Online Courses for Teachers

PDI Course Number: 3T02

UCSD Course Number: EDUC40129

Learn how to receive UCSD graduate-level credit for completing this course.

Course Timeline

Participants have one year to complete the course. Participants must spend a minimum of three weeks in this course.

Course Description

Does it often seem that students are lacking in how to show good character? Incorporating character education into your daily lessons can help your classroom run more effectively. Teachers work hard to help students become educated world citizens and whether they realize it or not, teachers are constantly modeling and teaching character education throughout the school day. This online course for teachers of grades K-12 is designed to guide educators through the six universal themes of character education — trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Teachers will explore how to incorporate each of the six themes into their daily lessons so that students are better able to make the right choices when confronted with problem situations. Throughout the course, teachers will learn specific strategies for incorporating the six universal themes of character into their daily lessons through the use of scenarios, classroom activities, service learning projects, and literature. Teachers will learn about the relationship between character education and bullying, and how behaviors can be managed by tapping into good character and strong, positive, inclusive best classroom practices. Finally, teachers will learn how to use restorative justice to put the onus of good character back on their students using conflict resolution and peer mediation. By the end of this continuing education course, teachers will feel more confident when embedding character education into their daily teaching.

Educational Outcomes

1. Teachers will understand the importance of teaching character and be introduced to the eleven commonly recognized principles of character education.
2. Teachers will become familiar with the six universal themes of character.
3. Teachers will understand the logical decision-making process for making good decisions based on good character.
4. Teachers will understand the importance of the home-school connection, and they will be given specific strategies for incorporating parents into their support system.
5. Teachers will explore the character trait of trustworthiness in detail and will learn specific strategies for incorporating the same into their classrooms.
6. Teachers will be given specific literature recommendations for teaching the character trait of trustworthiness.
7. Teachers will explore the character trait of respect in detail and will learn specific strategies for incorporating the same into their classrooms.
8. Teachers will be given specific literature recommendations for teaching the character trait of respect.
9. Teachers will explore the character trait of responsibility in detail and will learn specific strategies for incorporating the same into their classrooms.
10. Teachers will be given specific literature recommendations for teaching the character trait of responsibility.
11. Teachers will explore the character trait of fairness in detail and will learn specific strategies for incorporating the same into their classrooms.
12. Teachers will be given specific literature recommendations for teaching the character trait of fairness.
13. Teachers will explore the character trait of caring in detail and will learn specific strategies for incorporating the same into their classrooms.
14. Teachers will be given specific literature recommendations for teaching the character trait of caring.
15. Teachers will explore the character trait of citizenship in detail and will learn specific strategies for incorporating the same into their classrooms.
16. Teachers will be given specific literature recommendations for teaching the character trait of citizenship.
17. Teachers will understand other common character traits such as self-control, honoring and respecting individuality, and assertion, including an overview of their basic components, how they connect to character education, and specific literature recommendations for incorporating the teaching of same.
18. Teachers will learn the steps to integrating character education into other content areas such as science, math, art, music, physical education, and others.
19. Teachers will learn specific strategies for incorporating character education into their classrooms via various service learning projects.
20. Teachers will learn tips and strategies for building a strong positive classroom climate.
21. Teachers will learn how to build an inclusive community by fostering collaboration and social and emotional skills.
22. Teachers will understand how to create and maintain a strong, positive classroom management system through the use of character traits.
23. Teachers will understand the role character education plays in the four types of bullying, and they will learn strategies for combatting bullying with character education.
24. Teachers will learn the basics of restorative justice, and how conflict resolution and peer mediation skills play an important part in character education.

Instructional Media

• Online Discussions
• Online Engagement
• Online Collaboration
• Instructor Feedback
• Instructor Interaction
• Online Resources and Websites
• Supplemental Instructional Materials
• Printable Classroom Resources

Evaluation

• Online Discussions
• Online Engagement
• Test #1 (5% of final grade)
• Test #2 (5% of final grade)
• Test #3 (5% of final grade)
• Test #4 (5% of final grade)
• Test #5 (5% of final grade)
• Autobiography and Goals for the Course (10% of final grade)
• Article/Video Reflection (15% of final grade)
• Course Collaboration/Share Ideas with the Class (10% of final grade)
• Cumulative Assignment/Project: Integrate Character Education into Specific Content Areas (20% of final grade)
• Culminating Practicum (20% of final grade)

Topical Outline

Unit One

• Why Teach Character Education?
• Overview of the Six Universal Themes of Character Education
• Universal Theme #1: Trustworthiness
• Assignment #1

  Write an autobiography including information about yourself, your grade level, and what you specifically hope to learn about helping students with their executive functions so that they can succeed in an inclusive K-12 classroom. Your autobiography should be a minimum of three paragraphs.

• Test #1

Unit Two

• Universal Theme #2: Respect
• Universal Theme #3: Responsibility
• Universal Theme #4: Fairness
• Assignment #2

  As an educator, it is important to be aware of the research, studies, and professional work done in the field. In the course, you will find an article and video that are relevant to the specific course content. Read the article and then write an essay with your thoughts.

• Test #2

Unit Three

• Universal Theme #5: Caring
• Universal Theme #6: Citizenship
• Other Common Character Education Traits
• Assignment #3

  Online Discussion Board Participation/Engagement: Please post a tip, strategy, or idea that specifically relates to helping students with their executive function deficits so that they can succeed in an inclusive K-12 classroom. The tip, strategy, or idea that you share needs to make a difference to other teachers in their own classrooms. Your assignment should be a minimum of three paragraphs and detailed enough for another teacher to follow easily. This is a great opportunity to share and collaborate with other teachers at your grade level around the country. Take time to review and respond to other postings that are relevant to your classroom population in order to gain effective ideas to use immediately in your classroom.

• Test #3

Unit Four

• Using Literature to Teach Character
• Integrating Character Education into All Subjects
• Service Learning
• Test #4

Unit Five

• The Impact of School/Classroom Climate on Achievement
• Strategies for Strong Positive Classroom Climates
• The Importance of an Inclusive Community
• Test #5

Unit Six

• The Character Education and Behavior Management Connection
• The Relationship Between Character Education and Bullying
• Restorative Justice
• Assignment #4

  For each of the six universal themes of character, create an activity that can be integrated into a content area of your choice and in which students can actively participate. For each activity, write a minimum of two paragraphs to provide specific details about what students will do. To obtain full credit, be sure to follow all the parameters set forth in Assignment 4.

• Assignment #5

  The culminating practicum is a three-step process. (1) In the first assignment, you were asked what goals you had and what you hoped to learn from the course. Think back to your original goals for this course. Write a minimum two-paragraph reflection specifically describing how what you learned can be used to help you reach those goal(s). (2) Next, write a minimum three-paragraph plan that specifically describes the ways in which you intend to implement a particular strategy you learned in this course into your own teaching situation. (3) Last, write a minimum two-paragraph reflection describing a student you have or have had in the past. Then, discuss how the strategies you learned in this course will specifically benefit that student as you put your plan into action.

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