Athabasca University, Canada’s leader in online post-secondary education, through the Centre for Distance Education (CDE) and the Alberta Distance Learning Centre (ADLC), the premier distance learning partner for primary and secondary education in Alberta, are excited to present an innovative module offering for the professional development of practicing teachers.
Regardless of your current employment, Blended and Online Learning and Teaching (BOLT) offers K-12 professionals the opportunity to explore opportunities and innovative approaches in flexible, sustainable education.
Engage in meaningful professional development, and gain understanding in digital learning. Explore the latest digital technologies and teaching philosophies for educating 21st century learners. Develop the skills and understanding to:
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Expand your teaching opportunities
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Extend pedagogical understanding
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Enhance your teaching in blended and online learning environments
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Earn educational credentials
To view the BOLT calendar for upcoming module offerings, visit: http://cde.athabascau.ca/programs/pd/bolt/calendar.php
To apply, visit: http://cde.athabascau.ca/programs/pd/bolt/apply.php
Nine – Four Week Modules
Utilizing Athabasca University Master of Education in Distance Education course curriculum, BOLT is comprised of nine new, separate, one credit modules designed specifically for teaching professionals. To view the BOLT modules, visit: http://cde.athabascau.ca/programs/pd/bolt/modules/index.php
Equivalent to the study of three graduate courses, each of the nine modules is tailored to allow completion within a four week period. The modules are designed with three weeks of active participation and a final week for reflection and assignment completion. BOLT participants gain professional knowledge, building on and extending the art and craft of teaching in the digital world.
Designed for the Working Professional
BOLT is laid out with the working professional in mind. Module schedules run counter to the intense periods of the K-12 calendar, allowing teachers the opportunity for immersive, sustained learning. BOLT modules allow for two weeks of early access prior to the module beginning to allow preview and preparation. By dividing the three existing AU courses into nine modules, BOLT provides busy educators access to graduate level studies at a manageable pace.
To complete all nine modules requires a minimum of 18 months. Term is dependent on each student’s time availability. Teachers have the flexibility to take one, some combination, or all of the nine modules as suits their professional learning needs. Each module is a self-contained learning experience.
Online Delivery
BOLT modules are delivered exclusively online to allow students to study where they live and work. BOLT modules are designed with three weeks of synchronous learning activities including: online discussion, web conferencing, guest speakers and the opportunity to build a professional learning network (PLN). The graduate modules and assignments include relevant and current K-12 educational research alongside opportunities to create individual applications to teaching practice.
Through a variety of learning opportunities, BOLT participants will:
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Experience synchronous learning with your peers
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Acquire digital learning techniques and approaches
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Enhance pedagogy to support online, blended, and distance learning
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Apply current education and technology-based research and theory to teaching situations
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Build a PLN while engaging with a community of professionals
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Collaborate to create new opportunities to support your students