JumpStart Plus

All the learning of JumpStart plus extra support.

By guiding you through a series of hands-on projects, JumpStart gives you the confidence and skills you need to make smart choices about the tech you use in your teaching.

JumpStart Plus is the exact same course, but it adds extra support: A private online forum where you can share your work and get feedback on it, run by a team of mentors to answer your questions along the way.

Let's start by looking at the course.

A Learning-Driven Approach

Tools come and go, and features constantly change. So instead of starting by looking for the right tool, it’s more effective to start with processes, specific ways of using technology that can be applied in a variety of classroom situations. Once you understand a process and how it can boost learning, you can explore the tools that put that process into action.

In this course, you will learn 10 key processes that can have an incredible impact on how you teach, how your students learn, how you collaborate and communicate with others, and the time it takes to do it all.

Module 1. Basic Blogging: A blog or website is one of the most flexible and essential tools for learning in the 21st century. First, we’ll look at all the ways you and your students can use a blogging tool to create spectacular websites. Then you’ll use Edublogs to create your own blog that will showcase all of your projects in the course.

Module 2. Online Collaboration: Student learning is turbo-charged when we add collaboration, and educators need regular opportunities to learn from one another, but time and space limit our ability to collaborate as often as we’d like. In this module, you'll use Padlet to create your own online space for powerful professional collaboration.

Module 3. Digital Mind Mapping: Research supports the use of visuals for making meaning, and mind mapping is one powerful way to do it. In this module, you will explore how digital mind maps can deepen student learning and be used for assignments, instruction, problem solving, even assessment. Then you’ll have a choice between Sketchboard or LucidChart to develop a mind mapping assignment and complete it as if you were the student.

Module 4. Curation: The ability to thoughtfully curate resources has become a crucial skill in the information age. In this module, you will explore how this process can really put students’ higher-order thinking to use. You'll choose from a variety of curation ideas to create a student task, then use Wakelet to complete it as if you were the student.

Module 5. Screencasting: Once you know how to record videos from your computer screen – also known as screencasting – you will find dozens of uses for it in your teaching. In this module, you will use ScreenPal (formerly Screencast-O-Matic) or Screencastify to create your own screencast tutorial for your students.

Module 6. Slideshows: We use slideshows to teach all the time, but many slideshows could use a lot of improvement! In this module you'll learn some principles for clean, clear slideshow design, then you'll create your own Google Slides presentation to design a lesson following these principles.

Module 7. Digital Assessment: Assessing students before, during, and after instruction takes a heck of a lot of time if you’re doing it right. Digital tools can help teachers dramatically increase the amount and quality of their assessments without needing a lot of extra time. In this module, you will use the Quiz feature in Google Forms to create a simple diagnostic or formative multiple-choice assessment.

Module 8. Blended Learning: If students can get the same direct instruction digitally that they’d typically get in person, then we free up class time to do more hands-on, interactive, engaging things. In this module, you have a choice between using Google Slides to create a single flipped lesson by combining video with other types of resources, or a HyperDoc to create a stand-alone mini-unit.

Module 9. QR Codes: Once you’ve seen how powerful and flexible these little squares can be and how ridiculously easy they are to use, you’ll find all kinds of ways to put them to work in your own teaching. In this module, you’ll create two separate classroom resources that each contain a QR code to enhance their functionality.

Module 10. Basic Podcasting: Although producing a podcast series can be time-consuming, making a simple audio recording couldn’t be easier. In this module, you’ll explore how to take a simple audio recording and apply it in the classroom in 10 different ways. Then you’ll create your own recording to reflect on your work in the course.

How the Course Works

You’ll start each module with a short reading assignment. This is where we explore the process, consider its instructional value, and look at how it can enhance learning in multiple ways. Completing these reading assignments is essential for understanding the pedagogy and successfully completing the projects.

Next, you’ll review the project checklist to understand the requirements of your hands-on project. For most projects, an advanced option has been added to offer extra challenge to those who master the process easily.

Then you'll preview a sample blog and other sample projects to help you get a clear picture of what your project and final blog should look like in the end.

After that, it’s time to dig into your hands-on project. You’ll use the pedagogy from the reading to design instructional materials and watch a series of video tutorials to learn the tech.

When your project is complete, you’ll share it in a blog post.

In order to receive a certificate of completion for the course, you'll need to submit the complete blog for approval. We have high standards for issuing these certificates and look for solid pedagogy just as much as — if not more than — skilled use of the technology.

The JumpStart Community

With JumpStart Plus, you will work through the course on your own, but you'll have the support of a team of mentors inside our JumpStart community.

The community forum is a private online forum where you can ask questions, exchange ideas, share the work you're doing, and quickly get the support you need to complete the course successfully.

A team of JumpStart mentors will have an active presence in the community to make sure your questions get answered and help you keep your projects on track. These are fellow educators who have already completed the course and are excited to help you succeed. The mentors will be available to give you feedback on each of your projects, so you'll know right away if you hit the mark or need to make adjustments.

There are no required meetings or additional tasks associated with JumpStart Plus: It simply adds a hands-on support to help you get the most out of the course.

What JumpStart Graduates Are Saying

See what more JumpStart graduates say here.

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Other Questions

If you have another question that hasn't been answered here, please get in touch with our contact form.

Self-Assessment: Before You Enroll

The following statements describe someone who is well-suited to JumpStart. The more “true” answers you have, the more likely JumpStart is a great PD option for you!

1. I enjoy reading about pedagogy and strategies that can deepen student learning.

2. I want to integrate technology in purposeful ways, not just learn how to use a new tool.

3. I'm currently a classroom teacher OR I’m not currently in the classroom, but I can create lessons based on my own teaching experience or by thinking of the teachers I support.

4. I am able to put in an average of 4 to 6 hours of work per module; this includes the required reading.

5. I am detail oriented and I read instructions carefully.

6. I understand that in order to receive a certificate of completion, I need to submit a final portfolio. If my final portfolio doesn’t qualify for a certificate of completion, I can go back to fix it, and then resubmit.

7. I work best when I have support from mentors. (If you prefer to work without extra support, JumpStart might be a better option.)

Purchase Orders

YES! We accept purchase orders. To generate a quote for a purchase order when the course opens for enrollment, please fill out this form and someone from our team will contact you with an invoice.

Other Questions

If you have another question that hasn't been answered here, please get in touch with our contact form.