2013-2014 Teacher Catalog
The New 2013-2014 Catalog is here! View it now!
Online (VESI) Course Listings
* All online courses have a 6 month completion deadline!
Advanced Classroom Management
2 graduate-level professional development units
Focuses on cognitive and cognitive-behavioral interventions (often lumped toegether under the rubric “social skills”) with an emphasis on teaching students how to change and manage their own behavior. NOTE: It is strongly recommended that you take an introductory behavior management course to learn the basic terms and concepts of behavior management prior to taking this “Advanced” course.
Instructor: Mick Jackson, M.A.
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9019
Attention Deficit Disorder: Information & Interventions for Effective Teaching
2 graduate-level professional development units
This course is designed to help you achieve a better understanding of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and intervention strategies to facilitate positive student change. Course focuses on history of the disorder, accepted methods to assess and identify ADD and various treatment methods that are currently being used.
Instructor: Mick Jackson, M.A.
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9004
Autism & Asperger’s Disorder: Information & Effective Intervention Strategies
2 graduate-level professional development units
This course describes Autism and Asperger’s Disorder including characteristics, associated learning styles, communication weaknesses, and various intervention strategies.
Instructor: Marrea Winnega, Ph.D.
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9012
Behavior is Language: Strategies for Managing Disruptive Behaviors
3 graduate-level professional development units
This course is designed to give you a new perspective on student behavior and effective tools for facilitating positive student change. The course teaches behavioral techniques and intervention strategies that remediate disruptive behaviors, reduce power struggles while increasing classroom control, and reduce your workloads and burnout.
Instructor: Mick Jackson, M.A.
Fee: $394
Course Code: PEDP 9020
Child Abuse: Working with Abused and Neglected Children
2 graduate-level professional development units
This course teaches you to recognize the signs of physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, and emotional neglect in students. Factors that exist in families who abuse or neglect their children and helping the participant understand the special learning needs of the abused or neglected child.
Instructor: Joan Halverstadt
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEPD 9017
Drugs & Alcohol in School: Understanding Substance Use & Abuse
2 graduate-level professional development units
This course is designed to give you a more comprehensive understanding of alcohol, drugs, and their influences in your classroom. You will learn about a basic historical perspective of substance use along with biological, psychological, and social factors that comprise the disease of addiction.
Instructor: Casey Jackson, M.S.W.
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9008
Early Childhood: Family-Centered Services
2 graduate-level professional development units.
This course is designed to give you a new perspective on serving the needs of young children and their families. Learn what is meant by familycentered services as it applies to diverse systems of care, gain an understanding of family diversity, and explore the major stress factors facing families today. We will discuss the theoretical basis for family-centered services, as well as reflect on current research and best practices. We will also examine the role of early childhood educators and explore ways to build partnerships with parents and create communities of care-for the benefit of our children and ultimately society as a whole. This course is designed for anyone working with young children and their families: child-care providers, early childhood educators, and health care or social services providers to name a few.
Instructor: Aumony Dahl, M.Ed.
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9026
Early Childhood: Program Planning
3 graduate-level professional development unitsThis interactive course is designed to give you a new perspective on planning and implementing developmentally appropriate programs for young children from birth through age eight. Learn what is meant by curriculum, assessment, evaluation, and program planning as these terms apply to early childhood education. We will discuss several historical perspectives and theories of child development, and examine best practices for early childhood education. We will also examine key concepts and specific activities for teaching various curricular content areas including language and literacy, mathematics and science, and the expressive arts.
Instructor: Aumony Dahl, M.Ed.
Fee: $394
Course Code: PEDP 9027
Early Childhood: Observation & Assessment
3 graduate-level professional development units
This interactive course explores observation and assessment instruments, as well as recommended practices and available resources for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Content includes an emphasis on observing young children and assessing their early childhood learning environments.
Instructor: Darcie Donegan, MA/HD
Fee: $394
Course Code: PEDP 9028
Early Childhood: Typical & Atypical Development
3 graduate-level professional development units
This interactive course explores contemporary best practices and perspectives on early childhood development. Content includes patterns and sequences of typical development for children from birth to six years. Emphasis is on individual differences, cultural influences, and the impact of developmental delay and disability during infancy, toddlerhood, and the preschool years. Discussion will also include instructional technology (IT) and assistive technology (AT) applications for this population.
Instructor: Darcie Donegan, MA/HD
Fee: $394
Course Code: PEDP 9029
Educational Assessment: Assessing Student Learning in the Classroom
2 graduate-level professional development units
The course will outline procedures for designing or selecting, administering and interpreting, a variety of informal assessment measures typically used in schools. The presentation of assessment information in an acceptable format will also be addressed
Instructor: A.N. (Bob) Pillay, Ed.D.
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9023
Ethics & Safety in Education: Guidelines for Teachers & Administrators
2 graduate-level professional development units
This course will present a new way of thinking about professional ethics and professional boundaries within the teaching profession. We will look at the reasons that violations of ethics and boundaries sometimes occur. Ethical violations that transpire in both adminstrative and relationship contexts will be addressed. This course will help you understand how you as a teacher can intervene before violations take place.
Instructor: Larry E. Shyers
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9034
Harassment, Bullying & Cyber-Intimidation in Schools
2 graduate-level professional development units
This course is designed to be an informational course, which deepens your understanding of the laws and issues surrounding harassment, bullying and cyber-intimidation while providing assistance to victims who seek it. In addition you will have increased awareness of the conditions that lend themselves to the creation and support of harassment and or the impact of harassment on individuals, schools and the workplace. Finally, you will learn specific steps that can be taken by individuals and organizations in order to prevent and respond to incidents of harassment.
Instructor: Candyce Reynolds, Ph.D.
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9030
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Inclusion: Working with Students with Special Needs in General Education Classrooms
2 graduate-level professional development units
This course is designed to help special and general educators gain a better understanding of Inclusion. It will also help you identify the roles and responsibilities of educators in providing special services to students educated in Inclusive classrooms.
Instructor: Florah Luseno, Ph.D.
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9011
Infant and Toddler Mental Health
2 graduate-level professional development units
An interactive computer-based instruction (CBI) course designed to help you achieve a better understanding of infant and toddler mental health, child development and strategies you can use to promote positive relationships with children and their families. This course provides information that will help you to understand and identify your role as a child care provider, educator and early childhood professional. Infant and Toddler Mental Health will provide you with research-based information on child development, attachment, temperament, and curriculum
Instructor: Aumony Dahl, M.Ed.
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9025
Learning Disabilities: Practical Information for Classroom Teachers
3 graduate-level professional development units
The course provides direction for program planning and implementation. It indicates the importance of and the need for a close and positive partnership with parents (or alternative caregivers) for ensuring effective and meaningful home-school axis.
Instructor: A.N. (Bob) Pillay, Ed.D.
Fee: $394
Course Code: PEDP 9009
Talented and Gifted: Working with High Achievers
2 graduate-level professional development units
The course covers major program models and methods of differentiating instruction to meet the rate and level of learning of those students identified. The course also gives you an understanding of ways to meet the affective needs of the gifted and talented student in the regular classroom.
Instructor: Pamela Bernards, Ed.D.
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9016
Teaching Diversity: Influences & Issues in the Classroom
2 graduate-level professional development units
This course will help your understand and identify differences in approaches to learning and performance, including different learning styles and ways in which students demonstrate learning. An emphasis in this course will be on understanding how a student's learning is influenced by individual experiences, talents, disabilities, gender language, culture, family, and community values. The strategies were designed to be used to aid in teaching students in a diverse classroom ranging from K-12.
Instructor: Pamela Bernards, Ed.D.
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9024
Teaching Elementary Math Conceptually: A New Paradigm
2 graduate-level professional development units
This course is designed to explain and connect the major concepts, procedures and reasoning processes of mathematics. Current research and trends in math education will be discussed. Number sense, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division and fractions wil be covered.
Instructor: Kim Chappell, EdD
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9031
Traumatized Child: The Effects of Stress, Trauma & Violence on Student Learning
2 graduate-level professional development units
This course is designed to help classroom teachers, school counselors, and other educational personnel gain strategies to reach and teach students who have been affected by stress, trauma, and/or violence.
Instructor: Joan Halverstadt, M.Ed.
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9022
Understanding Aggression: Coping with Aggressive Behavior in the Classroom
3 graduate-level professional development units
This course is about violence in America and the aggression in our schools, classrooms, streets, homes, and elsewhere. The course will consider: the many forms of aggression, both criminal and otherwise; its costs and motivation; its impact on our schools and children; and, most especially, its several causes and promising solutions.
Instructor: Michael Sedler, D.Min.
Fee: $394
Course Code: PEDP 9015
Violence in Schools: Identification, Prevention & Intervention Strategies
2 graduate-level professional development units
You will learn identification and intervention approaches in working with control behaviors. In addition, each student will receive information on national resources available for both parents and teachers.
Instructor: Michael Sedler, D.Min.
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9006
Why DI?: An Introduction to Differentiated Instruction
3 graduate-level professional development units
In this course you will learn what is meant by Differentiated Instruction (DI) and the common myths associated with creating the differentiated classroom. We will discuss the legal, theoretical, and pedagogical foundations in the field of education that support the utilization of differentiated instructional practices and principles. We will reflect on best practices and national trends in the design of the educational setting to meet the needs of a diverse learning population.
Instructor: Steve Dahl
Fee: $394
Course Code: PEDP 9033
Reading Fundamentals Series
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 mandates the use of scientifically-based research in programs receiving federal funding that deal with remedial readers (Fleishman, Kohlmoos, & Rotherham, 2003). The purpose of these courses is to help improve your knowledge of science and the scientific process. This knowledge will make you a more informed consumer and an even better advocate for students. Three courses are offered in this series. You do not have to take all three, you can register for any of them at any time.
Reading Fundamentals 1: An Introduction to Scientifically-Based Research
2 graduate-level professional development units
Instructor: Mick Jackson, M.A.
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9101
Reading Fundamentals 2: Laying the Foundation for Effective Reading Instruction
2 graduate-level professional development units
Instructor: Mick Jackson, M.A.
Fee: $279
Course Code: PEDP 9102
Reading Fundamentals 3: the Elements of Effective Reading Instruction & Assessment
3 graduate-level professional development units
Instructor: Mick Jackson, M.A.
Fee: $394
Course Code: PEDP 9103
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