Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Planning for Teaching and Learning from Coursera

The Foundations of Teaching for Learning programme is for anyone who is teaching, or who would like to teach, in any subject and any context - be it at school, at home or in the workplace. With dynamic lessons taught by established and respected professionals from across the Commonwealth, this eight course programme will see you develop and strengthen your skills in teaching, professionalism, assessment, and more. As you carry on through the programme, you will find yourself strengthening not only your skills, but your connection with colleagues across the globe. A professional development opportunity not to be missed.

This course will help you consider how to develop appropriate learning goals for individual and groups of students. You will learn how to plan learning activities to engage your students in ways that will achieve these goals.

Enhance your course by joining the Commonwealth teaching community on our website, Facebook and Twitter.

What's inside

Syllabus

Mindsets for Learning and Teaching

This is our first week together and we are pleased you have decided to participate in this course focused on planning for teaching and learning. This week we will discuss developing a growth mindset and setting goals as a planning professional. We will also explore the importance of working from a model of learning when planning for teaching. We encourage you to be curious in your approach to planning for teaching and learning.

What Do We Know About Teaching and Learning

In this week you will think about your planning from three perspectives: considering, reflecting, and understanding. You will use these three perspectives to better understand how you can use learning principles to incorporate different worldviews into your teaching. We are going to ask you to think about how you could weave together practices from these three perspectives in your own setting.

Four Key Questions and Why They Matter

In this week we introduce four key questions. The questions are diagnostic tools that can tell you how successful you are at giving your students clear expectations and providing them with good feedback. In this week’s lectures, readings and videos you will be provided with examples of how a range of schools are using these questions to focus their learning. We encourage you and your professional planning partner to design you own ways of using these questions in your school or setting.

Spirals of Inquiry for Planning and Teaching

Week four follows the pattern we have set in the first three weeks. This week we explore how you can inform and deepen your planning for teaching and learning by engaging in a specific inquiry cycle. All of the lectures this week focus on the various phases or stages of the spiral of inquiry. The spiral of inquiry asks us to start with the experiences of our learners and to continually ask ourselves these questions: What’s going on for our learners? How do we know? Why does it matter?

Teacher Professional Learning

As teachers, we usually think about planning from the perspective of how we can better teach our students. This week we are going to focus on planning for the learning needs of the adults in our schools. One of the most important findings from the research on teacher professional learning is that it must be tied to the learning needs of the students. We are going to provide you with some practical examples of what this might look like. By the end of this week you will know how to apply current research knowledge to your own professional learning and planning. We hope that you will continue to reflect on new forms of ongoing professional learning as part of your teaching life.

Innovation and Change

This is the final week of this course and we appreciate your perseverance! This week you are going to have the opportunity to think about designing more innovative learning environments for young people. You will see how teachers are planning intellectually and socially engaging practices for learners. You will also extend your thinking about the growth mindset by exploring the notions of perseverance and grit, a quality that is highly correlated with adult success. As well, you are going to think about the important role that both trusting relationships and professional networks play in your development as a teacher. We encourage you to think about the ways in which you are contributing to strengthening relational trust in your settings.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Instructors include Professor John MacBeath, Dr Judy Halbert, and Dr Linda Kaser, who are established and respected professionals from across the Commonwealth

Provides a strong foundation for beginners, as it assumes no prior experience

Topics include mindsets for learning and teaching, teaching and learning principles, four key questions, spirals of inquiry for planning and teaching, teacher professional learning, and innovation and change

Course is part of an eight course Commonwealth teaching programme and offers a professional development opportunity for those who teach or would like to teach

Teaches soft skills that are useful and relevant for teaching in a classroom setting

May require learners to come in with background knowledge and curiosity in teaching

Reviews summary

Planning and teaching fundamentals

Learners say that this course provides a strong foundation in planning and teaching, with engaging assignments and a reflective-metacognitive approach to the material. Some students found the material to be dry, but others praised the course for its depth and breadth. Overall, students felt that this course was a good introduction to the basics of planning and teaching.

The assignments are engaging and help students learn.

"The assignments are engaging."

The course content is comprehensive and engaging.

"The best ever MOOC for the depth and breath of its reflective - metacognitive approach to planning."

"This course provides a strong foundation in planning and teaching."

The instructor is knowledgeable and supportive.

The material is dry and not very engaging.

"Some students found the material to be dry."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Planning for Teaching and Learning with these activities:

Review how planning can help you set goals and organize your courses

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Review the principles of setting clear and achievable goals, and how to use them to plan your teaching and courses

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Read an article or watch a video about goal setting for teachers
Reflect on your own current goal-setting practices
Create a set of goals for your next course or lesson plan

Complete the 'Planning for Effective Teaching' tutorial on Coursera

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This tutorial will provide you with a step-by-step guide to planning effective teaching and learning experiences

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Watch the video lectures and complete the interactive exercises
Apply the principles to your own teaching context

Join a study group or discussion board to discuss teaching planning strategies

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Engage with other learners to share ideas, ask questions, and collaborate on planning for teaching and learning

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Join a study group or discussion board focused on teaching planning
Participate in discussions and ask questions
Share your own insights and experiences

Five other activities

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Read 'Understanding by Design - Framework for Creating and Evaluating Units of Instruction'

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Read this book to gain a deeper understanding of the Understanding by Design framework for planning and designing effective instruction

View Schooling by Design on Amazon

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Read the introduction and chapter 1 of the book
Complete the 'backward design' template for one of your current or future units of instruction
Share your 'backward design' template with a colleague or mentor for feedback

Create a teaching plan for a future or current course or lesson

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Develop a comprehensive teaching plan that outlines your goals, objectives, activities, and assessment strategies

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Identify the learning goals and objectives for your course or lesson
Plan the sequence of activities that will help students achieve the learning goals
Develop assessment strategies to measure student learning
Write a detailed teaching plan that outlines all of the above components

Attend a conference or workshop on teaching and learning

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Network with other educators and learn about best practices and research in teaching and learning

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Identify a conference or workshop that is relevant to your interests
Attend the conference or workshop and take notes on key takeaways
Share your learnings with colleagues or students

Mentor a new or struggling teacher in your school or district

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Share your expertise and support a new or struggling teacher to help them develop their planning and teaching skills

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Identify a new or struggling teacher who could benefit from your support
Meet with the teacher regularly to provide guidance and support
Help the teacher develop and implement effective teaching plans
Provide feedback and encouragement to the teacher

Implement a new teaching strategy or approach in your classroom

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Put your learning into practice by implementing a new teaching strategy or approach that you have learned about in this course

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Research and select a new teaching strategy or approach
Develop a plan for implementing the new strategy or approach in your classroom
Implement the new strategy or approach
Reflect on the effectiveness of the new strategy or approach

Career center

Learners who complete Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Planning for Teaching and Learning will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Curriculum Developer

A Curriculum Developer designs and develops educational materials and experiences to meet the needs of learners. This course can help you build a foundation in the principles of teaching and learning. It covers topics such as developing learning goals, planning learning activities, and assessing student learning. You will also learn how to incorporate different worldviews into your teaching and how to engage students in intellectually and socially engaging practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Curriculum Developer

Instructional Designer

Instructional Designers plan, develop, and evaluate instruction for all types of learners. They work with teachers, students, and administrators to develop engaging and effective learning experiences. This course can help you build a strong foundation in the principles of teaching and learning. It covers topics such as developing learning goals, planning learning activities, and assessing student learning.

See salaries and explore the career path for Instructional Designer

Teacher

Teachers plan and deliver instruction to students in a variety of settings. They help students learn and grow academically, socially, and emotionally. This course can help you build a strong foundation in the principles of teaching and learning. It covers topics such as developing learning goals, planning learning activities, and assessing student learning. You will also learn how to incorporate different worldviews into your teaching and how to engage students in intellectually and socially engaging practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Teacher

Educational Consultant

Educational Consultants provide guidance and support to schools, districts, and other educational organizations. They help organizations improve their teaching and learning practices. This course can help you build a strong foundation in the principles of teaching and learning. It covers topics such as developing learning goals, planning learning activities, and assessing student learning. You will also learn how to incorporate different worldviews into your teaching and how to engage students in intellectually and socially engaging practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Educational Consultant

Training Manager

Training Managers plan, develop, and deliver training programs for employees. They help organizations improve their employee performance and productivity. This course can help you build a strong foundation in the principles of teaching and learning. It covers topics such as developing learning goals, planning learning activities, and assessing learning. You will also learn how to incorporate different worldviews into your training and how to engage employees in intellectually and socially engaging practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Training Manager

Educational Policy Analyst

Educational Policy Analysts research and analyze educational policies. They make recommendations to policymakers on how to improve the quality of education. This course can help you build a strong foundation in the principles of teaching and learning. It covers topics such as developing learning goals, planning learning activities, and assessing student learning. You will also learn how to incorporate different worldviews into your teaching and how to engage students in intellectually and socially engaging practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Educational Policy Analyst

Curriculum Coordinator

Curriculum Coordinators develop and manage curriculum for schools and districts. They work with teachers and administrators to ensure that the curriculum is aligned with state and national standards. This course can help you build a strong foundation in the principles of teaching and learning. It covers topics such as developing learning goals, planning learning activities, and assessing student learning. You will also learn how to incorporate different worldviews into your teaching and how to engage students in intellectually and socially engaging practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Curriculum Coordinator

Instructional Coach

Instructional Coaches work with teachers to improve their teaching practices. They help teachers develop and implement effective instructional strategies. This course can help you build a strong foundation in the principles of teaching and learning. It covers topics such as developing learning goals, planning learning activities, and assessing student learning. You will also learn how to incorporate different worldviews into your teaching and how to engage students in intellectually and socially engaging practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Instructional Coach

Educational Researcher

Educational Researchers conduct research on teaching and learning. They help to improve the quality of education by developing new and innovative teaching methods. This course can help you build a strong foundation in the principles of teaching and learning. It covers topics such as developing learning goals, planning learning activities, and assessing student learning. You will also learn how to incorporate different worldviews into your teaching and how to engage students in intellectually and socially engaging practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Educational Researcher

Learning and Development Specialist

Learning and Development Specialists plan, develop, and deliver learning programs for employees. They help organizations improve their employee performance and productivity. This course can help you build a strong foundation in the principles of teaching and learning. It covers topics such as developing learning goals, planning learning activities, and assessing learning. You will also learn how to incorporate different worldviews into your training and how to engage employees in intellectually and socially engaging practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Learning and Development Specialist

School Principal

School Principals provide leadership and support to teachers and staff. They work to create a positive and supportive learning environment for students. This course can help you build a strong foundation in the principles of teaching and learning. It covers topics such as developing learning goals, planning learning activities, and assessing student learning. You will also learn how to incorporate different worldviews into your teaching and how to engage students in intellectually and socially engaging practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for School Principal

Education Administrator

Education Administrators plan, organize, and manage educational institutions. They work with teachers, students, and parents to ensure that the school is providing a high-quality education. This course can help you build a strong foundation in the principles of teaching and learning. It covers topics such as developing learning goals, planning learning activities, and assessing student learning. You will also learn how to incorporate different worldviews into your teaching and how to engage students in intellectually and socially engaging practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Education Administrator

Superintendent of Schools

Superintendents of Schools oversee the operation of school districts. They work with school principals and teachers to improve the quality of education for all students. This course can help you build a strong foundation in the principles of teaching and learning. It covers topics such as developing learning goals, planning learning activities, and assessing student learning. You will also learn how to incorporate different worldviews into your teaching and how to engage students in intellectually and socially engaging practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Superintendent of Schools

Education Consultant

See salaries and explore the career path for Education Consultant

Teacher Development Specialist

Teacher Development Specialists provide professional development to teachers. They help teachers improve their teaching skills and knowledge. This course can help you build a strong foundation in the principles of teaching and learning. It covers topics such as developing learning goals, planning learning activities, and assessing student learning.

See salaries and explore the career path for Teacher Development Specialist