Courses Partner Universities About TEI Class Login Contact Us

Courses

Brain-Based Teaching for the Adolescent Learner

This course explores effective strategies for improving adolescent learning. Participants will learn innovative techniques for designing lessons and assessments, analyze and adjust their current teaching practices, and examine instructional strategies to help students learn most effectively.

This course offers guidance for captivating and holding the attention of students, strategies to enhance students’ memory and test-taking skills, and techniques that will enable teachers to engage students in the kind of learning that yields understanding and valuable skills. Participants will examine how the brain processes, stores, and retrieves material to ensure that all students reach their full potential.

Carlow University ED 677 • Madonna University EDU 5830.25 • Mercy University EDUT 508

The required text for this course is Teaching for Deeper Learning by Jay McTighe and Harvey F. Silver. ISBN 978-1416628620.

Graduate participants earn 3 semester hours of graduate credit and will receive a transcript from one of our partner institutions below. Professional development participants will receive a certificate of completion for 45 hours of professional developments credit for face-to-face classes and 60 hours of professional development credit for online classes.

Professional
Development

Course Schedule

1/14/25 - 4/8/25
3/11/25 - 6/10/25
5/13/25 - 8/12/25
7/8/25 - 10/14/25
9/9/25 - 12/9/25
11/11/25 - 2/10/26

Course Schedule

Zoom

5/2-4 & 5/16-18

Amy Jackson

Textbook List FAQs

Outline
Objectives
Partner Universities
Important Information
Student Academic Integrity

Print Online Course Outline Print Face To Face Course Outline

Outline

Introduction

An Introduction to the course

Module 1: Developmental Tendencies of the Adolescent Learner

Review requirements
Create a Professional Learning Community
Introduction to Adolescent Learning Strategies
Assignment

Module 2: Examine Adolescent Learning Conditions and Create Class Profile

Self-Assessment Learning Style
Students learning styles inventory
Students Learning Community
Instructional Strategies
Assignment

Module 3: Analyze the Need for Adolescent-Centered Teaching

Social Interactions
Group Dynamics
Instructional implications
Assignments

Module 4: Examine the Strategic Role of the Teacher in Structuring Thinking and Inquiry

From teacher to facilitator
Questioning Techniques
Inquiry based instruction
Checking for understanding
Assignments

Module 5: Motivational Factors that Engage Adolescents in the Learning Community

Building on student strengths
Giving students ownership of learning
Motivation that Works
Assignments

Module 6: Challenge the Adolescent Brain through Inquiry

Rigorous and Relevant
Problem-solving, and critical thinking skills
Real World Connections
Ownership
Assignments

Module 7: Creating a Learning Community

Individual responsibility
Groups vs. Teams
Responsibility to the team
Team Expectations & Commitment
Assignments

Module 8: Assessing a Learning Community

Begin with the End - Standards & Objectives
Aligning Rubric & Instruction
Examining good work & Effective feedback
Evaluating Individual & Group
Assignments

Module 9: Use Technology Appropriately as a Tool to Enhance Student Thinking and Learning

Affirming Diversity
Learning accommodations for individuals and teams
Instructional Technology
Meeting students where they are: Web Quest, Social Networks, Blogs, Podcast, etc
Assignments

Module 10: Design Integrated Lessons to Deepen Content and Promote Transfer of Knowledge

Final Project

Objectives

Describe the nature of science.
Identify the questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations.
Utilize resources found on the Internet.
Collaborate with other educators from across the country participating in the online course through an online community.
Facilitate methods to improve the adolescent’s learning by teaching with specific activities aligned with their neurological development.
Determine how to appropriately interact and respond to adolescent behaviors and coping mechanisms.
Critique articles from print and internet resources.
Acquire a basic knowledge of the existing body of research dealing with adolescent learning. Ascertain developmental tendencies of the adolescent learner.
Examine the learning conditions of students and create a student profile.

Analyze the need for adolescent-centered teaching.
Examine the strategic role of the teacher in structuring thinking and inquiry.
Discuss motivational factors that engage adolescents in the learning community.
Create lessons that challenge the adolescent brain through inquiry.
Evaluate characteristics of a learning community and create a community of learners.
Create a learning environment that is conducive to adolescent thinking and learning while meeting personal, intellectual and social needs of learners.
Utilize technology appropriately as a tool to enhance student thinking and learning.
Design integrated lessons to deepen content and promote transfer of knowledge.

Partner Universities

Our Partners are well-established regionally and nationally accredited colleges and universities, recognized for academic excellence and their commitment to teachers.

Important Information

Online 3-graduate credit courses are 13 weeks in length.

On-site weekend courses are held Friday evening from 6:00pm-9:00pm and Saturday/Sunday, 8:30am-5:30pm.

Weekday courses are Monday-Friday from 8:00am- 6:00pm.

It is the responsibility of the student to check with their state, county, district, or school to ensure that all requirements are being met by the course you're taking.

Check the Partner Universities page for specific university information as well as course numbers which are specific to the university partner.

Students are required to purchase their own textbook, the information for which can be found here. If no book is required it will be specified on the list. We have copies of many of the textbooks should you wish to purchase directly from TEI.

Professional development (PD) participants receive a certificate of completion from TEI for 45 hours of PD credit for face to face classes and 60 hours of PD credit for online classes. These certificates are mailed within one week of the end of the class and reflect the course title, dates of attendance, and credit hour information.

Student Academic Integrity

Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by our partnering colleges and universities and is subject to academic disciplinary action.