Deadline Extended for Free Teacher Training on Digital Learning and Teaching

18,000+ Teachers Already Participated; Now Available Through Labor Day

NASHVILLE, TN— The Tennessee Department of Education and Trevecca Nazarene University announced today that the deadline for the free teacher training on digital learning and teaching has been extended for an additional month and is available through Labor Day. 

Since the launch in May, this free, self-paced and optional online training has equipped over 18,000 Tennessee educators with skills for digital learning and teaching. In order to continue providing this online resource to educators as schools prepare to reopen for the 2020-21 school year, this training series will now be offered through September 7, 2020. 

All Tennessee teachers are eligible to participate and can find additional information, along with how to register here:  www.Trevecca.edu/remoteinstruction

“As schools begin to reopen and districts continue to make the best local decisions for their students and educators, we are thankful to Trevecca for helping us support the over 18,000 teachers who have benefitted from this valuable resource to boost digital learning and teaching,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “We hope educators from across the state will continue to take advantage of this free resource as they prepare for the school year.”  

This training equips teachers with digital skills to serve student needs and be prepared for the new school year, which is particularly important as districts make decisions on the instruction mode that is best for their students and educators.  

“We are so thankful to continue to offer this resource to teachers across the state of Tennessee,” said Trevecca provost Tom Middendorf. “The response to this personal development training has been absolutely incredible and we believe there are many more teachers that can benefit from this training. We feel honored to pass along our knowledge and expertise in remote learning to thousands of educators in Tennessee.” 

Through the four, self-paced modules, teachers have the opportunity to learn a variety of skills to improve digital and blended learning, including how to design classes for remote instruction, demonstrate effective use of instructional technology tools for digital instruction, create supplemental, blended or hybrid content deliveries, apply ADA Compliance and Accessibility for Universal Design, and implement a specialized IEP plan for content creation. 

“Athens City Schools is so grateful to the Department of Education and Trevecca for providing this free training for teachers to build their capacity for remote learning and teaching,” said Melody Armstrong, Supervisor of Instruction, Athens City Schools. “We had all of our teachers utilize this free resource and are glad we did. We consistently hear how beneficial the modules are to increase educators’ comfort level and knowledge about virtual learning– a critical tool to have in our toolkit as we approach the new school year.” 

Educators from across the state continue to provide positive feedback and testimonials on how they have benefitted from the free training: 

“I cannot adequately express my gratitude for this opportunity. Trevecca has absolutely outdone themselves designing an experience for educators so that we understand what remote learning feels like and are equipped with the best tools to instruct.”

“Thank you ever so much for designing and offering this professional development online training for educators this summer… This course has encouraged me to feel more confident and better equipped to navigate this personal ‘new norm.’” 

“For TN teachers, do the @TNEdu @Trevecca PD in Online Learning Tools! It is FREE, and really great! You will learn a TON!” 

“Rutherford County teachers. I HIGHLY recommend the free class offered by @Trevecca about online teaching tools. Very helpful!”

“Completely worth it! It is a very good, very engaging PD… You walk away with TONS of awesome FREE distance learning tools.”

“I have been loving expanding my technology skills thanks to @Trevecca! From Schoology & Flipgrid to Knovio, YouTube, & more!”

This partnership builds on the department’s efforts to support districts and schools during COVID-19 with a variety of resources including the PBS Teaching Tennessee programming, Principal Professional Learning Series with University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the Special Education Additional Endorsement Grant, which enables every public school to provide at least one teacher with a special education endorsement (SPED) for free. The department will be releasing additional resources to support districts, educators, families, and students soon. 
  
For more information about the free training, or to register, educators should visit www.Trevecca.edu/remoteinstruction.