Top three ELT picks for fall

ducators are heading back to the classroom with tons of new tools — thanks in part to online courses from the NYSUT Education & Learning Trust. ELT’s courses combine the latest research-based strategies with maximum flexibility so that all educators can get the training they need to succeed. Looking to up your game? Here are some of our top picks for fall:

In “Creating an Equitable Grading System for All Students,” ELT instructor Allyssa Graham, Moravia Teachers Association, examines how the grading system has been used to determine a student’s academic potential. The course also discusses methods that promote instead of punish. “The system was originally set up as a sorting mechanism that provided or denied opportunities to students. Students were tasked with meeting the needs of the industrial world and schools needed a way to standardize student progress,” said Graham. “It sends confusing messages to students about their efforts.”

In “Learning First, Technology Second,” ELT instructor Patricia Siano, Corinth Central TA, examines how the pandemic changed the way we use technology for education. “Our goal as educators is to create a technology-rich, but balanced, learning environment,” Siano said. “How can we balance purposeful integration of technology with irreplaceable in-person learning?”

In “Creating Safer Schools,” ELT Instructor Franca Fiorentino, Bellmore Merrick United Secondary Teachers, covers everything related to student safety — from truancy and bullying to substance abuse and school shootings. She looks at root causes for these dangers and tries to inform educators on ways they can help insulate their students. “It’s not that our schools are unsafe, it’s that students are more vulnerable than ever, and they have more access to everything,” Fiorentino said. “If a kid feels they have someone who knows them, someone who cares about them and can advocate for them, that can make all the difference.”

ELT coursework is offered year-round and can be used for undergraduate, graduate and in-service credit as well as to fulfill Continuing Teacher and Leader Education requirements. For more info, go to elt.nysut.org.