Empowered Educator
A professional learning program designed and delivered by eCampusOntario, based on the belief that learners' primary motivation and success is through a technology-enabled learning experience.
Online teaching requires knowledge and skills to create content, acquire resources, facilitate learning experiences, and design effective online assessments. These core competencies are addressed in six modules of the Empowered Educator professional development program, which uses Simon Bates’ (2016) Anatomy of the 21st Century Educator as a framework that encompasses the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified as the core competencies needed to: “thrive (not just survive) in a digital world” (Coldwell-Nelson, 2018; Martin & Grudziecki, 2006).
Program description
The six core competencies developed in this program include:
- Understand and analyze research findings about how people learn;
- Be able to create, develop, use and share appropriate teaching resources;
- Be able to discern the possibilities and limitations of technology to support teaching and learning;
- Build professional learning networks through collaborations with other disciplines;
- Use a scholarly approach to teaching;
- Demonstrate a willingness to experiment, reflect on and learn new approaches, pedagogies and technologies to support learning (Bates, 2014).
Program Length:
Each module takes an average of 4-6 hours to complete and is designed to be self-paced. Facilitated sessions will be available.
Program Learning Environment:
The Empowered Educator program is available in English on Brightspace. Reminders and other information are communicated in this environment. We encourage you to explore the content, consider the resources, experiment with the activities, reflect on your teaching practice, and share with other educators in our collaborative learning network.
Modules description
Each module takes an average of 4 to 6 hours to complete, and is designed to be adapted to your own pace. You can complete the modules asynchronously on your own, or take part in the information and coaching sessions offered.
In the Teacher for learning module, you explore how learning happens and how to ensure effective learning environments. You consider strategies for designing meaningful learning experiences that are grounded in research principles that support learners’ learning in specific contexts.
In the Teacher for learning module you will:
- Identify a concept that is often misunderstood in my discipline and create an analogy to help understand it.
- Create a concept map of a syllabus for a course I teach.
- Practice my note-taking skills.
- Brainstorm a list of “What’s in it for me?” from a student perspective.
- Identify a concept in my discipline that is similar to driving a car and specify the skills required to master that skill concept.
- Find a “gem” and make it as meaningful as possible.
- Conveyed a metaphor for teaching and learning.
- Reflected on the experience of the module.
At the end of the module you will be able to develop strategies to help learners achieve your teaching objectives in specific learning contexts.
