Nonprofit to Offer 'Micro-Endorsement' PD through BloomBoard
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 05/14/20
An education
nonprofit in Oklahoma is working with an education technology company
to provide teachers with alternative credentials taken online that
can get them raises. The Oklahoma
Public School Resource Center (OPSRC)
has begun offering "micro-endorsement" professional
development delivered through BloomBoard.
The programs align with district salary schedules and cost less than
traditional graduate degrees.
The
credentials are made up of a combination of micro-credentials
teachers earn by studying particular topics and proving their
competencies in courses delivered through the BloomBoard catalog.
According
to BloomBoard, districts can design a master's level course of study
for staff, made up of micro-endorsements, in subjects including
social emotional learning, working with English language learners,
computer science instruction and personalized learning. Pathways can
also be tailored to individual educators' goals.
"This
partnership couldn't have been more timely," said OPSRC
Executive Director, Brent Bushey, in a statement. "While many
teacher trainings have already been canceled this summer due to
COVID-19, educators can still use BloomBoard to enhance their
knowledge and expand their toolbox of instructional strategies. We
believe more and more schools will be looking to support teacher
practice for online and blending learning, and this is a win-win:
graduate-level learning accessible anytime, anywhere and without the
hefty cost."
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.