7 Free Online Courses in February

Disclaimer: By “free” I mean the educational content, not the certificates.

February can be a vile month, cold, windy, dark and generally unpleasant – what’s not to like? If you’re still fuelled by your New Year resolutions, you might be interested in some free online courses that will definitely be a good start to you professional development journey in 2023. Neuroscience, future of education, LGBTQ+ inclusion, mentoring student teachers, AI for teachers and more – I’m sure you’ll find something you like!

1. Uncommon Sense Teaching by Deep Teaching Solutions

Start date: 28/01.2023
Duration:  4 weeks
For whom: teachers interested in neuroscience and diverse teaching environment
You will learn:

• about the diversity in size of learners’ working memory
• about two major “superhighways” of learning
• how our brains change as we mature

2. What future for education? by University of London and UCL Institute of Education

Start date: 28/01/2023
Duration:  6 weeks
For whom: people who want to examine their own ideas about education, teaching and learning
You will learn:

• about what we mean by intelligence and how it can affect learning and educational success
• about our images of “good” teachers and consider where these images come from
• how schools can make a difference in education

3. Introduction to Data Wise: A Collaborative Process to Improve Learning & Teaching by Harvard University

Start date: 28/01/2023
Duration:  10 weeks
For whom: teachers who want to make education less overwhelming, more useful, and part of an effective collaborative process
You will learn:

• what the Data Wise Improvement Process is and how it can help you improve teaching and learning
• how to build skills in looking at a wide range of data sources, including test scores, student work, and teaching practice
• how to identify next steps in supporting a culture of collaborative data inquiry in your setting

4. Queering the Schoolhouse: LGBTQ+ Inclusion for Educators by University of Colorado System

Start date: 28/01/2023
Duration:  6 weeks
For whom: educators who want to explore issues related to LGBTQ+ inclusion in their classrooms
You will learn:

• about the history of LGBTQ+ issues in education
• how to develop strategies for building more inclusive learning environments for students, teachers, and community members
• how to integrate those concepts and techniques in your practice as an educator

5. Learning to teach: mentoring and tutoring student teachers by The Open University

Start date: available
Duration:  5 hours
For whom: tutors/mentors who want to create an environment where student teachers can critically reflect on their experiences in a structured way
You will learn:

• about the differences between tutoring and mentoring in Initial Teacher Education (ITE)
• how to consider the similarities and differences between tutoring and mentoring pedagogy
• how to develop a range of strategies for supporting beginner teachers

6. Teaching for Critical Action: Empowering Students in Challenging Times by University of Toronto

Start date: available
Duration:  5 weeks
For whom: educators interested in education, critical action, and social justice
You will learn:

• about some of the major challenges, approaches and strategies for adopting critical action as a pedagogical paradigm for addressing pressing, complex socio-environmental issues in the classroom
• how your teaching can empower students as transformative agents in these challenging times
• how to use a pedagogical framework for critical action curriculum design that will help you create lessons, units, and courses with broader scope and deeper impact

7. AI for Teachers by The University of British Columbia

Start date: 28/01/2023
Duration:  3 weeks
For whom: educators who want to prepare themselves and their students for a future which is becoming increasingly automated
You will learn:

• about understanding and developing your own algorithms
• how how the world “looks” to a computer
• how to create a story by using AI assisted tools to generate text, image and sound

I hope you’ll find a course you like and have fun.

Enjoy!