Imagine how a country’s story changes when one switches the narrative from a reliance on colonial sources to the voices of those native to the country. This course analyzes the impact of such a switch through its exploration of India’s history and the diverse voices that comprise it. The 4-week asynchronous online course will provide educators with ways to approach this daunting diversity and to use it as a lens to examine India’s political development from the movement for independence and Partition to the re-election of Narendra Modi in 2019. Participants in the course will also examine the development of India’s economy, paying particular attention to urbanization, the wealth gap, and environmental issues. Cultural factors, such as gender, education, Bollywood will round out the course in the final week. A rich collection of readings, maps, photographs, documents, video, literature, and art will inform our study throughout the course.  

Standards: [7.T1] Central and South Asia [WHII.T3]  The global effects of 19th century imperialism [WHII.T7] The politics of difference among people: conflicts, genocide, and terrorism 

This online course provides a theoretical and practical foundation for culturally responsive teaching of English language learners in the secondary school setting. We will examine how young immigrant students experience school; the demographic and diversity profile of Massachusetts districts; cross-cultural communication and its implications for teaching and learning; and effective strategies for elementary schools to engage immigrant and refugee families. You will have the opportunity to reflect on your own teaching practice, apply course skills and strategies, and receive feedback from peers and the instructor. 

This course has been approved by the MA DESE to provide 15 PDPs addressing the needs of English language learners.

This online course provides a theoretical and practical foundation for culturally responsive teaching of English language learners in the elementary school setting. We will examine how young immigrant students experience school; the demographic and diversity profile of Massachusetts districts; cross-cultural communication and its implications for teaching and learning; and effective strategies for elementary schools to engage immigrant and refugee families. You will have the opportunity to reflect on your own teaching practice, apply course skills and strategies, and receive feedback from peers and the instructor. 

This course has been approved by the MA DESE to provide 15 PDPs addressing the needs of English language learners.

Teaching students to become change-makers requires a strong foundation and meaningful interactions with global topics. This 4-week asynchronous online course explores critical global topics – human rights, educational access, and gender equity – through the lens of social action. Through readings, videos, interactive web-based activities, and discussion forums, you will become familiar with key issues related to these topics. You will examine case studies of how K-12 teachers have implemented curricular activities and projects to turn student learning into student action, and develop an action project to support students’ transformation from global learners to global citizens. You will then be able to use these cases as inspiration for integrating these themes into your own classroom teaching and school initiatives. 

Standards: [PS.1] Demonstrate civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions, [PS.3] Organize information and date from multiple primary and secondary sources, [PS.7] Determine next steps and take informed action as appropriate, [WHII.T6] The era of globalization, 1991-present, [WHII.T7] The politics of difference among people: conflicts, genocide, and terrorism, [NML.T1] Freedom of the press and news/media literacy, [NML.T5]Gathering and reporting information using digital media