Whether you are a current student, an in-service educator, or a community member looking to engage in continuous learning and professional development, online workshops offer an invaluable opportunity to enhance your skills, explore teaching strategies, or learn a new technology—all from the comfort of your home.
The Office of Professional Development & Outreach at Kent State University has created high-quality workshops to help the educational community meet the challenges of today’s students and earn credits needed for license renewal. Here’s a look at the benefits of these workshops and some exciting topics you can dive into throughout the year.
Why Online Workshops?
- Flexibility: Online workshops allow you to learn from anywhere you have power and an internet connection. Fit learning into your busy schedule without the need for travel.
- Variety of Topics: Online workshops cover a broad spectrum of subjects, from classroom management to technology integration. This variety ensures that there’s something for everyone, regardless of their teaching level or subject area.
- Expert Guidance: Our online workshops are led by experienced educators and industry experts. You will gain insights and practical skills you can implement immediately.
- Year-Round Availability: While some professional development programs are limited to certain times of the year, we offer most of our workshops in the spring, summer, and fall semesters for your convenience.
- Kent State University Credits: Most of our workshops offer both undergraduate and graduate credits to meet you wherever you are in your learning journey. You can even enroll as a “guest” student so that you do not need to go through the full university admission process. These workshops are a great option if you need to earn credits from a reputable university, such as for teacher license renewal.
Exciting Topics to Explore
- Technology Integration in the Classroom - Understanding how to effectively integrate digital tools is essential in the classrooms of today. Workshops on this topic can help educators explore various platforms and resources that enhance learning experiences, such as teaching with tablets, social media for educators, AI, and more.
- Inclusive Teaching Practices - Diversity in the classroom is a reality, and inclusive teaching practices are crucial for ensuring all students feel valued. Workshops focusing on equity, differentiation, and culturally responsive teaching equip educators with strategies to support diverse learners.
- Mindfulness and Social-Emotional Learning - With the rising awareness of mental health, workshops that focus on mindfulness and social-emotional learning (SEL) are gaining popularity. Educators can learn techniques to promote emotional well-being in their students and create a more supportive classroom environment (such as addressing anxiety and depression in the classroom). They can also learn techniques for their own wellness with workshop topics, including stress management and problem-solving.
- Assessment and Feedback Techniques - Effective assessment is key to understanding student progress. Workshops on innovative assessment strategies can help educators learn how to provide constructive feedback and utilize various assessment tools to enhance student learning outcomes. Topics include a deep dive into IEPs, a look at Problem-Based Learning, a workshop on flipping your classroom, response to intervention, and more.
- Classroom Management Strategies - Maintaining a positive classroom environment is essential for effective teaching. Workshops on classroom management can provide educators with practical techniques and approaches to create a conducive learning atmosphere, such as teaching conflict management, understanding and working with difficult children, and how to make ADHD a gift for educators and students.
- Educator Needs - Whether you are just starting out or are a seasoned educator, you may find value in some of our educator-specific workshops. These include topics like being a great substitute teacher, succeeding in teacher interviews, and understanding power and control in interpersonal relationships.
- Leadership - Whether you want to lead on campus, in your career, or within your community, our Leadership 101 and Leading with Resilience workshops will provide practical insights to help equip you with essential skills.
- Other Skills - There are workshops available on plenty of other skills that may help educators and lifelong learners alike. These include technology platforms (Photoshop, Excel, Adobe Acrobat, building websites and eportfolios, etc.), grant writing, stress and life management topics, how to improve mental performance, and more.
The Office of Professional Development & Outreach at Kent State University
The future of education is built every day by educators like you.
At the Office of Professional Development and Outreach, we create high-quality professional development opportunities to help the educational community increase the knowledge and skills needed to meet the challenges of today’s students.
Our online workshops present an incredible opportunity for learners to continually enhance their skills, and particularly for educators to earn credits while adapting to the evolving landscape of education. By investing in your professional development, you’re improving your teaching practice and enriching your student’s educational experience.
Kent State University Online Degrees
Kent State University pioneered online and distance education, offering its first online program over 20 years ago. Kent State now offers more than 90 online degree and online certificate programs, unmatched by most peer universities, with new online programs and online degrees continually added.
Earn your degree anytime, anywhere, with Kent State University’s online graduate degrees, online undergraduate degrees, and online certificate programs. Kent State Online brings together online programs and assistance for students, faculty, the community, and global audiences.
For more information on Kent State’s Online Degrees, visit https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu.
