Formative Assessment is an essential part of the learning process leading to student success. Using Formative Assessment, teachers involve students in ongoing self-assessment so they are aware of expectations, gauge where they are in their learning, and then adjust to close the gap between them. Learn about digital tools to support this process. Explore and use quiz and polling tools, interactive and video assessments, portfolios, interactive lessons, and online bulletin boards. Leave with new tools to engage and assist your students in taking responsibility for their learning and achievement.

Energize students to level up their writing across all styles and content? Explore author’s craft through the writing process structure. Help writers improve their craft through immersive experiences where they explore and sculpt ideas into meaningful drafts to share with various audiences. Join us on this writing journey.

Address diverse student learning needs with technology integration. Identify basic principles of universal design, differentiated instruction and best practice teaching strategies to enhance existing or new lessons or classroom activities. Apply these strategies using technology integration to improve learning. Learn to find and use interactive learning activities to address a variety of learning styles. Address learning barriers and support learners using technology tools.

Student engagement is a key element for learning and academic achievement. Gamification is a system of tools such as badges, achievements, levels, and leaderboards to engage participants. Explore how to combine strategies to inspire students to practice, study, and learn more academic content. These gamification strategies result in increased student-led learning, critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem-solving.

Students who ask questions engage themselves in learning to find answers. It is the simplest and most effective way of learning. Learn the importance of asking questions. Explore how to nurture a culture of curiosity in the classroom by helping students formulate great questions in their learning. Integrate technology to ignite and sustain critical thinking. Leave with a toolbox and lesson plans focused on inquiry and technology integration.

Explore the essential needs of Leadership and Culture. This course is designed for school, district, and teacher leaders who wish to implement a change effort in their school or schools. Leaders is a broad category, and can include coaches, teachers, technology specialists, aspiring leaders, or other interested in supporting school change.  This course will focus on technology initiatives and other ideas that incorporate change.

Which media sites are reporting the truth? How to discern the difference between real and “fake” or false information? More importantly, can students differentiate between real and fake news? Most children have a difficult time discerning between what is real or fake, how to differentiate between an advertisement and a news article, and identifying where they got their news. We need to stop the cycle of passing forward news and information that has not been substantiated. This course will help educators and their students become smarter consumers and producers of information.

Explore the instructional strategies that support diverse learners. Learn the six elements of differentiation. Understand common language for implementing practical differentiation. Impact success through thoughtful and intentional planning and implementation.

Open Educational Resources (OER) are free, high quality, openly licensed educational tools that can be retained, reused, revised, remixed, and redistributed. It’s easy to find multiple OER for your lessons or curriculum by using the comprehensive search tools on the #Go Open Michigan website. Now learn to customize any lesson, presentation, activity or other OER from #GoOpen Michigan to help students achieve learning goals and standards. Remixing and revising OER provides endless opportunities to create fresh approaches to content and learning.

SeeSaw creates a powerful learning loop between students, teachers, and families and can support remote learning, too. Students use built-in annotation tools (like draw+record, collage, video, and more) to capture what they know in the way that works best for them within Seesaw’s digital portfolio. Teachers gain insights and understand student thinking and progress — enabling them to teach better. Families connect by gaining a window into their student’s learning and engage with school happenings.

Virtual Reality (VR) brings learning to life! Using VR, students can explore natural habitats, experience a beating human heart, or visit other planets. Explore the what, why, and how of integrating VR into classroom instruction. Discover how VR is changing classrooms and engaging students. Learn how virtual reality can unlock potential, personalize learning, and allow students to become content producers rather than just content consumers. Create a VR experience to support teaching or professional development.

Collaboration and communication are critical life skills used at home, school, and work. Teach students how to use these skills to succeed at home and in school. Improve classroom management as students take ownership of learning in partnership with teachers. The course is designed to promote positive change in instructional practice and support teamwork.

Google Apps for Education provides an expansive repertoire of tools for empowering students and managing instruction. Master the basics: how to create documents and share them with students, colleagues or parents. (1) Understand sharing options. (2) Navigate the Chrome Web Store to find and install apps targeted for student learning. (3) Install, explore and utilize new Google Apps and/or Chrome extensions that leverage the impact of technology integration and using Chromebooks. (4) Appreciate the transformation these tools have on teaching and learning by providing seamless access to information, not confined to the school day or classroom.