There has been a lot of excitement about the use of 3D printers in education, but educators can have trouble both getting started with the technology and figuring out what to do with it. This two-class certificate covers both aspects, starting with how the technology works and then moving on to how to use it effectively. If participants already have 3D printers, the instructors will customize the class as much as possible so participants can follow along on the hardware they have. If a participant does not yet have access to a 3D printer, the instructors can help with helping participants define criteria to make decisions about appropriate hardware to buy.  

The intro class (recommended to be taken first) covers the entire 3D printing workflow with a focus on open source and free software. The market is somewhat fractured and different 3D printers vary somewhat in their operations there are not a lot of standards in the industry yet, but the instructors will guide participants through what the options are and where to learn the details of operation of their particular existing or planned hardware.  

The second class then builds on this knowledge to think about how to help students create their own exploratory models, or how to create models that a teacher can create to help students visualize an abstract concept. Participants will use some of the software covered in the Intro to 3D Printing class to create several different types of 3D printable models, and will discuss the details of how to print their design on the 3D printer they already have or plan to acquire in the future.

Individual Courses:

Introduction to 3D Printing

3D Printed Science and Math: Visualizations and Experiments

How the Course Works

It is easy to participate in your online course. After you register, you will be given a web address to go to get into your online classroom.  You will have a password and use your email address and password to gain access.

Hybrid, or blended, courses have been found to be superior in student learning to both the traditional classroom and totally online courses.   All face-to-face courses should and will be blended. Blended gives students a better learning experience. It gives you as teacher the ability to make better use of you valuable time.With our certificate in blended instruction, you will find out the keys to developing a hybrid or blended course.  Take away the essentials of creating an online classroom experience and online options for enhancing your in-person class meetings.  Then explore the concept and practice of The Flipped Classroom and how to maximize your teacher time to maximize student learning. Three one-month courses; Dr. John D. Meyer, Kassia Dellabough, PhD., William Draves, instructors OPTIONAL, Become a Certified Blended Instructor (CBI). Just $204 extra.  Teach, or have taught, a blended class twice. It can be the same course.  Submit a two page report on your experience, get your online classroom critiqued, and have some of your students evaluate the class.  The $699 fee includes all 3 courses,  online classroom critique,  two page report, student evaluations; plus your designation and award. 

Finally, you can acquire the best professional development in webinar design, presentations,  planning, and marketing. Webinars are a popular format for delivering information. They can be very successful for your organization, IF you have good webinar presentations and good management and marketing.  Discover the power of successful webinars for your business organization.  Then learn the 4 key strategies to make your webinars more successful.  Acquire techniques and tips that will make your webinars winners with your audiences.  Then acquire the webinar planning skills involved in budgeting, pricing, and marketing webinar meetings. Take back a certificate in designing webinars that provides you with the latest and best information about presenting webinars, as well as managing and marketing them. You will be learning from two of the foremost authorities on webinars.

Increase your online savvy and ability to position yourself and your organization for greater success.  Experience the interaction and big take-aways from studying with top notch professionals. Your instructors not only work with these tools every day, but speak at national conferences and train others. Your teachers have tips you have not discovered yet.

Learn more about Google Analytics, Google apps for business, and Google+ . Acquire new tips and techniques. Just one new tip can mean greater productivity, effectiveness and even profitability for your work. 

Three one month courses. 

Individual Courses

Google Analytics

If you are not reviewing your website statistics, then you are missing several key opportunities to profit from your website traffic. This course, aimed at non-technical users, will take you through all the key techniques and how to use website analytics using the world-standard Google Analytics, a free online tool.You’ll understand your visitor traffic better, learn how to calculate return on investment (ROI) for your online advertising, and find out how to get more conversions and sales from your website visitors. A must for anyone serious about leveraging more success from their website.One month course, Dan Belhassen and Susan Hurrell, instructors.

Google Apps for Business

Google has variety of web based applications and tools to help you become more productive, including Gmail, Google Calendar, Drive, Hangouts, Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations, and more. Move beyond the basic features you figured out on your own. Be able to use them to work collaboratively and increase productivity. Learn how to run online meetings and webinars. Learn the ins and outs of all the tools Google has to help you become more productive and improve your work communication skills. You will learn time saving tips and strategies to get more done in your work and personal life.

One month course; Jennifer Selke, instructor

Google+

Google+ has surpassed Twitter to become the second largest social network next to Facebook. Discover the best ways to use this popular and emerging social media platform to raise your online profile, and connect with current and potential new contacts. You’ll learn the advantages of using Google+, how it can help your organization to engage existing users, and grow your base and techniques for using the platform to create relationships, and expand your reach and knowledge in particular subject matter areas.

One month course.

 A must-have skill to succeed in business, whether an entrepreneur or a valued employee, is the ability to create, edit and manage spreadsheets. Microsoft Excel is the most used spreadsheet tool in the world.   Begin with learning how an Excel worksheet is constructed, populated with content, and edited for delivery. Discover how various menu items, commands, settings and processes affects the look of your Excel worksheets and workbooks.   Then, increase your efficiency by learning how to organize, display and calculate your data into useful information. Identify different types of data and how data can be best visually represented or formatted, by using different data tool techniques.   Finally, you’ll learn a variety of Excel’s most powerful features to analyze data quickly and easily. This Certificate will help you discover how to attractively visualize your data into meaningful information with confidence.

About online learning

Online learning is a fun, enjoyable and very productive way to learn. Millions of people are learning online each year. You will engage with the instructor and other participants. You will get to know your instructor and other participants. You may make friends.  It’s easy. It’s fun. 

How the Course Works

It is easy to participate in your online course. After you register, you will be given a web address to go to get into your online classroom.  You will have a password and use your email address and password to gain access.

Once inside the online classroom, here’s what you can expect.

Participate when you want

You can participate any time of day or evening. The online classroom is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.There are no live real-time requirements or meetings. You decide when you participate.For the best learning, participants should log into the course on 2-3 different days of the week.

What you will do

For each Unit, you will:

For best learning, you should make one or more comments at 2-3 different times each day.

The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience.

Discussion

The Discussion for each Unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night.

Your instructor will log into the Discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants.

We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

It’s easy. It’s fun.

About online learning

Online learning is a fun, enjoyable and very productive way to learn. Millions of people are learning online each year. You will engage with the instructor and other participants. You will get to know your instructor and other participants. You may make friends.  It’s easy. It’s fun. 

How the Course Works

It is easy to participate in your online course. After you register, you will be given a web address to go to get into your online classroom.  You will have a password and use your email address and password to gain access.

Once inside the online classroom, here’s what you can expect.

Participate when you want

You can participate any time of day or evening. The online classroom is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.There are no live real-time requirements or meetings. You decide when you participate.For the best learning, participants should log into the course on 2-3 different days of the week.

What you will do

For each Unit, you will:

For best learning, you should make one or more comments at 2-3 different times each day.

The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience.

Discussion

The Discussion for each Unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night.

Your instructor will log into the Discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants.

We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

It’s easy. It’s fun.

For those new to teaching online, or those already teaching online. Get the best instruction from the foremost authorities in online learning. Thousands of people have taken this fundamental yet advanced training in teaching online.From building an online course to improving an online course, from fostering online discussion to encouraging student interaction, from traditional assessment to online tests, the program will give you both the fundamentals of teaching online, as well as the most advanced tips and techniques in the business. Your instructors are authors, speakers and consultants in online learning and teaching.Certified Online Instructor (COI)requires the registrant to take a 50 question exam. The registrant will have their students evaluate one of their online courses, and the Chair of the LERN Faculty Advisory Board will critique one of the registrant’s online courses.