7 Free Online Courses in March

March is one of those dull and terribly long months with St. Patrick’s Day being its only highlight. And well, since it’s so long, you could at least do something useful and cover an online course or two!
I have collected seven nice online courses, yet from this month on I am no longer recommending courses at coursera, as in my opinion they are no longer plainly free. Still, if you’re into CPD, you’ll find there great courses – and meanwhile you may choose from the ones below:

Teaching English: How to Plan a Great Lesson by the British Council

Start: 02/03/2020
Duration: 4 weeks
For whom: English language teachers
As a DoS I must admit I love a well-planned lesson – and so do our students. This course is great for fresh teachers who still feel they’re somewhat lost – it will help you understand your students and build a rapport with them, learn how to manage the lesson and keep your students engaged. It will definitely help you make the whole education process far less stressful.

Inclusive Classroom Specialization by Microsoft

Start: self-paced
Duration: 9 hours
For whom: teachers and educators
This course will prepare you to meet the needs of all learners in the classroom by providing personalised learning experience. You will learn about digital literacy in the 21st century courses, discover new accessibility tools and assistive technologies. The great thing is that you may access the videos whenever you feel like learning and you don’t have to register!

Demystifying Mindfulness by Leiden University

Start: 2/03/2020
Duration: 6 weeks
For whom: mindfulness beginners and professionals, academics and non-academics
One of the key-words we’re all familiar with. But what is mindfulness? And how exactly does it work? This course will help you compare different psychological and therapeutic approaches to mindfulness, interpret your own experiences of mindfulness practices and maybe find some useful techniques that will be helpful in your professional life.

Understanding IELTS: Speaking by the British Council

Start: 16/03/2020
Duration: 3 weeks
For whom: anyone preparing for IELTS
Yet another course by the British Council – this time something you may share with your students, especially those who want to take IELTS and study abroad. I’ve been preparing for IELTS for quite a long time, and I must admit speaking part is something most students find surprisingly challenging. This course will help them get familiar with this part of the test.

Blended Learning Essentials: Getting Started by the University of Leeds

Start: 30/03/2020
Duration: 5 weeks
For whom: everyone working in further education, skills training, vocational education, workplace learning and lifelong learning or adult education
This course is the firs part of the whole Blended Learning Essentials program that consists of four separate courses. This one aims to help understand the benefits of blended learning and see how to use technology effectively to support learners. You will cover both theory and practice of BL and will discover the beauty of this kind of education.

Psychology and Mental Health: Beyond Nature and Nurture by the University of Liverpool

Start: 23/03/2020
Duration: 6 weeks
For whom: anyone who wishes to understand more about psychology, about mental health or who wishes to maintain their own mental health and well-being
Teaching is a stressful job. This course provides an introduction to how psychologists understand emotions, behaviours and thinking patterns – and if you want to learn more, you can read an article Rethinking mental health and well-being by one of the course educators, Peter Kinderman. Maybe it will help you name your (or your students’) emotions and act accordingly.

Returning to Education as a Mature Student the University of York

Start: 23/03/2020
Duration: 2 weeks
For whom: mature students who have been out of the education system for a significant period of time – and educators dealing with those students
You may be surprised by this choice, but I think this course may be a nice eye-opener for all of us who start working with adult students on elementary/pre-intermediate level. Quite often we don’t understand their anxiety and their own barriers to returning to education – and this course will definitely help us understand our mature students better and give them the sense of security they need.

I hope you’ve found something suitable for yourself or your students – enjoy those dreary March days!