2022 Guide to Online Teaching Certificates and Courses
Professional development of teachers is an important aspect of becoming a well-rounded, experienced educator. By continually developing your skills, you can help contribute to a teaching workforce that is suited to helping students from varying backgrounds.
Ways educators can develop skills include:
- Interactive training hosted by your school or district.
- Workshops in technology in education.
- Certification programs and short courses designed to provide a comprehensive overview of specific aspects of education.
Education-specific courses are the best option for receiving in-depth training on a specific subject. However, in-person education is not always feasible for busy working teachers.
Online teaching courses offer many of the same benefits as in-person education, whether you want to learn more on specific subjects or earn continuing education credits for teachers. Online courses in education can help you be well-versed in a variety of topics, while a workshop only provides an overview.
Common Topics in Online Courses for Teachers
Teachers today must master more skills than ever. Thankfully, the options for earning online continuing education credits for teachers, online degree programs and an online teaching certificate are soaring. There are options for online courses in education ranging from mastering PowerPoint in the classroom to a teacher’s guide to social and emotional learning and more.
Higher Education Teaching Courses
Learn the overriding concepts of teaching higher education and methods for developing students in higher education teaching courses in a structured, flexible online format. Higher education online teaching courses can include methods for:
- Engaging students
- Managing classrooms
- Investigating teaching methods
- Adopting a collaborative teaching approach
- Developing student mindsets
Educational Technology Courses
Educational technology courses typically explore strategies and applications for integrating and introducing electronic media as a teaching tool in the classroom.
Coursework may include instruction for using tools such as:
- Digital readers
- Podcasts
- Interactive whiteboards
Classroom Management Courses
Online classroom management courses explore the aspects of managing various classroom conditions that can affect learning. Coursework may include methods for:
- Teaching varying class sizes
- Teaching content
- Organizing classwork
- Responding to student errors
- Providing feedback
Special Education Courses
Online special education courses can prepare teachers to effectively instruct students with disabilities in various educational settings.
The coursework may include methods for focusing on student abilities and working past common stressors that can affect teachers working with special education students.
Bilingual Education Courses
Online bilingual education courses can help ensure that bilingual students receive equal, effective instruction. Coursework may include methods for:
- Evaluating multilingual education practices
- Implementing programs and language policies
- Vital skills in dealing with immigrant/minority language students
Online Teaching Courses
Online teaching courses cover the fundamentals needed to successfully teach students in an online classroom. Coursework may include methods for:
- Maximizing face-to-face interactions with students
- Encouraging engagement
- Optimizing student motivation
Creating Audio, Video and Infographics for Online Classes
Learn how to create and use audio and visual aids to further the online classroom experience. Coursework may include methods for:
- Creating audio/visual aids using design principles and approaches
- Creating multimodal text types
- Analyzing various multimodal texts
- Producing video and infographics
Benefits of Earning a Teaching Certificate Online
There are many benefits to taking teaching education courses online, whether you are seeking:
- An education certificate
- Teaching courses
- Continuing education courses
- A graduate teaching certificate
By completing online teaching courses, you can possibly:
- Gain new skills that enable you to be a better teacher
- Increase your earning potential
Below are some key benefits you may gain by earning a graduate online teaching certificate.
1. Gain Valuable New Skills in Teaching
A desire to learn and expand your skill set is likely to be the driving force behind your reasons for wanting to pursue continued education through online teaching courses.
This mindset can help maximize your course experience. Skills you may gain from an online education course include:
- More comfort with technology
- Insight into working with special-needs students
- Enhanced collaboration skills for working with other teachers
2. Network and Collaborate With Other Education Professionals
Networking may not often be emphasized in the teaching profession. Yet, it is an important component of comprehensive growth for education professionals.
Meeting fellow education professionals in innovative online teaching courses can help you foster a sense of community and new learning approaches.
3. Possibility of Higher Earning Potential
Advancing your teaching education can be a factor in realizing salary increases throughout your teacher career. Discovering new teaching methods through continuing education can be beneficial to you, your school district and your students.
Here are a few ideas that could lead to salary increases:
- Become the leading expert in your school in a particular area, such as education technology.
- Consider new geographical locations. For example, the United Federation of Teachers, largely serving the New York City region, offers salary differential opportunities based on professional development participation and continued education.
Explore all the online courses for teachers’ education opportunities to decide which are best for you.
Find the Best Online Teaching Courses to Meet Your Needs
It’s good to weigh several factors when deciding which online teaching courses may be the best options for you.
It may be helpful to identify the:
- Knowledge you want to gain from taking a particular course
- Skills you want to develop that may best help further your career success
- Amount of time you have to dedicate to an online teaching course
- Whether you are seeking a formal certificate from an online education course or program
Advanced online education platforms today include an array of innovative online teaching course options that are appropriate for educators at all levels.
Online Courses in Education and Teaching Certificates to Consider
There are multiple online teaching courses and certificate programs that provide professional development to educators. Online education programs range from one-off courses to full-fledged certificate courses. They cover a wealth of topics, from teaching with technology to classroom management. Here are some offerings.
| University and Program Name | Enrollment Type | Study Length |
|---|---|---|
| California Coast University Curriculum and Instruction | Self-paced | Less than 1 year |
| Columbia University Bilingual Education | Part-Time | 1 year |
| Dominican University of California Classroom Management | N/A | N/A |
|
Harvard University
Higher Education Teaching Certificate SPONSORED | Part-Time | 8 weeks |
| Saint Joseph's University Post-Masters PK-12 Special Education | Part-Time | 1+ years |
| UMass Dartmouth Educational Policy Certificate | Part-Time | Varies |
| University of East Anglia Special Education | Self-paced | Less than 6 weeks |
| University of Florida Educational Technology | N/A | Less than 1 year |
| University of Illinois Negotiating Learner Differences: Towards Productive Diversity in Learning | Self-paced | Less than 1 week |
| University of Illinois, Springfield Master Online Teacher (MOT) | N/A | N/A |
SPONSORED
Online Education Courses: FAQ
Pursuing your teaching education online may be a convenient way for you to advance your learning based on your work and personal schedules. Following are answers to frequently asked questions about online education for teaching professionals.
Yes, you can satisfy CE credits for teaching professionals by taking classes online. Some online courses in education satisfy re-licensure or recertification in all U.S. states. This is often made possible through partnerships with accredited higher education institutions in your region. Be sure to check with your board of education and/or state education licensing board if the course you are interested qualifies as CE credits.
Deciding if a graduate teaching certificate is worth it depends on your goals.
A graduate teaching certificate involves taking short, supplemental courses of study through colleges/universities that meet the fundamental needs of teaching professionals.
Obtaining a graduate teaching certificate may give you a competitive edge in the teaching profession and possibly help you advance your career in lieu of committing the time to graduate school.
A certificate may also provide you with skills to help you create and apply engaging learning in online or in-person classrooms.
Yes, you can be certified to teach by enrolling in and passing online classes. Be sure to check whether the state where you plan to teach allows you to fulfill all of the obligations to become a certified teacher through online classes. Online degree programs also exist, such as an online master’s in teaching program or an online doctorate in education program. Be sure to check with your state’s certification or licensure education board for specific education requirements.
Last Updated January 2022