IGC 644: Engaging Students Through Social Emotional Learning for all Disciplines Grades 1-12

Instructor: Christine Judge

Format: This is an online course with two zoom sessions. The zoom sessions will be held on Wednesday, April 8th from 4:00 - 7:00 PM and on Wednesday, May 6th from 4:00 -7:00 PM. All other coursework is completed asynchronously. No work is due over April break.

Course Description: The positive impact of Social Emotional Learning has been well documented. Student performance improves when social and emotional development is fostered by instructors and institutions. Recent research continues to support the conclusion the SEL curricula improves academic outcomes. A Collaboration for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) study of more than 700 programs found that if an institution implements a quality SEL curriculum, they can expect better student behavior and an 11% increase in test scores.

This course is designed to provide students with the ideas behind the SEL educational process and the knowledge and skills of the curriculum development process and curriculum for Science, Math, Social Studies, ELA, Reading, and Special Education will be researched and developed. Effective curriculum development and implementation is a dynamic and continuous process through which teachers can plan, implement and evaluate the instructional program in a systematic and logical way. Particular attention is given to designing and organizing curriculum and selecting teaching strategies which effectively create a learning environment that meets the diverse social/emotional needs of students. Candidates cover the major components of the curriculum development process, including developing philosophy and objectives, needs assessment, instructional planning and implementation, assessment and evaluation and curriculum refinement. Emphasis is given to the curriculum areas of Cognitive Development, Receptive and Expressive Language Development, Social Skills and Behavior Development, science instruction, math instruction, ELA/Reading instruction, and instruction of students with disabilities. Candidates will demonstrate curriculum competencies through the development of various curriculum projects which include understanding a variety of teaching strategies, resources, applications and assessments.

This class is aligned to the Massachusetts State Frameworks.

Downloadable Course Description

Engaging Students Through Social Emotional Learning - IGC 644