NASHVILLE, TN (WLAF) — The Tennessee Department of Education is partnering with Trevecca Nazarene University to provide free training on digital learning and teaching to all Tennessee teachers. The self-paced, online training is available for free today through August 1, and will help teachers develop skills for digital learning, including how to design classes for remote instruction, use technology to enhance learning outcomes for all students, and more. 

“As a result of the coronavirus pandemic and related school closures, digital learning has become a critical resource for many districts to deliver academic instruction to students. Teachers are learning to adapt to the new challenges of digital learning and teaching, but they should not have to do it alone, so we are thrilled this resource is available to all Tennessee teachers,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “We are so grateful to Trevecca for making this training available now to help Tennessee teachers build their digital toolkit to better serve all students.”

Digital and other distance learning methods will continue to be important for our teachers and students as we look ahead to next school year. This partnership builds on the Department’s efforts to support districts and schools during COVID-19 related school building closures with a variety of resources including the PBS Teaching Tennessee programming, ReadyRosie partnership, and Principal Professional Learning Series with University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

This training will specifically equip teachers with digital skills to serve student needs and prepare for the next school year, which will be particularly important should digital instruction continue to be necessary. The department plans to release additional resources for teachers in the coming weeks and months.

Tennessee educators can register for the free training online HERE.

“This free, online training will help equip Tennessee educators who serve our state’s K-12 student population with the necessary tools and skills needed for remote instruction,” said Dr. Dean Diehl, dean of Trevecca’s School of Graduate and Continuing Studies. “It will also provide a valuable opportunity for teachers to network with other educational professionals who are facing the same challenges and better equip them for the education methods of the future.”

Teachers will learn a variety of skills to improve digital and blended learning including how to develop online classroom design, demonstrate effective use of instructional technology tools for digital instruction, create supplemental, blended or hybrid content deliveries, apply ADA Compliance and Accessibility for Universal Design, and implement a specialized IEP plan for content creation.

“Through this professional development course, participants will be able to get hands-on experience and practice what they’re learning through project-based assignments,” LaMetrius Daniels, the director of Trevecca’s Center for Innovative Instruction, said. “We want educators to walk away from this class with skills they can immediately put into practice as they build rich digital learning environments for their students.”

The self-paced, online training will take place in four modules:

  • Module 1: Participants will explore trends in instructional software, online resources, how to use technology for communication between teacher and students.
  • Module 2: Participants will be introduced to learning management systems and explore selecting a learning management system for their environment and how to release the course to students.
  • Module 3: Participants will explore the concept of universal design for learning and learn how to address any problems of exclusion from education, including supporting students with impairments.
  • Module 4: Participants will learn to build engaging, interactive content including video, simulations or animation.

For more information about the free training, or to register, educators should visit HERE.  For Tennessee Department of Education media inquiries, email to this ADDRESS.   (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 05/15/2020-10:30AM)

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