How Social Influences Impact Learning Readiness in Educational Environments
This course was incredibly valuable. It forces one to critically examine areas not always evident in the classroom, but important to child development.
Each article touched on different factors that impact a child’s education and everything I was assigned to read or research in this course was relevant and interesting. The assignments that accompanied the reading were also very effective in that they force one to reflect, hypothesize, and hopefully, implement concluded theory as practice. In addition, the instructor provided a thought provoking and self-reflective experience as well as positive and accurate feedback. This course is very worthwhile and I will recommend it to colleagues.
-Seth R.
This course was incredibly valuable. It forces one to critically examine areas not always evident in the classroom, but important to child development.
Each article touched on different factors that impact a child’s education and everything I was assigned to read or research in this course was relevant and interesting. The assignments that accompanied the reading were also very effective in that they force one to reflect, hypothesize, and hopefully, implement concluded theory as practice. In addition, the instructor provided a thought provoking and self-reflective experience as well as positive and accurate feedback. This course is very worthwhile and I will recommend it to colleagues.
-Seth R.
Using Mentor Texts Teach Writing: Strengthening Skills and Igniting Imagination with Picture Books
I am extremely satisfied with my learning through the course "Using Mentor Texts to Teach Writing: Strengthening Skills and Igniting Imagination with Picture Books" and I would highly recommend this class to a colleague.
I appreciate that there were a variety of resources provided in the course: videos, book lists, lesson plans and articles. This course provided me with knowledge as it relates to the topic, but also a list of books that I can now use in my classroom as well as writing topics that can be taught through these books. This course has provided me with instantly useful techniques, strategies, and resources.
The assignments also varied in that some were focused on strengthening my own writing skills and then segued into how to appropriately use mentor texts to teach writing. This course is applicable for all grade levels. The culminating lesson is particularly useful because it requires participants to write a lesson plan that can then be used with students.
The instructor provided clear, concise, consistent and helpful feedback for each component of each assignment. I am very pleased with my choice to participate in this course and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to strengthen their writing instruction.
-Alyssa H.
I am extremely satisfied with my learning through the course "Using Mentor Texts to Teach Writing: Strengthening Skills and Igniting Imagination with Picture Books" and I would highly recommend this class to a colleague.
I appreciate that there were a variety of resources provided in the course: videos, book lists, lesson plans and articles. This course provided me with knowledge as it relates to the topic, but also a list of books that I can now use in my classroom as well as writing topics that can be taught through these books. This course has provided me with instantly useful techniques, strategies, and resources.
The assignments also varied in that some were focused on strengthening my own writing skills and then segued into how to appropriately use mentor texts to teach writing. This course is applicable for all grade levels. The culminating lesson is particularly useful because it requires participants to write a lesson plan that can then be used with students.
The instructor provided clear, concise, consistent and helpful feedback for each component of each assignment. I am very pleased with my choice to participate in this course and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to strengthen their writing instruction.
-Alyssa H.
Gender Issues in Education: Impact on Learning, Behavior and Teacher Expectations
On a rating scale of 1-10, I would give this course a 15/10. I absolutely loved the articles that went along with this course. I am thankful to have gained the opportunity to educate myself in the topic of gender issues. This is such a hot topic in today’s world, and it is necessary that teachers are up to speed with the facts on gender issues.
I particularly enjoyed assignments 5 & 6 and the way I was able to expand my thoughts on nature vs. nurture. The fact that I was able to reflect on my own life during this assignment was extra special. I also really liked assignment 7 and getting to hear how my colleagues responded to the questions in the interview. It helped me gain new perspective and opened my eyes to new ideas.
My favorite assignment was assignment 9 where I did some research of my own. I was so moved by the article I came across; it really hit home for me. I am fairly certain that if it wasn’t for this class, I would have never come across that article on my own. So, thank you for that!
I would like to close by saying thank you. The way you provide feedback in such a timely manner is something that I was thoroughly impressed with. The quality of your feedback always made me feel that I was having such a meaningful exchange with you. I am going to miss you popping up in my inbox! Working in this “digital world” of teaching, I know first-hand how challenging it can be to provide my own students with feedback in a timely manner. I will 100% be recommending this course (and any other course you teach) to my colleagues.
-Alexa R.
On a rating scale of 1-10, I would give this course a 15/10. I absolutely loved the articles that went along with this course. I am thankful to have gained the opportunity to educate myself in the topic of gender issues. This is such a hot topic in today’s world, and it is necessary that teachers are up to speed with the facts on gender issues.
I particularly enjoyed assignments 5 & 6 and the way I was able to expand my thoughts on nature vs. nurture. The fact that I was able to reflect on my own life during this assignment was extra special. I also really liked assignment 7 and getting to hear how my colleagues responded to the questions in the interview. It helped me gain new perspective and opened my eyes to new ideas.
My favorite assignment was assignment 9 where I did some research of my own. I was so moved by the article I came across; it really hit home for me. I am fairly certain that if it wasn’t for this class, I would have never come across that article on my own. So, thank you for that!
I would like to close by saying thank you. The way you provide feedback in such a timely manner is something that I was thoroughly impressed with. The quality of your feedback always made me feel that I was having such a meaningful exchange with you. I am going to miss you popping up in my inbox! Working in this “digital world” of teaching, I know first-hand how challenging it can be to provide my own students with feedback in a timely manner. I will 100% be recommending this course (and any other course you teach) to my colleagues.
-Alexa R.
Spanish for Educators: Communicating with Students, Parents and Staff
Thank you for your feedback; it was really helpful. I really liked how you put the corrections directly on the documents that I sent you. Also, I found it extremely helpful that you provided important phrases in both Spanish and English to use for each assignment.
Because of what I learned in this course, I will speak with the parent and student about any concerns that might affect the student’s ability to do well in my class. When speaking with the student and parents I will simplify my language without “dumbing it down” or using analogies. This will prevent any confusion from language boundaries. I will make sure that my lessons have visual aids to assist the student when possible and make sure that I have frequent opportunities to work in groups or pairs. Lastly, I will reach out to my ELL and special education colleagues. This will allow me to gain valuable information and tips about language difficulties and how to best support the student.
I appreciate the timely manner in which you responded to my assignments as well. Thank you and I will definitely use these assignments as resources in the future.
-Katelyn A.
Based on what I have learned during this course, I would feel more comfortable communicating with my Spanish speaking students and their families. Instead of relying on our bilingual counselors for communication I would first attempt to communicate with them to the best of my ability. As I learned in Assignment 2, care and compassion have no language. When the parent and student see that I am trying to communicate, even if it’s not perfect, they may feel more comfortable trying to speak the little English that they might know in return.
I really enjoyed this course and feel that I am walking away with valuable tools and skills. The vocabulary included in each assignment gave me phrases that I can use in my everyday conversation with my students and their parents. Having some previous experience and knowledge of the Spanish language, but never feeling confident in speaking it, this course has been a great refresher!
-Kristen S.
Now that I have taken this class, I will be much better prepared for an ENL student. The first thing I will do to prepare for any new ENL students will be to utilize the arguments provided in Assignment 2. These are all helpful articles that will certainly help me be more engaged with my ENL students. Furthermore, I will definitely be printing out the sheets with Spanish phrases/sentences, so that I will be much more prepared to communicate with these students. Finally, I will definitely write my comments/letters to parents, in Spanish, now that I have these tools at my fingertips.
I loved taking this course and learned so much valuable information from it. This will be a big help for the students in my district, and especially in my classroom. All of the assignments were helpful, but I can see myself utilizing the numerous articles provided in assignment 2 to help me the most with ENL students. Thank you so much for this great class!
-Jason F.
Rosa, this class was great and right on time for mid quarter progress reports. I can’t wait to use my new vocabulary! What I enjoyed most is that your class got directly to the point and gave us tools that are practical for us everyday especially in schools that are rich in diversity. It has been a long time since I have had to read and write in Spanish but it was a great refresher course. There were a lot of
grammatical nuances that I had forgotten about and this definitely will strengthen the bond that I can make with my students and their families. Thank you for everything. 100% satisfied!
-Angela H.
This class was extremely informational and filled with resources that I will be using in my own classroom. In addition, I will be sharing some of the material with colleagues. The articles were resourceful and helpful. I personally enjoyed the videos as they gave me an opportunity to see and hear the Spanish language in action. I have printed and laminated the sheet with the accent marks, and have it next to my computer to use it when I write emails/letters to parents. My favorite assignment was creating a list of comments for report cards. We had a variety of scenarios that will allow me to use more than one in the future.
Thank you again for this great opportunity.
-Omayra N.
Thank you for your feedback; it was really helpful. I really liked how you put the corrections directly on the documents that I sent you. Also, I found it extremely helpful that you provided important phrases in both Spanish and English to use for each assignment.
Because of what I learned in this course, I will speak with the parent and student about any concerns that might affect the student’s ability to do well in my class. When speaking with the student and parents I will simplify my language without “dumbing it down” or using analogies. This will prevent any confusion from language boundaries. I will make sure that my lessons have visual aids to assist the student when possible and make sure that I have frequent opportunities to work in groups or pairs. Lastly, I will reach out to my ELL and special education colleagues. This will allow me to gain valuable information and tips about language difficulties and how to best support the student.
I appreciate the timely manner in which you responded to my assignments as well. Thank you and I will definitely use these assignments as resources in the future.
-Katelyn A.
Based on what I have learned during this course, I would feel more comfortable communicating with my Spanish speaking students and their families. Instead of relying on our bilingual counselors for communication I would first attempt to communicate with them to the best of my ability. As I learned in Assignment 2, care and compassion have no language. When the parent and student see that I am trying to communicate, even if it’s not perfect, they may feel more comfortable trying to speak the little English that they might know in return.
I really enjoyed this course and feel that I am walking away with valuable tools and skills. The vocabulary included in each assignment gave me phrases that I can use in my everyday conversation with my students and their parents. Having some previous experience and knowledge of the Spanish language, but never feeling confident in speaking it, this course has been a great refresher!
-Kristen S.
Now that I have taken this class, I will be much better prepared for an ENL student. The first thing I will do to prepare for any new ENL students will be to utilize the arguments provided in Assignment 2. These are all helpful articles that will certainly help me be more engaged with my ENL students. Furthermore, I will definitely be printing out the sheets with Spanish phrases/sentences, so that I will be much more prepared to communicate with these students. Finally, I will definitely write my comments/letters to parents, in Spanish, now that I have these tools at my fingertips.
I loved taking this course and learned so much valuable information from it. This will be a big help for the students in my district, and especially in my classroom. All of the assignments were helpful, but I can see myself utilizing the numerous articles provided in assignment 2 to help me the most with ENL students. Thank you so much for this great class!
-Jason F.
Rosa, this class was great and right on time for mid quarter progress reports. I can’t wait to use my new vocabulary! What I enjoyed most is that your class got directly to the point and gave us tools that are practical for us everyday especially in schools that are rich in diversity. It has been a long time since I have had to read and write in Spanish but it was a great refresher course. There were a lot of
grammatical nuances that I had forgotten about and this definitely will strengthen the bond that I can make with my students and their families. Thank you for everything. 100% satisfied!
-Angela H.
This class was extremely informational and filled with resources that I will be using in my own classroom. In addition, I will be sharing some of the material with colleagues. The articles were resourceful and helpful. I personally enjoyed the videos as they gave me an opportunity to see and hear the Spanish language in action. I have printed and laminated the sheet with the accent marks, and have it next to my computer to use it when I write emails/letters to parents. My favorite assignment was creating a list of comments for report cards. We had a variety of scenarios that will allow me to use more than one in the future.
Thank you again for this great opportunity.
-Omayra N.
Virtual Field Trips: Explore the World from Your Classroom
This has been one of the best classes I have participated in during my professional development and continuing education! The hands-on work that I had to do made the assignments enjoyable and purposeful. It was interesting to read about different types of virtual field trips for students and grade levels that, although I do not teach, I could still use by modifying bits and pieces of for the future.
This was beneficial and relevant to me especially in the age of Covid where the students and teachers have do deal with so many restrictions. I will absolutely be implementing the virtual field trip that I created for this course in my own class this upcoming school year.
Thank you for your feedback for each assignment and kind words!
-Alexa M.
I LOVED making up a virtual field trip! I think this course was very helpful as it really showed me what a virtual field trip was! I didn’t even think I could create my own and I think creating your own trip and then finding the websites to visit was wonderful! The "Poe Trip" is one that I am absolutely going to use with my class and it’s a great way to bring in the English teachers in my school and have them take the trip! There are a few English teachers that would love to take this trip with their class when their Poe unit is finished. Thank you so much for that!!
Thank you for a wonderful fun course; I truly learned so much. I am going to make this field trip for sure with the teachers in my school!
-Lisa G.
I very much enjoyed this course as I learned about a topic I had never explored before - virtual field trips! At first, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to utilize this tool as much in the classroom as some other subject area teachers might be able to (science and social studies teachers, in particular). However, as I learned more about the different types of field trips already available on various websites, it became clear to me that I could easily design a trip to fit my English class.
I would say that assignments 3 and 7 were most helpful for me. Learning about different virtual field trips already designed by students and teachers helped me see how I could design one myself. I really liked reading about the literature field trips since those could easily be incorporated into my curriculum. Assignment 7 allowed me to try my hand at creating my own virtual field trip, which I really enjoyed. I like that I was also able to infuse my personal experience into the trip. I think this might help my students relate to me more, since I have actually been to Acadia National Park and took many of the photos in my Google Slides. Thank you for a fun, informative class! I really enjoyed it.
-Jane T.
This has been one of the best classes I have participated in during my professional development and continuing education! The hands-on work that I had to do made the assignments enjoyable and purposeful. It was interesting to read about different types of virtual field trips for students and grade levels that, although I do not teach, I could still use by modifying bits and pieces of for the future.
This was beneficial and relevant to me especially in the age of Covid where the students and teachers have do deal with so many restrictions. I will absolutely be implementing the virtual field trip that I created for this course in my own class this upcoming school year.
Thank you for your feedback for each assignment and kind words!
-Alexa M.
I LOVED making up a virtual field trip! I think this course was very helpful as it really showed me what a virtual field trip was! I didn’t even think I could create my own and I think creating your own trip and then finding the websites to visit was wonderful! The "Poe Trip" is one that I am absolutely going to use with my class and it’s a great way to bring in the English teachers in my school and have them take the trip! There are a few English teachers that would love to take this trip with their class when their Poe unit is finished. Thank you so much for that!!
Thank you for a wonderful fun course; I truly learned so much. I am going to make this field trip for sure with the teachers in my school!
-Lisa G.
I very much enjoyed this course as I learned about a topic I had never explored before - virtual field trips! At first, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to utilize this tool as much in the classroom as some other subject area teachers might be able to (science and social studies teachers, in particular). However, as I learned more about the different types of field trips already available on various websites, it became clear to me that I could easily design a trip to fit my English class.
I would say that assignments 3 and 7 were most helpful for me. Learning about different virtual field trips already designed by students and teachers helped me see how I could design one myself. I really liked reading about the literature field trips since those could easily be incorporated into my curriculum. Assignment 7 allowed me to try my hand at creating my own virtual field trip, which I really enjoyed. I like that I was also able to infuse my personal experience into the trip. I think this might help my students relate to me more, since I have actually been to Acadia National Park and took many of the photos in my Google Slides. Thank you for a fun, informative class! I really enjoyed it.
-Jane T.
The Teacher-Student Relationship: Providing Essential Supports for Learning, Motivation and Achievement
As always, it is a pleasure taking these online courses with you. I have learned so much from this course. The materials that you have provided about how critical the teacher-student relationship is helped me develop into a stronger educator. I always knew how crucial it is to develop strong relationships with my students, but this course really allowed me to reflect about the relationships I have built with my students this year. The articles, videos, and activities were wonderful resources, all of which I will refer back to in order to strengthen my craft! Thank you!
The best part of this course is the amount of communication. Your sincere, inspiring, and thoughtful feedback is what makes the course you teach worth it. Although I have never met you in person, it feels like I have. It is quite amazing how much thought and time you put into each assignment. I sincerely appreciate all of them. I even print them out and put them in my PD course binder. You are an inspiration to me!
-Stephanie A.
I thoroughly enjoyed this course. I thought the assignments were relevant and thoughtfully composed. Even more than the assignments, the detailed level of running commentary that you gave was outstanding. The class was also remarkable for the sheer quantity of “practice what you preach” moments. Please accept my compliments on your creative and well integrated materials.
My favorite assignment was the letter to your new teacher self. It was an interesting twist of the imagination to teach yourself from a distance of forty years. It was a means to treasure those hard won nuggets of judgment picked up along the way.
I also liked the “I wish you knew that…” assignment. There is much to be mined here and a great way to end the course while keeping it alive as well.
-James K.
Thank you very much for another incredible course. Each of the CORE P.D. courses I have taken has been incredible in terms of learning new ideas and coming up with practical classroom application. This course was certainly no different. It forced me to really evaluate how I am building relationships within the school and the classroom. As always Judi Weissman is incredibly quick with her coursework evaluations and writes heartfelt comments that encourage me as a student to want to share more in order to hear more of her feedback.
There were several very enjoyable assignments. As usual the articles were carefully selected and were very informative. I have three assignments that really stuck out to me as being particularly interesting. I really enjoyed writing a letter to my first day self; it made me really think back to my earliest experiences and reflect upon them. I also enjoyed the analysis of specific student relationships. Doing this allowed me to identify strong relationships as well as weaker ones to try to figure out ways to improve all relationships. Finally, I really enjoyed watching videos about sharing information in the "I Wish My Students Knew" activity.
I am taking two other classes through CORE P.D. this summer, and I look forward to learning more about myself as a teacher and developing more strategies to use within my classroom.
-Patrick S.
I thought this course was truly beneficial especially for the population of students I work with. I have truly learned some wonderful ways to help foster and build relationships with my students. It has helped me to make sure that I am open and honest with my students about some of the things in my life that are appropriate to share with them over the course of the year.
I have learned many new ways to approach my relationships with all of my students, and to take the time to learn more about them on a personal level. Children love to know that you care about them and want to learn about their lives; they also enjoy knowing some cool facts about their teacher! It is a way for them to feel comfortable with their teacher and know that their teacher is responsive to their feelings and needs.
The assignments I enjoyed the most were 8 and 9. I loved the videos as they were are very inspiring and moving. They really showed, in such an honest and simple way, how you can reach and understand your students to build positive relationships. I also loved reading the responses that the children gave me when I tried this activity and was able to learn "what they want their teacher to know." Another great course Judi I truly gained so much from it. I look forward to taking more of your courses this fall!
-Nicole M.
I loved the TED talk video because it was very powerful to watch. Dr. Hiam Ginott’s poem was a highlight of this course. We can read study after study and all kinds of academic material that provide insight into what students need and why they need it; however, I often find that creative and honest writing hits home in a more serious way. Statistics and examples are important and can provide us with proof of what most of us have already figured out. Occasionally we will come across something new and that nugget makes all of the sifting through what we already knew worth it. However, when you discover a poem that you can relate, and choose to read it on a regular basis for inspiration, it is something special.
I enjoyed the class greatly. I love being able to learn about ideas that I already seem to know and then getting information or additional insight that leads me further into greater understanding. These classes are enjoyable ways for educators to learn more about their day to day relationships and undertakings. I look forward to taking more classes like it.
-Theodore B.
As always, it is a pleasure taking these online courses with you. I have learned so much from this course. The materials that you have provided about how critical the teacher-student relationship is helped me develop into a stronger educator. I always knew how crucial it is to develop strong relationships with my students, but this course really allowed me to reflect about the relationships I have built with my students this year. The articles, videos, and activities were wonderful resources, all of which I will refer back to in order to strengthen my craft! Thank you!
The best part of this course is the amount of communication. Your sincere, inspiring, and thoughtful feedback is what makes the course you teach worth it. Although I have never met you in person, it feels like I have. It is quite amazing how much thought and time you put into each assignment. I sincerely appreciate all of them. I even print them out and put them in my PD course binder. You are an inspiration to me!
-Stephanie A.
I thoroughly enjoyed this course. I thought the assignments were relevant and thoughtfully composed. Even more than the assignments, the detailed level of running commentary that you gave was outstanding. The class was also remarkable for the sheer quantity of “practice what you preach” moments. Please accept my compliments on your creative and well integrated materials.
My favorite assignment was the letter to your new teacher self. It was an interesting twist of the imagination to teach yourself from a distance of forty years. It was a means to treasure those hard won nuggets of judgment picked up along the way.
I also liked the “I wish you knew that…” assignment. There is much to be mined here and a great way to end the course while keeping it alive as well.
-James K.
Thank you very much for another incredible course. Each of the CORE P.D. courses I have taken has been incredible in terms of learning new ideas and coming up with practical classroom application. This course was certainly no different. It forced me to really evaluate how I am building relationships within the school and the classroom. As always Judi Weissman is incredibly quick with her coursework evaluations and writes heartfelt comments that encourage me as a student to want to share more in order to hear more of her feedback.
There were several very enjoyable assignments. As usual the articles were carefully selected and were very informative. I have three assignments that really stuck out to me as being particularly interesting. I really enjoyed writing a letter to my first day self; it made me really think back to my earliest experiences and reflect upon them. I also enjoyed the analysis of specific student relationships. Doing this allowed me to identify strong relationships as well as weaker ones to try to figure out ways to improve all relationships. Finally, I really enjoyed watching videos about sharing information in the "I Wish My Students Knew" activity.
I am taking two other classes through CORE P.D. this summer, and I look forward to learning more about myself as a teacher and developing more strategies to use within my classroom.
-Patrick S.
I thought this course was truly beneficial especially for the population of students I work with. I have truly learned some wonderful ways to help foster and build relationships with my students. It has helped me to make sure that I am open and honest with my students about some of the things in my life that are appropriate to share with them over the course of the year.
I have learned many new ways to approach my relationships with all of my students, and to take the time to learn more about them on a personal level. Children love to know that you care about them and want to learn about their lives; they also enjoy knowing some cool facts about their teacher! It is a way for them to feel comfortable with their teacher and know that their teacher is responsive to their feelings and needs.
The assignments I enjoyed the most were 8 and 9. I loved the videos as they were are very inspiring and moving. They really showed, in such an honest and simple way, how you can reach and understand your students to build positive relationships. I also loved reading the responses that the children gave me when I tried this activity and was able to learn "what they want their teacher to know." Another great course Judi I truly gained so much from it. I look forward to taking more of your courses this fall!
-Nicole M.
I loved the TED talk video because it was very powerful to watch. Dr. Hiam Ginott’s poem was a highlight of this course. We can read study after study and all kinds of academic material that provide insight into what students need and why they need it; however, I often find that creative and honest writing hits home in a more serious way. Statistics and examples are important and can provide us with proof of what most of us have already figured out. Occasionally we will come across something new and that nugget makes all of the sifting through what we already knew worth it. However, when you discover a poem that you can relate, and choose to read it on a regular basis for inspiration, it is something special.
I enjoyed the class greatly. I love being able to learn about ideas that I already seem to know and then getting information or additional insight that leads me further into greater understanding. These classes are enjoyable ways for educators to learn more about their day to day relationships and undertakings. I look forward to taking more classes like it.
-Theodore B.
Get Ready for Next Generation: Mathematics
I enjoyed this class very much. I liked that I could work at my own pace and did not have the restriction of deadlines. I also appreciated that the material was presented in a way that was easy to understand and very relevant to the course topic. There was no abstract information, just what we needed to know.
I really enjoyed all of the articles but the one I found the most useful was the list of new terms. I thought this clarified a great deal of what was expected in this course. I am excited to be able to present what I have learned to my department. I think this will benefit not just me, but all of our teachers as well.
I will definitely be taking more CORE P.D. courses and will recommend them! Thank you for your time and valuable feedback!
-Toni D.
I thought that this was a great, informative course. This course taught me how to utilize the next generation website and access pages I probably wouldn’t have known about. It gave me a clear idea of the differences between Common Core and Next Generation. I also like the professor's feedback after each assignment.
I think some of the most relevant assignments were the ones evaluating the new vocabulary and the one in which we had to modify a lesson plan. I was not aware of the glossary they were including so the assignment gave me a chance to compare and contrast similarities and differences between Common Core and Next Generation Vocabulary. It helped me to reflect on how I use vocabulary with the students and how I word directions and objectives in my lesson plans. I also thought modifying a lesson plan was helpful because it helped me to get an idea of how to create a lesson plan with the new standards. Thank you so much for all of your support and help during this course! It was much appreciated and I learned a great deal!
-Emma S.
Get Ready for Next Generation: ELA
Thank you for a very informative course on the ELA Next Generation Standards. I went into this course not knowing much about the revisions and I leave feeling informed and confident. I am eager to share the information that I learned here in my upcoming summer curriculum planning with my colleagues. This year has been particularly busy and stressful and I know I would not have devoted the time to the Next Generation Standards that I needed to without the push from this course. I will certainly recommend it to my colleagues, as well!
While I enjoyed all of the assignments, I have to say Assignments #3 and #5 were particularly valuable and interesting. Thinking about advanced literacies in Assignment #3 got me excited about the Next Generation Standards! I can’t say I was ever excited when reading the CCSS! I am so thankful to see the emphasis on authentic reading and writing. Assignment #5 helped me see the specific changes and revisions that took place to the old standards. This assignment also helped me look at previously taught lessons with a critical eye and see how future instruction will be adjusted to ensure I are meeting the needs of all students.
Thank you for a terrific course!
-Kim L.
Thank you so much for all of your guidance during this course! I’ve had a wonderful experience and really enjoyed the course. Since I haven’t been teaching, it was very helpful to take time to look at the Common Core standards vs. the Next Generation Standards. Looking at the two sets of standards side-by-side provided me the opportunity to not only see the new standards, but to see what changes were made and give some thought to the reason behind some of these changes. I know that these new standards will still present challenges for teachers and students, but I think this new set of standards makes more sense from a teacher’s standpoint and is more beneficial to students to realize their potential of being lifelong learners.
I particularly enjoyed assignments numbers two and three. In assignment two I was given the opportunity to dive deeper into noticing the differences in the two sets of standards and to give thought to what that means for me as a new teacher. Assignment three was also thought- provoking in examining how we all look at the term “literacies.” As an English teacher, literacy is not a new term, but the idea of what it means in all disciplines and in all stages of life is interesting and important. I know that I will keep these other definitions of literacy in mind as I teach my classes and make sure that I help provide the groundwork for the literacies that might be important for many years to come in areas that we might not even be familiar with yet.
Again, thank you for your time and guidance. I really enjoyed our correspondence and look forward to taking other classes with you and CORE.
-Claire D.
I enjoyed the course very much. It checked off all of the boxes for me. Even though I am a school psychologist and not an ELA teacher, I need to be knowledgeable enough with the up-to-date standards in all subjects so I can effectively collaborate with the teachers I work with. I think this course did that for me when it comes to understanding the Next Generation ELA Standards.
Although I didn’t necessarily have a favorite assignment, I did enjoy that the material was not monotone and just “read this and summarize”. I like that we had to give our opinions as well. I want to thank you for being flexible with me. I am not a teacher so some of the assignments that involved lesson plans might not have been up to par but I tried. I appreciate that and thank you.
-Mesut K.
Get Ready for Next Generation: Science
The course was very helpful in that it forced me to read and re-read the new science standards and really understand what they are about. Before, I was focused on the core concepts, such as Matter, but now I see that teachers are being asked to teach how to THINK about science: how to observe, keep track of data, see patterns, build. This is a really helpful way to frame the content. As they go through each year of school, students should become more adept using skills to investigate, explore and analyze the world around them. Now I know not to worry so much about whether students remember which animal is an omnivore, but rather, that they have the skills to discover which animals are omnivores. I know that these standards have been coming for a while, and I wish that there was a more concerted effort to explain this (and other founding principles of the new standards) to teachers and staff throughout the city in a more organized way.
I found the assignments where I had to design a lesson or unit based on the new standards most useful, because I know I will have to do this anyhow. It also required me to focus on what the standard was asking students to learn, and what I can use from before.
Feedback was helpful and prompt, and I was grateful that I could pace the course to fit my schedule.
Thanks so much for everything!
-Mary M.
I enjoyed this class very much. I liked that I could work at my own pace and did not have the restriction of deadlines. I also appreciated that the material was presented in a way that was easy to understand and very relevant to the course topic. There was no abstract information, just what we needed to know.
I really enjoyed all of the articles but the one I found the most useful was the list of new terms. I thought this clarified a great deal of what was expected in this course. I am excited to be able to present what I have learned to my department. I think this will benefit not just me, but all of our teachers as well.
I will definitely be taking more CORE P.D. courses and will recommend them! Thank you for your time and valuable feedback!
-Toni D.
I thought that this was a great, informative course. This course taught me how to utilize the next generation website and access pages I probably wouldn’t have known about. It gave me a clear idea of the differences between Common Core and Next Generation. I also like the professor's feedback after each assignment.
I think some of the most relevant assignments were the ones evaluating the new vocabulary and the one in which we had to modify a lesson plan. I was not aware of the glossary they were including so the assignment gave me a chance to compare and contrast similarities and differences between Common Core and Next Generation Vocabulary. It helped me to reflect on how I use vocabulary with the students and how I word directions and objectives in my lesson plans. I also thought modifying a lesson plan was helpful because it helped me to get an idea of how to create a lesson plan with the new standards. Thank you so much for all of your support and help during this course! It was much appreciated and I learned a great deal!
-Emma S.
Get Ready for Next Generation: ELA
Thank you for a very informative course on the ELA Next Generation Standards. I went into this course not knowing much about the revisions and I leave feeling informed and confident. I am eager to share the information that I learned here in my upcoming summer curriculum planning with my colleagues. This year has been particularly busy and stressful and I know I would not have devoted the time to the Next Generation Standards that I needed to without the push from this course. I will certainly recommend it to my colleagues, as well!
While I enjoyed all of the assignments, I have to say Assignments #3 and #5 were particularly valuable and interesting. Thinking about advanced literacies in Assignment #3 got me excited about the Next Generation Standards! I can’t say I was ever excited when reading the CCSS! I am so thankful to see the emphasis on authentic reading and writing. Assignment #5 helped me see the specific changes and revisions that took place to the old standards. This assignment also helped me look at previously taught lessons with a critical eye and see how future instruction will be adjusted to ensure I are meeting the needs of all students.
Thank you for a terrific course!
-Kim L.
Thank you so much for all of your guidance during this course! I’ve had a wonderful experience and really enjoyed the course. Since I haven’t been teaching, it was very helpful to take time to look at the Common Core standards vs. the Next Generation Standards. Looking at the two sets of standards side-by-side provided me the opportunity to not only see the new standards, but to see what changes were made and give some thought to the reason behind some of these changes. I know that these new standards will still present challenges for teachers and students, but I think this new set of standards makes more sense from a teacher’s standpoint and is more beneficial to students to realize their potential of being lifelong learners.
I particularly enjoyed assignments numbers two and three. In assignment two I was given the opportunity to dive deeper into noticing the differences in the two sets of standards and to give thought to what that means for me as a new teacher. Assignment three was also thought- provoking in examining how we all look at the term “literacies.” As an English teacher, literacy is not a new term, but the idea of what it means in all disciplines and in all stages of life is interesting and important. I know that I will keep these other definitions of literacy in mind as I teach my classes and make sure that I help provide the groundwork for the literacies that might be important for many years to come in areas that we might not even be familiar with yet.
Again, thank you for your time and guidance. I really enjoyed our correspondence and look forward to taking other classes with you and CORE.
-Claire D.
I enjoyed the course very much. It checked off all of the boxes for me. Even though I am a school psychologist and not an ELA teacher, I need to be knowledgeable enough with the up-to-date standards in all subjects so I can effectively collaborate with the teachers I work with. I think this course did that for me when it comes to understanding the Next Generation ELA Standards.
Although I didn’t necessarily have a favorite assignment, I did enjoy that the material was not monotone and just “read this and summarize”. I like that we had to give our opinions as well. I want to thank you for being flexible with me. I am not a teacher so some of the assignments that involved lesson plans might not have been up to par but I tried. I appreciate that and thank you.
-Mesut K.
Get Ready for Next Generation: Science
The course was very helpful in that it forced me to read and re-read the new science standards and really understand what they are about. Before, I was focused on the core concepts, such as Matter, but now I see that teachers are being asked to teach how to THINK about science: how to observe, keep track of data, see patterns, build. This is a really helpful way to frame the content. As they go through each year of school, students should become more adept using skills to investigate, explore and analyze the world around them. Now I know not to worry so much about whether students remember which animal is an omnivore, but rather, that they have the skills to discover which animals are omnivores. I know that these standards have been coming for a while, and I wish that there was a more concerted effort to explain this (and other founding principles of the new standards) to teachers and staff throughout the city in a more organized way.
I found the assignments where I had to design a lesson or unit based on the new standards most useful, because I know I will have to do this anyhow. It also required me to focus on what the standard was asking students to learn, and what I can use from before.
Feedback was helpful and prompt, and I was grateful that I could pace the course to fit my schedule.
Thanks so much for everything!
-Mary M.
Creating LGBT-Inclusive Classrooms and Curriculum: Understanding and Acceptance for All Students
This was another wonderful course taught by Mrs. Weltsek that exceeded my expectations. Anyone who is focused on growing as an educator would benefit from taking this course. This course was appropriate for the “newer” teacher to the “experienced” teacher. All of the assignments were focused on establishing a clear knowledge base and applying it to daily teaching both in person or in virtual classrooms. Of note, the TED Talk along with the materials by GLSEN really enabled me to expand my thinking and my overall understanding of what it truly means to be an LGBTQ individual. The TED Talk had me truly think about the messages that our students receive from the adults in their world about individuality and the mixed messages that are given by society. All of the materials from GLSEN moved you from the “basics” to digging deep, looking at what you say in the classroom along with having you become much more reflective about your curriculum.
Another assignment that stands out in my mind concerned itself with doing my own research and then applying to my own teaching. Honestly, this forced me to do what I should have done earlier in the year in terms of looking beyond my first search for a good source. Finding quality resources that were beyond basic certainly was not an easy task, but once I found my resources it enabled me to begin to move forward with my own curriculum. This is truly what I enjoy about Bernadette's classes. I certainly can say that her classes are all about improving your own instruction. That’s what true professional development is all about.
Lastly, the feedback I received continued on my journey for improvement. She asked me questions, provided me with her own stories, and also provided me with other materials to look at. All of this was truly what I was looking for. This is a course that started me on one of my curricular goals for next year.
-Eric S.
This was another wonderful course taught by Mrs. Weltsek that exceeded my expectations. Anyone who is focused on growing as an educator would benefit from taking this course. This course was appropriate for the “newer” teacher to the “experienced” teacher. All of the assignments were focused on establishing a clear knowledge base and applying it to daily teaching both in person or in virtual classrooms. Of note, the TED Talk along with the materials by GLSEN really enabled me to expand my thinking and my overall understanding of what it truly means to be an LGBTQ individual. The TED Talk had me truly think about the messages that our students receive from the adults in their world about individuality and the mixed messages that are given by society. All of the materials from GLSEN moved you from the “basics” to digging deep, looking at what you say in the classroom along with having you become much more reflective about your curriculum.
Another assignment that stands out in my mind concerned itself with doing my own research and then applying to my own teaching. Honestly, this forced me to do what I should have done earlier in the year in terms of looking beyond my first search for a good source. Finding quality resources that were beyond basic certainly was not an easy task, but once I found my resources it enabled me to begin to move forward with my own curriculum. This is truly what I enjoy about Bernadette's classes. I certainly can say that her classes are all about improving your own instruction. That’s what true professional development is all about.
Lastly, the feedback I received continued on my journey for improvement. She asked me questions, provided me with her own stories, and also provided me with other materials to look at. All of this was truly what I was looking for. This is a course that started me on one of my curricular goals for next year.
-Eric S.
Gender Issues in Education: Impact on Learning, Behavior and Teacher Expectations
I truly enjoyed this course so much. It challenged me to think more deeply about such an important topic in education. All of the assignments were interesting and something I was eager to learn about. I found myself looking forward to reading and learning more on these issues. This course provided information and studies without making you feel like you were supposed to think a certain way. It allowed me as a student to absorb the information and critically think and reflect when answering assignment questions. One of my favorite parts of the course was receiving your feedback. I was always so impressed on how quickly you were about to return feedback and how in depth it was. Although this class was online, I was able to really connect to you as a professor and have a meaningful online relationship. The course encouraged me to think about gender issues and allowed me to answer openly and honestly. I have learned quality context throughout the course that I will continue into my teaching practices. I would recommend this course and you as a professor to everyone in education. Thank you for an amazing first CORE P.D experience and for teaching this course! I look forward to many more classes!
-Jackie W.
I truly enjoyed this course so much. It challenged me to think more deeply about such an important topic in education. All of the assignments were interesting and something I was eager to learn about. I found myself looking forward to reading and learning more on these issues. This course provided information and studies without making you feel like you were supposed to think a certain way. It allowed me as a student to absorb the information and critically think and reflect when answering assignment questions. One of my favorite parts of the course was receiving your feedback. I was always so impressed on how quickly you were about to return feedback and how in depth it was. Although this class was online, I was able to really connect to you as a professor and have a meaningful online relationship. The course encouraged me to think about gender issues and allowed me to answer openly and honestly. I have learned quality context throughout the course that I will continue into my teaching practices. I would recommend this course and you as a professor to everyone in education. Thank you for an amazing first CORE P.D experience and for teaching this course! I look forward to many more classes!
-Jackie W.
Keeping Students Engaged During Remote Instruction
In this unprecedented time of teaching, it was great to take a class so relevant to what is currently going on. I appreciate you creating a course like this for educators to take to help prepare for the next school year. I found your feedback very helpful and appreciated you being flexible with assignments to fit the needs of my particular subject area and student population.
The assignments in Module 2 were extremely significant. Creating the document that would explain my expectations will be helpful to myself and colleagues who teach the same students. I am walking away with activities that I can immediately implement and found great videos to use to supplement each activity.
Throughout every assignment there was a time to reflect on past and future practices. This is something vital to what is going on so that input can be given to administration in terms of better scheduling. I wish you a happy and healthy summer and hopes for a successful school year, in whatever form that may be!
-Sloane S.
These past three weeks have been tremendously helpful in terms of preparing myself for returning to school (whether we are in school or remote) in September. Upon viewing the course description, I immediately knew that I wanted to register for the class and I was eager to learn as much as I could to be best prepared for the upcoming school year.
I can honestly say that I found this course to be extremely helpful. Both the resources provided along with the assignments given were beyond relevant. The last few months of the school year were a little overwhelming trying to navigate the world of remote teaching, and after taking this course I certainly feel more at ease. There are so many wonderful (free) resources out there for educators that can help engage students while providing meaningful instruction/learning at the same time.
I am very satisfied with this course as the best part was that I was able to create materials that I can use in my very own classroom next year, whether we are teaching remotely or in person. I cannot even pick a favorite assignment as I found them all very helpful, however, what I enjoyed most was having the various websites (links) to check out and explore before actually creating the content. After viewing the websites I was able to implement different ideas and try to incorporate new modes of technology within my content (something that I can continuously trying to do)!
My favorite courses are those that I can actually take ideas and new knowledge from, and this one was far beyond that as it was tremendously relevant for this point in my teaching career. Thank you so much and I will be reflecting back to this course in September as I try to continue to navigate through the world of remote teaching! I would most definitely sign up for a part two if another course was given!
-Michelle M.
I am very grateful that I took this course! It forced me to start thinking about what I am going to do in September. I appreciated so many of the very valuable resources you provided. It helped to create a list of different resources we can use for different purposes. My favorite moment I had was when I saw Class Dojo on the list of resources and I was able to repurpose something I had used in the past for a different reason that fits remote learning.
One of my favorite things about all of Margaret’s classes is that we right away start applying what we are learning and create materials that we can actually use in the classroom. I already have the first week and a half to two weeks of my support class planned out because of this course! It may require some tweaking depending on what the model is in September, but I have a jumping off point. Anytime I can apply what I learn right away helps me very much.
-Cassandra M.
I am glad I enrolled in “Keeping Students Engaged During Remote Instruction.” This course gave me an opportunity to reflect on my practices during school building closure and helped me organize for next year. Margaret provided common sense advice and good starting points. I would never enter a classroom without a student expectation sheet, but it had not occurred to me to create one specifically for my online classroom.
Another great idea was creating an assignment to show students how to navigate my online platforms. The many resources provided will all be very useful in September. The work I have done has alleviated some of the stress I have been experiencing about going back to school. With the plan I created, I feel prepared for the first day and beyond. I’ve completed my first few lessons and will use all of the work submitted for the assignments.
The class is extremely timely and I will recommend it to my colleagues.
-Susan W.
Thank you for this course. I loved your prompt feedback and suggestions along the way. I felt that the assignments were realistic and fair. I think they allowed us to look at resources to get more creative with our thinking. Taking this course with a colleague was also great, because we were able to create lessons and ideas together to actually use in the upcoming year. I thought the remote rules in one of the first assignments was great, because it is something that fell by the waist side this past year being that we were rushed into it so quickly. I loved the resources of embedding quizzes after a video as I mentioned in my last assignment its a good quick way to make sure kids are actually watching what we assign and using it for the correct reasons. I thought you did a great job teaching this course and would recommend it to my other colleagues.
-Breana A.
Thank you Margaret! I know for a fact that I will be using my new knowledge this fall. This course has given me confidence in my ability to teach more effectively to my students, who will be 100% remote, as well as allowed me to see all of the wonderful tools that are out there for teachers. It even seemed to me that most of them are free! I was thoroughly satisfied with this course!
I can’t really say that there was one assignment that stood out to me as the “best” because I honestly think they were all helpful. Probably for my honors Living Environment students the most relevant assignment was #10 because I can see myself using that one quite often. I thought the layout and flow of the course was perfect and very much relevant to these times we are living through!
-Tracy Gleckler
This is my second CORE class and I must say I really enjoyed it. I thought that the material was extremely relevant and very helpful for all educators. I really enjoyed all of the assignments because it gave me a chance to self-reflect on my teaching and it gave me an opportunity to explore some apps and sites that I have not seen before. It also allowed me the opportunity to create some really cool resources that I enjoyed using in my classroom. I really thought that each module was very helpful and I liked that this course was self-paced. I really enjoyed this course and it was a pleasure working with Margaret. Thank you for developing an amazing course. Best of luck with the rest of this school year!
-Rachel Q.
In this unprecedented time of teaching, it was great to take a class so relevant to what is currently going on. I appreciate you creating a course like this for educators to take to help prepare for the next school year. I found your feedback very helpful and appreciated you being flexible with assignments to fit the needs of my particular subject area and student population.
The assignments in Module 2 were extremely significant. Creating the document that would explain my expectations will be helpful to myself and colleagues who teach the same students. I am walking away with activities that I can immediately implement and found great videos to use to supplement each activity.
Throughout every assignment there was a time to reflect on past and future practices. This is something vital to what is going on so that input can be given to administration in terms of better scheduling. I wish you a happy and healthy summer and hopes for a successful school year, in whatever form that may be!
-Sloane S.
These past three weeks have been tremendously helpful in terms of preparing myself for returning to school (whether we are in school or remote) in September. Upon viewing the course description, I immediately knew that I wanted to register for the class and I was eager to learn as much as I could to be best prepared for the upcoming school year.
I can honestly say that I found this course to be extremely helpful. Both the resources provided along with the assignments given were beyond relevant. The last few months of the school year were a little overwhelming trying to navigate the world of remote teaching, and after taking this course I certainly feel more at ease. There are so many wonderful (free) resources out there for educators that can help engage students while providing meaningful instruction/learning at the same time.
I am very satisfied with this course as the best part was that I was able to create materials that I can use in my very own classroom next year, whether we are teaching remotely or in person. I cannot even pick a favorite assignment as I found them all very helpful, however, what I enjoyed most was having the various websites (links) to check out and explore before actually creating the content. After viewing the websites I was able to implement different ideas and try to incorporate new modes of technology within my content (something that I can continuously trying to do)!
My favorite courses are those that I can actually take ideas and new knowledge from, and this one was far beyond that as it was tremendously relevant for this point in my teaching career. Thank you so much and I will be reflecting back to this course in September as I try to continue to navigate through the world of remote teaching! I would most definitely sign up for a part two if another course was given!
-Michelle M.
I am very grateful that I took this course! It forced me to start thinking about what I am going to do in September. I appreciated so many of the very valuable resources you provided. It helped to create a list of different resources we can use for different purposes. My favorite moment I had was when I saw Class Dojo on the list of resources and I was able to repurpose something I had used in the past for a different reason that fits remote learning.
One of my favorite things about all of Margaret’s classes is that we right away start applying what we are learning and create materials that we can actually use in the classroom. I already have the first week and a half to two weeks of my support class planned out because of this course! It may require some tweaking depending on what the model is in September, but I have a jumping off point. Anytime I can apply what I learn right away helps me very much.
-Cassandra M.
I am glad I enrolled in “Keeping Students Engaged During Remote Instruction.” This course gave me an opportunity to reflect on my practices during school building closure and helped me organize for next year. Margaret provided common sense advice and good starting points. I would never enter a classroom without a student expectation sheet, but it had not occurred to me to create one specifically for my online classroom.
Another great idea was creating an assignment to show students how to navigate my online platforms. The many resources provided will all be very useful in September. The work I have done has alleviated some of the stress I have been experiencing about going back to school. With the plan I created, I feel prepared for the first day and beyond. I’ve completed my first few lessons and will use all of the work submitted for the assignments.
The class is extremely timely and I will recommend it to my colleagues.
-Susan W.
Thank you for this course. I loved your prompt feedback and suggestions along the way. I felt that the assignments were realistic and fair. I think they allowed us to look at resources to get more creative with our thinking. Taking this course with a colleague was also great, because we were able to create lessons and ideas together to actually use in the upcoming year. I thought the remote rules in one of the first assignments was great, because it is something that fell by the waist side this past year being that we were rushed into it so quickly. I loved the resources of embedding quizzes after a video as I mentioned in my last assignment its a good quick way to make sure kids are actually watching what we assign and using it for the correct reasons. I thought you did a great job teaching this course and would recommend it to my other colleagues.
-Breana A.
Thank you Margaret! I know for a fact that I will be using my new knowledge this fall. This course has given me confidence in my ability to teach more effectively to my students, who will be 100% remote, as well as allowed me to see all of the wonderful tools that are out there for teachers. It even seemed to me that most of them are free! I was thoroughly satisfied with this course!
I can’t really say that there was one assignment that stood out to me as the “best” because I honestly think they were all helpful. Probably for my honors Living Environment students the most relevant assignment was #10 because I can see myself using that one quite often. I thought the layout and flow of the course was perfect and very much relevant to these times we are living through!
-Tracy Gleckler
This is my second CORE class and I must say I really enjoyed it. I thought that the material was extremely relevant and very helpful for all educators. I really enjoyed all of the assignments because it gave me a chance to self-reflect on my teaching and it gave me an opportunity to explore some apps and sites that I have not seen before. It also allowed me the opportunity to create some really cool resources that I enjoyed using in my classroom. I really thought that each module was very helpful and I liked that this course was self-paced. I really enjoyed this course and it was a pleasure working with Margaret. Thank you for developing an amazing course. Best of luck with the rest of this school year!
-Rachel Q.
How to Reach At Risk Students: Strategies for Teaching Academically Underprepared Students
I feel so fortunate to have taken this course even through such unprecedented times. It is so apparent that a great deal of time and effort went into creating a meaningful and well thought out class. The topic of this course is so important and relevant to the population of students that I currently teach. I feel as though I owe it to my students to be competent in the areas that they need the most help in so I can be of proper service to them. I learned so much from the resources and suggestions!
Judi, you have provided so many opportunities to: gain background information, reflect on my students, reflect on my practices, provide new strategies, and have extended your own expertise through it all. I truly value all of the feedback you have given me and it means so much to me that you take the time to see where I am coming from! Your love and care for your students is abundant even through the computer screen, you make it very clear how passionate you are for education and us, your students! I am taking away so much more than you will ever know from this course and I am forever grateful to have crossed digital paths with you! I look forward to taking other classes with you and learning more from you! Thank you will never be enough to express my gratitude!
-Michelle S.
I feel so fortunate to have taken this course even through such unprecedented times. It is so apparent that a great deal of time and effort went into creating a meaningful and well thought out class. The topic of this course is so important and relevant to the population of students that I currently teach. I feel as though I owe it to my students to be competent in the areas that they need the most help in so I can be of proper service to them. I learned so much from the resources and suggestions!
Judi, you have provided so many opportunities to: gain background information, reflect on my students, reflect on my practices, provide new strategies, and have extended your own expertise through it all. I truly value all of the feedback you have given me and it means so much to me that you take the time to see where I am coming from! Your love and care for your students is abundant even through the computer screen, you make it very clear how passionate you are for education and us, your students! I am taking away so much more than you will ever know from this course and I am forever grateful to have crossed digital paths with you! I look forward to taking other classes with you and learning more from you! Thank you will never be enough to express my gratitude!
-Michelle S.
Building Critical Thinking Skills in a Digital World
I wanted to take this time to thank you for a wonderful course, Stacey! CORE P. D. is absolutely phenomenal and you always have such great courses! I look forward to working with you and learning more from you in the future!
-Carmen Z.
I wanted to take this time to thank you for a wonderful course, Stacey! CORE P. D. is absolutely phenomenal and you always have such great courses! I look forward to working with you and learning more from you in the future!
-Carmen Z.
How Parents Can Support Classroom and Distance Learning: Improving Communication to Foster Academic Success
I really enjoyed taking this course. I found the articles to be insightful and helpful. I felt like all the directions were clear and concise. I was really interested in the Screencastify assignment. I can’t wait to get it to work for me! I would definitely recommend this course to others.
-Kristina R.
As always, this was another one of your awesome courses! Very informative and great resources. Thank you so much for the wonderful resources and good luck to you in September!
-Amanda Z.
I really enjoyed taking this course. I found the articles to be insightful and helpful. I felt like all the directions were clear and concise. I was really interested in the Screencastify assignment. I can’t wait to get it to work for me! I would definitely recommend this course to others.
-Kristina R.
As always, this was another one of your awesome courses! Very informative and great resources. Thank you so much for the wonderful resources and good luck to you in September!
-Amanda Z.
Computer Skills and Multi-Disciplinary Instruction: How Technology Can Enrich Students and Education
I found this course to be outstanding, truly! Usually I sit through professional development and I get bored or distracted, but I seriously found this to be a great course, at least for me – someone who really didn’t know a great deal about computer science. I found myself talking about the assignments with my colleague during the entire week, (and I think it is also why I just kept doing assignment after assignment) – I kept telling him about the coding, which was my favorite part. I really enjoyed watching the brief videos on the coding and hearing how simple it really is. My favorite, though, was the practice portion. I was motivated to get my “Angry Bird” to move.
As for relevancy – this was a challenge for me as a PE teacher. I really had to think outside of the box to see how computer science could be incorporated into my teaching. Obviously the lesson plan assignment made me do that – and while it was a “bare bones” description, it was at least a start.
I think if my department signs up for this course that we could start a discussion on how to include computer science into our curriculum.
-Christina C.
I found this course to be outstanding, truly! Usually I sit through professional development and I get bored or distracted, but I seriously found this to be a great course, at least for me – someone who really didn’t know a great deal about computer science. I found myself talking about the assignments with my colleague during the entire week, (and I think it is also why I just kept doing assignment after assignment) – I kept telling him about the coding, which was my favorite part. I really enjoyed watching the brief videos on the coding and hearing how simple it really is. My favorite, though, was the practice portion. I was motivated to get my “Angry Bird” to move.
As for relevancy – this was a challenge for me as a PE teacher. I really had to think outside of the box to see how computer science could be incorporated into my teaching. Obviously the lesson plan assignment made me do that – and while it was a “bare bones” description, it was at least a start.
I think if my department signs up for this course that we could start a discussion on how to include computer science into our curriculum.
-Christina C.
Uncommon Learners in a Common World: Overcoming Roadblocks to Success for Special Needs Students
This course has given me the opportunity to engage in some deep reflection on my teaching experience thus far. Through this reflection I was able to come to realizations on my position in special education and inclusion. It was refreshing to hear that you shared similar opinions to my own with regard to inclusion not being for all students.
I particularly enjoyed the assignment where I researched five celebrities with disabilities. I was so amazed to learn some of the information that research uncovered. I believe that students need to be made aware of the fact that there are celebrities out there who they may really look up to that share some of the same struggles as they do. What an inspiring thing that could be for so many kids.
My second favorite assignment was the one in which I had to investigate whether learning disabled vs. exceptional is the same or different. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that these two phrases actually mean the same thing. I think all teachers, not only special education teachers need to be made aware of this terminology. When asking colleagues their opinion on whether learning disabled and exceptional are the same or different, many of them thought the same as me and they were surprised when I revealed the truth about these terms.
I would like to close in saying that I REALLY enjoyed your feedback. Hearing your story about your student "V." and the fact that you still keep in touch with her was so inspiring. I can see myself following in your footsteps with regards to that, I form such close relationships with my students as well. I also loved the story you shared about how you taught your students social studies through song, dance and the wearing of the hats! It reminded me of my fourth and fifth grade teacher (he looped with my class for those two years), Mr. Soloway. He had such a unique way of teaching through song – I can still remember some of the songs to this day all these years later! I think teaching kids, especially those who struggle, through song is so powerful.
Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to enrich my understanding of this content and for having this “virtual conversation” with me! I really enjoyed it!
-Alexandra R.
This course has given me the opportunity to engage in some deep reflection on my teaching experience thus far. Through this reflection I was able to come to realizations on my position in special education and inclusion. It was refreshing to hear that you shared similar opinions to my own with regard to inclusion not being for all students.
I particularly enjoyed the assignment where I researched five celebrities with disabilities. I was so amazed to learn some of the information that research uncovered. I believe that students need to be made aware of the fact that there are celebrities out there who they may really look up to that share some of the same struggles as they do. What an inspiring thing that could be for so many kids.
My second favorite assignment was the one in which I had to investigate whether learning disabled vs. exceptional is the same or different. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that these two phrases actually mean the same thing. I think all teachers, not only special education teachers need to be made aware of this terminology. When asking colleagues their opinion on whether learning disabled and exceptional are the same or different, many of them thought the same as me and they were surprised when I revealed the truth about these terms.
I would like to close in saying that I REALLY enjoyed your feedback. Hearing your story about your student "V." and the fact that you still keep in touch with her was so inspiring. I can see myself following in your footsteps with regards to that, I form such close relationships with my students as well. I also loved the story you shared about how you taught your students social studies through song, dance and the wearing of the hats! It reminded me of my fourth and fifth grade teacher (he looped with my class for those two years), Mr. Soloway. He had such a unique way of teaching through song – I can still remember some of the songs to this day all these years later! I think teaching kids, especially those who struggle, through song is so powerful.
Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to enrich my understanding of this content and for having this “virtual conversation” with me! I really enjoyed it!
-Alexandra R.
The Impact of Anxiety Disorders on Learning, Social Development, Attendance and Performance
I have truly enjoyed my time in one of your classes once again, Maryanne. This course was so helpful and I value the articles that you chose for the assignments. Your prompt and meaningful feedback is encouraging and I love your genuine and personal responses. Your personality (perfect balance of caring, brilliant and funny) and and life experiences are inspirational! I truly appreciate what you do for us and share with us!
You shared a wealth of information that will be extremely helpful for me and my students next year. I especially value the strategies and hands-on practices that can be implemented in school. It is so important to acknowledge the impact of the times regarding technology, communication and how it affects our children.
Thank you so much for your time and dedication toward improving our practices as teachers and the lives of our students.
-Nicole S.
I thoroughly enjoyed this course. The plethora of articles provided excellent information relating to causes of anxiety and ways to help our students overcome anxiety. The assignments were relevant, interesting, and thought-provoking. I truly appreciate you taking the time to review my responses and send feedback. Your personal anecdotes were enlightening and helpful. I look forward to taking another class with you in the future. Thank you!
-Nichole D.
This course was very informative and intriguing. The array of articles provided a fantastic foundation of knowledge on the topic of anxiety and depression. As I navigated through the assignments and articles, I was able to make connections to my own students both past and present. In addition, the questions presented sparked interest to expand my knowledge and research. I was able to read and watch some fabulous and informative texts/videos. I am grateful for the experience and will definitely be using strategies and knowledge to help my students! Thank you!!
-Staci R.
I have truly enjoyed my time in one of your classes once again, Maryanne. This course was so helpful and I value the articles that you chose for the assignments. Your prompt and meaningful feedback is encouraging and I love your genuine and personal responses. Your personality (perfect balance of caring, brilliant and funny) and and life experiences are inspirational! I truly appreciate what you do for us and share with us!
You shared a wealth of information that will be extremely helpful for me and my students next year. I especially value the strategies and hands-on practices that can be implemented in school. It is so important to acknowledge the impact of the times regarding technology, communication and how it affects our children.
Thank you so much for your time and dedication toward improving our practices as teachers and the lives of our students.
-Nicole S.
I thoroughly enjoyed this course. The plethora of articles provided excellent information relating to causes of anxiety and ways to help our students overcome anxiety. The assignments were relevant, interesting, and thought-provoking. I truly appreciate you taking the time to review my responses and send feedback. Your personal anecdotes were enlightening and helpful. I look forward to taking another class with you in the future. Thank you!
-Nichole D.
This course was very informative and intriguing. The array of articles provided a fantastic foundation of knowledge on the topic of anxiety and depression. As I navigated through the assignments and articles, I was able to make connections to my own students both past and present. In addition, the questions presented sparked interest to expand my knowledge and research. I was able to read and watch some fabulous and informative texts/videos. I am grateful for the experience and will definitely be using strategies and knowledge to help my students! Thank you!!
-Staci R.
Get Ready for Next Generation: Mathematics
I am truly happy that I took this course! I had taken an online course last summer to begin looking at the NGLS but it wasn’t as organized or informative as this one. I really appreciated the sequence of the assignments. It was very apparent that a lot of thought went into the development of the course. I feel as though each assignment prepared me to get the most out of the assignment that followed it.
I would have to say that my favorite assignment was #2. It forced me to dig deeper into the NGLS that I probably would have on my own. I feel as though I have a solid grasp on the changes and am ready to start implementing them. Another assignment that I really liked was #3 because I am a firm believer in students needing to know relevant vocabulary. My mind is already spinning with ideas for introducing and integrating the vocabulary into our daily math discussions.
Thank you Margaret for a great course!
-Gina L.
Get Ready for Next Generation: Social Studies
I felt the course fit my schedule and still provided me with up to date information for me to bring back to my colleagues. I am part of the Social Studies Committee for my grade and school. I am now able bring back current articles and data to my team this summer to apply when we update our curriculum. I am pleased that the Professor was always accessible to answer questions and always reached out to make sure we remained on task. Thank you.
-Michelle M.
Get Ready for Next Generation: ELA
I thought that this course did a great job of allowing teachers to get an overview of the Next Generation Standards in a very meaningful and yet practical way. I appreciated that we were permitted to read about the standards at our own pace, and then to reflect on them of think about them in practical terms of the classes that we teach. I also appreciated the feedback on each assignment, and the freedom to complete assignments at our own pace. I think that Assignment 3 was the most enjoyable for me to complete, as it prompted me to reflect on just what it means to be a “lifelong” reader and writer, and it helped me envision practices that I need to develop in my classes to help students get to this point. I also thought that that question about envisioning what the “advanced literacies” will be was very interesting, as it helped me to think about my own students and what their future literacies may need to look like. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience and I can now say that I have a greater understanding of these standards. Thank you!
-Kelly D.
Get Ready for Next Generation: Mathematics
I want to thank you for running this course! I have felt behind on what I need to know about the Next Generation Standards and this was just what I needed to get caught up. I have been looking up the information on my own but there is just so much that I didn't know where to start. This class allowed me to focus on what is important. The two assignments that I found most helpful were the common vocabulary list and the fact sheet. I think that I will want to include both of those in the presentation that I have to make to all district administration. Again. I am glad and thankful for this course!
-Melissa C.
I am truly happy that I took this course! I had taken an online course last summer to begin looking at the NGLS but it wasn’t as organized or informative as this one. I really appreciated the sequence of the assignments. It was very apparent that a lot of thought went into the development of the course. I feel as though each assignment prepared me to get the most out of the assignment that followed it.
I would have to say that my favorite assignment was #2. It forced me to dig deeper into the NGLS that I probably would have on my own. I feel as though I have a solid grasp on the changes and am ready to start implementing them. Another assignment that I really liked was #3 because I am a firm believer in students needing to know relevant vocabulary. My mind is already spinning with ideas for introducing and integrating the vocabulary into our daily math discussions.
Thank you Margaret for a great course!
-Gina L.
Get Ready for Next Generation: Social Studies
I felt the course fit my schedule and still provided me with up to date information for me to bring back to my colleagues. I am part of the Social Studies Committee for my grade and school. I am now able bring back current articles and data to my team this summer to apply when we update our curriculum. I am pleased that the Professor was always accessible to answer questions and always reached out to make sure we remained on task. Thank you.
-Michelle M.
Get Ready for Next Generation: ELA
I thought that this course did a great job of allowing teachers to get an overview of the Next Generation Standards in a very meaningful and yet practical way. I appreciated that we were permitted to read about the standards at our own pace, and then to reflect on them of think about them in practical terms of the classes that we teach. I also appreciated the feedback on each assignment, and the freedom to complete assignments at our own pace. I think that Assignment 3 was the most enjoyable for me to complete, as it prompted me to reflect on just what it means to be a “lifelong” reader and writer, and it helped me envision practices that I need to develop in my classes to help students get to this point. I also thought that that question about envisioning what the “advanced literacies” will be was very interesting, as it helped me to think about my own students and what their future literacies may need to look like. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience and I can now say that I have a greater understanding of these standards. Thank you!
-Kelly D.
Get Ready for Next Generation: Mathematics
I want to thank you for running this course! I have felt behind on what I need to know about the Next Generation Standards and this was just what I needed to get caught up. I have been looking up the information on my own but there is just so much that I didn't know where to start. This class allowed me to focus on what is important. The two assignments that I found most helpful were the common vocabulary list and the fact sheet. I think that I will want to include both of those in the presentation that I have to make to all district administration. Again. I am glad and thankful for this course!
-Melissa C.
Fanning the Flames: Igniting Creativity and Innovation in Every Classroom
First, I want to sincerely thank you for giving me the amazing feedback you've given in all of the courses I've taken with you! This course was very interesting and motivating. I key point I learned is how important it is to encourage my students to use their curiosity and creativity in my classroom. It helped me to reflect on my past practices and it will definitely help me with my future ones.
I really enjoyed all the assignments and learning new information about the different methodologies. I would like to incorporate more self-directed, project-based and inquiry-based learning into my lessons. I really enjoyed reading all the articles and I particularly loved Edutopia!. This course gave me new ideas and strategies to use in my classroom and it helped me to reflect on what I already do. I believe we are all in this together and we learn from each other by sharing. Thank you for giving me this opportunity and it was a pleasure to take a course with you again!
-Clare G.
First, I want to sincerely thank you for giving me the amazing feedback you've given in all of the courses I've taken with you! This course was very interesting and motivating. I key point I learned is how important it is to encourage my students to use their curiosity and creativity in my classroom. It helped me to reflect on my past practices and it will definitely help me with my future ones.
I really enjoyed all the assignments and learning new information about the different methodologies. I would like to incorporate more self-directed, project-based and inquiry-based learning into my lessons. I really enjoyed reading all the articles and I particularly loved Edutopia!. This course gave me new ideas and strategies to use in my classroom and it helped me to reflect on what I already do. I believe we are all in this together and we learn from each other by sharing. Thank you for giving me this opportunity and it was a pleasure to take a course with you again!
-Clare G.
How to Reach At Risk Students: Strategies for Teaching Academically Underprepared Students
I honestly think this was one of the best online courses I have taken for professional development! I truly enjoyed all aspects of this course. First of all, downloading the course was so much so accessible and easy to do. It is so user friendly. The attachments are so easy to print and read. For someone who is so busy this is invaluable.
Secondly, I think I found this course so valuable because of the district and the population of kids that I work with. So many of them are at-risk according to the criteria in the articles. Taking this course makes it easier to define who these kids are. It also has given me a broad variety of ideas about how to intervene on their behalf.
Finally, I really like the idea of downloading an article about at-risk kids and summarizing it. I love the Edutopia site. There is so much information on it. It is one of the treasure troves I have discovered through courses at CORE Professional Development.
-Vicki G.
This course inspired me to reflect on past and current teaching experiences. As a fairly new educator, I am often so consumed in the day-to-day tasks of my classroom that there is rarely time to stop and consciously reflect on so many factors that impact my teaching. I appreciate the wide variety of articles that were presented in this course and the range of information about so many types of at-risk students. I broadened my overall understanding of what it means to be an at-risk student, and because of that, I am certainly more prepared to support these individuals.
While I did enjoy all the readings involved in the course, my favorite assignment was #9. As I read though the variety of key ideas and strategies, I found myself visualizing these in action in my own classroom, with my own students. They are achievable on my end and will certainly make a huge difference to my students.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge that the quick and thorough feedback that I received on every single assignment was not only appreciated, but also taught me even more about at-risk students! Thank you for the time you put into choosing worthwhile material and for the detailed feedback that enhanced my learning even more!
-Kim L.
Thank you for a fabulous course! I had put off enrolling for my inservice credits for many years and was nervous to start but now I wish I would have done it sooner! I truly enjoyed reading all of the articles. You made them so easy to download and access. They had so many important points in them and they all made me reflect on my own teaching. The articles reminded me of how important it is to remember that each child is important and deserves a caring environment conducive to learning.
I found this course to be so interesting because of the population of students that I work with. Many of them are at-risk and that population is growing exponentially. Being a special education teacher, many of the strategies and key ideas are things that I may have used or read before but after all my years of teaching, this course was definitely a must needed refresher!
Thank you for your very thorough and timely comments to my assignments. Your feedback was always positive and I looked forward to your email responses after each assignment. I really enjoyed reading your reactions and reflections on what I wrote and I am looking forward to taking more courses with you!
-Patricia D.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this online course – I think I envisioned a sparingly visited online discussion board involving teachers who were all on vacation at different times.
My colleagues had strongly recommended your courses, but I wasn’t sure why. A couple of things that they said to me rang true as the course proceeded – “I got more out of this course than I have out of so many other courses that were offered in person,” and “The feedback is amazing.” I was so impressed with the extent to which you’re able to respond to my work as well as everyone else’s. That was the best part of this course and was a pleasant surprise.
Thank you for a tremendous experience – looking forward to working with you again!
-Matt G.
I honestly think this was one of the best online courses I have taken for professional development! I truly enjoyed all aspects of this course. First of all, downloading the course was so much so accessible and easy to do. It is so user friendly. The attachments are so easy to print and read. For someone who is so busy this is invaluable.
Secondly, I think I found this course so valuable because of the district and the population of kids that I work with. So many of them are at-risk according to the criteria in the articles. Taking this course makes it easier to define who these kids are. It also has given me a broad variety of ideas about how to intervene on their behalf.
Finally, I really like the idea of downloading an article about at-risk kids and summarizing it. I love the Edutopia site. There is so much information on it. It is one of the treasure troves I have discovered through courses at CORE Professional Development.
-Vicki G.
This course inspired me to reflect on past and current teaching experiences. As a fairly new educator, I am often so consumed in the day-to-day tasks of my classroom that there is rarely time to stop and consciously reflect on so many factors that impact my teaching. I appreciate the wide variety of articles that were presented in this course and the range of information about so many types of at-risk students. I broadened my overall understanding of what it means to be an at-risk student, and because of that, I am certainly more prepared to support these individuals.
While I did enjoy all the readings involved in the course, my favorite assignment was #9. As I read though the variety of key ideas and strategies, I found myself visualizing these in action in my own classroom, with my own students. They are achievable on my end and will certainly make a huge difference to my students.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge that the quick and thorough feedback that I received on every single assignment was not only appreciated, but also taught me even more about at-risk students! Thank you for the time you put into choosing worthwhile material and for the detailed feedback that enhanced my learning even more!
-Kim L.
Thank you for a fabulous course! I had put off enrolling for my inservice credits for many years and was nervous to start but now I wish I would have done it sooner! I truly enjoyed reading all of the articles. You made them so easy to download and access. They had so many important points in them and they all made me reflect on my own teaching. The articles reminded me of how important it is to remember that each child is important and deserves a caring environment conducive to learning.
I found this course to be so interesting because of the population of students that I work with. Many of them are at-risk and that population is growing exponentially. Being a special education teacher, many of the strategies and key ideas are things that I may have used or read before but after all my years of teaching, this course was definitely a must needed refresher!
Thank you for your very thorough and timely comments to my assignments. Your feedback was always positive and I looked forward to your email responses after each assignment. I really enjoyed reading your reactions and reflections on what I wrote and I am looking forward to taking more courses with you!
-Patricia D.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this online course – I think I envisioned a sparingly visited online discussion board involving teachers who were all on vacation at different times.
My colleagues had strongly recommended your courses, but I wasn’t sure why. A couple of things that they said to me rang true as the course proceeded – “I got more out of this course than I have out of so many other courses that were offered in person,” and “The feedback is amazing.” I was so impressed with the extent to which you’re able to respond to my work as well as everyone else’s. That was the best part of this course and was a pleasant surprise.
Thank you for a tremendous experience – looking forward to working with you again!
-Matt G.
Learning and Teaching in Multicultural Schools: Understanding and Adapting to the Needs of Diverse Students
I really enjoyed taking this class. I loved how the assignment questions intertwined at times and it really got me to continue my reflection, thought-process and questioning throughout each assignment. I found the assignment questions easy to answer being that I am an ENL educator. It made me wonder about the possible insights of those teachers who feel lost when dealing with ELLs and how they might have answered these questions.
Multiculturalism and diversity isn’t going anywhere. It is up to us as educators to create safe spaces for all students and try to enlighten youth to be more aware and accepting of cultural difference whether they agree with it or not. I know living harmoniously isn’t an easy solution but if we can all just be a little bit nicer and accepting of each other it will help.
Thank you for this course! I appreciated having to really think about my own practices and reflecting on my past year and what I can do to better my future teaching years to come.
-Samantha M.
Thank you so much for another outstanding course! Core Professional Development is an amazing site and I have been recommending it to coworkers. I learned so many things about how I can better incorporate multiculturalism into my classroom.
Thank you so much for your thorough responses and for sharing so manypersonal stories; it really makes me feel like I am not alone. I look forward to bringing awareness to my building and hopefully across my district. Thank you!
~Jen H.
I’ve enjoyed this course for a variety of reasons. First, I had the ability to dig deeper into my own school building and understand the importance of multiculturalism. “Multiculturalism describes the manner in which a given society deals with cultural diversity.” This nation is composed of some many diverse students, from a multitude of different backgrounds, that we must embrace to be inclusive of all.
I learned that as an educator the goal is to establish a secure, welcoming, and successful learning environment. This goal can become reality if we have an increased awareness of global issues, strengthen cultural consciousness, teach multiple historical perspectives, encourage critical thinking, and prevent prejudice and discrimination.
Lastly, I learned the advantages of multicultural education. Students can be proud of who they are, developing a positive self-image. Students will not live in fear based on their race, religion, or culture. In addition, students will be given an equal opportunity. All students from diverse backgrounds will receive a quality education that develops critical thinking and offers different perspectives. It will combat stereotypes. Students will not be judged on their appearance, backgrounds, etc. They will be promoted academically and provided the opportunities needed for their overall success.
Thank you for your insight and feedback. I appreciate the opportunity to have taken this course. I thrive on your feedback and appreciated your quick response. It is important to improve upon myself to enhance my instruction and support the needs of my current and future students.
-David D.
I really enjoyed taking this class. I loved how the assignment questions intertwined at times and it really got me to continue my reflection, thought-process and questioning throughout each assignment. I found the assignment questions easy to answer being that I am an ENL educator. It made me wonder about the possible insights of those teachers who feel lost when dealing with ELLs and how they might have answered these questions.
Multiculturalism and diversity isn’t going anywhere. It is up to us as educators to create safe spaces for all students and try to enlighten youth to be more aware and accepting of cultural difference whether they agree with it or not. I know living harmoniously isn’t an easy solution but if we can all just be a little bit nicer and accepting of each other it will help.
Thank you for this course! I appreciated having to really think about my own practices and reflecting on my past year and what I can do to better my future teaching years to come.
-Samantha M.
Thank you so much for another outstanding course! Core Professional Development is an amazing site and I have been recommending it to coworkers. I learned so many things about how I can better incorporate multiculturalism into my classroom.
Thank you so much for your thorough responses and for sharing so manypersonal stories; it really makes me feel like I am not alone. I look forward to bringing awareness to my building and hopefully across my district. Thank you!
~Jen H.
I’ve enjoyed this course for a variety of reasons. First, I had the ability to dig deeper into my own school building and understand the importance of multiculturalism. “Multiculturalism describes the manner in which a given society deals with cultural diversity.” This nation is composed of some many diverse students, from a multitude of different backgrounds, that we must embrace to be inclusive of all.
I learned that as an educator the goal is to establish a secure, welcoming, and successful learning environment. This goal can become reality if we have an increased awareness of global issues, strengthen cultural consciousness, teach multiple historical perspectives, encourage critical thinking, and prevent prejudice and discrimination.
Lastly, I learned the advantages of multicultural education. Students can be proud of who they are, developing a positive self-image. Students will not live in fear based on their race, religion, or culture. In addition, students will be given an equal opportunity. All students from diverse backgrounds will receive a quality education that develops critical thinking and offers different perspectives. It will combat stereotypes. Students will not be judged on their appearance, backgrounds, etc. They will be promoted academically and provided the opportunities needed for their overall success.
Thank you for your insight and feedback. I appreciate the opportunity to have taken this course. I thrive on your feedback and appreciated your quick response. It is important to improve upon myself to enhance my instruction and support the needs of my current and future students.
-David D.
Using Mentor Text to Teach Writing: Strengthening Skills and Igniting Imagination with Picture Books
I thoroughly enjoyed taking the course “Using Mentor Texts to Teach Writing: Strengthening Skills and Igniting Imagination with Picture Books” with Jessica Liakonis. Each assignment was informative and meaningful, and I was able to easily incorporate the skills and techniques that were suggested throughout the course into my daily instruction. Assignment #5 was by far the most beneficial, as I did not have much background knowledge regarding crafting a strong lead. In fact, the picture book selected for this assignment, Wilma Unlimited by Katherine Krull, is one that I am planning to use in an upcoming lesson on character traits. Furthermore, all of the assigned articles were teacher-friendly, and provided a list of additional picture books that we as educators could use according to the grade level we are teaching. Jessica provided immediate feedback via email, and I really enjoyed our conversations. If a topic was not included in the course, she went out of her way to suggest a picture book or selection that I could refer to. I can tell how much Jessica loves reading and writing through the picture books she recommended, and the connections she made to my writing. I would absolutely take another course with Jessica Liakonis, and I would recommend this course to my colleagues who have a passion for writing.
-Tiffany L.
Thank you so much for the wonderful course! I truly enjoyed each article and mentor text you selected. Since it is my first year at a new school and in a new grade, I find that, since I am juggling so many different things, I do not always stop to truly work and reflect on my own craft as much as I would like. This course allowed me to do just that and I know it will improve my abilities as a writing teacher.
I enjoyed all the assignments; my favorite was Assignment #7 on Word Choice. I find word choice to be so important, especially in 5th grade when students are being held to a higher standard. I loved the idea of incorporating The Z Was Zapped into my classroom. I haven’t thought about this book in years and now I realize what a powerful lesson it can become. I also loved your article selections in each assignment. Each one was brief, yet informative, and clearly got the point across.
I think the course is perfect the way it is! You touched on so many important writing techniques without it being overwhelming. I just wanted to say thank you for such a wonderful experience as well. From beginning to end, everything with CorePD was fantastic! I certainly see what all the “hype” was about. I will definitely be back soon for another course!
-Kim L.
I really enjoyed this course; this area was one that was not completely familiar to me as a remedial reading teacher. I can take pieces of this course back to my teachings as well as share the great resources with my colleagues. I specifically enjoyed all the read alouds that went with the assignments, the mentor texts chosen we great to use, and I plan to use them in my teaching.
-Danielle P.
I thoroughly enjoyed taking the course “Using Mentor Texts to Teach Writing: Strengthening Skills and Igniting Imagination with Picture Books” with Jessica Liakonis. Each assignment was informative and meaningful, and I was able to easily incorporate the skills and techniques that were suggested throughout the course into my daily instruction. Assignment #5 was by far the most beneficial, as I did not have much background knowledge regarding crafting a strong lead. In fact, the picture book selected for this assignment, Wilma Unlimited by Katherine Krull, is one that I am planning to use in an upcoming lesson on character traits. Furthermore, all of the assigned articles were teacher-friendly, and provided a list of additional picture books that we as educators could use according to the grade level we are teaching. Jessica provided immediate feedback via email, and I really enjoyed our conversations. If a topic was not included in the course, she went out of her way to suggest a picture book or selection that I could refer to. I can tell how much Jessica loves reading and writing through the picture books she recommended, and the connections she made to my writing. I would absolutely take another course with Jessica Liakonis, and I would recommend this course to my colleagues who have a passion for writing.
-Tiffany L.
Thank you so much for the wonderful course! I truly enjoyed each article and mentor text you selected. Since it is my first year at a new school and in a new grade, I find that, since I am juggling so many different things, I do not always stop to truly work and reflect on my own craft as much as I would like. This course allowed me to do just that and I know it will improve my abilities as a writing teacher.
I enjoyed all the assignments; my favorite was Assignment #7 on Word Choice. I find word choice to be so important, especially in 5th grade when students are being held to a higher standard. I loved the idea of incorporating The Z Was Zapped into my classroom. I haven’t thought about this book in years and now I realize what a powerful lesson it can become. I also loved your article selections in each assignment. Each one was brief, yet informative, and clearly got the point across.
I think the course is perfect the way it is! You touched on so many important writing techniques without it being overwhelming. I just wanted to say thank you for such a wonderful experience as well. From beginning to end, everything with CorePD was fantastic! I certainly see what all the “hype” was about. I will definitely be back soon for another course!
-Kim L.
I really enjoyed this course; this area was one that was not completely familiar to me as a remedial reading teacher. I can take pieces of this course back to my teachings as well as share the great resources with my colleagues. I specifically enjoyed all the read alouds that went with the assignments, the mentor texts chosen we great to use, and I plan to use them in my teaching.
-Danielle P.
Content Area Reading: Strategies to Engage Learners in All Subjects
Thank you for offering this course. I found each of the models to be useful in encouraging me to
reflect on how I teach reading in my classroom. It is important for teachers in all content areas to
be reminded that they have a responsibility to teach literacy. To be successful, it is important for
teachers to collaborate across content areas to share best practices and strategies that can
benefit students. This course provided me with some great ideas about how I can improve my
teaching of literacy, and reinforce some things I am already doing. Going into the next school
year I will be more conscious of how I am teaching reading and writing thanks to this course.
-Nicholas C.
Thank you for offering this course. I found each of the models to be useful in encouraging me to
reflect on how I teach reading in my classroom. It is important for teachers in all content areas to
be reminded that they have a responsibility to teach literacy. To be successful, it is important for
teachers to collaborate across content areas to share best practices and strategies that can
benefit students. This course provided me with some great ideas about how I can improve my
teaching of literacy, and reinforce some things I am already doing. Going into the next school
year I will be more conscious of how I am teaching reading and writing thanks to this course.
-Nicholas C.
Ethics and Morality: Perspectives for Teachers
As a counselor, taking this course was common sense because I deal with ethical and moral issues on a daily basis. I can also see how this course is relevant not only to teaching but to anyone who works in education. It is very important as educators that we understand how our actions are teaching the children of the future to be trustworthy and honest as well as caring and respectful toward one another. One of the most useful assignments for me was assignment three. You pose the question, "why teach and how I want to be remembered." This assignment allowed me to reflect on why I became a counselor. I had the opportunity to remember my dear friend and counselor Chico Frankel and how he impacted my life. I also thought long and hard about what is important to me and how I want to be remembered as someone who fought for their students.
The readings from assignment two, Red Marbles and Teacher Attitude touched my heart by showing how the love and trust of someone, despite what others think or feel about you, overcomes all else. As educators it is important to draw inspiration from all avenues and these articles definitely inspired me to want to be a better counselor and human being.
While we are on the subject of inspiration, your feedback on each and every assignment was absolutely amazing. I found myself looking forward to it every time I submitted an assignment. I will take what I have learned from you and this course and carry it with me always.
Thank you for all you do! -Sarah T.
The topic of Morality Education was interesting and not at all what I expected. I knew of districts incorporating A Culture of Kindness into the daily happenings of the school day but did not know that it was a part of an actual curriculum.
The "Six Pillars of Character" was completely new to me. I found some great resources and articles about this topic that made me wish I was back in the classroom so I could explore creative ways of teaching it to my students.
I was very excited to find an article that discussed the importance of Character Education in Sports and another article on the benefits of Positive Coaching. I’m proud to say that I do have most of the positive character traits discussed in this article, with the exception of remaining positive when things aren’t necessarily going well. I acknowledge that that may be something I need to work on (lol).
I liked the Introductory Questionnaire. The questions we were required to answer really made me think about my personal experiences and I found them very easy to relate working in a School Guidance Office.
However, my favorite part of this course was reading the Inspiring "Story About Red Marbles!" OMG! I cried. It was such a beautiful story. I actually made copies for my co-workers and some of them made copies for other co-workers. Everyone who read it, was touched by the message: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds.
Thank you for requiring me to read it! -Dawnmarie L.
As with all of the courses that I have taken with CORE PD, I thoroughly enjoyed this class. In particular, my favorite part of the class was the section with the short stories. They make me wish I became an English teacher instead of Science! They inspire me to be a better teacher and helped to remind me that what we do in the classroom has a big impact on the students that we work with every day.
I believe one of the most meaningful of these assignments was in the second assignment, “A Special Teacher.” It was a short read and while it wasn’t a tear jerker, it truly allowed the reader to see the positive impacts a teacher can have simply by letting students know that they care. This story, like the others, shows that if you, the teacher, can inspire, they, the students, will aspire! This assignment encouraged me to give as much as I can in the classroom!
Maryanne’s feedback was on target and expedient. She is a great instructor and you can clearly see she has a pure passion for education and for building positive, professional relationships with the students she teaches. The interesting issue discussed in this course open your eyes to the different issues that surround the topic of ethics and morals in education. There is a great need for this; it's not just the students who need to be on track with their behaviors - the teachers, parents and administrators must consistently exhibit ethical and moral behavior. If we are to build a community with integrity, we must all play our part in seeing this become a reality.
-Tad S.
As a counselor, taking this course was common sense because I deal with ethical and moral issues on a daily basis. I can also see how this course is relevant not only to teaching but to anyone who works in education. It is very important as educators that we understand how our actions are teaching the children of the future to be trustworthy and honest as well as caring and respectful toward one another. One of the most useful assignments for me was assignment three. You pose the question, "why teach and how I want to be remembered." This assignment allowed me to reflect on why I became a counselor. I had the opportunity to remember my dear friend and counselor Chico Frankel and how he impacted my life. I also thought long and hard about what is important to me and how I want to be remembered as someone who fought for their students.
The readings from assignment two, Red Marbles and Teacher Attitude touched my heart by showing how the love and trust of someone, despite what others think or feel about you, overcomes all else. As educators it is important to draw inspiration from all avenues and these articles definitely inspired me to want to be a better counselor and human being.
While we are on the subject of inspiration, your feedback on each and every assignment was absolutely amazing. I found myself looking forward to it every time I submitted an assignment. I will take what I have learned from you and this course and carry it with me always.
Thank you for all you do! -Sarah T.
The topic of Morality Education was interesting and not at all what I expected. I knew of districts incorporating A Culture of Kindness into the daily happenings of the school day but did not know that it was a part of an actual curriculum.
The "Six Pillars of Character" was completely new to me. I found some great resources and articles about this topic that made me wish I was back in the classroom so I could explore creative ways of teaching it to my students.
I was very excited to find an article that discussed the importance of Character Education in Sports and another article on the benefits of Positive Coaching. I’m proud to say that I do have most of the positive character traits discussed in this article, with the exception of remaining positive when things aren’t necessarily going well. I acknowledge that that may be something I need to work on (lol).
I liked the Introductory Questionnaire. The questions we were required to answer really made me think about my personal experiences and I found them very easy to relate working in a School Guidance Office.
However, my favorite part of this course was reading the Inspiring "Story About Red Marbles!" OMG! I cried. It was such a beautiful story. I actually made copies for my co-workers and some of them made copies for other co-workers. Everyone who read it, was touched by the message: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds.
Thank you for requiring me to read it! -Dawnmarie L.
As with all of the courses that I have taken with CORE PD, I thoroughly enjoyed this class. In particular, my favorite part of the class was the section with the short stories. They make me wish I became an English teacher instead of Science! They inspire me to be a better teacher and helped to remind me that what we do in the classroom has a big impact on the students that we work with every day.
I believe one of the most meaningful of these assignments was in the second assignment, “A Special Teacher.” It was a short read and while it wasn’t a tear jerker, it truly allowed the reader to see the positive impacts a teacher can have simply by letting students know that they care. This story, like the others, shows that if you, the teacher, can inspire, they, the students, will aspire! This assignment encouraged me to give as much as I can in the classroom!
Maryanne’s feedback was on target and expedient. She is a great instructor and you can clearly see she has a pure passion for education and for building positive, professional relationships with the students she teaches. The interesting issue discussed in this course open your eyes to the different issues that surround the topic of ethics and morals in education. There is a great need for this; it's not just the students who need to be on track with their behaviors - the teachers, parents and administrators must consistently exhibit ethical and moral behavior. If we are to build a community with integrity, we must all play our part in seeing this become a reality.
-Tad S.
Teaching Communication Skills in the 21st Century
Thank you for creating a course that focused on what I feel is a very current and important problem that we are dealing with regarding today’s youth. I really enjoyed this class because it reminded me that teaching is so much more than lesson planning and content; we are teaching students to be successful in the real world and this requires them to be proficient communicators. I did a great deal of self-reflecting about my own classroom and the lessons I have designed because this course showed me how easy it is to incorporate communication skills into my daily lessons. I’ve also realized that as our students continue to grow up in a technology-savvy world, my lessons must adapt to these changes to keep them engaged.
In the past, I have always been able to pick my favorite and least favorite assignments but while taking this class, I found myself talking to other people about the facts I learned about communication skills, or the Alpha generation or how to increase communication skills for ENLs. This class was current and modern and I found myself doing Google searches to learn more about the various topics. Going out to dinner and seeing a family of four on their iPhones all night instead of talking about their day has always been something that irritated me so this class just proved that our students, while savvy with their devices, lack the basic communications skills necessary to survive in life after high school. As an educator, I feel it is my duty to teach these students communication skills so that they can be successful in future endeavors.
-Ali H.
I thoroughly enjoyed this course Margaret! It really caused me to reflect on how I view communication skills and the role they play when interacting with today’s students. I am not sure I ever thought about how to improve them but rather always lamented that our students don’t necessarily have what is needed to be successful in today’s world. After doing these assignments I have renewed hope and inspiration for this upcoming school year and how I can do my part to help hone the communication skills of my students.
My favorite assignments were assignment 3 and assignment 7. In assignment 3 I liked having an opportunity to explore what Generation Alpha was all about. I had only heard of it briefly before and really did not have any context for what the distinction was between them and Generation Z. It was really eye opening and will be important as more and more of my students are from that generation in the near future. In assignment 7, I really enjoyed reading the articles from both of the authors. I have always known communication skills were important, especially speaking, but never before was challenged to think about why we don’t incorporate them into our lesson plans the same way we do writing skills from Kindergarten through senior year.
I absolutely loved the design and progression of the course and think you are an awesome instructor! Thank you so much for this meaningful learning experience!
-Danielle R.
This course was very interesting because it made me consider things I really had never thought about in my teaching. While we focus a great deal of attention on writing in terms of communication, we do not always make an effort to include the other kinds of communication. I realized there are many ways to incorporate communication skills in my lessons.
I really enjoyed reading about the different generations. I have always found those studies interesting, but I think it's very important to understand the characteristics of the upcoming generations to better address their unique needs. I also liked the resource in assignment 8. I found it had very relevant, important information and many useful suggestions.
Thank you for a great course!
-Jennifer H.
This course was great! I enjoyed learning about communication skills in the 21st Century. The articles, websites and feedback from the professor were very beneficial for my teaching. I could see myself using many of these strategies within my classroom. I thought that assignment 3 was particularly informative and relevant. I loved reading about Generation Alpha and Generation Z. The articles used in this assignment were extremely helpful because these are the students we teach everyday. The articles that were used better helped me understand how these students communicate.
The feedback from the professor was always informative and kept me engaged. I enjoyed learning about positive teacher-student relationships through communication and I appreciate no having new ideas for teaching presentation strategies. I know that I will work on teaching these strategies within my classroom.
-Kristie L.
As an educator, I feel that teaching positive communication skills is one of the most important things we can do to ensure student success. This course surely has provided strategies that will be and have been beneficial in my setting. I found Assignment 5 to be the most beneficial for me. I enjoyed researching the importance of communication between teachers and students. I found it beneficial to also think about strategies that I can implement in order to improve teacher-student relationships. I have also already implemented some of these strategies. Our professor for this course was very quick with her responses and I look forward to taking more CORE PD courses in the future.
-Frank T.
My satisfaction with this course was very good. I enjoyed all the articles I read, especially the ability to compare two view points from two articles and apply my own critical thinking and opinion.
I also enjoyed the variation in assignments, with writing lessons and using the information I read in the articles to redesign my lessons for more effective communication with and among my students. The assignments were aligned with education, classroom settings and my ability to apply it to my therapy room. I appreciated this much more than reading articles and writing two facts I learned because the ability to apply the knowledge I learn makes the learning process that much more beneficial.
The topics I enjoyed learning about the most included all the articles on Millennials, Generation Z and Alphas. I’ve heard buzz words about Millennials but never new the other terminology for the next generations or the impact they can have on our future such as in business, advertising and of course, communication with technology. Other topics I enjoyed were any of the articles that gave a very detailed description of strategies for communication in the classroom in which I loved reading this perspective from a speech therapy room point of view. This helps me aid the teachers when providing strategies for the classroom rather than from a clinical standpoint. The articles on presentations were very insightful as well. For the future, I would like to start applying presentations to my speech and language lessons. I can work on eye-contact, intonation, asking “Wh” questions to engage the audience, pausing and decreasing rate. I also feel assigning a presentation will engage the student and give the student “the microphone” to guide the lesson rather than doing trials.
I really enjoyed this course, the layout of the information provided, the assignments and of course, the positive feedback.!
-Lisa S.
Thank you for creating a course that focused on what I feel is a very current and important problem that we are dealing with regarding today’s youth. I really enjoyed this class because it reminded me that teaching is so much more than lesson planning and content; we are teaching students to be successful in the real world and this requires them to be proficient communicators. I did a great deal of self-reflecting about my own classroom and the lessons I have designed because this course showed me how easy it is to incorporate communication skills into my daily lessons. I’ve also realized that as our students continue to grow up in a technology-savvy world, my lessons must adapt to these changes to keep them engaged.
In the past, I have always been able to pick my favorite and least favorite assignments but while taking this class, I found myself talking to other people about the facts I learned about communication skills, or the Alpha generation or how to increase communication skills for ENLs. This class was current and modern and I found myself doing Google searches to learn more about the various topics. Going out to dinner and seeing a family of four on their iPhones all night instead of talking about their day has always been something that irritated me so this class just proved that our students, while savvy with their devices, lack the basic communications skills necessary to survive in life after high school. As an educator, I feel it is my duty to teach these students communication skills so that they can be successful in future endeavors.
-Ali H.
I thoroughly enjoyed this course Margaret! It really caused me to reflect on how I view communication skills and the role they play when interacting with today’s students. I am not sure I ever thought about how to improve them but rather always lamented that our students don’t necessarily have what is needed to be successful in today’s world. After doing these assignments I have renewed hope and inspiration for this upcoming school year and how I can do my part to help hone the communication skills of my students.
My favorite assignments were assignment 3 and assignment 7. In assignment 3 I liked having an opportunity to explore what Generation Alpha was all about. I had only heard of it briefly before and really did not have any context for what the distinction was between them and Generation Z. It was really eye opening and will be important as more and more of my students are from that generation in the near future. In assignment 7, I really enjoyed reading the articles from both of the authors. I have always known communication skills were important, especially speaking, but never before was challenged to think about why we don’t incorporate them into our lesson plans the same way we do writing skills from Kindergarten through senior year.
I absolutely loved the design and progression of the course and think you are an awesome instructor! Thank you so much for this meaningful learning experience!
-Danielle R.
This course was very interesting because it made me consider things I really had never thought about in my teaching. While we focus a great deal of attention on writing in terms of communication, we do not always make an effort to include the other kinds of communication. I realized there are many ways to incorporate communication skills in my lessons.
I really enjoyed reading about the different generations. I have always found those studies interesting, but I think it's very important to understand the characteristics of the upcoming generations to better address their unique needs. I also liked the resource in assignment 8. I found it had very relevant, important information and many useful suggestions.
Thank you for a great course!
-Jennifer H.
This course was great! I enjoyed learning about communication skills in the 21st Century. The articles, websites and feedback from the professor were very beneficial for my teaching. I could see myself using many of these strategies within my classroom. I thought that assignment 3 was particularly informative and relevant. I loved reading about Generation Alpha and Generation Z. The articles used in this assignment were extremely helpful because these are the students we teach everyday. The articles that were used better helped me understand how these students communicate.
The feedback from the professor was always informative and kept me engaged. I enjoyed learning about positive teacher-student relationships through communication and I appreciate no having new ideas for teaching presentation strategies. I know that I will work on teaching these strategies within my classroom.
-Kristie L.
As an educator, I feel that teaching positive communication skills is one of the most important things we can do to ensure student success. This course surely has provided strategies that will be and have been beneficial in my setting. I found Assignment 5 to be the most beneficial for me. I enjoyed researching the importance of communication between teachers and students. I found it beneficial to also think about strategies that I can implement in order to improve teacher-student relationships. I have also already implemented some of these strategies. Our professor for this course was very quick with her responses and I look forward to taking more CORE PD courses in the future.
-Frank T.
My satisfaction with this course was very good. I enjoyed all the articles I read, especially the ability to compare two view points from two articles and apply my own critical thinking and opinion.
I also enjoyed the variation in assignments, with writing lessons and using the information I read in the articles to redesign my lessons for more effective communication with and among my students. The assignments were aligned with education, classroom settings and my ability to apply it to my therapy room. I appreciated this much more than reading articles and writing two facts I learned because the ability to apply the knowledge I learn makes the learning process that much more beneficial.
The topics I enjoyed learning about the most included all the articles on Millennials, Generation Z and Alphas. I’ve heard buzz words about Millennials but never new the other terminology for the next generations or the impact they can have on our future such as in business, advertising and of course, communication with technology. Other topics I enjoyed were any of the articles that gave a very detailed description of strategies for communication in the classroom in which I loved reading this perspective from a speech therapy room point of view. This helps me aid the teachers when providing strategies for the classroom rather than from a clinical standpoint. The articles on presentations were very insightful as well. For the future, I would like to start applying presentations to my speech and language lessons. I can work on eye-contact, intonation, asking “Wh” questions to engage the audience, pausing and decreasing rate. I also feel assigning a presentation will engage the student and give the student “the microphone” to guide the lesson rather than doing trials.
I really enjoyed this course, the layout of the information provided, the assignments and of course, the positive feedback.!
-Lisa S.
Spanish for Educators: Communicating with Students, Parents and Staff
This course was very helpful! The majority of my students are Spanish speaking as are their parents. This course has shown me different ways I can communicate with parents and students on a simple but respectful level. It is always a little daunting as a monolingual speaker but I am more confident in my ability to develop a positive relationship with my Spanish-speaking students and parents. I particularly enjoyed the assignments where the vocabulary was included.
-Kristen B.
I enjoyed taking this course. There were many useful resources, including websites and articles, that I will utilize going forward working with ELL students. The assignments were fun and made me think differently about how I interact with my students and their families.
This was a great course and I’d recommend it to my colleagues. Thank you!
-Ann-Marie C.
This course was very helpful! The majority of my students are Spanish speaking as are their parents. This course has shown me different ways I can communicate with parents and students on a simple but respectful level. It is always a little daunting as a monolingual speaker but I am more confident in my ability to develop a positive relationship with my Spanish-speaking students and parents. I particularly enjoyed the assignments where the vocabulary was included.
-Kristen B.
I enjoyed taking this course. There were many useful resources, including websites and articles, that I will utilize going forward working with ELL students. The assignments were fun and made me think differently about how I interact with my students and their families.
This was a great course and I’d recommend it to my colleagues. Thank you!
-Ann-Marie C.
Motivating Students to Reach Their Highest Potential: How True Engagement in Learning Inspires Academic Success
It has truly been a pleasure taking this course. Even though we never formally met in person, it was so wonderful to “meet” and chat with you via email. I feel like we actually did meet! Honestly, I have only positive things to say about the course, C244 “Motivating Students to Reach Their Highest Potential; How True Engagement in Learning Inspires Academic Success”. I am so glad that one of my colleagues told me to look into the courses being offered at CORE PD because now I know where I can come to learn many more fabulous and meaningful pieces of information! (I will be signing up for two more courses within the next month). The sign-up procedure was smooth and easy and I particularly loved that we were able to receive the course materials early and work at our own pace. Huge plus! Especially since everyone is so busy with life these days.
The course outline was organized and the content and assignments were well developed, planned, and implemented. I really enjoyed how you mixed up each assignment and had us do a variety of different things (articles, videos, interviews, etc.) The readings and tips for student motivation were the most beneficial pieces of information for me. I was motivated to complete each assignment because of how they were presented and because I love to learn new and interesting things!
Most importantly, (what made the course) was that YOU were AMAZING! The meaningful reflections and conversations I was able to have with you allowed me to self-reflect upon my own teaching practice and gain more of an understand on student motivation (I printed out all of your emails to save!). Self-reflection is the key to strengthening instruction. I was able to really take the time to think about my students and their motivation. Because of that, I was able to apply and implement appropriate and meaningful strategies into my everyday classroom routine. I look forward to doing so alongside my co-teacher. Soon, all of our students will be jumping into the classroom, wanting to be there and wanting to work hard everyday. I have made strides with the student I wrote about and I look forward to continue working with him in order to help him attain his goals before he goes into the sixth grade. I also look forward to collaborating and sharing what I have learned in this class with my colleagues and teacher friends.
I hope to take another course with you in the future. Thank you for supporting and inspiring me throughout the entirety of this course. It is much appreciated and did not go unnoticed! “See” you here, soon, Judi!
-Stephanie A.
If I could rate this course out of five stars, I would give it five shining stars! I believe that this course not only provided many helpful articles, but also allowed me to reflect on my own work. I was able to see where I can implement certain ideas and how I am impacting the motivation of the students that I work with.
What I also really enjoyed about this course was that although it focuses on the relationship between student and teacher, as a school social worker I was able to use the information presented and know that I did not need to be a teacher to help a student with their motivation. I thoroughly enjoyed all assignments and felt that they were all very interesting. If I were to choose one, I loved doing Assignments 4 and 5; I enjoyed having the opportunity to reflect on my own work with students and contemplating how I helped them with motivation. I also appreciated the thorough feedback that was given with each assignment. Thank you so much!
-Gessy R.
It has truly been a pleasure taking this course. Even though we never formally met in person, it was so wonderful to “meet” and chat with you via email. I feel like we actually did meet! Honestly, I have only positive things to say about the course, C244 “Motivating Students to Reach Their Highest Potential; How True Engagement in Learning Inspires Academic Success”. I am so glad that one of my colleagues told me to look into the courses being offered at CORE PD because now I know where I can come to learn many more fabulous and meaningful pieces of information! (I will be signing up for two more courses within the next month). The sign-up procedure was smooth and easy and I particularly loved that we were able to receive the course materials early and work at our own pace. Huge plus! Especially since everyone is so busy with life these days.
The course outline was organized and the content and assignments were well developed, planned, and implemented. I really enjoyed how you mixed up each assignment and had us do a variety of different things (articles, videos, interviews, etc.) The readings and tips for student motivation were the most beneficial pieces of information for me. I was motivated to complete each assignment because of how they were presented and because I love to learn new and interesting things!
Most importantly, (what made the course) was that YOU were AMAZING! The meaningful reflections and conversations I was able to have with you allowed me to self-reflect upon my own teaching practice and gain more of an understand on student motivation (I printed out all of your emails to save!). Self-reflection is the key to strengthening instruction. I was able to really take the time to think about my students and their motivation. Because of that, I was able to apply and implement appropriate and meaningful strategies into my everyday classroom routine. I look forward to doing so alongside my co-teacher. Soon, all of our students will be jumping into the classroom, wanting to be there and wanting to work hard everyday. I have made strides with the student I wrote about and I look forward to continue working with him in order to help him attain his goals before he goes into the sixth grade. I also look forward to collaborating and sharing what I have learned in this class with my colleagues and teacher friends.
I hope to take another course with you in the future. Thank you for supporting and inspiring me throughout the entirety of this course. It is much appreciated and did not go unnoticed! “See” you here, soon, Judi!
-Stephanie A.
If I could rate this course out of five stars, I would give it five shining stars! I believe that this course not only provided many helpful articles, but also allowed me to reflect on my own work. I was able to see where I can implement certain ideas and how I am impacting the motivation of the students that I work with.
What I also really enjoyed about this course was that although it focuses on the relationship between student and teacher, as a school social worker I was able to use the information presented and know that I did not need to be a teacher to help a student with their motivation. I thoroughly enjoyed all assignments and felt that they were all very interesting. If I were to choose one, I loved doing Assignments 4 and 5; I enjoyed having the opportunity to reflect on my own work with students and contemplating how I helped them with motivation. I also appreciated the thorough feedback that was given with each assignment. Thank you so much!
-Gessy R.
Learning and Teaching in Multicultural Schools: Understanding and Adapting to the Needs of Diverse Students
I enjoyed this course very much and felt that the open ended structure really allowed for reflection on the various topics presented. The questions were great tools that helped me put my own thoughts in order regarding this topic and allowed me to reflect on how my district handles all of these issues.
I appreciate the links to various articles and websites and have added them to my collection of data and resources for teachers. I strongly believe that this course provided me with questions that I can continually ask myself and continuously ask of my district, in order to better my practice and my service to the community.
-Justin C.
Taking this course and reading articles on the topic of teaching multicultural students provided me with more of an insight on how important it is to engage my students in conversations about their cultures. The articles, which I would have otherwise never read, gave valid points on the importance of cultural awareness both in and out of school.
The discussion of culture is often forgotten - or ignored - like the elephant in the room, especially by students. However, talking about it openly in the classroom is a great way for students to open up with one another and to realize how much they really do have in common with each other.
I am now more mindful of having important open discussions that relate to my students’ worlds outside of my classroom. I have already started to incorporate this course into my classroom and am having my students complete a culture quilt. This quilt will be a visual representation of the differing viewpoints and qualities that create each of my classes and what makes each individual valuable when we are presented as one.
-Karin J.
I've enjoyed this course for a variety of reasons. First, I had the ability to dig deeper into my own school building and understand the importance of multiculturalism. “Multiculturalism describes the manner in which a given society deals with cultural diversity.” This nation is composed of some many diverse students, from a multitude of different backgrounds, that we must embrace to be inclusive of all.
I learned that as an educator the goal is to establish a secure, welcoming, and successful learning environment. This goal can become reality if we have an increased awareness of global issues, strengthen cultural consciousness, teach multiple historical perspectives, encourage critical thinking, and prevent prejudice and discrimination.
Lastly, I learned the advantages of multicultural education. Students can be proud of who they are, developing a positive self-image. Students will not live in fear based on their race, religion, or culture. In addition, students will be given equal opportunities. All students from diverse backgrounds will receive a quality education that develops critical thinking and offers different perspectives. It will combat stereotypes. Students will not be judged on their appearance, backgrounds, etc. They will be promoted academically and provided the opportunities needed for their overall success.
Thank you for your insight and feedback. I appreciate the opportunity to have taken this course. I thrived on your feedback and appreciated your quick response. It is important to improve upon myself to enhance my instruction and support the needs of my current and future students.
- David D.
I enjoyed this course very much and felt that the open ended structure really allowed for reflection on the various topics presented. The questions were great tools that helped me put my own thoughts in order regarding this topic and allowed me to reflect on how my district handles all of these issues.
I appreciate the links to various articles and websites and have added them to my collection of data and resources for teachers. I strongly believe that this course provided me with questions that I can continually ask myself and continuously ask of my district, in order to better my practice and my service to the community.
-Justin C.
Taking this course and reading articles on the topic of teaching multicultural students provided me with more of an insight on how important it is to engage my students in conversations about their cultures. The articles, which I would have otherwise never read, gave valid points on the importance of cultural awareness both in and out of school.
The discussion of culture is often forgotten - or ignored - like the elephant in the room, especially by students. However, talking about it openly in the classroom is a great way for students to open up with one another and to realize how much they really do have in common with each other.
I am now more mindful of having important open discussions that relate to my students’ worlds outside of my classroom. I have already started to incorporate this course into my classroom and am having my students complete a culture quilt. This quilt will be a visual representation of the differing viewpoints and qualities that create each of my classes and what makes each individual valuable when we are presented as one.
-Karin J.
I've enjoyed this course for a variety of reasons. First, I had the ability to dig deeper into my own school building and understand the importance of multiculturalism. “Multiculturalism describes the manner in which a given society deals with cultural diversity.” This nation is composed of some many diverse students, from a multitude of different backgrounds, that we must embrace to be inclusive of all.
I learned that as an educator the goal is to establish a secure, welcoming, and successful learning environment. This goal can become reality if we have an increased awareness of global issues, strengthen cultural consciousness, teach multiple historical perspectives, encourage critical thinking, and prevent prejudice and discrimination.
Lastly, I learned the advantages of multicultural education. Students can be proud of who they are, developing a positive self-image. Students will not live in fear based on their race, religion, or culture. In addition, students will be given equal opportunities. All students from diverse backgrounds will receive a quality education that develops critical thinking and offers different perspectives. It will combat stereotypes. Students will not be judged on their appearance, backgrounds, etc. They will be promoted academically and provided the opportunities needed for their overall success.
Thank you for your insight and feedback. I appreciate the opportunity to have taken this course. I thrived on your feedback and appreciated your quick response. It is important to improve upon myself to enhance my instruction and support the needs of my current and future students.
- David D.
Dealing With Difficult Students: How Crisis Intervention Can Keep Schools Safe and Help Students Succeed
I found this course to be extremely comprehensive and useful in my future practice. As we have discussed in our back and forth conversations throughout this course, we are faced with crises on a weekly, if not daily, basis in our roles as counselors in the schools. It is so important to continue to expand our knowledge on how to address and assist in the face of various crises. I really appreciated the individual feedback on each assignment that I sent to you. It helped the class feel interactive and like more of a discussion, something that is difficult to do in an online class.
I really enjoyed all of the articles and links provided throughout the course. I really appreciated you sharing relevant apps with me as well, as I feel that will certainly be useful for my future practice. I really liked assignments 2, 3, and 7. I enjoyed the independent research in assignment 7 and feel that I truly got something out of my research on crisis management briefing. I felt that it was really useful to have all of the links to the various articles that discuss the major crises facing our teens. As I previously mentioned, I do not work with older students and do not feel as comfortable assisting with some of the crises more common with the secondary students. I feel that this course helped to ease my fear in many ways because I have more information on statistics, prevention, and intervention for many of these crises and topics. I also have more resources should I ever need to assist a student through unfamiliar territory. I liked that this course forced me to give an honest assessment of all of my skills and how I react in different situations. It was reassuring to hear from a colleague that we all need to collaborate and rely on each other in making the tough decisions we make in our jobs.
I really enjoyed taking this course and feel that continuing to broaden my knowledge of crisis intervention will only help to strengthen my skills and practice. I certainly am taking knowledge and resources from this course into my future practice.
-Lindsay M.
I found this course to be extremely comprehensive and useful in my future practice. As we have discussed in our back and forth conversations throughout this course, we are faced with crises on a weekly, if not daily, basis in our roles as counselors in the schools. It is so important to continue to expand our knowledge on how to address and assist in the face of various crises. I really appreciated the individual feedback on each assignment that I sent to you. It helped the class feel interactive and like more of a discussion, something that is difficult to do in an online class.
I really enjoyed all of the articles and links provided throughout the course. I really appreciated you sharing relevant apps with me as well, as I feel that will certainly be useful for my future practice. I really liked assignments 2, 3, and 7. I enjoyed the independent research in assignment 7 and feel that I truly got something out of my research on crisis management briefing. I felt that it was really useful to have all of the links to the various articles that discuss the major crises facing our teens. As I previously mentioned, I do not work with older students and do not feel as comfortable assisting with some of the crises more common with the secondary students. I feel that this course helped to ease my fear in many ways because I have more information on statistics, prevention, and intervention for many of these crises and topics. I also have more resources should I ever need to assist a student through unfamiliar territory. I liked that this course forced me to give an honest assessment of all of my skills and how I react in different situations. It was reassuring to hear from a colleague that we all need to collaborate and rely on each other in making the tough decisions we make in our jobs.
I really enjoyed taking this course and feel that continuing to broaden my knowledge of crisis intervention will only help to strengthen my skills and practice. I certainly am taking knowledge and resources from this course into my future practice.
-Lindsay M.
Total Participation Strategies: Promoting Engagement and Understanding for All Learners
Upon signing up for this course, I was not sure what to expect. This course is what I hoped it would be. Maryanne provided us with so many incredible resources and articles which really brought to light different engagement strategies that worked. This course also provided me with a great deal of time to reflect upon my own teaching. When responding to each question, I found myself analyzing what I do in the classroom, and considering how I could implement new strategies moving forward. This is always what I strive for as an educator – bringing new ideas into the classroom, testing them out, and keeping what works.
It truly was a pleasure to work with Maryanne in this course. Her feedback was so great. She provided so many real life, applicable stories that were not only relatable, but offered great insight into new ideas that I could use in my own teaching. She also always pointed out the positives in an assignment, which made me feel more confident in methods I use in my current teaching. Her feedback was always timely, and I looked forward to reading her emails. I feel fortunate to have taken this course and to have learned many new strategies that can engage my students in their learning and allow them to feel accountable for their work. This was an excellent class and your feedback is honestly so great.
I loved the quote that you shared, that "Kids don't care what you know until they know you care." I completely agree with that. I enjoyed reading all of your emails and hearing about all of your experiences. Thank you for a great class :)
-Kathleen M.
As always, I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Maryanne in another class. She provides great resources and questions to reflect upon, and then provides wonderful insights and feedback to each assignments I submitted. I had many big takeaways from this class; to try to relate the content to a student in one way or another, to appeal to the various modalities, to try to give students ownership and autonomy over their learning, to foster discussion and independence, and overall just care and invest in students and they will hopefully invest back. Maryanne had great one liners and advice including these: "Make them smile - if you can make them smile, they will learn!" "Be yourself - be firm, be consistent, be fair and, most important, be loving!" and “Use loads of visuals! Use loads of video clips!! If they can SEE what you need them to know, you and your students will be better off!"
Even though the articles were amazingly supportive, Maryanne’s advice was very real and is immediately applicable for all teachers. Thank you!
-Cassandra M.
Upon signing up for this course, I was not sure what to expect. This course is what I hoped it would be. Maryanne provided us with so many incredible resources and articles which really brought to light different engagement strategies that worked. This course also provided me with a great deal of time to reflect upon my own teaching. When responding to each question, I found myself analyzing what I do in the classroom, and considering how I could implement new strategies moving forward. This is always what I strive for as an educator – bringing new ideas into the classroom, testing them out, and keeping what works.
It truly was a pleasure to work with Maryanne in this course. Her feedback was so great. She provided so many real life, applicable stories that were not only relatable, but offered great insight into new ideas that I could use in my own teaching. She also always pointed out the positives in an assignment, which made me feel more confident in methods I use in my current teaching. Her feedback was always timely, and I looked forward to reading her emails. I feel fortunate to have taken this course and to have learned many new strategies that can engage my students in their learning and allow them to feel accountable for their work. This was an excellent class and your feedback is honestly so great.
I loved the quote that you shared, that "Kids don't care what you know until they know you care." I completely agree with that. I enjoyed reading all of your emails and hearing about all of your experiences. Thank you for a great class :)
-Kathleen M.
As always, I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Maryanne in another class. She provides great resources and questions to reflect upon, and then provides wonderful insights and feedback to each assignments I submitted. I had many big takeaways from this class; to try to relate the content to a student in one way or another, to appeal to the various modalities, to try to give students ownership and autonomy over their learning, to foster discussion and independence, and overall just care and invest in students and they will hopefully invest back. Maryanne had great one liners and advice including these: "Make them smile - if you can make them smile, they will learn!" "Be yourself - be firm, be consistent, be fair and, most important, be loving!" and “Use loads of visuals! Use loads of video clips!! If they can SEE what you need them to know, you and your students will be better off!"
Even though the articles were amazingly supportive, Maryanne’s advice was very real and is immediately applicable for all teachers. Thank you!
-Cassandra M.
Virtual Field Trips: Explore the World from Your Classroom
I really enjoyed learning from you in this course! I like the way you broke down the course into modules. I felt that it was really scaffolded well and it made it a lot less overwhelming to plan for the final virtual field trip. I also really liked having you provided feedback at every step of the way! My favorite assignments were brainstorming for the virtual field trip, exploring the sites you shared and locating the websites for my trip. I had an idea that I wasn’t sure I could pull off so I appreciated having the opportunity to explore them. Of course the final creation of the field trip in assignment 7 was also very useful. I now have a full field trip complete that I can use with my students this school year. I am hoping to help some of my colleagues design virtual field trips this year now or encourage them to use one already made from the helpful sites that you posted in module 1. I will definitely recommend your course to my colleagues! Thank you for a great experience!
-Danielle M.
I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to take the course “Virtual Field Trips: Explore the World from Your Classroom.” The title of the course caught my attention because as a Foreign Language and ESL teacher I would love to take my students on trips to foreign countries. I also love creating new lessons to help engage my students. I heard great reviews from my colleagues about the CORE Professional Development courses. The reviews were very true and I really appreciated the feedback that my instructor provided after I sent in each assignment. I enjoyed all the assignments, but the ones I liked the best were exploring the different Virtual Field Trip Websites, learning about classroom management strategies and, of course, creating my Virtual Field Trip to Italy for my Italian classes. The course was very interesting and relevant to my subject area. I am satisfied that I chose to take this course and I look forward to integrating the strategies I learned into my foreign language and ESL classes. Lastly, I cannot wait until I have my students go on their virtual field trip to Italy!
-Clare G.
This was absolutely one of my favorite classes that I have taken! Though I appreciate the other classes I have taken and gained so much knowledge from them that developed my teaching skills, I loved being able to learn how to do a new project within my classroom and creating something that could be implemented this year. I liked how the assignments were geared to lead us through the development of our virtual field trip, step by step. It was scaffolded very well.
I feel like next time I go to make a virtual field trip, I can come back to the assignments and remember how I developed this assignment. Also, doing this gave me the confidence to try other types of projects, such as a webquest. I also like how the virtual field trip allows me to implement technology into the classroom.
Research can always be a difficult thing to teach and, especially with special education students, they may need a great deal of scaffolding. Using the virtual field trip, they are practicing researching skills, but I am scaffolding it for them so they can focus on the reading and pulling important information instead of wasting time aimlessly searching the internet. I am really excited to implement this into my classroom and to see how my students do with it!
-Cassandra M.
This was my first experience taking an online course and I was very happy with the experience. The syllabus was given to us beforehand, so that we could see how we would manage our time when completing the assignments. I am happy to know that courses like this are available. I was unsure of how the learning would be in an online course, however with the information provided and the examples given, it was easier to figure out how to design your own Virtual Field Trip.
I found assignment 2 to be one of the more difficult assignments, but most important. It made me narrow down my choices and completely change what I had in mind. Assignment 3 was my favorite, as I was able to see all of the different types of VFT’s that were provided as resources. It also made me want to do more research to see what was out there. Although it is a simple assignment to explain what we liked and did not like, it made me evaluate the effectiveness for each type of project for my particular students. Assignment 2 was informative, as it made us identify how we would set up our Field Trip and the important aspects involved (choosing websites, evaluating the assignment, scaffolding the assignment, etc.). From that assignment my favorite part was looking at the rubrics. I use rubrics a lot to have students reflect on their social skills goals during therapy. Rubrics are very beneficial and provide students with specific input to how they are doing and what they will need to do prior to starting the assignment.
Thank you for providing me with the information for Virtual Field Trips and allowing me to have another way to engage and educate my students.
-Mary H.
In thinking about assignments from the course, I believe I liked assignment five the most. This opened new doors for me about some of the materials that are out there. The NASA links for the Hubble Special Feature site were really almost too good to be true. This just crystallized the assignment for me as the centerpiece of the project. Furthermore, because the scientific caliber of the site was so trustworthy it gave me a lot of freedom to get creative about following up with advanced questions. I highly recommend you include this site in your module one assignment three list of examples.
In summary, I enjoyed creating this project and definitely intend to use it in my astronomy class. I am highly satisfied with the course and applaud the elements of creativity and improvisation it interjects into a research assignment.
-James K.
This course was really valuable in developing strategies to engage students in an authentic way. It pushed me to think of a meaningful way to use a variety of web sources to have the students gather information In order to develop an argument. The first assignment was really helpful for me in order to identify different VFTs that I could potentially develop further. I am looking forward to implementing this VFT and creating a few others that include astronomy and space science. Thank you for creating this course! It was really engaging and gave me a great activity to use in my classroom.
-Jessica R.
I really enjoyed learning from you in this course! I like the way you broke down the course into modules. I felt that it was really scaffolded well and it made it a lot less overwhelming to plan for the final virtual field trip. I also really liked having you provided feedback at every step of the way! My favorite assignments were brainstorming for the virtual field trip, exploring the sites you shared and locating the websites for my trip. I had an idea that I wasn’t sure I could pull off so I appreciated having the opportunity to explore them. Of course the final creation of the field trip in assignment 7 was also very useful. I now have a full field trip complete that I can use with my students this school year. I am hoping to help some of my colleagues design virtual field trips this year now or encourage them to use one already made from the helpful sites that you posted in module 1. I will definitely recommend your course to my colleagues! Thank you for a great experience!
-Danielle M.
I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to take the course “Virtual Field Trips: Explore the World from Your Classroom.” The title of the course caught my attention because as a Foreign Language and ESL teacher I would love to take my students on trips to foreign countries. I also love creating new lessons to help engage my students. I heard great reviews from my colleagues about the CORE Professional Development courses. The reviews were very true and I really appreciated the feedback that my instructor provided after I sent in each assignment. I enjoyed all the assignments, but the ones I liked the best were exploring the different Virtual Field Trip Websites, learning about classroom management strategies and, of course, creating my Virtual Field Trip to Italy for my Italian classes. The course was very interesting and relevant to my subject area. I am satisfied that I chose to take this course and I look forward to integrating the strategies I learned into my foreign language and ESL classes. Lastly, I cannot wait until I have my students go on their virtual field trip to Italy!
-Clare G.
This was absolutely one of my favorite classes that I have taken! Though I appreciate the other classes I have taken and gained so much knowledge from them that developed my teaching skills, I loved being able to learn how to do a new project within my classroom and creating something that could be implemented this year. I liked how the assignments were geared to lead us through the development of our virtual field trip, step by step. It was scaffolded very well.
I feel like next time I go to make a virtual field trip, I can come back to the assignments and remember how I developed this assignment. Also, doing this gave me the confidence to try other types of projects, such as a webquest. I also like how the virtual field trip allows me to implement technology into the classroom.
Research can always be a difficult thing to teach and, especially with special education students, they may need a great deal of scaffolding. Using the virtual field trip, they are practicing researching skills, but I am scaffolding it for them so they can focus on the reading and pulling important information instead of wasting time aimlessly searching the internet. I am really excited to implement this into my classroom and to see how my students do with it!
-Cassandra M.
This was my first experience taking an online course and I was very happy with the experience. The syllabus was given to us beforehand, so that we could see how we would manage our time when completing the assignments. I am happy to know that courses like this are available. I was unsure of how the learning would be in an online course, however with the information provided and the examples given, it was easier to figure out how to design your own Virtual Field Trip.
I found assignment 2 to be one of the more difficult assignments, but most important. It made me narrow down my choices and completely change what I had in mind. Assignment 3 was my favorite, as I was able to see all of the different types of VFT’s that were provided as resources. It also made me want to do more research to see what was out there. Although it is a simple assignment to explain what we liked and did not like, it made me evaluate the effectiveness for each type of project for my particular students. Assignment 2 was informative, as it made us identify how we would set up our Field Trip and the important aspects involved (choosing websites, evaluating the assignment, scaffolding the assignment, etc.). From that assignment my favorite part was looking at the rubrics. I use rubrics a lot to have students reflect on their social skills goals during therapy. Rubrics are very beneficial and provide students with specific input to how they are doing and what they will need to do prior to starting the assignment.
Thank you for providing me with the information for Virtual Field Trips and allowing me to have another way to engage and educate my students.
-Mary H.
In thinking about assignments from the course, I believe I liked assignment five the most. This opened new doors for me about some of the materials that are out there. The NASA links for the Hubble Special Feature site were really almost too good to be true. This just crystallized the assignment for me as the centerpiece of the project. Furthermore, because the scientific caliber of the site was so trustworthy it gave me a lot of freedom to get creative about following up with advanced questions. I highly recommend you include this site in your module one assignment three list of examples.
In summary, I enjoyed creating this project and definitely intend to use it in my astronomy class. I am highly satisfied with the course and applaud the elements of creativity and improvisation it interjects into a research assignment.
-James K.
This course was really valuable in developing strategies to engage students in an authentic way. It pushed me to think of a meaningful way to use a variety of web sources to have the students gather information In order to develop an argument. The first assignment was really helpful for me in order to identify different VFTs that I could potentially develop further. I am looking forward to implementing this VFT and creating a few others that include astronomy and space science. Thank you for creating this course! It was really engaging and gave me a great activity to use in my classroom.
-Jessica R.
Responding to Disruptive Students in the Classroom: Strategies for Teachers
I thoroughly enjoyed this course for many reasons. As a teacher in the physical education setting, it is important for me understand the importance of disruptive behavior strategies. I found the readings to be very beneficial and I am pleased to have found strategies that I am already in the process of implementing in my setting. I have had great experiences in my CORE PD courses even though I am not in the traditional classroom setting.
I thought it was very useful to have our last assignment be a reflection on a quote. It was also a great quote to analyze and dig deeper on. The feedback from the professor was very, very beneficial and thorough. This is my second course with Maryanne and both have been very informational and I look forward to taking more in the future.
-Frank T.
I really enjoyed the information found within the course. While I have been an educator for many years, a disruptive child is still a challenge because each student is different and has different needs. Being in the special education field, I find that a disruptive child is inevitable, but manageable through the interventions presented in this course. One of the most important takeaways for me is the importance of modeling positive behaviors throughout all settings. I feel that many of the pointers and critiques were things that I currently do in class., but could revamp and make more effective. This class gave me a new outlook on teaching and relating to my students.
-Kim T.
Thanks again for another informative CORE P.D. course! Through reading the assigned articles on the topic, I have learned valuable methods and techniques for preventing and correcting inappropriate behaviors in my students. Not only that, but I found the suggestions on how to react to disruptive behavior useful as well. This course made me realize that I am not alone when I myself start to feel anxiety over my students’ behaviors, performance and progress.
Each and every day we are faced with different personalities and behaviors. I can sometimes feel like a deer caught in the headlights when something unexpected happens. When the new school year begins in September, I feel like am prepared to face new challenges and will be ready to use the strategies that I have learned from this course. Thank you, as always!
-Karin J.
I thoroughly enjoyed this course for many reasons. As a teacher in the physical education setting, it is important for me understand the importance of disruptive behavior strategies. I found the readings to be very beneficial and I am pleased to have found strategies that I am already in the process of implementing in my setting. I have had great experiences in my CORE PD courses even though I am not in the traditional classroom setting.
I thought it was very useful to have our last assignment be a reflection on a quote. It was also a great quote to analyze and dig deeper on. The feedback from the professor was very, very beneficial and thorough. This is my second course with Maryanne and both have been very informational and I look forward to taking more in the future.
-Frank T.
I really enjoyed the information found within the course. While I have been an educator for many years, a disruptive child is still a challenge because each student is different and has different needs. Being in the special education field, I find that a disruptive child is inevitable, but manageable through the interventions presented in this course. One of the most important takeaways for me is the importance of modeling positive behaviors throughout all settings. I feel that many of the pointers and critiques were things that I currently do in class., but could revamp and make more effective. This class gave me a new outlook on teaching and relating to my students.
-Kim T.
Thanks again for another informative CORE P.D. course! Through reading the assigned articles on the topic, I have learned valuable methods and techniques for preventing and correcting inappropriate behaviors in my students. Not only that, but I found the suggestions on how to react to disruptive behavior useful as well. This course made me realize that I am not alone when I myself start to feel anxiety over my students’ behaviors, performance and progress.
Each and every day we are faced with different personalities and behaviors. I can sometimes feel like a deer caught in the headlights when something unexpected happens. When the new school year begins in September, I feel like am prepared to face new challenges and will be ready to use the strategies that I have learned from this course. Thank you, as always!
-Karin J.
Substance Abuse and Family Addiction: Impact on Student Learning and Behavior
Another great course from CORE P.D. I took this course to better understand the effects of substance abuse on student performance. These effects can be substantial and far reaching if not treated quickly and appropriately. I am extremely satisfied with this course. The material in each assignment was appropriate and thought provoking. As with every other CORE class taken with Judi Weissman, the feedback provided was superb.
One of my favorite assignments was Assignment Eight. I enjoyed learning about the many different addictions that can impact students. Most times when people hear about addictions they automatically think about drugs and alcohol. The internet, sex, gambling and other addictions are just as powerful but not as prevalent. The other assignment that I found enlightening was Assignment Five. It was informative to learn about the intricacies of a student growing up in an alcoholic household and the various roles adapted by Children of Alcoholics.
As stated above, I thoroughly enjoyed this class and look forward to taking all my in-service classes with CORE P.D. and Judi Weissman.
-Micheal C.
Another great course from CORE P.D. I took this course to better understand the effects of substance abuse on student performance. These effects can be substantial and far reaching if not treated quickly and appropriately. I am extremely satisfied with this course. The material in each assignment was appropriate and thought provoking. As with every other CORE class taken with Judi Weissman, the feedback provided was superb.
One of my favorite assignments was Assignment Eight. I enjoyed learning about the many different addictions that can impact students. Most times when people hear about addictions they automatically think about drugs and alcohol. The internet, sex, gambling and other addictions are just as powerful but not as prevalent. The other assignment that I found enlightening was Assignment Five. It was informative to learn about the intricacies of a student growing up in an alcoholic household and the various roles adapted by Children of Alcoholics.
As stated above, I thoroughly enjoyed this class and look forward to taking all my in-service classes with CORE P.D. and Judi Weissman.
-Micheal C.
Strengthening the Home-School Connection: Using Technology to Create Positive Relationships with Students and Their Families
Thanks again for yet another amazing course. Every time I mention your name to Judi, she also has only amazing things to say about you. Clearly, we have not met but I can tell we both share similar passions regarding teaching and we work hard to make a difference in the lives of our students. Your timely responses and the challenging assignments that required me to reflect on my own ideologies only make me a better teacher. I realized after completing many of these assignments that I seem to be very set in my ways when it comes to using technology to communicate with parents and students so I am glad I could explore some alternatives that would help strengthen the home-school connection!
I loved assignment 6 the most because it forced me to look at how much technology and communication is changing our world; it made me want to try something new so that I could keep up with the changing times. Even though I do have a school website, I know most students and parents don’t check it on a regular basis but Remind would allow me to make important announcements like changes in testing days, extra credit opportunities or extra-help sessions.
Assignment 11 was so relevant. As teachers, it’s important to examine our strengths and weaknesses. The reality is, almost all school districts use a similar model and we are required to evaluate ourselves based on a rubric so this assignment modeled a real-life experience.
Thank you again for challenging me and pushing me to look at myself as an educator. This course will enable me to make changes that will affect the success of my students while also developing positive relationships with their parents
-Allyson H.
Thanks again for yet another amazing course. Every time I mention your name to Judi, she also has only amazing things to say about you. Clearly, we have not met but I can tell we both share similar passions regarding teaching and we work hard to make a difference in the lives of our students. Your timely responses and the challenging assignments that required me to reflect on my own ideologies only make me a better teacher. I realized after completing many of these assignments that I seem to be very set in my ways when it comes to using technology to communicate with parents and students so I am glad I could explore some alternatives that would help strengthen the home-school connection!
I loved assignment 6 the most because it forced me to look at how much technology and communication is changing our world; it made me want to try something new so that I could keep up with the changing times. Even though I do have a school website, I know most students and parents don’t check it on a regular basis but Remind would allow me to make important announcements like changes in testing days, extra credit opportunities or extra-help sessions.
Assignment 11 was so relevant. As teachers, it’s important to examine our strengths and weaknesses. The reality is, almost all school districts use a similar model and we are required to evaluate ourselves based on a rubric so this assignment modeled a real-life experience.
Thank you again for challenging me and pushing me to look at myself as an educator. This course will enable me to make changes that will affect the success of my students while also developing positive relationships with their parents
-Allyson H.
I really enjoyed taking this course. As an educator, I think it is important to stay on top of current and best practice techniques in order to remain effective in our craft. This course introduced and familiarized me with various media sites and provided effective strategies for using these platforms to communicate with parents and students.
Throughout this course, I found myself constantly reflecting on my own practices in order to find more meaningful ways to communicate with families. One assignment that really pushed me to do this was assignment 11. Until this assignment, I must honestly admit that I never seriously reviewed each category to assess my effectiveness in each component of communication and family outreach. Now, I find myself prepared with new tools that will assist me in in being a more effective teacher and communicator. Another assignment I enjoyed doing was reflecting on ways I have used Google classroom (Assignments 7 and 8). I often think that when you are fully immersed in something you fail to notice how much you really do.
As we have seen, technology can be a great thing! However, Assignment 10 reminded me that we must always be mindful of technology and the negative consequences it may bring. This course helped me see that I do utilize many communication strategies with parents and students, specifically within Google classroom.
On a personal note, I always appreciated your insightful and valuable feedback and immediate responses to my emails.
-Michelle F.
Throughout this course, I found myself constantly reflecting on my own practices in order to find more meaningful ways to communicate with families. One assignment that really pushed me to do this was assignment 11. Until this assignment, I must honestly admit that I never seriously reviewed each category to assess my effectiveness in each component of communication and family outreach. Now, I find myself prepared with new tools that will assist me in in being a more effective teacher and communicator. Another assignment I enjoyed doing was reflecting on ways I have used Google classroom (Assignments 7 and 8). I often think that when you are fully immersed in something you fail to notice how much you really do.
As we have seen, technology can be a great thing! However, Assignment 10 reminded me that we must always be mindful of technology and the negative consequences it may bring. This course helped me see that I do utilize many communication strategies with parents and students, specifically within Google classroom.
On a personal note, I always appreciated your insightful and valuable feedback and immediate responses to my emails.
-Michelle F.
Motivating Students to Reach Their Highest Potential: How True Engagement in Learning Inspires Academic Success
I really enjoyed all aspects of this course, particularly the case study assignment. The reason why it was such a relevant assignment was because I never really thought about what made each student a strong/weak motivated child. It made me dig a little deeper and understand what made each child perform or not perform. Additionally, it made me think about strategies I’ve used in the past and new ones I could now try in order to improve my own performance.
The second assignment struck a chord with me. The articles had a great deal to offer and made me reflect on my own practices. It caused me to think about “best practices” I could use to engage the unmotivated student and how to enrich the education of the highly motivated student. There were various strategies mentioned that I would not have thought about previously.
Ultimately the videos at the end were most powerful. I would certainly use the first and second video to motivate my students to achieve great things and the third and fourth video as professional development tools. I think the last two videos would be great in the beginning of the school year to motivate teachers and set the year off on the right foot.
Judi, I always looked forward to your comments and reflections on my work. You are so positive and kind in your words and engaged me throughout the entire course. Thank you!
-Jodi F.
I absolutely loved this course. I truly feel that I learned so much. As I completed these assignments, I stopped and really looked at myself and questioned whether I was doing all that I could to motivate my students.
I enjoyed all the assignments and found them all worthwhile; however, I especially enjoyed completing assignment 9. I am going to print up the lists that were included to help motivate ME throughout the year. The videos were certainly inspiring, and as I said before, thank you for my first day of school lesson! I can’t wait to plan my lesson and use it!
You are such a wonderful teacher; you must have been wonderful in the classroom. I hope to meet you one day! THANK YOU!
-Kathy L.
As with all of your classes, this course exceeded my expectations. Not only do I know that this class will help me to be a better teacher, it was extremely enjoyable reading the course materials, completing each assignment and conversing with you about each topic. I especially enjoyed the inspirational articles and the poem by Angela Maiers in Assignment #3 and all of the tips given in the various Assignment #9 articles. I will continue to recommend your classes to everyone!
-Kate K.
Once again, I greatly enjoyed taking a course with Judi. After completing the course, I feel that I was able to reflect on my own teaching practices in order to examine different strategies that help strengthen student motivation. I found all the assignments to be extremely helpful; I thought that the interview assignment was most interesting. I like the fact that I was able to gain greater insight on three different perspectives on student motivation and education.
Additionally, I thought the course was well-designed and how the lessons were scaffolded to examine theory and then practice. The instructor was very knowledgeable about enhancing classroom practices to further develop student motivation. She always gave insightful feedback to every course assignment. The instructor always provided wonderful resources throughout the course, often resources that she has found to be beneficial in her own classroom. I thought that this was a wonderful course! Thank you so much for your time and thorough feedback throughout the course. I am looking forward to taking more CORE Professional Development courses!
-Katerina S.
I really enjoyed taking this online course. It was my first CORE P.D. class and one of the few online courses I have ever taken, and it was a very positive experience. Aside from the educational aspects of this course, just working with you has been wonderful. The student to teacher communication was simple and clear. All of my questions were responded to instantly and all feedback was detailed and informative.
In terms of the classwork, I enjoyed all assignments. I believe the articles selected and the videos we were asked to view were excellent choices. The assignment I enjoyed most was the one where we were asked to evaluate specific students. This forced us to really think about each student and figure out what their motivations were, and why some students were more motivated than others. I believe this kind of thought should be given to all students, and I hope to continue to work on doing that in the future. I also enjoyed interviewing others to hear their take on student motivation. Once again thank you for providing the necessary tools for this course, and thank you for the time you put into your responses.
-Patrick S.
I really enjoyed all aspects of this course, particularly the case study assignment. The reason why it was such a relevant assignment was because I never really thought about what made each student a strong/weak motivated child. It made me dig a little deeper and understand what made each child perform or not perform. Additionally, it made me think about strategies I’ve used in the past and new ones I could now try in order to improve my own performance.
The second assignment struck a chord with me. The articles had a great deal to offer and made me reflect on my own practices. It caused me to think about “best practices” I could use to engage the unmotivated student and how to enrich the education of the highly motivated student. There were various strategies mentioned that I would not have thought about previously.
Ultimately the videos at the end were most powerful. I would certainly use the first and second video to motivate my students to achieve great things and the third and fourth video as professional development tools. I think the last two videos would be great in the beginning of the school year to motivate teachers and set the year off on the right foot.
Judi, I always looked forward to your comments and reflections on my work. You are so positive and kind in your words and engaged me throughout the entire course. Thank you!
-Jodi F.
I absolutely loved this course. I truly feel that I learned so much. As I completed these assignments, I stopped and really looked at myself and questioned whether I was doing all that I could to motivate my students.
I enjoyed all the assignments and found them all worthwhile; however, I especially enjoyed completing assignment 9. I am going to print up the lists that were included to help motivate ME throughout the year. The videos were certainly inspiring, and as I said before, thank you for my first day of school lesson! I can’t wait to plan my lesson and use it!
You are such a wonderful teacher; you must have been wonderful in the classroom. I hope to meet you one day! THANK YOU!
-Kathy L.
As with all of your classes, this course exceeded my expectations. Not only do I know that this class will help me to be a better teacher, it was extremely enjoyable reading the course materials, completing each assignment and conversing with you about each topic. I especially enjoyed the inspirational articles and the poem by Angela Maiers in Assignment #3 and all of the tips given in the various Assignment #9 articles. I will continue to recommend your classes to everyone!
-Kate K.
Once again, I greatly enjoyed taking a course with Judi. After completing the course, I feel that I was able to reflect on my own teaching practices in order to examine different strategies that help strengthen student motivation. I found all the assignments to be extremely helpful; I thought that the interview assignment was most interesting. I like the fact that I was able to gain greater insight on three different perspectives on student motivation and education.
Additionally, I thought the course was well-designed and how the lessons were scaffolded to examine theory and then practice. The instructor was very knowledgeable about enhancing classroom practices to further develop student motivation. She always gave insightful feedback to every course assignment. The instructor always provided wonderful resources throughout the course, often resources that she has found to be beneficial in her own classroom. I thought that this was a wonderful course! Thank you so much for your time and thorough feedback throughout the course. I am looking forward to taking more CORE Professional Development courses!
-Katerina S.
I really enjoyed taking this online course. It was my first CORE P.D. class and one of the few online courses I have ever taken, and it was a very positive experience. Aside from the educational aspects of this course, just working with you has been wonderful. The student to teacher communication was simple and clear. All of my questions were responded to instantly and all feedback was detailed and informative.
In terms of the classwork, I enjoyed all assignments. I believe the articles selected and the videos we were asked to view were excellent choices. The assignment I enjoyed most was the one where we were asked to evaluate specific students. This forced us to really think about each student and figure out what their motivations were, and why some students were more motivated than others. I believe this kind of thought should be given to all students, and I hope to continue to work on doing that in the future. I also enjoyed interviewing others to hear their take on student motivation. Once again thank you for providing the necessary tools for this course, and thank you for the time you put into your responses.
-Patrick S.
Coding Across the Curriculum: How Computer Programming Can Maximize Problem-Solving Skills and Student Engagement
Thank you very much for putting this course together. As a relatively new computer science and coding teacher, I am finding it very overwhelming to find resources, classes, and workshops that will be relevant to my needs as an educator. Often times, courses are too technical and do not focus on content that I could use in my own classroom. However, I found this course to be perfect for me in that I was able to take away many important articles, videos, and websites, such as Code Academy and Tynker that I had never used before. I enjoyed the Scratch assignment the best, mainly because I was the most familiar with it; however, I thoroughly enjoyed the Tynker project because I had never seen it before, and it is so similar to Scratch but has capabilities that I am not sure are available in the Scratch interface (the Physics tab, the functions tab, etc.).
I particularly love that Tynker also has a “JavaScript” button to show the actual syntax that is being written with the blocks, which Scratch does not have. This could be a nice way to segue into JavaScript for my 8th-grade students so they can see that the blocks they have been using really have the same fundamental principles as JavaScript syntax.
I would love to take a second portion of this course (maybe for next Summer or during the year) where we could go into even more depth with websites, such as Code Academy. I am interested in teaching beginner Python and JavaScript to my 8th-graders, and there are so many resources and websites out there; I am finding it difficult and overwhelming to develop a short series of lessons that will help my students get a surface-level understanding of the languages. Thank you for an excellent course and experience!
-Erik S.
One aspect about this course, Coding Across the Curriculum, that I especially liked was the part where I had to reflect on every assignment. Having been involved in computer science for only one year, it was really helpful for me to just sit and think about my curriculum, the learning that took place, and the growth shown within myself and my students. Assignment 3 contained an article titled Why Teach Coding which provided helpful websites that I can use in my coding classroom. Assignment 5 introduced me to an informative TED talk which would be great to offer to the parents at Back-To-School Night. Since I was already familiar with Scratch, assignment 7 exposed me to Tynker, something I have heard about but never tinkered with. Finally, assignment 8 showed me Codecademy and all of the various programming languages that it offers, many of them free or accessible for a small price. I am highly satisfied with the course Coding Across the Curriculum and I thank you for putting it together and making it available. It is a perfect course for those teachers who are new to the computer science world.
-Belén C.
When I first signed up for this course I was not sure what to expect. I like learning about new technologies and enjoy using technology in my lessons but coding was an intimidating word to me. I thought coding was for “techies” who are really good with computers because it initially sounded very complicated to me. What I learned from this course is that anyone (including myself!) can do coding and it can be fun. I really enjoyed learning about the code.org website and trying out some of the tutorials and a few of the “Hour of Code” activities. The assignment that particularly interested me was Assignment 4. I really enjoyed the video and the opportunity to look inside some of the famous companies such as Facebook and other huge online platforms. I found it interesting to see famous people such as Chris Bosch and Will.I.Am who are interested in coding and are learning how to code. I am still shocked by how amazing some of those offices are. I was very pleased that I was able to find a connection between coding and Spanish - with a little creativity I came up with something that I can actually use and try in my classroom next year! It will give my students an authentic experience with the language but also give them something they will find enjoyable to do.
Thank you for taking the time to find all these interesting materials and set up this extremely interesting course. This was something totally new and different for me and I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to researching more of these topics so I may be contacting you again soon to go over some ideas! Thanks again!
-Christina M.
I really enjoyed this online course; I learned a great deal. I especially enjoyed exploring code.org and the videos that we had to watch. The videos were very inspirational, and they succinctly conveyed the importance of steering students toward careers in computer science. I am very interested in promoting the computer sciences and computer science education to my own students, and I am determined to expose my son to some of the activities on code.org. I’m hoping to get him interested at a young age! I feel as though students with degrees in computer science will be able to “write their own ticket” upon graduating. The demand for students will this skill set is high – we must find a way to increase exposure to young people.
Thank you so much for your prompt feedback on assignments, Professor Frisch! I am looking forward to taking the "Strategies for Effective Teacher Collaboration" course with you in the near future.
-Rosemary C.
Thank you very much for putting this course together. As a relatively new computer science and coding teacher, I am finding it very overwhelming to find resources, classes, and workshops that will be relevant to my needs as an educator. Often times, courses are too technical and do not focus on content that I could use in my own classroom. However, I found this course to be perfect for me in that I was able to take away many important articles, videos, and websites, such as Code Academy and Tynker that I had never used before. I enjoyed the Scratch assignment the best, mainly because I was the most familiar with it; however, I thoroughly enjoyed the Tynker project because I had never seen it before, and it is so similar to Scratch but has capabilities that I am not sure are available in the Scratch interface (the Physics tab, the functions tab, etc.).
I particularly love that Tynker also has a “JavaScript” button to show the actual syntax that is being written with the blocks, which Scratch does not have. This could be a nice way to segue into JavaScript for my 8th-grade students so they can see that the blocks they have been using really have the same fundamental principles as JavaScript syntax.
I would love to take a second portion of this course (maybe for next Summer or during the year) where we could go into even more depth with websites, such as Code Academy. I am interested in teaching beginner Python and JavaScript to my 8th-graders, and there are so many resources and websites out there; I am finding it difficult and overwhelming to develop a short series of lessons that will help my students get a surface-level understanding of the languages. Thank you for an excellent course and experience!
-Erik S.
One aspect about this course, Coding Across the Curriculum, that I especially liked was the part where I had to reflect on every assignment. Having been involved in computer science for only one year, it was really helpful for me to just sit and think about my curriculum, the learning that took place, and the growth shown within myself and my students. Assignment 3 contained an article titled Why Teach Coding which provided helpful websites that I can use in my coding classroom. Assignment 5 introduced me to an informative TED talk which would be great to offer to the parents at Back-To-School Night. Since I was already familiar with Scratch, assignment 7 exposed me to Tynker, something I have heard about but never tinkered with. Finally, assignment 8 showed me Codecademy and all of the various programming languages that it offers, many of them free or accessible for a small price. I am highly satisfied with the course Coding Across the Curriculum and I thank you for putting it together and making it available. It is a perfect course for those teachers who are new to the computer science world.
-Belén C.
When I first signed up for this course I was not sure what to expect. I like learning about new technologies and enjoy using technology in my lessons but coding was an intimidating word to me. I thought coding was for “techies” who are really good with computers because it initially sounded very complicated to me. What I learned from this course is that anyone (including myself!) can do coding and it can be fun. I really enjoyed learning about the code.org website and trying out some of the tutorials and a few of the “Hour of Code” activities. The assignment that particularly interested me was Assignment 4. I really enjoyed the video and the opportunity to look inside some of the famous companies such as Facebook and other huge online platforms. I found it interesting to see famous people such as Chris Bosch and Will.I.Am who are interested in coding and are learning how to code. I am still shocked by how amazing some of those offices are. I was very pleased that I was able to find a connection between coding and Spanish - with a little creativity I came up with something that I can actually use and try in my classroom next year! It will give my students an authentic experience with the language but also give them something they will find enjoyable to do.
Thank you for taking the time to find all these interesting materials and set up this extremely interesting course. This was something totally new and different for me and I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to researching more of these topics so I may be contacting you again soon to go over some ideas! Thanks again!
-Christina M.
I really enjoyed this online course; I learned a great deal. I especially enjoyed exploring code.org and the videos that we had to watch. The videos were very inspirational, and they succinctly conveyed the importance of steering students toward careers in computer science. I am very interested in promoting the computer sciences and computer science education to my own students, and I am determined to expose my son to some of the activities on code.org. I’m hoping to get him interested at a young age! I feel as though students with degrees in computer science will be able to “write their own ticket” upon graduating. The demand for students will this skill set is high – we must find a way to increase exposure to young people.
Thank you so much for your prompt feedback on assignments, Professor Frisch! I am looking forward to taking the "Strategies for Effective Teacher Collaboration" course with you in the near future.
-Rosemary C.
One Size Does Not Fit All: Scaffolding Strategies Across the Curriculum
I want to thank you for giving me amazing feedback again. This course was very interesting and it kept me so motivated that I kept going because I looked forward to each new assignment. I feel it definitely related to my past teaching experiences and it will help me with my future classes.
I really enjoyed all the articles, but my favorite would have to be Assignment #’s 3, 7, and 8. I enjoyed reading about different types of scaffolds, such as graphic organizers, and activating prior knowledge. Overall, I think all the articles were a great choice. It is always good to read articles from different sources and to know where I can go back and read more.
Everything was very informative and interesting. It is always a pleasure working with you, Maryanne. Thank you for giving me this opportunity and I look forward to taking another course from you in the future. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
-Clare G.
As a Special Education teacher, this course was very valuable in learning about different scaffolding techniques and how to implement them. I have printed many of the articles that outline the various techniques that could be of use in my classroom. I intend to refer to these throughout my teaching years for different ideas and approaches.
On an everyday basis, I differentiate and scaffold my lessons and/or activities to meet the needs of my diverse students. I like to challenge my students to go beyond their comfort level in the classroom and scaffolding assists in doing this. This course reinforces the importance of using different strategies in the classroom to support learners of all types so they can reach their highest potential. I found it interesting to read about how we can support students by simply discussing and acknowledging the journey of how they got to where they are today. Also, how they felt while they struggled; what they had to overcome to get to this point is poignant and should be addressed.
Thanks for the great articles!
-Karin J.
I want to thank you for giving me amazing feedback again. This course was very interesting and it kept me so motivated that I kept going because I looked forward to each new assignment. I feel it definitely related to my past teaching experiences and it will help me with my future classes.
I really enjoyed all the articles, but my favorite would have to be Assignment #’s 3, 7, and 8. I enjoyed reading about different types of scaffolds, such as graphic organizers, and activating prior knowledge. Overall, I think all the articles were a great choice. It is always good to read articles from different sources and to know where I can go back and read more.
Everything was very informative and interesting. It is always a pleasure working with you, Maryanne. Thank you for giving me this opportunity and I look forward to taking another course from you in the future. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
-Clare G.
As a Special Education teacher, this course was very valuable in learning about different scaffolding techniques and how to implement them. I have printed many of the articles that outline the various techniques that could be of use in my classroom. I intend to refer to these throughout my teaching years for different ideas and approaches.
On an everyday basis, I differentiate and scaffold my lessons and/or activities to meet the needs of my diverse students. I like to challenge my students to go beyond their comfort level in the classroom and scaffolding assists in doing this. This course reinforces the importance of using different strategies in the classroom to support learners of all types so they can reach their highest potential. I found it interesting to read about how we can support students by simply discussing and acknowledging the journey of how they got to where they are today. Also, how they felt while they struggled; what they had to overcome to get to this point is poignant and should be addressed.
Thanks for the great articles!
-Karin J.
Learning Disabilities and Next Generation Learning Standards
I typically feel that on-line courses are time consuming and I never really learn anything valuable from them but I feel entirely different after taking "Learning Disabilities and the Common Core Challenge." The activities and videos that the superb instructor incorporated into her course were powerful and really took me inside the mind of a student with a learning disability. I feel that the course was meaningful and well-planned. I found the material to be interesting and valuable to my teaching career. I would highly recommend this class to other teachers.
-Allyson S.
I really enjoyed this course. I thought the videos of the children from Module 1 were very good and very helpful. They really showcased different issues that I have come across in my own classroom. I also really enjoyed the activities that helped demonstrate what a child with LD experiences in different situations. These were real eye openers. Additionally, this course taught me to have extra patience with students. Rather than blaming students for perceived weaknesses, what must be done instead is to give them the support they need. The strategies presented in this class deal with helping the students emotionally so they are willing to keep trying. Thank you!
-Christina B.
I really enjoyed this class and feel a bit re-energized in approaching my students. For me, the most valuable part of the class were the simulations; they made me realize what students go through. I also thought the video clips of the students were eye-opening. When I interact with my students and they share their frustrations with me, I often have a sense of skepticism because my interactions are related to their work completion. The video clips showed students and their families sharing their stories in a personal way that I felt was more understanding and receptive. My goal now is to be more open to hearing my students' frustratrations and more encouraging to help them muscle through challenging times. Finally, I thought the assignments in which I had to choose a strategy and how I would implement it were helpful because they gave me real ways to apply what I learned. Thank you!
-Jen H.
I very much enjoyed taking part in this course. My favorite parts of the course were viewing the movie and the interactive activities that showed what it was like to have certain disabilities. Though I had already seen this movie earlier in my career, seeing it now gave me a new perspective; I feel like having had more experience working with special education students, each child in the film was more real to me.
At times we worry so much about hitting the content, we forget about the other social and emotional struggles that students go through. This movie did a great job highlighting that. The interactive activities did a great job of making me understand what it felt like to be a student with a disability. One word kept coming to my mind: frustration. It reminded me again that when I’m trying to plow through curriculum, I need to pause and remember how frustrating it can be for my students to do the work that is expected of them.
The strategies that were given both reinforced what I was already doing in the classroom, and helped me fine tune other strategies I was trying to use. It helped me to get ideas of how to better accommodate my students within the classroom. Often times, teachers like to take courses over the summer. I really liked taking this course while I’m actually teaching - if I saw a helpful strategy, I was able to implement it right away, otherwise I may forget to do it when the time would come to plan and teach.
Overall, this course was very beneficial to me, even the math section! I look forward to taking another course with you, Margaret!
-Cassandra M.
I typically feel that on-line courses are time consuming and I never really learn anything valuable from them but I feel entirely different after taking "Learning Disabilities and the Common Core Challenge." The activities and videos that the superb instructor incorporated into her course were powerful and really took me inside the mind of a student with a learning disability. I feel that the course was meaningful and well-planned. I found the material to be interesting and valuable to my teaching career. I would highly recommend this class to other teachers.
-Allyson S.
I really enjoyed this course. I thought the videos of the children from Module 1 were very good and very helpful. They really showcased different issues that I have come across in my own classroom. I also really enjoyed the activities that helped demonstrate what a child with LD experiences in different situations. These were real eye openers. Additionally, this course taught me to have extra patience with students. Rather than blaming students for perceived weaknesses, what must be done instead is to give them the support they need. The strategies presented in this class deal with helping the students emotionally so they are willing to keep trying. Thank you!
-Christina B.
I really enjoyed this class and feel a bit re-energized in approaching my students. For me, the most valuable part of the class were the simulations; they made me realize what students go through. I also thought the video clips of the students were eye-opening. When I interact with my students and they share their frustrations with me, I often have a sense of skepticism because my interactions are related to their work completion. The video clips showed students and their families sharing their stories in a personal way that I felt was more understanding and receptive. My goal now is to be more open to hearing my students' frustratrations and more encouraging to help them muscle through challenging times. Finally, I thought the assignments in which I had to choose a strategy and how I would implement it were helpful because they gave me real ways to apply what I learned. Thank you!
-Jen H.
I very much enjoyed taking part in this course. My favorite parts of the course were viewing the movie and the interactive activities that showed what it was like to have certain disabilities. Though I had already seen this movie earlier in my career, seeing it now gave me a new perspective; I feel like having had more experience working with special education students, each child in the film was more real to me.
At times we worry so much about hitting the content, we forget about the other social and emotional struggles that students go through. This movie did a great job highlighting that. The interactive activities did a great job of making me understand what it felt like to be a student with a disability. One word kept coming to my mind: frustration. It reminded me again that when I’m trying to plow through curriculum, I need to pause and remember how frustrating it can be for my students to do the work that is expected of them.
The strategies that were given both reinforced what I was already doing in the classroom, and helped me fine tune other strategies I was trying to use. It helped me to get ideas of how to better accommodate my students within the classroom. Often times, teachers like to take courses over the summer. I really liked taking this course while I’m actually teaching - if I saw a helpful strategy, I was able to implement it right away, otherwise I may forget to do it when the time would come to plan and teach.
Overall, this course was very beneficial to me, even the math section! I look forward to taking another course with you, Margaret!
-Cassandra M.
How Co-Teaching Benefits Students With Special Needs: Effective Models for the Inclusion Classroom
This course gave me valuable insight on strategies that I can use while co-teaching in the classroom. I will be working with two separate co-teachers this year. One will be in US government, and the other will be in economics. While I am certified in social studies, I am not as well-versed in those particular content areas as my peers. However, I bring other experience in the classroom and I am hoping that I can give insight on how to work with students with disabilities. I also believe that my differentiation skills could also come into play to help better serve special-education students as well as general education students.
-Salvatore D.
This course gave me valuable insight on strategies that I can use while co-teaching in the classroom. I will be working with two separate co-teachers this year. One will be in US government, and the other will be in economics. While I am certified in social studies, I am not as well-versed in those particular content areas as my peers. However, I bring other experience in the classroom and I am hoping that I can give insight on how to work with students with disabilities. I also believe that my differentiation skills could also come into play to help better serve special-education students as well as general education students.
-Salvatore D.
Get Ready for Next Generation: ELA
Get Ready for Next Generation: Mathematics
It is important for all teachers to get comfortable with the new standards, so I decided to start with two of the Next Generation courses, ELA and Mathematics, and I'm so glad I did! I felt they were both great classes designed to acclimate educators to the new Next Generation standards. When administrators begin conversations about Next Generation, we as teachers can get very hypersensitive and nervous. This was my main motivation for taking these classes; I wanted to understand the standards more clearly.
Having now completed both courses, I feel far more knowledgeable and confident and will thus be able to participate when the Next Generations Standards are discussed. Through the course readings and assignments, I understand that these standards are more manageable and are similar to what we have been already been doing - just more clear and concise, which can only help. I think the best assignments were reading the "Fact Sheets" for each course (Assignment 5) and thinking through lessons of my own where the ideas could be incorporated in ELA and Mathematics (Assignment 6).
Thanks for a great course!
-Stefanie L.
“Get Ready for Next Generation Mathematics” is the first pedagogical course that I’ve taken in many years. Initially as I scanned the syllabus, a tribe of lively butterflies conducted a mini-powwow in my belly. These feelings were galvanized by the role that I’ve work so hard to maintain. I’ve been wearing the “The Teacher” mask since my late twenties and I was anxiously wondering if “Glenn-The Student” still had the hunger to learn.
I understand that NG2 is an online course, but as I completed each assignment I wondered what my state-wide classmates thought of the new information. I would pretend that we were all in one free open space, swimming in a sea of reflections and ignoring the discomfort produced by the rigid seats. My fellow mathematical explorers and I would probably respectfully grapple about a gamut of things.
Ms. Mavros, as you kindly x-rayed my reflections based on my teaching experiences, dogmatic ideas, queries, dreams, and doubts I imagined there was a community of educators also listening in.
Overall the class was thought-provoking. I had to apply multiple lenses to dissect each assignment. In my opinion each of the six tasks were necessary to the introduction of the Next Generation Mathematical Standards. I also thought the sequence of syllabus was well planned.
There were three tasks that called out to me professionally and personally. Assignment #3 reminded me an old clattering key chain. The glossary words were not shiny or new but could crafted into reliable problem-solvers. Those keys will unlock voluminous academic doors for both educators and math students.
I hope that there will be multiple professional development sessions based on assignment #5. All educators are going to require a side by side visual of the Common Core Standards and the Next Generations Standards. Educators will then understand that the system is not be destroyed but remodeled to benefit our students.
Assignment #6 is definitely an approach that I plan to share with my colleagues. Number six can also be utilized by teachers and administrators during strategic meetings. It’s similar to an author attempting to republish a book with some original ideas. Unfortunately, the manuscript might contain a setting that is convoluted or a few undeveloped characters. Instead of tearing the book to shreds, a true writer makes adjustments.
-Glenn C.
I felt that the assignments were straight forward and I appreciated having portions of text already provided. For example, in assignment #2, the English Language Arts Standards Reviews & Changes were given to us. Therefore, when I looked at my hard copy I knew just where to go.
I was satisfied with the course, I think that it provided a good introduction to the changes and focuses on ELL's, MLL's and SWD's. I think it is important to have background knowledge before implementing anything.
I liked assignment 3. I was particularly interested in the statement, "Today's children must also become adults who are able to communicate and navigate in an increasingly interconnected society."
I consider this a relevant topic to focus in on due to the ever-changing technology and I appreciated the attention for children to be able to marshal reading, writing and thinking skills and develop advanced literacies.
Thank you for this opportunity to grow professionally.
-Theresa C.
Get Ready for Next Generation: Mathematics
It is important for all teachers to get comfortable with the new standards, so I decided to start with two of the Next Generation courses, ELA and Mathematics, and I'm so glad I did! I felt they were both great classes designed to acclimate educators to the new Next Generation standards. When administrators begin conversations about Next Generation, we as teachers can get very hypersensitive and nervous. This was my main motivation for taking these classes; I wanted to understand the standards more clearly.
Having now completed both courses, I feel far more knowledgeable and confident and will thus be able to participate when the Next Generations Standards are discussed. Through the course readings and assignments, I understand that these standards are more manageable and are similar to what we have been already been doing - just more clear and concise, which can only help. I think the best assignments were reading the "Fact Sheets" for each course (Assignment 5) and thinking through lessons of my own where the ideas could be incorporated in ELA and Mathematics (Assignment 6).
Thanks for a great course!
-Stefanie L.
“Get Ready for Next Generation Mathematics” is the first pedagogical course that I’ve taken in many years. Initially as I scanned the syllabus, a tribe of lively butterflies conducted a mini-powwow in my belly. These feelings were galvanized by the role that I’ve work so hard to maintain. I’ve been wearing the “The Teacher” mask since my late twenties and I was anxiously wondering if “Glenn-The Student” still had the hunger to learn.
I understand that NG2 is an online course, but as I completed each assignment I wondered what my state-wide classmates thought of the new information. I would pretend that we were all in one free open space, swimming in a sea of reflections and ignoring the discomfort produced by the rigid seats. My fellow mathematical explorers and I would probably respectfully grapple about a gamut of things.
Ms. Mavros, as you kindly x-rayed my reflections based on my teaching experiences, dogmatic ideas, queries, dreams, and doubts I imagined there was a community of educators also listening in.
Overall the class was thought-provoking. I had to apply multiple lenses to dissect each assignment. In my opinion each of the six tasks were necessary to the introduction of the Next Generation Mathematical Standards. I also thought the sequence of syllabus was well planned.
There were three tasks that called out to me professionally and personally. Assignment #3 reminded me an old clattering key chain. The glossary words were not shiny or new but could crafted into reliable problem-solvers. Those keys will unlock voluminous academic doors for both educators and math students.
I hope that there will be multiple professional development sessions based on assignment #5. All educators are going to require a side by side visual of the Common Core Standards and the Next Generations Standards. Educators will then understand that the system is not be destroyed but remodeled to benefit our students.
Assignment #6 is definitely an approach that I plan to share with my colleagues. Number six can also be utilized by teachers and administrators during strategic meetings. It’s similar to an author attempting to republish a book with some original ideas. Unfortunately, the manuscript might contain a setting that is convoluted or a few undeveloped characters. Instead of tearing the book to shreds, a true writer makes adjustments.
-Glenn C.
I felt that the assignments were straight forward and I appreciated having portions of text already provided. For example, in assignment #2, the English Language Arts Standards Reviews & Changes were given to us. Therefore, when I looked at my hard copy I knew just where to go.
I was satisfied with the course, I think that it provided a good introduction to the changes and focuses on ELL's, MLL's and SWD's. I think it is important to have background knowledge before implementing anything.
I liked assignment 3. I was particularly interested in the statement, "Today's children must also become adults who are able to communicate and navigate in an increasingly interconnected society."
I consider this a relevant topic to focus in on due to the ever-changing technology and I appreciated the attention for children to be able to marshal reading, writing and thinking skills and develop advanced literacies.
Thank you for this opportunity to grow professionally.
-Theresa C.
It’s H.O.T.! How Essential Questions Develop Higher Order Thinking Skills and Provide Evidence of Learning
This course, taught by Maryanne Edwards, is a well thought out, insightful, and applicable course for educators of any grade level and content area. For me, I teach reading at the elementary level and found many of the articles helpful in growing professionally. Learning about Higher Order Thinking (H.O.T) and generating deeper thinking and growth for students is what this course is based on. Stemming from H.O.T., the course explored ways to help students strengthen their critical thinking skills, how to use essential questions in order to help the students dig deeper in their understanding. Maryanne Edwards is a delight to work with. She is very accessible and was in touch with me often, through email, offering great insight and feedback with every assignment. She maintained a very professional, yet warm connection as we corresponded about key ideas on assignments I turned in.
I recommend this instructor and course highly!
-Alison S.
This course, taught by Maryanne Edwards, is a well thought out, insightful, and applicable course for educators of any grade level and content area. For me, I teach reading at the elementary level and found many of the articles helpful in growing professionally. Learning about Higher Order Thinking (H.O.T) and generating deeper thinking and growth for students is what this course is based on. Stemming from H.O.T., the course explored ways to help students strengthen their critical thinking skills, how to use essential questions in order to help the students dig deeper in their understanding. Maryanne Edwards is a delight to work with. She is very accessible and was in touch with me often, through email, offering great insight and feedback with every assignment. She maintained a very professional, yet warm connection as we corresponded about key ideas on assignments I turned in.
I recommend this instructor and course highly!
-Alison S.
Dealing With Difficult Students: How Crisis Intervention Can Keep Schools Safe and Help Students Succeed
I found this course to be very worthwhile. I liked the way you asked us to consider different aspects of crisis, including types of crisis, ways school staff can and should respond, ways children are impacted by crisis and how we can work to prevent and mitigate these effects. I thought the readings were consistently good. One of my favorite assignments was Assignment 8, where you asked us to honestly assess our ability to respond to crisis. I think this kind of self-evaluation is crucial to doing our best work. The best part of the class was your feedback. It was timely, detailed and constructive. I learned a great deal from our back and forth conversations and I appreciate the time and thought you gave in your responses to my work. Thank you for the opportunity to learn from your experiences.
-Alison S.
The selection of assigned reading was helpful to the overall understanding of the course. It was great to have the freedom to choose our own readings to comment on as well. This course is extremely relevant to all teachers as we deal with many crises throughout the school year. The information I learned will be helpful in observing students in crisis, what the crisis is, strategies to combat the crisis, what to do after the crisis, and what strategies to implement when the student is in your class the next day. I felt all the assignments were important because they gave you different aspects and perspectives of dealing with crisis and the student, as well as the school staff, and parents.
This was a very informative course; Cindy did an excellent job in commenting on the various topics and offered her insight as well, which was much appreciated.
-Vinny C.
First, I want to thank you for giving me amazing feedback! This course was very interesting and it kept me motivated. I really enjoyed all of the assignments and learning new information about different crises that schools and students face every year. My favorite would have to be Assignments 2 and 3 because they discussed the different crisis students have and it helped me to reflect on my past experiences. It also taught me how to help students by observing them and looking for certain signs; it also taught me how to react to a crisis. I enjoyed reading a variety of articles on the important sites that you provided for us. I learned more about self-injury, adolescent suicide, teen pregnancy and child abuse. It gave me new strategies to use in my classroom and helped me to reflect on what I already do. I believe we are all in this together and we learn from each other by sharing. Thank you for giving me this opportunity and I look forward to taking another course from you in the future.
-Clare G.
I learned a great deal from the articles provided as well as from the ones I found on my own. I will be able to use the information from this course to deal with a crisis if necessary. I also will be able to share the findings with my colleagues.
The one article that stood out the most to me was the one about "Donna" as it was written by someone who had to actually deal with a student who was cutting herself. She was able to talk about her own experience as a teacher and what she had done to help the student.
The surprising thing to me is that there had been no requirement for teachers to complete a course on suicide prevention. A law was passed only after a tragedy happened. The two men who lost their children to suicide had to push their local legislators to propose such a bill which was then passed into law. I am happy that such a law was passed, but I think that such a course should have been required long before that. I'm so glad you provided this course and I know I am now much more informed to deal with the potential crises that could occur with my students. Thank you!
-Patryk K.
I found this course to be very worthwhile. I liked the way you asked us to consider different aspects of crisis, including types of crisis, ways school staff can and should respond, ways children are impacted by crisis and how we can work to prevent and mitigate these effects. I thought the readings were consistently good. One of my favorite assignments was Assignment 8, where you asked us to honestly assess our ability to respond to crisis. I think this kind of self-evaluation is crucial to doing our best work. The best part of the class was your feedback. It was timely, detailed and constructive. I learned a great deal from our back and forth conversations and I appreciate the time and thought you gave in your responses to my work. Thank you for the opportunity to learn from your experiences.
-Alison S.
The selection of assigned reading was helpful to the overall understanding of the course. It was great to have the freedom to choose our own readings to comment on as well. This course is extremely relevant to all teachers as we deal with many crises throughout the school year. The information I learned will be helpful in observing students in crisis, what the crisis is, strategies to combat the crisis, what to do after the crisis, and what strategies to implement when the student is in your class the next day. I felt all the assignments were important because they gave you different aspects and perspectives of dealing with crisis and the student, as well as the school staff, and parents.
This was a very informative course; Cindy did an excellent job in commenting on the various topics and offered her insight as well, which was much appreciated.
-Vinny C.
First, I want to thank you for giving me amazing feedback! This course was very interesting and it kept me motivated. I really enjoyed all of the assignments and learning new information about different crises that schools and students face every year. My favorite would have to be Assignments 2 and 3 because they discussed the different crisis students have and it helped me to reflect on my past experiences. It also taught me how to help students by observing them and looking for certain signs; it also taught me how to react to a crisis. I enjoyed reading a variety of articles on the important sites that you provided for us. I learned more about self-injury, adolescent suicide, teen pregnancy and child abuse. It gave me new strategies to use in my classroom and helped me to reflect on what I already do. I believe we are all in this together and we learn from each other by sharing. Thank you for giving me this opportunity and I look forward to taking another course from you in the future.
-Clare G.
I learned a great deal from the articles provided as well as from the ones I found on my own. I will be able to use the information from this course to deal with a crisis if necessary. I also will be able to share the findings with my colleagues.
The one article that stood out the most to me was the one about "Donna" as it was written by someone who had to actually deal with a student who was cutting herself. She was able to talk about her own experience as a teacher and what she had done to help the student.
The surprising thing to me is that there had been no requirement for teachers to complete a course on suicide prevention. A law was passed only after a tragedy happened. The two men who lost their children to suicide had to push their local legislators to propose such a bill which was then passed into law. I am happy that such a law was passed, but I think that such a course should have been required long before that. I'm so glad you provided this course and I know I am now much more informed to deal with the potential crises that could occur with my students. Thank you!
-Patryk K.
Establishing Relationships in the School Community: How Teachers, Administrators and Parents Can Work Collaboratively to Enhance Student Performance
It is once again a pleasure to take a class with Professor Edwards. As always, I enjoyed learning about a topic that is enlightening and interesting at so many levels. This course addressed a topic that targets what all educators experience in the school setting: “establishing relationships in the school community.” Every website taught me something or demonstrated something that I would like to use in the classroom as well as share with my co-workers.
I like the fact that I was able to be honest with my answers and I didn't have to try to make things sound good for the purpose of pleasing the professor. As educators we come to realize that we all dream of a better environment in which we all feel validated and can work together towards creating a successful environment for students, educators and parents. However, that is not always a reality. In some schools, administrators, teachers and parents are able to successfully work together and collaborate with one another in order to create a positive school climate and increase responsiveness to students’ needs. In other schools many factors can potentially affect the climate in ways that ultimately are not constructive. Ideally, we all dream of working together but when that seems unlikely, a course like this can provide ideas and insights. Educators should focus on the process for creating positive working relationships with parents and work together as a team in order to help students succeed!
Thank you so much for being so wonderful and teaching me something new!
-Rosa M.
I truly enjoyed thanking the course "Establishing Relationships in the School Community: How Teachers, Administrators and Parents Can Work Collaboratively to Enhance Student Performance." This class has helped me to have a stronger understanding of the importance of school-community collaboration as well as the need to get parents involved in students' education. The instructor, Maryanne Edwards, gave very good feedback on each assignment, which I really appreciated. I will look to take other courses with this instructor again in the future.
-Christopher L.
It is once again a pleasure to take a class with Professor Edwards. As always, I enjoyed learning about a topic that is enlightening and interesting at so many levels. This course addressed a topic that targets what all educators experience in the school setting: “establishing relationships in the school community.” Every website taught me something or demonstrated something that I would like to use in the classroom as well as share with my co-workers.
I like the fact that I was able to be honest with my answers and I didn't have to try to make things sound good for the purpose of pleasing the professor. As educators we come to realize that we all dream of a better environment in which we all feel validated and can work together towards creating a successful environment for students, educators and parents. However, that is not always a reality. In some schools, administrators, teachers and parents are able to successfully work together and collaborate with one another in order to create a positive school climate and increase responsiveness to students’ needs. In other schools many factors can potentially affect the climate in ways that ultimately are not constructive. Ideally, we all dream of working together but when that seems unlikely, a course like this can provide ideas and insights. Educators should focus on the process for creating positive working relationships with parents and work together as a team in order to help students succeed!
Thank you so much for being so wonderful and teaching me something new!
-Rosa M.
I truly enjoyed thanking the course "Establishing Relationships in the School Community: How Teachers, Administrators and Parents Can Work Collaboratively to Enhance Student Performance." This class has helped me to have a stronger understanding of the importance of school-community collaboration as well as the need to get parents involved in students' education. The instructor, Maryanne Edwards, gave very good feedback on each assignment, which I really appreciated. I will look to take other courses with this instructor again in the future.
-Christopher L.
Emotional Intelligence and Critical Thinking: Increasing Student Motivation and Productivity
I am highly satisfied with this entire course and the information I learned from it. It is well organized and provided a wealth of valuable material that is applicable to my classroom. The feedback I received is always thorough, personal, and is more akin to a professional discussion. I particularly liked assignment 5 because it made me consider the level of my own EQ. I also liked assignments 7 & 8 because they made me take a close look at my students and determine who would be at the far ends of the EQ spectrum. This activity made me realize that although I had an idea of who my top performers are, I can further distinguish by EQ and consider how it influences their performance in school. I thoroughly enjoyed the topics that tied high EQ to present and future success. Many students ask why they have to learn something. Emotional Intelligence is something that will pay dividends for life. Thank you for a wonderful class.
-Gary C.
Once again, it has been wonderful to work with this instructor. The thorough responses to each of the assignments and the direct connection to each response is the best representation for how to teach emotional intelligence there is. With each response, as the student, your work feels warranted and it makes you want to continue to work hard in the course. Perhaps better than the assignments, was the model teaching shown to us as students.
In terms of overall course satisfaction, I loved the course. I felt this was something that I decided to take because I felt a deficiency in my knowledge of emotional intelligence. In reading each article and completing each assignment, I felt my understanding grow. One assignment I enjoyed was evaluating some of my own students based on their emotional intelligence. Before this course I would have had a very tough time doing any evaluation like that, but while into the course I began to analyze many of my students' emotional intelligence and began to think of ways to help strengthen their EQ skills. I hope to carry over these ideas into the next school year in order to be proactive rather than reactive. A second assignment I enjoyed greatly dealt with emotional intelligence, with a section dedicated to the athlete. As someone who coaches multiple sports, I found it interesting to see how emotional intelligence can impact players on the field and in the most crucial moments of games. As a whole this class was very informative and enjoyable. I look forward to continuing to work with Judi in the future.
-Patrick S.
I am highly satisfied with this entire course and the information I learned from it. It is well organized and provided a wealth of valuable material that is applicable to my classroom. The feedback I received is always thorough, personal, and is more akin to a professional discussion. I particularly liked assignment 5 because it made me consider the level of my own EQ. I also liked assignments 7 & 8 because they made me take a close look at my students and determine who would be at the far ends of the EQ spectrum. This activity made me realize that although I had an idea of who my top performers are, I can further distinguish by EQ and consider how it influences their performance in school. I thoroughly enjoyed the topics that tied high EQ to present and future success. Many students ask why they have to learn something. Emotional Intelligence is something that will pay dividends for life. Thank you for a wonderful class.
-Gary C.
Once again, it has been wonderful to work with this instructor. The thorough responses to each of the assignments and the direct connection to each response is the best representation for how to teach emotional intelligence there is. With each response, as the student, your work feels warranted and it makes you want to continue to work hard in the course. Perhaps better than the assignments, was the model teaching shown to us as students.
In terms of overall course satisfaction, I loved the course. I felt this was something that I decided to take because I felt a deficiency in my knowledge of emotional intelligence. In reading each article and completing each assignment, I felt my understanding grow. One assignment I enjoyed was evaluating some of my own students based on their emotional intelligence. Before this course I would have had a very tough time doing any evaluation like that, but while into the course I began to analyze many of my students' emotional intelligence and began to think of ways to help strengthen their EQ skills. I hope to carry over these ideas into the next school year in order to be proactive rather than reactive. A second assignment I enjoyed greatly dealt with emotional intelligence, with a section dedicated to the athlete. As someone who coaches multiple sports, I found it interesting to see how emotional intelligence can impact players on the field and in the most crucial moments of games. As a whole this class was very informative and enjoyable. I look forward to continuing to work with Judi in the future.
-Patrick S.
Substance Abuse and Family Addiction: Impact on Student Learning and Behavior
I am extremely satisfied with the Substance Abuse and Family Addiction course. Not only did I gain a wealth of information that I can use in both my professional and personal life but I also have some diagnostic tools that I can use with friends and family.
I have to say that I particularly enjoyed the articles on drug addiction. Not simply because they are so timely but because I feel as if this is the number one threat facing our young people. I am so happy to have information to share with my students on the effects of marijuana use. I cannot tell you how many kids tell me it is all natural and has no harmful effects. This is especially true now, with the push of many people who stand to profit off of its legalization. Armed with this information I can now have a foundation upon which to base my arguments.
Without a doubt the article From Pot to Heroin in No Time at All left the most significant impression upon me and it is one I plan to read to my students when we cover the nervous system in class. Too often kids cannot see the connection between marijuana use and heroin addiction.
Thank you for an excellent course! It was easy to navigate and a pleasure to have all of articles and assignments organized so well. I will highly recommend it to all of my friends.
-Vicki G.
I am extremely satisfied with the Substance Abuse and Family Addiction course. Not only did I gain a wealth of information that I can use in both my professional and personal life but I also have some diagnostic tools that I can use with friends and family.
I have to say that I particularly enjoyed the articles on drug addiction. Not simply because they are so timely but because I feel as if this is the number one threat facing our young people. I am so happy to have information to share with my students on the effects of marijuana use. I cannot tell you how many kids tell me it is all natural and has no harmful effects. This is especially true now, with the push of many people who stand to profit off of its legalization. Armed with this information I can now have a foundation upon which to base my arguments.
Without a doubt the article From Pot to Heroin in No Time at All left the most significant impression upon me and it is one I plan to read to my students when we cover the nervous system in class. Too often kids cannot see the connection between marijuana use and heroin addiction.
Thank you for an excellent course! It was easy to navigate and a pleasure to have all of articles and assignments organized so well. I will highly recommend it to all of my friends.
-Vicki G.
Using Google Apps in the Classroom: Beginner to Intermediate
Using Google Apps in the Classroom: Intermediate to Advanced
I really enjoyed your two classes and found both to be extremely useful and relevant. Your two Google Apps courses proved to be very helpful and I gained a great deal of insight from the assignments. I can’t wait to start off the new school year implementing the Google Apps and Internet tips I learned in this class. I would like to take more of your courses. Is there a possibility of another Google Apps class? Maybe you could go from Beginner to Intermediate, Intermediate to Advanced, and then "Advanced to Expert"…something like that! I look forward to the opportunity to take more of your classes. Thanks again, Chris!
Matthew B.
Using Google Apps in the Classroom: Intermediate to Advanced
I really enjoyed your two classes and found both to be extremely useful and relevant. Your two Google Apps courses proved to be very helpful and I gained a great deal of insight from the assignments. I can’t wait to start off the new school year implementing the Google Apps and Internet tips I learned in this class. I would like to take more of your courses. Is there a possibility of another Google Apps class? Maybe you could go from Beginner to Intermediate, Intermediate to Advanced, and then "Advanced to Expert"…something like that! I look forward to the opportunity to take more of your classes. Thanks again, Chris!
Matthew B.
Responding to Disruptive Students in the Classroom: Strategies for Teachers
This was a very informative course and relevant to teaching in the “real world.” Not only did I learn new things, I learned strategies that will help me day to day in the classroom. I felt that all of the readings were well thought out and appropriate for the course topics. I thought that the assignments where I was asked to relate to my specific experiences were the most useful. My creative juices really started flowing when one particular assignment asked me to create a scenario that could happen in my classroom. I really enjoyed the instructor's feedback; there was a great deal of encouragement and positive feedback. I could tell that Ms. Edwards related to my experiences and she seemed to genuinely enjoy my assignment responses. Overall, I learned valuable strategies from this course and look forward to taking more courses through Core PD.
-Brendan C.
This course was extremely thorough, thought provoking, and enlightening. The research and readings that went along with the class are all pieces of information I’m excited to bring back to work with me, and bring some of these interventions into my practice when needed. Maryanne’s feedback is so specific and relatable, it’s great to work with someone who is so knowledgeable.
Thank you so much for all of your feedback throughout the course! It was great "hanging out" this summer :) I'm sure I will take more classes during the school year.
-Danielle P.
I enjoyed taking the course "Responding to Disruptive Students in the Classroom" with Maryanne Edwards. When I saw the title when looking for a new class, I thought it would be good to take since I'm starting off a new school year. I was hoping to get some new ideas and perspective on classroom management and, particularly, connecting with students who can be disruptive.
I found the articles to be interesting and the course topic to be very relevant to what I am currently doing in my school: building new relationships with new students, setting classroom expectations and rules, and creating a positive classroom environment with minimal disruptions.
One assignment that stuck out to me was Assignment 9, Social Learning Theory. I've always know that children learn from their surroundings, acting as a sponge and picking up things from people close to them. Reading the article and reflecting on it really made me realize the magnitude of how they are programed by the people around them. I understand how it is the teacher's or parent's job to reinforce in a positive or negative way, to either promote or discourage such imitative behavior.
I've found that Maryanne Edwards' feedback for each assignment is always thorough and informative. Sometimes I enjoy reading the instructor's feedback and her personal stories related to the assignments more than reading the articles themselves! I sincerely appreciate her feedback.
-Christopher L.
This was a very informative course and relevant to teaching in the “real world.” Not only did I learn new things, I learned strategies that will help me day to day in the classroom. I felt that all of the readings were well thought out and appropriate for the course topics. I thought that the assignments where I was asked to relate to my specific experiences were the most useful. My creative juices really started flowing when one particular assignment asked me to create a scenario that could happen in my classroom. I really enjoyed the instructor's feedback; there was a great deal of encouragement and positive feedback. I could tell that Ms. Edwards related to my experiences and she seemed to genuinely enjoy my assignment responses. Overall, I learned valuable strategies from this course and look forward to taking more courses through Core PD.
-Brendan C.
This course was extremely thorough, thought provoking, and enlightening. The research and readings that went along with the class are all pieces of information I’m excited to bring back to work with me, and bring some of these interventions into my practice when needed. Maryanne’s feedback is so specific and relatable, it’s great to work with someone who is so knowledgeable.
Thank you so much for all of your feedback throughout the course! It was great "hanging out" this summer :) I'm sure I will take more classes during the school year.
-Danielle P.
I enjoyed taking the course "Responding to Disruptive Students in the Classroom" with Maryanne Edwards. When I saw the title when looking for a new class, I thought it would be good to take since I'm starting off a new school year. I was hoping to get some new ideas and perspective on classroom management and, particularly, connecting with students who can be disruptive.
I found the articles to be interesting and the course topic to be very relevant to what I am currently doing in my school: building new relationships with new students, setting classroom expectations and rules, and creating a positive classroom environment with minimal disruptions.
One assignment that stuck out to me was Assignment 9, Social Learning Theory. I've always know that children learn from their surroundings, acting as a sponge and picking up things from people close to them. Reading the article and reflecting on it really made me realize the magnitude of how they are programed by the people around them. I understand how it is the teacher's or parent's job to reinforce in a positive or negative way, to either promote or discourage such imitative behavior.
I've found that Maryanne Edwards' feedback for each assignment is always thorough and informative. Sometimes I enjoy reading the instructor's feedback and her personal stories related to the assignments more than reading the articles themselves! I sincerely appreciate her feedback.
-Christopher L.
DASA: How Anti-Bullying Legislation Impacts Schools, Teachers and Students
Thank you SO MUCH for a truly engaging and informative course. I truthfully selected this course because:
1) you were teaching it (and I always love your courses) and
2) I knew my school district had to approve it because DASA is mandated by law.
I had no idea how much I would enjoy it! Thanks for a fabulous, informative course! You and your instructors are a wealth of knowledge, and I know the Manhasset Math Department has you down as the "go to" for in-service courses.
My favorite assignment was #6/7 – the interviews. It opened up so much discussion with my friends and family. I now find myself bringing up the topic of bullying in my every day conversations, and I love hearing what my children, students and friends think of the topic. I believe that I will truly be more proactive and aware of potential problems when I return to my classroom in the fall.
I also really enjoyed all the YouTube videos. You can read as much as you want about this topic, but seeing people who have been bullied (like Jonah or Josh) or even just meant to feel like an outsider (like Jonathan) share their day-to-day lives or emotions “in person” makes it that much more tangible. I hope that teachers across the state use these tools when teaching acceptance and diversity. Theirs are messages of heartache and courage that will stay with the viewer for a very long time.
This is my last course as I have just reached +75 on our pay scale! Thanks so much for all your wonderful and varied courses. I will, of course, continue to recommend you and CORE to my colleagues. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and thanks again!
-Laura P.
I cannot thank you enough for offering the "DASA: How Anti-Bullying Legislation Impacts Schools, Teachers and Students" class! I think that a great course gets you to not just do the assignments, but to think beyond the assignments and try to find ways to improve. That is what this course has done for me. I spend a part of every day thinking about the websites that I discovered, the poems and articles that I read, and the videos that I saw. I observe the interactions between children/children and children/adults, and talk to colleagues about the many things that your course has taught me.
I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite assignment because they were all so helpful to me. More so perhaps, were the responses that you provided. I don’t know how you did it but you responded to every statement that I made. You carefully read what I wrote, offered your insightful responses, and offered some words of wisdom from your own experiences. I couldn’t ask for anything more and I can’t wait to take another course with you!
-Leslie R.
I found this course to be very interesting and informative. The assignments were enjoyable to do and provided me with new ideas and ways to implement DASA into my school. One of my favorite assignments was the interview of a parent, teacher and administrator. It was interesting to see the different perspectives each had about DASA and how it affects everyone in a different way. It is also great to hear that DASA is being implemented in all the different grade levels. It is important to have students aware of these issues at a young age. I also enjoyed the last assignment. I found the videos and poems to be moving and inspirational. The videos really showed the lives affected from bullying. If more people saw the videos, more people may speak up against bullying.
I thought this was a fair amount of coursework and the assignments provided me with new information. I also really appreciated the immediate feedback on all the assignments. All of the feedback was filled with detailed comments. Thank you for providing me with all the new resources. I plan to reference back to all the resources throughout my professional career. I really enjoyed this course. Thank you again!
-Sara G.
Thank you SO MUCH for a truly engaging and informative course. I truthfully selected this course because:
1) you were teaching it (and I always love your courses) and
2) I knew my school district had to approve it because DASA is mandated by law.
I had no idea how much I would enjoy it! Thanks for a fabulous, informative course! You and your instructors are a wealth of knowledge, and I know the Manhasset Math Department has you down as the "go to" for in-service courses.
My favorite assignment was #6/7 – the interviews. It opened up so much discussion with my friends and family. I now find myself bringing up the topic of bullying in my every day conversations, and I love hearing what my children, students and friends think of the topic. I believe that I will truly be more proactive and aware of potential problems when I return to my classroom in the fall.
I also really enjoyed all the YouTube videos. You can read as much as you want about this topic, but seeing people who have been bullied (like Jonah or Josh) or even just meant to feel like an outsider (like Jonathan) share their day-to-day lives or emotions “in person” makes it that much more tangible. I hope that teachers across the state use these tools when teaching acceptance and diversity. Theirs are messages of heartache and courage that will stay with the viewer for a very long time.
This is my last course as I have just reached +75 on our pay scale! Thanks so much for all your wonderful and varied courses. I will, of course, continue to recommend you and CORE to my colleagues. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and thanks again!
-Laura P.
I cannot thank you enough for offering the "DASA: How Anti-Bullying Legislation Impacts Schools, Teachers and Students" class! I think that a great course gets you to not just do the assignments, but to think beyond the assignments and try to find ways to improve. That is what this course has done for me. I spend a part of every day thinking about the websites that I discovered, the poems and articles that I read, and the videos that I saw. I observe the interactions between children/children and children/adults, and talk to colleagues about the many things that your course has taught me.
I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite assignment because they were all so helpful to me. More so perhaps, were the responses that you provided. I don’t know how you did it but you responded to every statement that I made. You carefully read what I wrote, offered your insightful responses, and offered some words of wisdom from your own experiences. I couldn’t ask for anything more and I can’t wait to take another course with you!
-Leslie R.
I found this course to be very interesting and informative. The assignments were enjoyable to do and provided me with new ideas and ways to implement DASA into my school. One of my favorite assignments was the interview of a parent, teacher and administrator. It was interesting to see the different perspectives each had about DASA and how it affects everyone in a different way. It is also great to hear that DASA is being implemented in all the different grade levels. It is important to have students aware of these issues at a young age. I also enjoyed the last assignment. I found the videos and poems to be moving and inspirational. The videos really showed the lives affected from bullying. If more people saw the videos, more people may speak up against bullying.
I thought this was a fair amount of coursework and the assignments provided me with new information. I also really appreciated the immediate feedback on all the assignments. All of the feedback was filled with detailed comments. Thank you for providing me with all the new resources. I plan to reference back to all the resources throughout my professional career. I really enjoyed this course. Thank you again!
-Sara G.
Virtual Field Trips: Explore the World from Your Classroom
Virtual Field Trips was an awesome class! Margaret was wonderful and she always sent constructive and positive feedback very quickly. I have never taken a VFT until this course and it opened my eyes to some of the ways I could change my teaching. My 5th graders are going to love doing this; they will be so much more engaged!
I enjoyed searching and navigating the examples of the VFT Margaret provided us with. I also really enjoyed creating my first VFT for my 5th graders to use this upcoming school year. I know it will be so helpful for the students to really “see” what they’re learning about and to be able to make real life connections. Thank you for a great class!
-Jessica L.
I am very satisfied with this course. Before enrolling in this class I knew very little about virtual field trips and didn’t understand how they worked or could be implemented in my classroom. However, after viewing several different virtual field trip websites, I was not only surprised of how easy they are to navigate, but also how seamlessly they can tie into a lesson and/or presentation.
I would strongly encourage all teachers to incorporate virtual field trips into their lessons. Although I was able to explore various websites, my favorite would have to be Google Lit Trips. Many of the books my students read were offered on this website and can allow them to make stronger connections to the reading and hopefully improve comprehension. All of the assignments were relevant; it was the final project that was the most important to me. Taking a class that will allow me to construct materials within my classroom is extremely helpful.
-Andrew C.
I really loved taking this course! The topics were very interesting, engaging and fun; the class enables teachers to learn about a great new unit for students. I loved the idea of learning and creating virtual field trips. I believe this course creates many opportunities for students. They are able to visit many amazing places that they wouldn't be able to in the real world. Through technology, students are able to visit many different places!
My favorite assignment was Assignment 3 when we were able to visit different websites and take many virtual tours. I got a broad variety of ideas on how to create a trip and how to implement different elements into a virtual trip. These included videos and 360 views, both of which would engage students and reach all types of learners. I also liked the final project. It was challenging and fun to create a virtual trip that I could actually use with my students in my own classroom.
I really enjoyed this course. The resources and feedback from the professor were very beneficial and constructive. I will use the resources and strategies in my own classroom for many years to come!
-Kristie L.
Virtual Field Trips was an awesome class! Margaret was wonderful and she always sent constructive and positive feedback very quickly. I have never taken a VFT until this course and it opened my eyes to some of the ways I could change my teaching. My 5th graders are going to love doing this; they will be so much more engaged!
I enjoyed searching and navigating the examples of the VFT Margaret provided us with. I also really enjoyed creating my first VFT for my 5th graders to use this upcoming school year. I know it will be so helpful for the students to really “see” what they’re learning about and to be able to make real life connections. Thank you for a great class!
-Jessica L.
I am very satisfied with this course. Before enrolling in this class I knew very little about virtual field trips and didn’t understand how they worked or could be implemented in my classroom. However, after viewing several different virtual field trip websites, I was not only surprised of how easy they are to navigate, but also how seamlessly they can tie into a lesson and/or presentation.
I would strongly encourage all teachers to incorporate virtual field trips into their lessons. Although I was able to explore various websites, my favorite would have to be Google Lit Trips. Many of the books my students read were offered on this website and can allow them to make stronger connections to the reading and hopefully improve comprehension. All of the assignments were relevant; it was the final project that was the most important to me. Taking a class that will allow me to construct materials within my classroom is extremely helpful.
-Andrew C.
I really loved taking this course! The topics were very interesting, engaging and fun; the class enables teachers to learn about a great new unit for students. I loved the idea of learning and creating virtual field trips. I believe this course creates many opportunities for students. They are able to visit many amazing places that they wouldn't be able to in the real world. Through technology, students are able to visit many different places!
My favorite assignment was Assignment 3 when we were able to visit different websites and take many virtual tours. I got a broad variety of ideas on how to create a trip and how to implement different elements into a virtual trip. These included videos and 360 views, both of which would engage students and reach all types of learners. I also liked the final project. It was challenging and fun to create a virtual trip that I could actually use with my students in my own classroom.
I really enjoyed this course. The resources and feedback from the professor were very beneficial and constructive. I will use the resources and strategies in my own classroom for many years to come!
-Kristie L.
Safe Schools, Safe Faculty: Establishing Ethical and Legal Boundaries for Professionalism in Education
I definitely learned a great deal from this course. The readings gave me so much important and relevant information; they gave me new ideas and different perspectives on school safety issues that impact all districts. The assignments also made me realize how incredibly important it is to have policies in place for a variety of possible situations in order to keep both myself and my students safe.
The coursework allowed me to focus on situations that I may not have had experience with yet and gave me the opportunity to formulate a path to take that would allow me to successfully address those situations. I found the assignments useful in that they allowed me to reflect on my own practices and beliefs. They also made me revisit agency policies that I was either unsure of or, in some cases, unaware of their existence.
The feedback and commentary on submitted assignments was informative and allowed for growth.
-Lauren S.
I definitely learned a great deal from this course. The readings gave me so much important and relevant information; they gave me new ideas and different perspectives on school safety issues that impact all districts. The assignments also made me realize how incredibly important it is to have policies in place for a variety of possible situations in order to keep both myself and my students safe.
The coursework allowed me to focus on situations that I may not have had experience with yet and gave me the opportunity to formulate a path to take that would allow me to successfully address those situations. I found the assignments useful in that they allowed me to reflect on my own practices and beliefs. They also made me revisit agency policies that I was either unsure of or, in some cases, unaware of their existence.
The feedback and commentary on submitted assignments was informative and allowed for growth.
-Lauren S.
Strategies for Effective Teacher Collaboration
I cannot thank you enough for creating a course that is both meaningful and useful for educators no matter their expertise or subject matter. I really enjoyed "Strategies for Effective Teacher Collaboration" because I felt that I did a great deal of self-reflecting after reading articles or examining various websites, videos or strategies. I really enjoy taking classes that help me to become a better teacher and that present the truth about teaching. What I liked most about the class was that the assignments presented all aspects of teacher collaboration, its implementation and its potential benefits.
Most importantly, I cannot thank you enough for the amazing feedback you provided me. I felt as though we were having an open dialogue via e-mail and I really appreciate you taking the time to read my responses instead of just saying ‘good job.’ We had two faculty meetings in the month of November regarding the new co-teaching model we rolled out this year and I found myself referencing many of the resources from this class during the meetings and when speaking to my colleagues. Our new teaching model was the reason I took this class; I was hoping to be educated on the topic and I now feel both knowledgeable and empowered. My goal is to take all of this back to school and help our administration realize to importance of collaboration and common prep time especially since it will benefit our students and should help increase tests scores when done correctly.
My favorite assignments were 9 and 10 because they really forced me to take everything I read and learned from this class and use it in the real world – I believe my experience was so successful because I went into it with a realistic goal and an open mind. I shared links from Assignments 6 and 7 with my coordinator who then proceeded to share it with all the coordinators in other departments. I hope that the other coordinators shared it with their staff members and will discuss it at their next department meeting.
Thank you again for this class and all your kind words and suggestions!
-Allyson S.
I really enjoyed this course and found it quite useful. I particularly liked that we were able to pick assignments based on current teaching roles. The collaboration assignments were helpful; I particularly liked that I was able to focus my choices on assignments that were specifically targeted to co-teaching, because that was what drew me to take this course. I also enjoyed reading the articles for assignments 3 and 4 and assignment 8. Assignment 8 gave me the flexibility of doing my own research to find an article that would provide effective strategies for my current co-teaching model. Through this assignment, I was able to come across interesting rubrics and expectations that I plan to show my administrator when we return in the fall. Assignment 10 was also helpful because it allowed us to take the strategies covered in class and apply them to our lessons.
This course encouraged me to reflect on my own personal co-teaching relationship and analyze ways that we can use our strengths to enhance inclusion in ways that are more meaningful for all students. Another aspect I deeply appreciated was the ongoing dialogue and follow up discussions that took place for every assignment. You were extremely accessible and I appreciated your honest and candid responses. They helped me to look at certain circumstances in my district differently. In many ways it was nice to know that educators in other districts are experiencing similar situations, but it was also nice to see that maybe these issues go beyond administration and need to be addressed with the bureaucrats. This course was extremely beneficial and I think all content teachers would benefit from taking this course!
-Michelle F.
I really enjoyed taking this class and felt it was very beneficial in reflecting and evaluating my current co-teaching assignment and considering ways we can improve. It certainly made me realize that my district is somewhat ahead of the curve in terms of co-teaching. This is in large part because my co-teacher is a new teacher, whose education has included instruction on effective co-teaching. While we are in great shape, there are certainly ways we can improve and make our teaching more effective. I think we have a bit of work in terms of best utilizing our skills and knowledge. I anticipate in the future an assignment change where I will have to co-teach with someone else. I will certainly use the strategies I learned to try to create a healthy, collaborative relationship.
The assignment I liked the most was watching team teaching video on the Teaching Channel. I always feel inspired and re-energized when I see good teaching and new ways of approaching what we do. I think this would be an excellent video for all districts to share with their teachers if they are truly interested in collaboration.
To me the benefits of collaboration are so clear and collaboration takes many forms. Content area teachers teaching the same course, co-teachers, teachers in the same content area but on different levels considering how to develop certain skills, all can benefit from collaboration. The only restriction is time and if districts can overcome that challenge, teachers will be able to reap the benefits of collaboration.
-Jennifer H.
I cannot thank you enough for creating a course that is both meaningful and useful for educators no matter their expertise or subject matter. I really enjoyed "Strategies for Effective Teacher Collaboration" because I felt that I did a great deal of self-reflecting after reading articles or examining various websites, videos or strategies. I really enjoy taking classes that help me to become a better teacher and that present the truth about teaching. What I liked most about the class was that the assignments presented all aspects of teacher collaboration, its implementation and its potential benefits.
Most importantly, I cannot thank you enough for the amazing feedback you provided me. I felt as though we were having an open dialogue via e-mail and I really appreciate you taking the time to read my responses instead of just saying ‘good job.’ We had two faculty meetings in the month of November regarding the new co-teaching model we rolled out this year and I found myself referencing many of the resources from this class during the meetings and when speaking to my colleagues. Our new teaching model was the reason I took this class; I was hoping to be educated on the topic and I now feel both knowledgeable and empowered. My goal is to take all of this back to school and help our administration realize to importance of collaboration and common prep time especially since it will benefit our students and should help increase tests scores when done correctly.
My favorite assignments were 9 and 10 because they really forced me to take everything I read and learned from this class and use it in the real world – I believe my experience was so successful because I went into it with a realistic goal and an open mind. I shared links from Assignments 6 and 7 with my coordinator who then proceeded to share it with all the coordinators in other departments. I hope that the other coordinators shared it with their staff members and will discuss it at their next department meeting.
Thank you again for this class and all your kind words and suggestions!
-Allyson S.
I really enjoyed this course and found it quite useful. I particularly liked that we were able to pick assignments based on current teaching roles. The collaboration assignments were helpful; I particularly liked that I was able to focus my choices on assignments that were specifically targeted to co-teaching, because that was what drew me to take this course. I also enjoyed reading the articles for assignments 3 and 4 and assignment 8. Assignment 8 gave me the flexibility of doing my own research to find an article that would provide effective strategies for my current co-teaching model. Through this assignment, I was able to come across interesting rubrics and expectations that I plan to show my administrator when we return in the fall. Assignment 10 was also helpful because it allowed us to take the strategies covered in class and apply them to our lessons.
This course encouraged me to reflect on my own personal co-teaching relationship and analyze ways that we can use our strengths to enhance inclusion in ways that are more meaningful for all students. Another aspect I deeply appreciated was the ongoing dialogue and follow up discussions that took place for every assignment. You were extremely accessible and I appreciated your honest and candid responses. They helped me to look at certain circumstances in my district differently. In many ways it was nice to know that educators in other districts are experiencing similar situations, but it was also nice to see that maybe these issues go beyond administration and need to be addressed with the bureaucrats. This course was extremely beneficial and I think all content teachers would benefit from taking this course!
-Michelle F.
I really enjoyed taking this class and felt it was very beneficial in reflecting and evaluating my current co-teaching assignment and considering ways we can improve. It certainly made me realize that my district is somewhat ahead of the curve in terms of co-teaching. This is in large part because my co-teacher is a new teacher, whose education has included instruction on effective co-teaching. While we are in great shape, there are certainly ways we can improve and make our teaching more effective. I think we have a bit of work in terms of best utilizing our skills and knowledge. I anticipate in the future an assignment change where I will have to co-teach with someone else. I will certainly use the strategies I learned to try to create a healthy, collaborative relationship.
The assignment I liked the most was watching team teaching video on the Teaching Channel. I always feel inspired and re-energized when I see good teaching and new ways of approaching what we do. I think this would be an excellent video for all districts to share with their teachers if they are truly interested in collaboration.
To me the benefits of collaboration are so clear and collaboration takes many forms. Content area teachers teaching the same course, co-teachers, teachers in the same content area but on different levels considering how to develop certain skills, all can benefit from collaboration. The only restriction is time and if districts can overcome that challenge, teachers will be able to reap the benefits of collaboration.
-Jennifer H.
Content Area Reading: Strategies to Engage Learners in All Subjects
I thought this course was excellent. Not only did I learn a few new strategies to implement in my lessons, I also learned that I’m already doing a few of the things that need to be done to further literacy in my students. It is reassuring to know that what I have been doing falls into some of the new requirements that are being handed down by the State. I found that the reading provided in Module Two that pertained to Physical Education were very helpful. The amount of literature available pertaining to PE is limited but growing. I also found the websites in Module Three that pertained to classroom strategies to be extremely helpful.
I personally rate the quality of the courses I take by how much of the information can be directly and immediately be used in my class. I was able to develop a year-long literacy activity and a supplemental two-class lesson. These are things that are going to begin to benefit my students starting on the first day of school. An excellent overall learning experience.
-Robert A.
I am overly satisfied with the information and knowledge I attained by taking this course. I will definitely be implementing some of the strategies that I learned through this course in my future lessons.
I really enjoyed trying the KNWS strategy in my classroom. It was a great tool to help the students figure out OHM’s Law word problems. They were able to organize the problem into the chart that later helped them differentiate between useful and non-useful information. The students really enjoyed this technique and they were very successful with the mathematical calculations.
Thank you for all your thoughtful comments and feedback throughout the course. I enjoyed reading all the links and watching the videos on how to implement reading strategies in the classroom. I especially like the video on selective highlighting techniques. It was a true pleasure taking this course and I look forward to taking many more in the future.
-Ali K.
After spending time evaluating this course, I must say I enjoyed it every step of the way. The content that was presented was interesting, motivating, and challenging all at once. Many times during my course work I would stop and think about how it didn’t even feel like I was taking a class. Too many online classes are painful at best. In this course, every lesson that was presented required me to evaluate my own teaching. As teachers, many times we get caught up on the daily grind and forget to stop and think about what we do and why we do it. I feel at this stage in my career I have done a great job but there is so much more for me to learn. Whether it be through courses, collaborating with others, or simply doing research on line, we can only be as good as the time we put into it.
This course also presented me with the opportunity to learn new techniques and share ideas with my colleagues. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to take this course and look forward to signing up for more with this instructor in the future. One of my favorite assignments was reading an assigned story and having the opportunity to develop a lesson plan with a colleague. It was a really nice way to bring people together and share ideas especially when you do not see colleauges every day. Often times the greatest ideas come from the people standing in front of you. Thanks again for all that you do. It is truly appreciated.
-Sarah R.
This course was a nice refresher to take before returning to the classroom this upcoming school
year! It reminded me that there is a thread of reading and writing in response to reading in all
content areas and it speaks to the goal that I have of integrating ELA and SS more this year
than I did last year.
Assignment #4 was helpful because I enjoyed reading about an educator sharing their
perspective about learning material they weren’t highly interested in exploring with students. It
was a real teachable moment because this does happen in life, but there are tools that the
reader can use to engage with the text more easily.
Assignment #8 was very relevant because the Next Generation Standards are the wave of the
future. The chart was a clear way to see the goals we should have students working towards
and a reminder of the lense we should be looking through. I made a copy of the chart and it will
help me to direct my instruction.
Thank you for your feedback and guidance during the course!
-Christine L.
I thought this course was excellent. Not only did I learn a few new strategies to implement in my lessons, I also learned that I’m already doing a few of the things that need to be done to further literacy in my students. It is reassuring to know that what I have been doing falls into some of the new requirements that are being handed down by the State. I found that the reading provided in Module Two that pertained to Physical Education were very helpful. The amount of literature available pertaining to PE is limited but growing. I also found the websites in Module Three that pertained to classroom strategies to be extremely helpful.
I personally rate the quality of the courses I take by how much of the information can be directly and immediately be used in my class. I was able to develop a year-long literacy activity and a supplemental two-class lesson. These are things that are going to begin to benefit my students starting on the first day of school. An excellent overall learning experience.
-Robert A.
I am overly satisfied with the information and knowledge I attained by taking this course. I will definitely be implementing some of the strategies that I learned through this course in my future lessons.
I really enjoyed trying the KNWS strategy in my classroom. It was a great tool to help the students figure out OHM’s Law word problems. They were able to organize the problem into the chart that later helped them differentiate between useful and non-useful information. The students really enjoyed this technique and they were very successful with the mathematical calculations.
Thank you for all your thoughtful comments and feedback throughout the course. I enjoyed reading all the links and watching the videos on how to implement reading strategies in the classroom. I especially like the video on selective highlighting techniques. It was a true pleasure taking this course and I look forward to taking many more in the future.
-Ali K.
After spending time evaluating this course, I must say I enjoyed it every step of the way. The content that was presented was interesting, motivating, and challenging all at once. Many times during my course work I would stop and think about how it didn’t even feel like I was taking a class. Too many online classes are painful at best. In this course, every lesson that was presented required me to evaluate my own teaching. As teachers, many times we get caught up on the daily grind and forget to stop and think about what we do and why we do it. I feel at this stage in my career I have done a great job but there is so much more for me to learn. Whether it be through courses, collaborating with others, or simply doing research on line, we can only be as good as the time we put into it.
This course also presented me with the opportunity to learn new techniques and share ideas with my colleagues. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to take this course and look forward to signing up for more with this instructor in the future. One of my favorite assignments was reading an assigned story and having the opportunity to develop a lesson plan with a colleague. It was a really nice way to bring people together and share ideas especially when you do not see colleauges every day. Often times the greatest ideas come from the people standing in front of you. Thanks again for all that you do. It is truly appreciated.
-Sarah R.
This course was a nice refresher to take before returning to the classroom this upcoming school
year! It reminded me that there is a thread of reading and writing in response to reading in all
content areas and it speaks to the goal that I have of integrating ELA and SS more this year
than I did last year.
Assignment #4 was helpful because I enjoyed reading about an educator sharing their
perspective about learning material they weren’t highly interested in exploring with students. It
was a real teachable moment because this does happen in life, but there are tools that the
reader can use to engage with the text more easily.
Assignment #8 was very relevant because the Next Generation Standards are the wave of the
future. The chart was a clear way to see the goals we should have students working towards
and a reminder of the lense we should be looking through. I made a copy of the chart and it will
help me to direct my instruction.
Thank you for your feedback and guidance during the course!
-Christine L.
Internet Safety, Cyber Bullying and Teacher Responsibility: Helping Students Navigate Cyberspace and Social Media
I thoroughly enjoyed taking this course. It’s great to take a class where you actually learn something. An added bonus is that the material is so relative to my life both in and out of work. I found each and every assignment enlightening and informative.
I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that this was the best online course I’ve ever taken and I’ve taken quite a few. As I mentioned before, the material presented was wonderful. But what made the course extra special were your responses to all of my assignments. You clearly put so much thought and effort into everything you wrote back to me. It was evident that you were truly reading all of my words and understood my thoughts and feelings. I looked forward to doing the assignments and I especially looked forward to receiving the return emails. I will definitely be taking more of your courses in the future. Thank you so much.
-Bill D.
I thoroughly enjoyed taking this course. It’s great to take a class where you actually learn something. An added bonus is that the material is so relative to my life both in and out of work. I found each and every assignment enlightening and informative.
I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that this was the best online course I’ve ever taken and I’ve taken quite a few. As I mentioned before, the material presented was wonderful. But what made the course extra special were your responses to all of my assignments. You clearly put so much thought and effort into everything you wrote back to me. It was evident that you were truly reading all of my words and understood my thoughts and feelings. I looked forward to doing the assignments and I especially looked forward to receiving the return emails. I will definitely be taking more of your courses in the future. Thank you so much.
-Bill D.
Uncommon Learners in a Common World: Overcoming Roadblocks to Success for Special Needs Students
I found the readings to be very interesting and informative. This course was directly related to my teaching. This year, I have two students who are in full inclusion in my class. As a result of this course, when I see children with special needs act a certain way, I will go back to the readings and see if perhaps something deeper was causing the behavior.
I loved so many of the course assignments! With each assignment, I looked forward to the instructor’s feedback and commentary. Regarding one assignment, the instructor actually took the time to continue emailing me after the course ended. This enabled me to learn even more about a topic that was personally and professionally relevant for me.
This course was fabulous! I can’t wait to recommend it to my colleagues. Thank you so much!
-Gail T.
I found the selection of readings to be informative, poignant and applicable to real life issues faced by students and teachers alike. I like the pieces on parental advocacy, empowerment and resource information since many parents of disenfranchised students are aloof and out of the loop regarding how to help their child advance and improve both emotionally and academically.
I also liked the pieces/sites that address the social and emotional roadblocks that affect learning. These barriers are often overlooked and overshadowed by stats and numbers, which districts are often forced to focus on to justify further funding.
These pieces are extremely relevant to teaching, especially with at risk and special ed students since we all know that students with emotional/social distress fall between the cracks and are hindered from success because of their environments at home.
I enjoyed the instructor’s feedback because it is grounded not in statistics and fictional figures,but knowledge that comes from having had boots on the ground. There is a vast difference between teaching methods and real applicable pedagogy based on what students are facing academically, emotionally and socially.
-Vito M.
I found the readings to be very interesting and informative. This course was directly related to my teaching. This year, I have two students who are in full inclusion in my class. As a result of this course, when I see children with special needs act a certain way, I will go back to the readings and see if perhaps something deeper was causing the behavior.
I loved so many of the course assignments! With each assignment, I looked forward to the instructor’s feedback and commentary. Regarding one assignment, the instructor actually took the time to continue emailing me after the course ended. This enabled me to learn even more about a topic that was personally and professionally relevant for me.
This course was fabulous! I can’t wait to recommend it to my colleagues. Thank you so much!
-Gail T.
I found the selection of readings to be informative, poignant and applicable to real life issues faced by students and teachers alike. I like the pieces on parental advocacy, empowerment and resource information since many parents of disenfranchised students are aloof and out of the loop regarding how to help their child advance and improve both emotionally and academically.
I also liked the pieces/sites that address the social and emotional roadblocks that affect learning. These barriers are often overlooked and overshadowed by stats and numbers, which districts are often forced to focus on to justify further funding.
These pieces are extremely relevant to teaching, especially with at risk and special ed students since we all know that students with emotional/social distress fall between the cracks and are hindered from success because of their environments at home.
I enjoyed the instructor’s feedback because it is grounded not in statistics and fictional figures,but knowledge that comes from having had boots on the ground. There is a vast difference between teaching methods and real applicable pedagogy based on what students are facing academically, emotionally and socially.
-Vito M.
Writing Across the Curriculum: Ideas and Activities for All Subject Areas
I greatly enjoyed taking this course. After completing the course, I feel that I was able to reflect on my own teaching practices in order to examine different ways to develop and implement creative writing assignments in my classroom while fostering critical thinking. Truthfully, I found all the assignments to be extremely helpful and can be immediately implemented into my lessons. I enjoyed the fact that I was able to create writing assignments that will help motivate and engage my students in writing, not only in the English language arts classroom, but in all subject areas. The instructor was very knowledgeable about teaching writing and she was always willing to give insightful feedback to every course assignment. I thought that the email responses generated a lot of conversation that helped further understanding and formulate comprehensive ideas to build students’ self confidence in writing. The instructor always provided recommendations of resources that she has found to be beneficial in her own classroom. Lastly, she provided a plethora of Internet resources that I have saved and plan to use and explore further. Overall, I thought that this was a wonderful course! Thank you so much for your time and thorough feedback throughout the course. I am looking forward to taking more CORE professional development courses!
-Katerina S.
I greatly enjoyed taking this course. After completing the course, I feel that I was able to reflect on my own teaching practices in order to examine different ways to develop and implement creative writing assignments in my classroom while fostering critical thinking. Truthfully, I found all the assignments to be extremely helpful and can be immediately implemented into my lessons. I enjoyed the fact that I was able to create writing assignments that will help motivate and engage my students in writing, not only in the English language arts classroom, but in all subject areas. The instructor was very knowledgeable about teaching writing and she was always willing to give insightful feedback to every course assignment. I thought that the email responses generated a lot of conversation that helped further understanding and formulate comprehensive ideas to build students’ self confidence in writing. The instructor always provided recommendations of resources that she has found to be beneficial in her own classroom. Lastly, she provided a plethora of Internet resources that I have saved and plan to use and explore further. Overall, I thought that this was a wonderful course! Thank you so much for your time and thorough feedback throughout the course. I am looking forward to taking more CORE professional development courses!
-Katerina S.
Ethics and Morality: Perspectives for Teachers
First, thanks so much for a most enjoyable and informative online course. I loved reading about the various issues related to ethics and education, both in the assignments and articles, and also when researching on the web. I particularly enjoyed the self-assessment questionnaire and doing the interview with the child and parent. It is easy to recognize the connections between a child's actions and ethics with the role models they see at home.
Your feedback was fantastic. I so looked forward, each time I submitted an assignment, to reading your input. Your interest felt very personalized and wonderful. Thanks so much for a great course!
-Andrew C.
I enjoyed this class very much. The articles that were presented offered me insight on morality and ethics. I will use this throughout my teaching career every day. It is important to constantly keep a good code of ethics while teaching your students. It is very important to teach moral ethics to your students so that they can become productive members of society. Good people make good kids and the chain continues and continues. Together we make a better place in the world.
-Salvatore D.
First, thanks so much for a most enjoyable and informative online course. I loved reading about the various issues related to ethics and education, both in the assignments and articles, and also when researching on the web. I particularly enjoyed the self-assessment questionnaire and doing the interview with the child and parent. It is easy to recognize the connections between a child's actions and ethics with the role models they see at home.
Your feedback was fantastic. I so looked forward, each time I submitted an assignment, to reading your input. Your interest felt very personalized and wonderful. Thanks so much for a great course!
-Andrew C.
I enjoyed this class very much. The articles that were presented offered me insight on morality and ethics. I will use this throughout my teaching career every day. It is important to constantly keep a good code of ethics while teaching your students. It is very important to teach moral ethics to your students so that they can become productive members of society. Good people make good kids and the chain continues and continues. Together we make a better place in the world.
-Salvatore D.
Computer Skills and Multi-Disciplinary Instruction: How Technology Can Enrich Students and Education
Thank you again for creating such an informative class on a topic that is clearly very important for our current and future students. Some of the content in “Computer Skills and Multi-Disciplinary Instruction: How Technology Can Enrich Students and Education” was definitely out of my comfort zone but I feel I have gained greater knowledge and understanding for the push towards computer science majors. The statistics that were presented on many of the websites were alarming and I hope that school districts can begin to make a shift in the correct direction so that we can fill some of those vacant jobs in the computer science field!
Again, your feedback and support was invaluable throughout this course. I really enjoyed this class because I found myself doing some extra exploration about computer science on both websites you provided as well as apps that can be used in the classroom. This class has forced me to reexamine how I can incorporate some basic computer skills into my class lessons and also how many valuable apps are available for use during my classroom instruction. I strongly believe that if I can get my students to use, love and rely on computers, it will help to improve their interest and maybe help foster future exploration.
My favorite assignments were 5 and 9/10 because through research I was able to find programs and apps that I can begin to use in my classroom lessons. The amount of material available for classroom use is outstanding and I found myself doing more than I was required because I was intrigued by these particular topics and how I could apply them to math lessons.
Thank you again for another great class!
-Allyson H.
The "Computer Skills and Multi-Disciplinary Instruction: How Technology Can Enrich Students and Education" course instructed by Andrew Frisch has enlightened me with so much useful computer science knowledge as well as strategies that I can implement immediately into my curriculum. I enjoyed the links provided by Mr. Frisch. The code.org was a major eye opener for me since I had very little knowledge of what coding was. I believe all of the assigned work was fair and helpful. I would absolutely recommend this course to colleagues.
Specifically, I found the gender equality assignment most interesting. As an educator my goal is to reach ALL students and it so unfortunate that there is such a low representation of young girls in computer science classes. Besides pop culture influences, as a school community we can and should reinforce the importance of computer science for female students. We can do this by providing them with programming courses that interest them.
I plan to use what I have learned to inspire and challenge my students to want to learn in a cooperative setting. Thanks for a great course.
-Lawrence C.
Thank you again for creating such an informative class on a topic that is clearly very important for our current and future students. Some of the content in “Computer Skills and Multi-Disciplinary Instruction: How Technology Can Enrich Students and Education” was definitely out of my comfort zone but I feel I have gained greater knowledge and understanding for the push towards computer science majors. The statistics that were presented on many of the websites were alarming and I hope that school districts can begin to make a shift in the correct direction so that we can fill some of those vacant jobs in the computer science field!
Again, your feedback and support was invaluable throughout this course. I really enjoyed this class because I found myself doing some extra exploration about computer science on both websites you provided as well as apps that can be used in the classroom. This class has forced me to reexamine how I can incorporate some basic computer skills into my class lessons and also how many valuable apps are available for use during my classroom instruction. I strongly believe that if I can get my students to use, love and rely on computers, it will help to improve their interest and maybe help foster future exploration.
My favorite assignments were 5 and 9/10 because through research I was able to find programs and apps that I can begin to use in my classroom lessons. The amount of material available for classroom use is outstanding and I found myself doing more than I was required because I was intrigued by these particular topics and how I could apply them to math lessons.
Thank you again for another great class!
-Allyson H.
The "Computer Skills and Multi-Disciplinary Instruction: How Technology Can Enrich Students and Education" course instructed by Andrew Frisch has enlightened me with so much useful computer science knowledge as well as strategies that I can implement immediately into my curriculum. I enjoyed the links provided by Mr. Frisch. The code.org was a major eye opener for me since I had very little knowledge of what coding was. I believe all of the assigned work was fair and helpful. I would absolutely recommend this course to colleagues.
Specifically, I found the gender equality assignment most interesting. As an educator my goal is to reach ALL students and it so unfortunate that there is such a low representation of young girls in computer science classes. Besides pop culture influences, as a school community we can and should reinforce the importance of computer science for female students. We can do this by providing them with programming courses that interest them.
I plan to use what I have learned to inspire and challenge my students to want to learn in a cooperative setting. Thanks for a great course.
-Lawrence C.
R. T. I.: Implementing Responsive Multi-Tiered Intervention
I have thoroughly enjoyed taking this online course. This was my first experience with an online course and I was happily surprised to receive such detailed feedback on each assignment. I have enjoyed the insightful and honest comments and I appreciate each observation from such an experienced educator. The quality of the assignments was excellent. They made me reflect and think about my students, their needs and the way I teach. I have obtained many helpful ideas in addition to learning about things I thought I already knew.
Thank you for your time, dedication, thought-provoking articles, and valuable feedback. The feedback kept me motivated to continue working.
-Herenia P.
I have thoroughly enjoyed taking this online course. This was my first experience with an online course and I was happily surprised to receive such detailed feedback on each assignment. I have enjoyed the insightful and honest comments and I appreciate each observation from such an experienced educator. The quality of the assignments was excellent. They made me reflect and think about my students, their needs and the way I teach. I have obtained many helpful ideas in addition to learning about things I thought I already knew.
Thank you for your time, dedication, thought-provoking articles, and valuable feedback. The feedback kept me motivated to continue working.
-Herenia P.
Writing Across the Curriculum: Ideas and Activities for All Subject Areas
I really enjoyed this course. I am not the greatest writer and always stayed away from it in my classes because of that. "Writing Across the Curriculum: Ideas and Activities for All Subject Areas" is a class that has opened my eyes to so many new, interesting and educational ideas to bring into my classroom. I have already shared many of the course websites and ideas with friends and colleagues.
I knew that I was going to take such a liking to this course not just because of the idea of bringing writing into my classroom, but the fact that you gave detailed feedback to every one of my comments and answers. I was so amazed and appreciative and, subsequently, I tried my very best on each assignment. Without meeting you face to face, you have been one of the best professors I have had
All of the assignments were relevant and extremely educational. Thank you so much for all of these new ideas; I can’t wait to use them in my classroom. I will send you some of the great responses from my students. Thanks for your time. I look forward to taking many more courses with you!
-Matt C.
I really enjoyed this course. I am not the greatest writer and always stayed away from it in my classes because of that. "Writing Across the Curriculum: Ideas and Activities for All Subject Areas" is a class that has opened my eyes to so many new, interesting and educational ideas to bring into my classroom. I have already shared many of the course websites and ideas with friends and colleagues.
I knew that I was going to take such a liking to this course not just because of the idea of bringing writing into my classroom, but the fact that you gave detailed feedback to every one of my comments and answers. I was so amazed and appreciative and, subsequently, I tried my very best on each assignment. Without meeting you face to face, you have been one of the best professors I have had
All of the assignments were relevant and extremely educational. Thank you so much for all of these new ideas; I can’t wait to use them in my classroom. I will send you some of the great responses from my students. Thanks for your time. I look forward to taking many more courses with you!
-Matt C.
Content Area Reading: Strategies to Engage Learners in All Subjects
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for introducing the many approaches to teaching content area reading. The various websites and attachments from "Content Area Reading: Strategies to Engage Learners in All Subjects" provided me with many different ideas for implementing reading in science and strategies to apply nonfiction text in diverse classes. I found myself reading beyond the required articles. I look forward to developing lesson plans that focus around these philosophies. The suggestions will be very helpful to engage readers and provide the student with many different approaches to reading.
Looking forward to exploring future classes.
-Maria M.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for introducing the many approaches to teaching content area reading. The various websites and attachments from "Content Area Reading: Strategies to Engage Learners in All Subjects" provided me with many different ideas for implementing reading in science and strategies to apply nonfiction text in diverse classes. I found myself reading beyond the required articles. I look forward to developing lesson plans that focus around these philosophies. The suggestions will be very helpful to engage readers and provide the student with many different approaches to reading.
Looking forward to exploring future classes.
-Maria M.
Gender Issues in Education: Impact on Learning, Behavior and Teacher Expectations
This course was incredibly eye opening and insightful! I truly enjoyed all of the reading assignments and have been engaging in discussions surrounding gender, gender stereotypes, gender expectations, and gender biases with my colleagues, friends, and family members. In the classroom I have been trying analyze my behavior and dissolve any gender issues that I may notice. I think gender is something, as I have mentioned in my assignments, about which there needs to be more discussion and training regarding its impact on education. For this course, all of the assignments were meaningful and provided great information so I do not know if I can choose just one that was the most interesting. I think assignment 5/6 was the most valuable because here I was challenged to reflect deeply into my own beliefs and how my views on gender were formed. I think this is important for everyone to do, not just teachers. As a biology major, the debate between nature vs. nurture is always something I found incredibly interesting. Thank you again for another great course! I look forward to working with you again in the future!
-Bridget L.
As always I greatly enjoyed this "Gender Issues in Education" class. It is so wonderful to learn about course topics in the variety of assignments and read your thoughtful and very kind responses to each. Online classes with you are so much more enjoyable than other classes I’ve taken in person with other professors because you really do get a one-on-one personal experience throughout the entire course. And as you know, one of my favorite assignments is getting to explore and discuss a related topic of my own choosing with you, especially since I usually like to do additional readings anyway.
Thank you again for a great class!
-Kate R.
This course was incredibly eye opening and insightful! I truly enjoyed all of the reading assignments and have been engaging in discussions surrounding gender, gender stereotypes, gender expectations, and gender biases with my colleagues, friends, and family members. In the classroom I have been trying analyze my behavior and dissolve any gender issues that I may notice. I think gender is something, as I have mentioned in my assignments, about which there needs to be more discussion and training regarding its impact on education. For this course, all of the assignments were meaningful and provided great information so I do not know if I can choose just one that was the most interesting. I think assignment 5/6 was the most valuable because here I was challenged to reflect deeply into my own beliefs and how my views on gender were formed. I think this is important for everyone to do, not just teachers. As a biology major, the debate between nature vs. nurture is always something I found incredibly interesting. Thank you again for another great course! I look forward to working with you again in the future!
-Bridget L.
As always I greatly enjoyed this "Gender Issues in Education" class. It is so wonderful to learn about course topics in the variety of assignments and read your thoughtful and very kind responses to each. Online classes with you are so much more enjoyable than other classes I’ve taken in person with other professors because you really do get a one-on-one personal experience throughout the entire course. And as you know, one of my favorite assignments is getting to explore and discuss a related topic of my own choosing with you, especially since I usually like to do additional readings anyway.
Thank you again for a great class!
-Kate R.
Emotional Intelligence and Critical Thinking: Increasing Student Motivation and Productivity
I would say this was one of my favorite classes. I feel strongly about the need for increasing our students’ emotional intelligence. Many of the articles we read favor social-emotional learning programs; unfortunately school budgets and time constraints limit what can be accomplished. I think teachers have to make time for emotional learning programs. The bullying in our schools and the violence in our communities is out of hand. We have to start with our youngest and hopefully change will come about.
I enjoyed taking the emotional strengths questionnaire. It gave me some insight and prodded me to think about my strengths and weaknesses. The articles that gave background to EQ theories were insightful. I liked doing the student profiles and, in evaluating each child, it was clear that both would perform better in school with a stronger emotional intelligence.
Thank you for your time in responding to my assignments and as always, it was a pleasure to take one of your courses.
-Denise S.
I found this course to be very interesting and believe it will enhance my teaching. While I had a basic knowledge of learning theories, this course was helpful in reviewing and adding to my knowledge. In addition, it was quite helpful that we were also asked to research and learn about theories of emotional intelligence. I had not studied these important theories in the past and will now refer to them to in my role as a teacher.
I feel the most productive and interesting assignment of the course was the one that required me to interview and evaluate a student. This was a great experience and is something I plan to use in the future with more of my students.
This course was comprehensive, provided great materials, and required assignments that were helpful, appropriate, and productive. I feel it was an excellent investment of time.
-Kim D.
I really enjoyed taking this online course at CORE. I have taken many other online courses and I have never worked with a teacher who facilitates such great conversation and responses through email. You have made this class, "Emotional Intelligence and Critical Thinking: Increasing Student Motivation and Productivity," meaningful and very enjoyable. I thought all of the assignments, articles, and activities were interesting and important. I have always thought about the topic of Emotional Intelligence and now this class has helped me reflect and reconsider the way I handle different social situations with my students. I want to start September in a great way with my students, ensuring that they feel 100% comfortable in our classroom. Thank you for a great online experience!
-Melissa S.
This course was great and I truly learned a tremendous amount. Before I started this course I did not even know there was a whole field of study about Emotional Intelligence. It really brings light to the other parts of intelligence, and why some people have high IQ’s but never are able to translate that to success in life. The two assignments I liked best were the Emotional Intelligence Test and the research article on our own. The test really forced me to reflect on my own traits and helped identify places I could improve, especially as a teacher. Researching an article on my own really allowed me freedom to find how EQ applied to something I was interested in. I will definitely recommend this course to my co-workers and peers!
-Derek J.
I would say this was one of my favorite classes. I feel strongly about the need for increasing our students’ emotional intelligence. Many of the articles we read favor social-emotional learning programs; unfortunately school budgets and time constraints limit what can be accomplished. I think teachers have to make time for emotional learning programs. The bullying in our schools and the violence in our communities is out of hand. We have to start with our youngest and hopefully change will come about.
I enjoyed taking the emotional strengths questionnaire. It gave me some insight and prodded me to think about my strengths and weaknesses. The articles that gave background to EQ theories were insightful. I liked doing the student profiles and, in evaluating each child, it was clear that both would perform better in school with a stronger emotional intelligence.
Thank you for your time in responding to my assignments and as always, it was a pleasure to take one of your courses.
-Denise S.
I found this course to be very interesting and believe it will enhance my teaching. While I had a basic knowledge of learning theories, this course was helpful in reviewing and adding to my knowledge. In addition, it was quite helpful that we were also asked to research and learn about theories of emotional intelligence. I had not studied these important theories in the past and will now refer to them to in my role as a teacher.
I feel the most productive and interesting assignment of the course was the one that required me to interview and evaluate a student. This was a great experience and is something I plan to use in the future with more of my students.
This course was comprehensive, provided great materials, and required assignments that were helpful, appropriate, and productive. I feel it was an excellent investment of time.
-Kim D.
I really enjoyed taking this online course at CORE. I have taken many other online courses and I have never worked with a teacher who facilitates such great conversation and responses through email. You have made this class, "Emotional Intelligence and Critical Thinking: Increasing Student Motivation and Productivity," meaningful and very enjoyable. I thought all of the assignments, articles, and activities were interesting and important. I have always thought about the topic of Emotional Intelligence and now this class has helped me reflect and reconsider the way I handle different social situations with my students. I want to start September in a great way with my students, ensuring that they feel 100% comfortable in our classroom. Thank you for a great online experience!
-Melissa S.
This course was great and I truly learned a tremendous amount. Before I started this course I did not even know there was a whole field of study about Emotional Intelligence. It really brings light to the other parts of intelligence, and why some people have high IQ’s but never are able to translate that to success in life. The two assignments I liked best were the Emotional Intelligence Test and the research article on our own. The test really forced me to reflect on my own traits and helped identify places I could improve, especially as a teacher. Researching an article on my own really allowed me freedom to find how EQ applied to something I was interested in. I will definitely recommend this course to my co-workers and peers!
-Derek J.
The Changing Landscape of American Education: Meeting the Needs of All Students
I enjoyed this course particularly because of the varied nature of assignments. I thought the article choices truly reflected the course topics. I felt that the course was shaped in such a way that the instructor’s teaching style and voice came through. Because of this, I appreciated the material and assignments; often an online course does not allow students to really get a sense of the person teaching. I particularly liked the interview assignment as well as the one that had me examine important issues in my own students. It allowed me to analyze and apply ideas in ways I felt most relevant. The feedback was helpful and encouraging.
-Lori P.
I enjoyed this course particularly because of the varied nature of assignments. I thought the article choices truly reflected the course topics. I felt that the course was shaped in such a way that the instructor’s teaching style and voice came through. Because of this, I appreciated the material and assignments; often an online course does not allow students to really get a sense of the person teaching. I particularly liked the interview assignment as well as the one that had me examine important issues in my own students. It allowed me to analyze and apply ideas in ways I felt most relevant. The feedback was helpful and encouraging.
-Lori P.
Content Area Reading: Strategies to Engage Learners in All Subjects
Thank you for all your support and encouraging comments throughout the course "Content Area Reading: Strategies to Engage Learners in All Subjects." I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of your wonderful links. I also enjoyed trying many of the new techniques in my classes. They were quite engaging and helpful!
I really enjoyed trying the Three Minute Pause with my students. It’s a great opportunity to switch things up in the classroom for a short time span. The kids liked switching gears often, too. It kept them engaged and enthused!
I also appreciated the opportunity to work collaboratively with a colleague from another department. We are so departmental in the middle school and never really given an opportunity to plan and execute a collaborative lesson. This course actually encouraged us to work together to produce a cross-curricula lesson Thank you!
It was a pleasure taking your course and hope to take many more.
-Sue G.
I really enjoyed the course "Content Area Reading: Strategies to Engage Learners in All Subjects." I found all of the assignments to be informative and with just enough material. I also liked how you took each module and broke it into different topics. I found that to be helpful and it made the flow of the course go well. I really liked module 1 about the vocabulary. I felt like that opened my eyes to some new ideas; it also gave me some feedback from another educator that enabled me to realize what I am doing in the classroom could be beneficial. (Sometimes I find we need that confidence boost). I also liked the connect to the Common Core. This is also something that gets spoken about often but differently than we did for the class. Lastly, I liked creating a lesson plan for the course because I will actually be using it in my classroom next week. Having this assignment forced me to sit down and utilize the material I was learning about. I saved many of the websites to my favorite places on the internet and plan on referring back often. Overall, I thought this was a great course! Thank you so much for your time and feedback!
-Stefanie L.
Thank you for all your support and encouraging comments throughout the course "Content Area Reading: Strategies to Engage Learners in All Subjects." I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of your wonderful links. I also enjoyed trying many of the new techniques in my classes. They were quite engaging and helpful!
I really enjoyed trying the Three Minute Pause with my students. It’s a great opportunity to switch things up in the classroom for a short time span. The kids liked switching gears often, too. It kept them engaged and enthused!
I also appreciated the opportunity to work collaboratively with a colleague from another department. We are so departmental in the middle school and never really given an opportunity to plan and execute a collaborative lesson. This course actually encouraged us to work together to produce a cross-curricula lesson Thank you!
It was a pleasure taking your course and hope to take many more.
-Sue G.
I really enjoyed the course "Content Area Reading: Strategies to Engage Learners in All Subjects." I found all of the assignments to be informative and with just enough material. I also liked how you took each module and broke it into different topics. I found that to be helpful and it made the flow of the course go well. I really liked module 1 about the vocabulary. I felt like that opened my eyes to some new ideas; it also gave me some feedback from another educator that enabled me to realize what I am doing in the classroom could be beneficial. (Sometimes I find we need that confidence boost). I also liked the connect to the Common Core. This is also something that gets spoken about often but differently than we did for the class. Lastly, I liked creating a lesson plan for the course because I will actually be using it in my classroom next week. Having this assignment forced me to sit down and utilize the material I was learning about. I saved many of the websites to my favorite places on the internet and plan on referring back often. Overall, I thought this was a great course! Thank you so much for your time and feedback!
-Stefanie L.
Close Reading Strategies: Supporting the Common Core Learning Standards
I very much enjoyed all aspects of the class "Close Reading Strategies: Supporting the Common Core Learning Standards." I found the comprehensive variety of articles and research to be very helpful; the videos were illuminating as well. Before taking this class, I knew about close reading but I was confused as to how I might successfully and efficiently implement it. I now understand it and have very recently tried it. I have found the process to be very helpful in guiding my students through complex reading assignments. I especially found the jigsaw method to be relevant and helpful. My students were engaged throughout this process and I discovered it was an effective way to have my students absorb a large amount of information in a relatively short amount to time. I will be using this method again and again. Thank you!
Thanks again for a great learning experience. I look forward to working with you in the future.
-Kathy L.
I very much enjoyed all aspects of the class "Close Reading Strategies: Supporting the Common Core Learning Standards." I found the comprehensive variety of articles and research to be very helpful; the videos were illuminating as well. Before taking this class, I knew about close reading but I was confused as to how I might successfully and efficiently implement it. I now understand it and have very recently tried it. I have found the process to be very helpful in guiding my students through complex reading assignments. I especially found the jigsaw method to be relevant and helpful. My students were engaged throughout this process and I discovered it was an effective way to have my students absorb a large amount of information in a relatively short amount to time. I will be using this method again and again. Thank you!
Thanks again for a great learning experience. I look forward to working with you in the future.
-Kathy L.
Virtual Field Trips: Explore the World from Your Classroom
I found this class very informative and enjoyed taking it. Prior to the course, I was not familiar with the various types of virtual field trips that were available to use in the classroom. Throughout this class, I had the opportunity to experience different ways of developing strategies to help create virtual field trips that would increase learning, interaction and engagement in my classroom. My favorite lessons included the creation of our own virtual field trip and the virtual tours of the ancient ruins. I found both of these activities extremely valuable because it gave me an opportunity to create things that I can use in my own classroom. I also enjoyed researching links to use in my virtual field trip because it exposed me to new resources that I was not previously familiar with. Due to this class, I now have a completely different perspective on how I would like to teach social studies going forward. In addition to the virtual sites, I found it helpful to read about and refresh my knowledge on different types of classroom management strategies when implementing computer assignments. The assignments of the course also served as a reminder of the importance of internet literacy, and credible sources.
I hope you enjoy visiting my Gilded Age virtual field trip as much as I had fun making it!
-Michelle F.
I found this class very informative and enjoyed taking it. Prior to the course, I was not familiar with the various types of virtual field trips that were available to use in the classroom. Throughout this class, I had the opportunity to experience different ways of developing strategies to help create virtual field trips that would increase learning, interaction and engagement in my classroom. My favorite lessons included the creation of our own virtual field trip and the virtual tours of the ancient ruins. I found both of these activities extremely valuable because it gave me an opportunity to create things that I can use in my own classroom. I also enjoyed researching links to use in my virtual field trip because it exposed me to new resources that I was not previously familiar with. Due to this class, I now have a completely different perspective on how I would like to teach social studies going forward. In addition to the virtual sites, I found it helpful to read about and refresh my knowledge on different types of classroom management strategies when implementing computer assignments. The assignments of the course also served as a reminder of the importance of internet literacy, and credible sources.
I hope you enjoy visiting my Gilded Age virtual field trip as much as I had fun making it!
-Michelle F.
How to Reach At Risk Students: Strategies for Teaching Academically Underprepared Students
I really enjoyed this online course, "How to Reach At Risk Students: Strategies for Teaching Academically Underprepared Students." Not only were the assignments extremely relevant to working in a school, but also your feedback was tremendous. The articles can be used with the staff and the community. I plan on sharing many of your suggestions and resources with the staff at my school. My favorite assignment was the profile of an at-risk student; it helped analyze the whole child and provide appropriate support.
The course did a fantastic job of defining an “at-risk” student, identifying the behaviors and describing how we can implement successful strategies. There is always a reason WHY a child is considered “at-risk”. Educators need to be aware of the circumstances that put the child into this difficult category. We must remember being “at-risk” doesn’t define the child. We must give the child the opportunity and support to lose the “at-risk” label. Thank you for another great class!
-David S.
I really enjoyed this online course, "How to Reach At Risk Students: Strategies for Teaching Academically Underprepared Students." Not only were the assignments extremely relevant to working in a school, but also your feedback was tremendous. The articles can be used with the staff and the community. I plan on sharing many of your suggestions and resources with the staff at my school. My favorite assignment was the profile of an at-risk student; it helped analyze the whole child and provide appropriate support.
The course did a fantastic job of defining an “at-risk” student, identifying the behaviors and describing how we can implement successful strategies. There is always a reason WHY a child is considered “at-risk”. Educators need to be aware of the circumstances that put the child into this difficult category. We must remember being “at-risk” doesn’t define the child. We must give the child the opportunity and support to lose the “at-risk” label. Thank you for another great class!
-David S.
Ethics and Morality: Perspectives for Teachers
Overall, "Ethics and Morality: Perspectives for Teachers" was by far one of the most enjoyable courses I’ve taken. I appreciate the content as well as how quickly and thoroughly you responded to each of my assignments. I believe that you took what I had to say seriously and I in turn took the class more seriously. Thank you for the great topics and articles on morality and ethics in education; I will certainly use them in my classroom, especially the character development materials.
-Elizabeth K.
Overall, "Ethics and Morality: Perspectives for Teachers" was by far one of the most enjoyable courses I’ve taken. I appreciate the content as well as how quickly and thoroughly you responded to each of my assignments. I believe that you took what I had to say seriously and I in turn took the class more seriously. Thank you for the great topics and articles on morality and ethics in education; I will certainly use them in my classroom, especially the character development materials.
-Elizabeth K.
Writing Across the Curriculum: Ideas and Activities for All Subject Areas
I just had to tell you that I had great success having my students write poetry. They had a choice of how to explain a reform movement of the 1850's (women's rights, abolition, education etc.). One group of boys wrote the most fantastic poem on education reform and I am actually going to use it to teach the topic to other classes in the future. They were so proud of it and really enjoyed the assignment!
As always, your writing course was fantastic. I am always trying to think of ways to incorporate more writing into my class and now I feel like I have come away with a million ideas. Prior to the course I kept thinking of writing only in terms of essays, DBQ’s and as a tool for assessment. These assignments have given me plenty of ideas on how to incorporate a variety of writing activities to be used as teaching tools, reinforcement, homework, do now activities and closures. Thanks so much for SO MANY great ideas!
-Stacie S.
I just had to tell you that I had great success having my students write poetry. They had a choice of how to explain a reform movement of the 1850's (women's rights, abolition, education etc.). One group of boys wrote the most fantastic poem on education reform and I am actually going to use it to teach the topic to other classes in the future. They were so proud of it and really enjoyed the assignment!
As always, your writing course was fantastic. I am always trying to think of ways to incorporate more writing into my class and now I feel like I have come away with a million ideas. Prior to the course I kept thinking of writing only in terms of essays, DBQ’s and as a tool for assessment. These assignments have given me plenty of ideas on how to incorporate a variety of writing activities to be used as teaching tools, reinforcement, homework, do now activities and closures. Thanks so much for SO MANY great ideas!
-Stacie S.
Gender Issues in Education: Impact on Learning, Behavior and Teacher Expectations
As I conclude my time in the course I have to say that I am extremely satisfied with what I have learned and I am already applying what I have learned in the course into my lesson planning and delivery. What I found most interesting is how much I didn’t know about gender differences and how they apply to the classroom. I found all of the assignments enriching and very applicable to today’s classroom.
One assignment that I found very interesting and satisfying was the nature vs. nurture. It’s very interesting to note just how much a child’s gender role can affect not only their development, but their academic performance/ability as well.
I would like to thank you for another wonderful online learning experience! I really enjoy taking courses with you, and how well they fit into my busy schedule, not having to use Blackboard or another site makes it so much easier and so much more personal and rewarding. I look forward to taking another course with you soon.
-John S.
As I conclude my time in the course I have to say that I am extremely satisfied with what I have learned and I am already applying what I have learned in the course into my lesson planning and delivery. What I found most interesting is how much I didn’t know about gender differences and how they apply to the classroom. I found all of the assignments enriching and very applicable to today’s classroom.
One assignment that I found very interesting and satisfying was the nature vs. nurture. It’s very interesting to note just how much a child’s gender role can affect not only their development, but their academic performance/ability as well.
I would like to thank you for another wonderful online learning experience! I really enjoy taking courses with you, and how well they fit into my busy schedule, not having to use Blackboard or another site makes it so much easier and so much more personal and rewarding. I look forward to taking another course with you soon.
-John S.