CTI 101: CLASSIC Cyber Teachers' Institute

ATTENTION: Registered students. Getting started with CTI 101!

The CLASSIC Cyber Teachers' Institute allows faculty to address critical online teaching issues and challenges with their colleagues. It is an ideal course for dedicated educators in search of solutions, change, innovation, and inspiration in (online) teaching. It is based on the principle that teachers are the experts in teaching and learn best from one another.

Participants begin the institute by sharing teaching successes. The heart of the course focuses on addressing challenges in the online classroom as identified by the facilitators (with input from registration forms submitted by the class). The ultimate goal is to construct reasonable solutions to the challenges by reflecting, analyzing, and learning from what great teachers know works.

The format of the CLASSIC Cyber Teachers' Institute is based on the exemplary work of David Gottshall, founder of the National Great Teachers Seminar. 

Successful participants will:

• Find realistic, creative solutions for online teaching & learning related concerns.
• Analyze online teaching & learning problems.
• Celebrate quality online teaching & learning practices.
• Promote introspection, seeking assistance, and risk-taking.
• Become part of an online learning community.

The themes covered include:

Unit 1: Building Community 
Unit 2: Learning From Success Stories 
Unit 3: Improving Online Retention 
Unit 4: Meeting the Needs of the Online Student 
Unit 5: Managing Online Interaction & Collaboration
Unit 6: Assessment Methods in Online Classes 

The success of the CLASSIC Cyber Teachers' Institute depends on the expertise of the participants; it is recommended that they have online teaching experience (it need  not be extensive); faculty with traditional teaching experience will also benefit from the institute and are encouraged to register for the class, as they can bring fresh ideas into the classroom mix.

Advisory: Online teaching experience strongly recommended.

Course Length: Three weeks

Repeatability: May be repeated

Textbook(s): None

Other Notes:

Seventy-five percent of the coursework must be completed to pass the course and receive a certificate. Lurking is not enough. Upon satisfactory completion, participants receive a Cyber Teachers' Certificate.

Most institutions award professional development (growth) credits for the program. The minimum number of hours expected for the course is 30 (approximately two hours a day / per week, excluding weekends). Upon satisfactory completion of all three courses in the CTI series, participants quality to purchase a denim CTI shirt.