Professional Development Courses

Description: The Department has sponsored two free online courses, Foundations for Inclusive Practice: Educator and Foundations for Inclusive Practice: Administrator, to help educators be more effective in inclusive settings. These courses are self-paced and are one way to earn the 15 professional development points in "effective schooling for students with disabilities and instruction of students with diverse learning styles" that are required to renew a professional license. Educators can register at the Guidebook for Inclusive Practice website.

Description: The Department has sponsored two free online courses, Foundations for Inclusive Practice: Educator and Foundations for Inclusive Practice: Administrator, to help educators be more effective in inclusive settings. These courses are self-paced and are one way to earn the 15 professional development points in "effective schooling for students with disabilities and instruction of students with diverse learning styles" that are required to renew a professional license. Educators can register at the Guidebook for Inclusive Practice website.

Who:  Educators (general, special education, curriculum coordinators, administrators, instructional technology specialists, paraprofessionals, college and university faculty, adult education faculty and presenters, etc.) and teams of educators at all levels who are interested in learning about: 

• How to address the learner variability in every classroom and school 

• How to support students to become expert learners 

• Cutting-edge research from the learning sciences 

• How to implement UDL strategies into their practice 

• Some courses are also open to parents who are interested in learning about UDL and how it can benefit their children. 

Note:  Credit Equivalency-Coursework for this module is equivalent to a 22.5-contact-hour, graduate-level course. Please see our Graduate Credit FAQ.

Description:  This course introduces the fundamentals of teaching through the context of human diversity; including Understanding by Design, Universal Design for Learning, the principles of curriculum and instruction with the integration of technology, lesson planning, Bloom’s taxonomy, individual learning styles, issues of child development and social-emotional learning, as well as teaching strategies for student engagement and classroom facilitation will be explored and applied. 

Learning Outcomes - At the conclusion of the course, students should be able to apply their understanding and mastery of the course material to: 

• Identify, and apply the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy in creating learning outcomes and lessons using district curricular and state standards

• Describe characteristics of child development and social-emotional learning and the impact on instruction and classroom management strategies

• Explain the methodologies and strategies for designing lessons with strong student learning outcomes 

• Understand formative and summative assessments for data-driven instruction and differentiation

• Explore teaching strategies for all types of diverse learners in authentic settings while noting the importance of student engagement and motivation

• Interpret and apply the components of universal design for learning through multi-modal learning and the use of technology

• Discuss and recognize the evolution of teaching and learning through frameworks of diversity, equity and inclusion

Who:  All educators, especially 2nd and 3rd service year educators

Note:  This course meets DESE’s requirement of 50 hours of mentoring beyond the beginning teacher's first year of induction in order to apply for Professional Licensure; 3-credits graduate credits available.

BOUT THE INSTRUCTOR Dr. Giordana M. Basta is currently serving as an Assistant Professor and the Director of Graduate Programs in Education at Curry College. She is committed to safeguarding and promoting equitable education, the meaningful preparation of educators, and collaboration with families and the community. Dr. Basta’s dissertation research was titled “Elementary School Teacher Perceptions on Student Social-Emotional Learning and Implications for Instruction.” Giordana is an SEL expert who has consulted for local and regional school districts as well as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Giordana has worked with schools and districts nationally to embed high-quality instruction and support educational teams with change initiatives. Dr. Basta has presented locally, regionally, and nationally on topics ranging from early literacy to social-emotional learning and self regulation.

For more information:  TLA Fundamentals of Teaching

Description:  During the course, candidates deepen their understanding of the MA framework for educator evaluation and develop a common language to define effective instruction. Through the use of practice exercises, videos, case studies, reading, discussion, and coaching sessions, participants will develop instructional leadership skills to… 

● Name, explain, and document effective instruction regardless of the means of delivery (e.g., in-person, solely online, and/or blended) 

● Communicate about pedagogical practices that impact student learning to provide teachers with detailed feedback in order to promote a continued cycle of professional growth; 

● Develop and reinforce professional practice that engages instructional leaders and their colleagues in meaningful, student-focused conversations about best practice and maintains an open feedback loop; 

● utilize a wide range of data points about student learning in teacher goal setting and benchmarking to indicate measures of growth and success. 

Note:  There are no prerequisites for the course.

Instructors Members of the Cape &Islands Curriculum Directors’ Team~Dr. Marc J. Smith; Superintendent- Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District e: smithm@dy-regional.k12.ma.us | p: 508.398.7600  & Mr. Mike Feeney; Falmouth Public Schools e: mfeeney@falmouth.k12.ma.us | p: 508.944.9458

For more information and dates:  CoFFEE-BSW/CCC

The Lesley Institute for Trauma Sensitivity (LIFTS) strives to promote the development of safe and supportive educational environments, using a whole-child, whole-school, trauma-sensitive approaches. We offer:  

• Graduate level courses leading to a certificate in trauma and learning  

• Professional development for school communities 

• Executive coaching for administrators and school leadership teams

• Research on developing trauma sensitive learning environments   

• We partner with diverse schools locally, nationally, and globally. In these partnerships, we have witnessed remarkable outcomes that include fewer office referrals, fewer suspensions, stronger classroom communities, and better support networks for educators.

LIFTS, a part of Lesley's Center for Inclusive and Special Education, is directed by Dr. Sal Terrasi.

Note:  five courses provide three graduate level credits, and are offered to professional educators (teachers, counselors, psychologists, nurses, specialists, and administrators) at a substantial discount. This discount is made possible due to generous funding from the Oak Foundation, which commits its resources to address issues of global social and environmental concern, particularly those that have a major impact on the lives of the disadvantaged.

The first four courses comprise a certificate program in trauma & learning. Courses must be taken in sequence, and are offered in a variety of formats, including on-site delivery in your district, remote (synchronous and asynchronous) 8-week delivery, and an intensive low-residency institute format, which combines weekend study with continuing online work.  For more information, contact Merlyn Mayhew, Assistant Director, at mmayhew3@lesley.edu.

Website:  https://lesley.edu/professional-development-and-continuing-education/center-for-inclusive-and-special-education/lesley

• Developing Literacy Expertise Through Responsive Classroom Teaching

• Literacy Coaching and Teacher Leadership

• Professional Development in Counseling and Psychology

• Trauma Studies in Counseling and Psychology