About this course: Foundations of Teaching for Learning is a program of study primarily for people who are currently teaching but have had no formal teacher education. This course is an introductory one that considers the three domains of being a teacher: Professional Knowledge and Understanding; Professional Practice; and Professional Values, Relationships and Engagement.
Created by: Commonwealth Education Trust
Taught by: Professor John MacBeath, Professor Emeritus
University of Cambridge, UK
| Commitment | 3-4 hours per week |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Chinese (Simplified) |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Being a Teacher: A Professional Privilege
This first week gives an introduction to the course and asks what it is to be a teacher. This is a chance for you to reflect on you own identity and aspirations as a teacher and gain an informed understanding of the world, or worlds, of childhood. You will build on and extend your existing knowledge as a teacher. We will discuss the ways in which teaching can be defined as a profession and what it means to be a professional teacher.
4 videos, 4 readings
- Reading: Syllabus
- Reading: Grading and Logistics
- Reading: General Overview
- Reading: Outline for Week One: Being a Teacher: A Professional Privilege
- Video: Lecture 1: About the Course
- Video: Lecture 2: Being a Teacher
- Video: Lecture 3: The World of Childhood
- Video: Lecture 4: Being a Professional
Graded: Quiz 1
WEEK 2
Thinking About Learning
The videos in this week are all related to the theme of children and young people’s learning. The emphasis is on thinking ‘skills’ – learning how to think effectively and creatively. We ask how you as a teacher ensure that students are thinking while they are in your classroom. You will write an essay which brings together the various strands of your learning. This is for your own professional development, but it will also help you to consider what the implications are for teaching and learning in your own classroom.
4 videos, 1 reading
- Reading: Outline for Week Two: Thinking about Learning
- Video: Lecture 1: Revisiting Learning
- Video: Lecture 2: Thinking About Thinking
- Video: Lecture 3: Teaching for Learning
- Video: Lecture 4: Thinking About Curriculum
Graded: Quiz 2
Graded: Reflection on Teaching and Learning
WEEK 3
How Good is My Classroom?
This week is focused on the classroom and asks you to consider the question ‘How good is my classroom?’ It asks you to revisit, replay, and bring together the many ingredients that make a classroom a stimulating place for learning and an enjoyable and engaging place for teaching. We come back to the importance of assessment for learning. As Dylan Wiliam says, ‘assessment is minute by minute in the classroom’, not simply something that happens at the end of the course.
4 videos, 1 reading
- Reading: Outline for Week Three: How Good is my Classroom?
- Video: Lecture 1: What is a Good School?
- Video: Lecture 2: Questioning
- Video: Lecture 3: Thinking about Assessment
- Video: Lecture 4: Planning for Improvement
Graded: Quiz 3
WEEK 4
Continuing to Learn in a Changing World
This week focuses on ways that we can help children to live and learn in a world of change. We will consider the importance of cultivating creativity and acknowledging multiple types of intelligence. We will also look at learning that takes place informally outside of school. We will identify key features of excellent practice in schools and look at the benefits of professional development. This is the final week of this course. If you have stayed with us to the end, congratulations! This may be an ending but it is also a beginning as you move on to the next course.
4 videos, 1 reading
- Reading: Outline for Week Four: Continuing to Learn in a Changing World
- Video: Lecture 1: A World of Change
- Video: Lecture 2: Outside of School
- Video: Lecture 3: Professional Development
- Video: Lecture 4: A Review: Questions of Professionalism
Graded: Quiz 4
Graded: Your Learning Story
FAQs
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Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
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Creators
Commonwealth Education Trust
The Commonwealth Education Trust invests in primary and secondary education and the professional development of teachers throughout their careers. Through education it seeks to enhance the opportunities for children from all walks of life to contribute to the sustainable development of their communities.
Ratings and Reviews
It has been a rewarding experience to have learnt the important concepts of teaching and learning in a very simple way. it could not have been any better. One concept that stood out now that i will try to implore in my teaching is the connect, extend, challenge. Good job Prof. MacBeath. I Highly recomend esp. to new teachers or people with no background in teaching.
I thoroughly enjoyed this course. It has helped to support me in re-framing the concepts I was bringing to the classroom and what concepts I would like to now bring to the classroom "I used to think, now I think"!
Amei esse curso, o prof é excelente!
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This course doesn't contain really new information but it inspires to think, to reflex, to evolve.