December 15, 2022
Holiday greetings from the Continuing Education and Professional Development (CEPD) Department at Drake University! CEPD likes to think of our live bulldog mascot as symbolic of what our department represents: loyalty, dignity, and tenacity.
How do we accomplish these attributes? By providing excellent customer service to all educators, continued system improvements, and forward-thinking courses, all while collaborating with our amazing partners! As we close out 2022, we look forward to another great year in 2023 of applying our knowledge to practical educational courses. See a few online opportunities below:
Cultural Awareness: Seeing Past the Stereotypes
Spring 2023 Course Dates: February 20 – April 16, 2023
Graduate Credit-3 semester hours
This course initiates the process of seeing past stereotypes by raising each student’s awareness of the culture in which they live. Once students are tuned into the elements of their own culture, they will be exposed to their own implicit bias and guided down a path of exploring and implementing the best strategies for connecting with and appreciating those from other cultures. Students will be provided with opportunities to hear the voices of those from other cultures and, through their work in this course, they will develop tools to assist them in successfully applying the important concepts of cultural awareness in their work environment, whether educational, counseling, administrative or other.
Differentiation and Literacy
Spring 2023 Course Dates: March 13 – May 7, 2023
Graduate Credit-3 semester hours
In this course, you will learn to differentiate your instruction to reach children of varying literacy readiness levels, both elementary and secondary. You will learn ways to improve your instruction by adopting a growth mindset and will practice strategies such as flexible grouping to enrich your literacy instruction. You will review the English Language Arts Common Core Standards and will explore methods to create differentiated literacy lesson plans to address those standards. You will discuss methods to develop a positive classroom culture. You will review effective methods of both self-assessment and other forms of assessment to guide your differentiation.
The Domino Effect
Spring 2023 Course Dates: March 27 – April 23, 2023
Graduate Credit - 1 semester hour
The Domino Effect online course provides intervention strategies and understanding to those who work with at-risk youth. Course participants will hear first-hand accounts from a mental health expert about supporting students with mental and emotional health concerns. Course participants will also listen to previously incarcerated men and women who speak about their experiences in school and what led them to prison.
Power of Play: Learning, Communicating and Engaging LearnersSpring 2023 Course Dates: March 20 - April 16, 2023
Graduate Credit-1 semester hour
The purpose of this one-credit online experiential course is to explore the importance of play in learning. To the observer, students look like they are "just playing", but together we will unravel the big picture to find the underlying learning taking place through play. Participants will acquire tools on how to observe play, while learning techniques to interact and respond to play themes. Attendees will understand concurrently about the rationale behind the importance of play in child development and in education settings, how students use play as part of their social-emotional language and how to effectively observe and respond to messages in play.
Implicit Bias Training
CEPD also offers two-hour implicit bias workshops that guides participants in tuning into the elements of their own culture, after which they will be exposed to their own implicit bias and guided down a path of recognizing the implications of those biases. As part of this training, participants develop an action plan to mitigate the implicit biases that we all have. Don't hesitate to contact Chuck Sengstock (chuck.sengstock@drake.edu) if you are interested in more information or would like to schedule this training for your agency.
Please Visit Our Website for more information about our other programs and offerings
In closing, the Drake campus, including the CEPD office, will observe winter break from Thursday, December 22 through Monday, January 2. Please let us know if we can assist you before or after these dates. Additionally, we plan to take fall semester registrations until Friday, January 13. Please know, we wish you the very best in 2023!
September 1,2022
The transition from summer to fall is always a dramatic one for children, parents, educators, administrators, college students, or anyone who follows or works within the academic calendar. There are so many feelings to unpack as one begins to embark on a new school year, but the one that always resonates for me is: anticipation. At Drake’s Continuing Education and Professional Development Department (CEPD), we are anticipating a great 2022/2023 academic year! Why? Because we have so many amazing partnerships with exciting, relevant, thoughtful, and timely courses. Please see a few highlights from a few of our partners:
ED Technology Specialists Partnership
The aptly named ED Technology Specialists has a roster of exciting courses geared toward educators who need digital age skills and pedagogical strategies to be relevant in their classrooms for students to be future-ready. Look at all twenty-nine tech-forward course offerings as there’s something for both the tech-savvy and the non-tech-savvy alike. All ED Technology Specialists’ courses are offered online for three hours of graduate credit ($379).
PLS 3rd Learning Online Courses
In PLS Classes, participants engage in interactive instruction and discussion with personal assistance from experienced master facilitators. Learn research-based strategies to apply to your classroom immediately. Discover how to motivate and engage learners to improve student achievement. Elevate your professional expertise and become a master instructor by enrolling in online classes offered through Drake University.
School Mental Health Online Courses
Many of our school mental health (SMH) online courses have been developed by Please Pass the Love. This metro-based non-profit is committed to increasing SMH supports to improve the quality of life and educational opportunities for children, families, and educators. These unique courses are self-paced, and students may take these courses for graduate credit and Iowa license renewal credit. We also offer an audit option. Registration is rolling. Thus, register at any time throughout the year.
LETRS Course Transfers into Drake’s Reading Endorsement Program
Have you taken a LETRS graduate course with Drake through your local AEA? If so, you could potentially transfer the graduate credit into Drake’s Reading Endorsement program. Dr. Jill Johnson and Dr. Lindsay Woodward would be happy to chat with you to discuss the program’s details. Open the attachment to view an informational flyer for more information, and feel free to disseminate it as appropriate.
With a sense of anticipation, we wish you the best 2022/2023 academic year with all your endeavors. Just a reminder, Friday, September 16, will be the last day to submit summer registrations. Please contact us with any questions or concerns, as we always look forward to supporting all our partners.
March 10, 2022
Our award-winning online courses are specific to PreK-12 teachers, counselors, administrators, and athletic coaches. All offerings are interactive and include practical information. Click on any of the below course titles for additional information, including offering dates.
Additional Courses and Programs of Interest
Click on the below text links for more information about our other courses and programs.
ED Technology Specialists
Never before in history has technology played such an essential role in education. When students are acquiring and mastering the skills that they will need to become productive members of society, the classrooms and learning communities in which they engage are becoming more and more infused with technology. These online graduate courses will support teachers in their quest to investigate new edtech tools and employ best practices in an ever-increasing digital world.
It’s Not Too Late to Enroll for a Spring Course Through PLS Classes
There’s still time to enroll in a Spring course through PLS Classes and earn graduate credit through Drake. PLS offers a variety of remote, online, and self-paced courses throughout the semester. Each course is fully facilitated and designed to meet your continuing education needs.
Online School Mental Health Courses Developed by Please Pass the Love
Many of our school mental health (SMH) online courses were developed by PLEASE PASS THE LOVE. PLEASE PASS THE LOVE is committed to increasing SMH supports to improve the quality of life and educational opportunities for children, families, and educators. These unique courses are self-paced, and students may take these courses for graduate credit and Iowa License Renewal Credit. We also offer an audit option. Registration is rolling. Thus, register at any time throughout the year.
Does your school have an effective strategy for character education and social-emotional learning (SEL)?
We invite you to learn more about CHARACTER COUNTS! (CC!), housed at Drake University. CC! has been positively impacting schools and youth-serving organizations through the Six Pillars of Character for over 30 years. We offer a variety of outstanding professional development workshops to bring character education to life in your school. To learn more about CC! professional development offerings click here. Contact Jason Lamping at Jason.Lamping@drake.edu with questions.
Visit our website for more information regarding all of our offerings: www.drake.edu/cepd