Friday Institute Expands Offerings for Online Professional Learning for Educators

RALEIGH, N.C. — To continue its commitment to support educators and provide resources for teaching and learning even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation has extended registration and expanded offerings of its free online courses for educators. In addition to these extensions, the Friday Institute has reopened and updated its Teaching Mathematics with Technology course to assist math teachers who are rapidly responding to their students’ needs and searching for meaningful material to support online instruction. 

Courses are self-directed, peer-supported, project-based and allow for blended learning opportunities and a platform to connect and share with educators around the world. They are flexible and can be accessed at any time, in any place and on any device. See below for a list of course offerings.

• Teaching Mathematics with Technology
  This course uses research-based materials and is designed to support middle and high school pre-service and practicing teachers in learning to use free technology tools to support students’ learning of mathematics. Participants will focus on several key instructional practices such as evaluating and choosing tasks, posing questions, facilitating discussions and assessing students’ learning. Each of the units in the course will include videos of students working on tasks with technology or teachers facilitating discussions in a technology-enabled lesson as well as several mathematics tasks that can be used to teach algebra/number, geometry or statistics/probability concepts. Registration opens March 23 and ends May 18.
• Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for Educators
  Build your own foundational understanding with this course of how social and emotional learning (SEL) skills are essential to student learning. Participants will see examples of how others are teaching these skills, learn strategies to apply to their classrooms and share ideas with colleagues in their school, community and around the globe. Registration has been extended through Aug. 1.
• Teaching Foundational Reading Skills
  This course will help educators more effectively prepare students in grades K–3 with the skills they need to become successful readers. Teaching Foundational Reading Skills is organized around the recommendations of the Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade Practice Guide, published in July 2016 by the U.S. Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse^TM. This practice guide, developed by a panel of expert researchers and practitioners, provides educators with specific, research-based recommendations for effective teaching practices. It focuses on the foundational skills that enable students to read words, relate those words to their oral language and read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to understand what they read. Registration has been extended through April 22. 
• Teaching the Beauty and Joy of Computing Curriculum
  This course provides professional development and support for teachers of the BJC high school computer science curriculum.
• Teaching the Computer Science Discoveries Course
  This course is a deep dive into content to bolster educators’ computer science understanding and the pedagogy underpinning Code.org’s Computer Science Discoveries course. 

More information about each course can be found at www.mooc-ed.org. Watch the short video below to learn more about the Friday Institute’s online professional learning experience.

The Friday Institute brings together researchers, practitioners and policymakers to lead the transition to next-generation education systems that will prepare students for success in the digital-age world. It conducts research, develops educational resources, provides professional development programs for educators, advocates to improve teaching and learning, and helps inform policy-making. The Friday Institute is a part of the NC State College of Education. Visit fi.ncsu.edu to learn more.