Virtual Professional Learning Courses

 
 

The National Indian Education Association (NIEA), in partnership with the University of Phoenix, invites you to grow your understanding of the history of Native education and the impact of culturally-grounded instruction with NIEA’s first virtual, self-paced professional learning series: Community-Based Education (CBE) through a Native Lens.

This online, self-paced series is for educators and leaders to build knowledge of Native education, education sovereignty, and best practices teaching about and for Native communities.

As a launch special, you can access FOUR courses for only $249 dollars* (full value of $599). See course details below. Each course provides up to 29 seat hours for professional learning toward license renewal!**

 
 

“By combining our resources and experience, we aim to empower educators with the knowledge and skills needed to create inclusive and culturally responsive learning environments for Native American students.”

– Patrick Horning, University of Phoenix National Tribal Strategic Alliance Executive

 
 
 

the Community-Based Education from a Native Lens Series includes:

  • Course Description
    Foundations of Native Education: This course provides an overview of the political and social history of Native Education leading to the reclamation of education sovereignty. Participants will enhance knowledge and skills related to trauma & Native education, the current state of Native education, and reclaiming education sovereignty and brilliance.

    Upon completion, learners will receive professional development certificates of completion as well as digital badges for the following clock hours: 29 clock hours, there are no assignments required.

    Topics include:

    • Acknowledging Historical and Current Trauma in Native Education

    • Eras of Federal Indian Policy

    • Reclaiming Self-Determination

    • Enacting Education Sovereignty

    • Impacts of Policy from the Indian Education Act to ESSA

    • Moving beyond Resilience to Native Brilliance

  • Course Description
    This course engages participants in a deeper understanding of community-based learning (CBE) as a best practice. The course is designed to highlight CBE from a Native perspective but demonstrate the benefits for all students. Participants will enhance knowledge and skills related to foundations of Community-Based Education (CBE), CBE as sovereignty, defining community in Native CBE, and culturally inclusive learning environments.

    Upon completion, learners will receive professional development certificates of completion as well as digital badges for the following clock hours: 29 clock hours, there are no assignments required.

    Topics include:

    • Foundations of Community-Based Education (CBE)

    • Shifting the Educational Picture with CBE

    • CBE as Education Sovereignty

    • Defining Community in Native CBE

    • Building Culturally Inclusive Learning Environments

  • Course Description
    This course builds upon the definition of Community-Based Education by sharing three effective approaches to teaching through a CBE lens. While Native knowledge and practice is embedded in the module, these instructional approaches are beneficial for all students and educators. Participants will enhance knowledge and skills related to culture and community in education, place-based learning, project-based learning, and cultural storytelling as instructional methodology.

    Upon completion, learners will receive professional development certificates of completion as well as digital badges for the following clock hours: 30 clock hours, there are no assignments required.

    Topics Include:

    • Embedding Culture and Community in Education

    • Culturally Responsive to Culturally Sustaining Education

    • Valuing Place-based Learning in Native Education

    • Student Agency and Ownership

    • Essential Elements of Project-based Learning

    • Cultural Storytelling as Instructional Methodology

    • Implications of Oral Tradition

Virtual Teaching Courses

As a bonus for registering through NIEA, learners access a course for building capacity for virtual teaching that will meet the needs of beginner and expert teachers in the online space. 

  • For Educators with less than 6 months of experience
    Foundations in Virtual Teaching provides educators who are new to online teaching the knowledge and skills related to foundations of building an online community, evaluation of technology-mediated assessment, virtual facilitation strategies, and strategies for transitioning to online modalities.

    Upon completion, learners will receive professional development certificates of completion as well as digital badges for the following clock hours:

  • For Educators with more than 6 months of experience
    Transforming Virtual Teaching provides educators with at least six months of experience with online teaching the knowledge and skills related to foundations of building an online community, evaluation of technology-mediated assessment, virtual facilitation strategies, and strategies for transitioning to online modalities.

    • Foundations in Virtual Teaching (29 clock hours) or

    • Transforming Virtual Teaching (30 clock hours)

 

Intended Audiences

This series of online courses is ideal for anyone that works with Native students and communities or teaches Native curriculum and content.

This may include:

  • Teachers and administrators

  • Leaders in school, district, state, and tribal educational systems

  • Tribal Education Agency or Department staff

  • State Offices of Indian Education staff

  • Title VI and Johnson O’Malley program staff

  • Education Organizations and Non-Profits

 

*ALL FOUR COURSES ARE $249, WITH GROUP RATES AVAILABLE

Registration Process

 **Courses are open to anyone but seat hours toward licensure depend on state criteria for professional development hours

If you have any questions, please contact Helen Thomas at HThomas@niea.org