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Professional Institute for Educators Courses


Course pricing includes $1,050 tuition + a nonrefundable course fee: $50 fee for subject codes ETEC, INCL, LITY, and STET; $100 fee for subject codes VPAS, STTA.

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Upcoming Courses

Courses

A Is for Everything - How Typography Shapes Our Language and Culture (3.0 graduate credits)

Using type specimens, printed ephemera, and design examples from the Library of Congress digital collections, participants will trace histories, narratives, and connection in parallel with our diverse cultural experiences and visual language. The invention of movable type created an explosion of shared knowledge, history, and visual language that continues to evolve in contemporary culture. This course will explore meaning and subject matter through type design. Collaborative exercises will encourage participant to think critically about how type and design shapes our language and visual culture. Site visits include collections in the Philadelphia region, and guest lectures. Content is appropriate to a range of subject areas, from art and design, to literacy, history, science and technology.

July 19-30, 2021, Online

A Is for Everything - How Typography Shapes Our Language and Culture (non-credit)

Using type specimens, printed ephemera, and design examples from the Library of Congress digital collections, participants will trace histories, narratives, and connection in parallel with our diverse cultural experiences and visual language. The invention of movable type created an explosion of shared knowledge, history, and visual language that continues to evolve in contemporary culture. This course will explore meaning and subject matter through type design. Collaborative exercises will encourage participant to think critically about how type and design shapes our language and visual culture. Site visits include collections in the Philadelphia region, and guest lectures. Content is appropriate to a range of subject areas, from art and design, to literacy, history, science and technology.

July 19-30, 2021, Online

Blended and Flipped Learning: Advanced

Are you already using blended/flipped models, but would like to learn about new resources and strategies that will help to further engage your students? In this class, we will learn how to optimize blended/flipped models to personalize learning and encourage student ownership. We will dive deeper into how student control of place, path, and/or pace of learning ultimately leads to more successful outcomes. In addition to the traditional flipped classroom, we will explore optimization of the in-class flip and station rotations. Teachers will create original video recordings and podcasts of digital lessons/lectures of content that are most conducive to blended practices. Open to all K-12 educators who have basic experience with blended learning and/or flipped classroom implementation.

June 15, 2021 to July 13, 2021, Online

Creating a Classroom Community Through the Arts

Creating a classroom community through music, dance and theater introduces strategies for educators to incorporate elements of arts-based thematic instruction. Educators will use guided discovery, movement, imagery, spatial concepts, choreography, musical and rhythmic accompaniment and group theater games to promote positive relationships and academic achievement. This course will be facilitated by the instructor within a collaborative and cooperative framework, building upon current educational philosophies and practices, including Responsive Classroom. Instruction will be transparent, in that educators will be engaged in learning activities, which they may choose to adapt to meet the needs and developmental levels of their own students. Each class session will begin with a Circle of Power and Respect, interactive activities, and processing techniques derived from Restorative Practices. Application of learning from previous courses will be integrated into daily reflections and into the final project. Educators will collaboratively prepare projects in class and will be expected to continue this creative process outside of class, refining their thematic unit/'work of art' and reflecting on classroom experience. Educators will be encouraged to actively participate in theater games and activities, experiment with various theater techniques, and design theater, dance or music-based thematic units integrating standards-based curriculum and IEP goals.

June 28, 2021 to July 30, 2021, Online

Digital Citizenship in Today's K-12 Classroom

Digital technologies are ever-changing, and come with a set of risks and rewards for your students. Having 'the world at your fingertips' is both wonderful and daunting. This course will help you lead students within today's digital environment, including guidance around the appropriate and safe use of digital tools both inside and outside of the classroom.

July 12, 2021 to August 10, 2021, Online

Engagement Matters: Formative Assessment Using Web-Based Technology

Frequent feedback is central to learning. Frequent feedback as part of a formative assessment strategy supports students to do work that they are proud of, and motivates students to meet challenges. This course focuses on relevant, real-time, personal, practical feedback to inform different stages of the learning process. In what ways can you provide feedback that students will build on, understand, and use? You will test a host of free technologies that support formative assessment and help to create a classroom culture of feedback grounded in student interests, passions, and authentic response.

May 24, 2021 to June 27, 2021, Online

Exploring Literacy through the Visual Arts

This course is appropriate for K-8 classroom teachers, special needs and ELL teachers, and teachers of science, mathematics and social studies who see literacy as a skill that extends across content areas and wish to investigate how an integrated curriculum with visual art at the core will increase the overall literacy of their students. With the goal of transforming literacy acquisition from learning to read, to reading to learn across all academic content areas, educators will gain a basic understanding of how the brain learns and why a visual art integrated approach can build both the acquisition of literacy skills and the fluency students need to become proficient and advanced learners.

June 1, 2021 to July 9, 2021, Online

Google Apps for Education

Does your school use Google Apps for Education, but you are unsure as to how to best use it to serve your classroom needs? Do you have a basic understanding of Google Apps. but would love to know more? Would you benefit from exploring Google Apps' formative assessment features and terrific assignment feedback functions? How about the ease of data collection, analysis and interpretation? Creating and building educator communities? This course will serve as a jumping off point as to how Google Apps will integrate seamlessly into the classroom experience for you and your students.

May 25, 2021 to June 14, 2021, Online

Graphic Design for the Classroom: Adobe Photoshop

This course outlines the fundamentals of Adobe Photoshop for use in middle and high school classrooms. Participants will develop practical strategies to integrate software skills into lessons as a foundation for ongoing design exploration with students. Participants will learn the basics of image resolution, scanning, image import/export, print setup, and photo adjustments. Participants will gain an understanding of how this design program works for different types of design projects and the ability to create basic design projects and activities that reinforce concepts, vocabulary, and design principles to students in the classroom. Each day will include design lecture, software skill demonstration, and studio time for in-class exercises and projects. This in-class work will be supplemented with materials including video tutorials and readings.

August 2-13, 2021, Online

Integrating Media Literacy into Today's K-12 Classroom

Media education adds value to just about every curriculum in the K-12 classrooms. Media education has become a growing priority in today's classroom because of the extent of the media's importance in people's lives. However, many teachers are unaware of the necessity and the techniques for making media literacy an integral part of the K-12 educational experience. On average, children in their middle and high school years spend 6-10 hours a day engaged either actively or passively in a 'media related' activity. Because students, regardless of their learning style, attend more fully to activities and ideas that they connect with, the media is often used to influence them from a very young age. This makes it necessary for teachers to 'train' their students to analyze messages and understand the techniques utilized to influence them via a broad range of sound and visual communication technologies. Integrating Media Literacy into Today's K-12 Curriculum will teach educators how to incorporate media literacy into the classroom curriculum, regardless of the subject taught. This course will provide educators with the resources necessary to help students hone their critical thinking skills in a functional context so that they are able to recognize various marketing approaches, identify propaganda, understand stereotypes, critically evaluate media conveyed messages, and use the media as a tool for life-long learning.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Interactive Presentations

While Powerpoint and Prezi are options, they are nowhere near the only options, with which to create interactive presentations for use in today's classroom. Browser-based applications present countless presentation features to help foster student engagement, interaction, assessment, and communication. This course will explore the web's potential for interactivity, including slideshows and videos, back channeling, 3-D, animations, interactive whiteboards, screencasting, online debates, collaboration, and brainstorming tools. All applications introduced in the course are free, with iPad-approved options available for those teachers who use them in their classrooms.

June 28, 2021 to August 1, 2021, Online

Online Tools & Collaboration in Education

Educators can now empower their students to connect, create, and collaborate online. Explore the use of technology as a tool to engage students in constructive critical thinking about the subjects they study. User-friendly Web 2.0 tools, tools provide opportunities for educators and students to communicate and interact in new, collaborative ways. Lesson guides provide practical examples of techniques to integrate these online tools into the curriculum.

July 12, 2021 to August 13, 2021, Online

Posters for the People - Using WPA Sources (3.0 graduate credits)

In the 1930s, the United States was in crisis. The economic system had collapsed and one-quarter of the country's workforce was unemployed. In an effort to rebuild the nation, President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the 'Works Progress Administration' (WPA) to put millions of jobless people back to work. To promote its vast social programs, the WPA commissioned 500 artists nationwide to created more than 35,000 posters and prints to reach the American public. Of the mere 2,000 posters known to still exist, the Library of Congress' collection is the largest. These striking silkscreen, lithograph and woodcut posters publicized health programs, cultural programs, theatrical and musical performances, travel, education and community activities throughout the U.S. The posters were made possible by one of the first U.S. Government programs to support the arts and were added to the Library's holdings in the 1940s. In this course, learn about the WPA - its artists and its mission - and its connection to history, art, social science and visual literacy that can enrich your teaching. Participants learn about this time period, the power of design to communicate and how to use visual primary sources to engage students. In addition to museum visits, design studio exercises and hands-on printmaking, participants will use the digital archives of the Library of Congress to prepare lessons based on these powerful historic images. Content is appropriate for every subject areas as connections to art, nature, history, material processes and literacy are explored.

July 5-16, 2021, Online

Posters for the People - Using WPA Sources (non-credit)

In the 1930s, the United States was in crisis. The economic system had collapsed and one-quarter of the country's workforce was unemployed. In an effort to rebuild the nation, President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the 'Works Progress Administration' (WPA) to put millions of jobless people back to work. To promote its vast social programs, the WPA commissioned 500 artists nationwide to created more than 35,000 posters and prints to reach the American public. Of the mere 2,000 posters known to still exist, the Library of Congress' collection is the largest. These striking silkscreen, lithograph and woodcut posters publicized health programs, cultural programs, theatrical and musical performances, travel, education and community activities throughout the U.S. The posters were made possible by one of the first U.S. Government programs to support the arts and were added to the Library's holdings in the 1940s. In this course, learn about the WPA - its artists and its mission - and its connection to history, art, social science and visual literacy that can enrich your teaching. Participants learn about this time period, the power of design to communicate and how to use visual primary sources to engage students. In addition to museum visits, design studio exercises and hands-on printmaking, participants will use the digital archives of the Library of Congress to prepare lessons based on these powerful historic images. Content is appropriate for every subject areas as connections to art, nature, history, material processes and literacy are explored.

July 5-16, 2021, Online

Social and Emotional Learning in the Classroom

Emotional intelligence is a missing link in our educational curriculum. Teachers are given the tools for sharing academic lessons, but often they are ill-equipped to handle the stress that the students bring with them. SEL prescribes approaching students as complex human beings whose learning and behavior are just as impacted by their emotions, and their control over those emotions, as they are by the quality of instruction and discipline. However, social-emotional competencies need to be taught. The SEL approach involves teaching students how to manage emotions and behaviors to achieve one's goals; recognize one's emotions and values as well as one's strengths and challenges; show understanding and empathy for others; form positive relationships, working in pairs and teams, dealing effectively with conflict; recognize and talk about their feelings; and resolve conflicts peacefully as a way to strengthen both academic achievement and emotional stability. The course will provide teachers with a practical framework that incorporates morning and class meetings, literature, video examples, creative dramatics and conflict resolution to implement the non-cognitive skills that will stimulate thinking and bonds among children that will carry over into their academic curriculum.

June 21, 2021 to July 26, 2021, Online

Technology for Differentiated Instruction

Current research on the use of technology in the classroom concludes that its appropriate use can yield dramatic gains in student achievement and student engagement. This course will prepare educators to routinely use technology in the classroom to effectively reach and engage diverse learners in new ways. Educators will learn how to identify and optimize educational technology tools, resources, and applications that best match unique student populations.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework educators and educational systems can use to break down traditional school and classroom-based barriers that prevent access to learning. Participants will learn to utilize educational technology and other strategies to apply the core principles of UDL: multiple means of engagement, action and expression and representation. Participants will be given the opportunity to design UDL inspired activities, lessons and courses for maximum effectiveness and accessibility to meet the individual needs of diverse learners.

July 12, 2021 to August 6, 2021, Online

Visual Arts for the Classroom: Digital Photography, Advanced

Refine and improve techniques relating to digital photography, expanding overall photographic competency and aesthetic sensibility. Composition, lighting and subject are discussed and critiqued as participants create a cohesive body of work with the final goal a series of project-based photographs. Some basic postproduction techniques using Photoshop are introduced. Participants must bring a digital SLR camera and a portable storage device. (or have access to a cloud based image storage service.)

June 21, 2021 to July 2, 2021, Online

Visual Arts for the Classroom: Digital Photography, Introductory

Explore, refine and improve general techniques relating to digital photography, including camera functions, image storage and final output options. In addition, composition, lighting and subject are discussed and critiqued. Some basic post-production techniques using Photoshop are also introduced. Participants must bring a digital SLR camera and a portable storage device.

June 21, 2021 to July 2, 2021, Online

Visual Arts for the Classroom: Landscape Painting, Advanced

Explore landscape painting at a more advanced level. Working in the field, participants discuss themes inherent in this subject matter, evaluate the effects of light and color, and refine specific techniques. As weather permits, work outdoors in the Bucks County landscape with expansive vistas to consider. This course takes into account the immediacy of changing conditions while working en plein air. Participants work from direct observation and consider techniques that achieve desired results. Choice of media may be oil, acrylic or pastel. Topics include mediums and techniques for the efficient use of time, analyzing composition, color studies, reading weather and light conditions, and basic color mixing. Course content and critiques applicable to art classroom instruction.

July 19-30, 2021, Online

Visual Arts for the Classroom: Landscape Painting, Advanced II

Continue to refine advanced techniques with an emphasis on an in-the-field approach to landscape as subject matter. In addition to producing finished paintings, discuss this genre and the themes in it, including the concept of place, scale, the nature of light, and the balance of man and nature. Work outdoors in the local area to address the process of working with the immediacy of changing conditions. Participants may choose oil, acrylic or pastel for their medium and present a series of thematic pieces. Course content and critiques applicable to art classroom instruction.

July 19-30, 2021, Online

Visual Arts for the Classroom: Landscape Painting, Introductory

Emphasis will be on an 'in the field' approach to landscape as subject matter. In addition to producing finished paintings, participants will discuss this genre and the themes often illustrated in it, including the concept of place, scale, the nature of light, and the balance of man and nature. As weather permits, participants will work outdoors to address the process of working with the immediacy of changing conditions. Participants will work from direct observation and cover concepts in landscape composition that will help them achieve their desired results. Choice of media may be oil, acrylic or pastel. Topics include: proper grounds (surfaces) for oil paint, materials, mediums, and techniques for the efficient use of the time, how to use a loose drawing to form a strong composition; and making color studies. Participants will also discuss choosing a location, reading the weather, reading the light, and color mixing for landscape. This course is intended for educators with previous experience in basic drawing and painting. All course content will be directly applicable to classroom instruction and curriculum for art educators.

July 19-30, 2021, Online

Visual Storytelling Techniques for Educators

Consider narrative concepts as conveyed or enhanced through visual images. Using primarily museum and art history resources, as well as selected children's books, participants consider how images convey meaning themselves or are used in conjunction with text to tell stories. Look at the works of illustrators such as Maurice Sendak, Eric Carle, Faith Ringgold and Beatrix Potter to discuss the relationship of image with text. Study works by artists Henri Matisse, Edward Hopper, Henri Rousseau, Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence, whose work contains strong narrative elements to explore how images alone can convey a story. Discover studio projects, presentations and hands-on exercises that can be replicated directly to help students increase their visual literacy skills and enhance learning. Use museum resources as a primary teaching tool with visits to the Rosenbach Museum and Library and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Designed primarily for K-8 classroom teachers, as well as those teaching art, English or language arts; open to all with an interest in visual storytelling.

July 5-16, 2021, Online