I have been writing about the importance of meaningful learning for over ten years, and whether you’re in the classroom or not, I cannot stress enough the importance of continuing to learn–no matter your age!
The problem is that often, as busy parents and educators, we just cannot find the time for it. We’re running on steam as it is, so how can we add one more thing to the list, even if we know we need it? Even if our certificate needs to be renewed or if we know we need to learn more in order to improve our practice?
That’s why I really love Advancement Courses’ library of professional development courses because they are designed for busy, hardworking teachers. Like me.
I’ve already had the chance to take a 3-credit course, but this summer, I took a 2-credit course on Comprehension Strategies for Effective Readers. And I loved it.
Here’s the skinny. . .
Online PD to Fit Your Busy Schedule
As an educator since 1998, I’ve taken a boatload of graduate-level and professional development courses. But what exactly did I love about this course? Let me tell you.
I loved the ease of enrollment.
Signing up for the course was incredibly easy.
I knew I wanted to take the course as graduate credits so that I could begin working toward my Masters +30. When registering, I chose Graduate Credits through Greenville University because when I looked under “Approval Information”, I saw that it said “Maryland educators can choose any CAEP and/or regionally accredited graduate credit partners when selecting a course and will receive a transcript and graduate credit from the university of their choice”.
Checking out information on how these courses will transfer to any state is as simple as clicking the Approval Information tab on the course page or reviewing their Where We Count map. So. Easy.
And? All the course materials are included with the cost of the course. That way, you make one simple transaction, and you have access to the course. No hidden costs. No material fees. Everything included.
I loved the ease of access to my course.
All I did was bookmark the login page to my course, and everything I needed was at my fingertips.
On the left sidebar of the course page, students can access:
- Participants
- Grades
- General information about the course
- Course Topics
- Engagement options
- And more!
I loved that I could work on my course from my phone when I was at the pool, or on my laptop when I was home. I could work on my course when I had a few minutes before the kids woke up, and I could work on my course when I was waiting in the pickup line at my son’s basketball camp.
It was super convenient.
You have to check out my Instagram takeover of the Advancement Courses account—I actually show you how easy it is to navigate the platform and work on my course!
I loved the connection to others in the course.
For many online courses, the participation component seems to be a little contrived, but I found that reading the other students’ responses to discussion questions was incredibly helpful. These participants put a lot of thought and effort into their responses.
It seemed as if every, single time I logged into the discussion forum, there were more comments. The frequency with which people contributed kept things alive and fresh. And you know what? I never felt alone in this course.
When and if I wanted to reach my instructor, I could very easily do so, which I loved. The course instructors are working and active in their fields, and they’re easy to reach. Feedback on assignments was timely and meaningful, and I wasn’t just given a quick letter grade and that was it; rather, I was given a grade with feedback about what I should work on and focus on for next time. I love that.
I loved that the course totally fit my schedule.
Advancement Courses classes are all self-paced, and there’s a 6-month window to complete the course. That’s more than enough time to finish the coursework!
And each section of the course began with a general timeframe telling me about how long the section would take. The first sections took less time, and the topics took longer as the course came to a close. But reading the section introduction and understanding that it might take me 4, 7, or 14 hours to complete gave me a head’s about how much time to set aside if I did want to work on things for a longer chunk of time.
Knowing that I could work on my assignments and readings at my own pace, on my own time was incredibly helpful. I worked on my back porch, at the pool, on my bed, on my couch. Awesome.
I loved that it was worth my time.
As a Reading Specialist, I am always learning as much as I can about the topic of reading and the best methods of reaching students and parents. I need to learn more, since there really is no end to the learning an educator can do.
I loved that my assignments were meaningful.
I will use my projects and assignments this year, and I will share them with my friends who may benefit from having access to them.
I loved that my course provided a ton of practical tools that I could immediately use in my classroom. Dozens of printable posters, lesson ideas, articles, and infographics were included in my course materials. Dozens of tips and tricks shared in the discussion forum. Dozens of educator friends to add to my Professional Learning Network.
Did you know?
- Advancement Courses offers 1, 2, and 3 credit courses;
- They’ve got over 240 graduate-level courses to offer;
- Courses are available in 19 different subject areas, including STEM, Special Needs, ESL, Classroom management, Social/ emotional learning, teacher wellness, and more;
- Graduate credit courses through 8 regionally accredited university partners;
- Letter grades and a transcript are provided directly from the partner institution upon successful course completion;
- All courses are self-paced with up to 6 months to complete that can be started at anytime.
As many of you know, I’ve been working with Advancement Courses for quite some time now, as part of the teACh Team. This summer, each member of the team has been busy trying out courses, sharing and spreading the word about how much we totally heart what’s going on over at AdvancementCourses.com.
You can check out what we’ve done this summer, too. These events are not to be missed:
And? Right now Advancement Courses is offering even more to support busy, hardworking educators. I love it.
1. You get 10% off of 240+ professional development courses with code GIVETEN
2. 10% of all sales during this time will be donated to DonorsChoose.org projects.
3. Teachers may even submit their projects for funding!!
4. You stay on top of your teaching game thanks to @AdvancementCourses !
Stay in touch with Advancement Courses:
- Advancement Courses on Instagram: @AdvancementCourses
- Advancement Courses on Facebook: @AdvancementCourses
- Advancement Courses on Twitter: @AdvanceTeaching
- Advancement Courses on Pinterest: @AdvancementCour
fyi: This post was written as part of a partnership with Advancement Courses, but as always, my opinions are all my own, influenced only by my experience as a parent and educator.
5 fun back-to-school rituals for busy families
Leave a Reply