Registration Required - Register by May 27! This Course is offered by the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE).

COURSE OVERVIEW:

Are you looking for ways to enhance your environmental education teaching/practices this summer? Interested in starting a portfolio of your work to become a certified environmental educator in Colorado? Need graduate level re-certification credit? Then sign up for the Principles & Foundations of Environmental Education online course.

Principles and Foundations of Environmental Education is a professional development course aimed at classroom teachers and non-formal educators who would like to gain basic knowledge of environmental education (EE) and how it can be incorporated into their instruction. Through on-line distance learning, course participants will explore the history and goals of EE, develop an understanding of the professional roles and instructional methods of environmental educators, and interact with other educators across the country.

Participants will work both individually and collectively by giving and receiving feedback in a virtual large discussion format. Assignments will help participants build a professional portfolio demonstrating their knowledge and skills in environmental education, which can then be applied towards becoming a Certified Environmental Educator through CAEE’s EE Certification Program (optional).

To read more about CAEE's Environmental Educator Certification Program, click here.

**Participants in the course can submit their portfolio for Certified Environmental Educator review for no additional fee. Master Certified Environmental Educator portfolios may be submitted for an additional $50 (savings of $50). Please note the Certified Environmental Educator program is seperate from the online course and is optional.

COURSE DETAILS:

Dates: All work and communications will be done online using the Blackboard course website. Course dates will be from June 3 - August 11, 2019.

Cost: The cost of participating in the course through CAEE is $135 for CAEE members and $175 for non-CAEE members. Click here for more information on becoming a CAEE member, which provides free or discounted costs for CAEE workshops and our annual conference. If you are unsure if you are a CAEE member, email info@caee.org and we can check for you.

Credit: Two optional graduate-level recertification credits are available through the Colorado School of Mines Teacher Enhancement program for an additional fee ($95 total for both credits). Information about receiving credit for this course and payment to Colorado School of Mines will be shared at the beginning of the course.

Access to a computer and internet connection will be required. The course needs a minimum of 8 participants. If we do not meet the minimum number of participants and cancel the course, you will be notified as soon as that information is available.

Cancellation Policy: If you are no longer able to participate in this course, we must receive an email notification at least 2 buisness days (Thursday May 30, 2019) prior in order to receive a refund.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SYLLABUS FOR SUMMER 2019

COURSE STRUCTURE AND ASSIGNMENTS:

The course is organized around 5 themes describing a knowledge or skill area that is part of the professional development of certified environmental educators in Colorado. Themes include Environmental Literacy, Foundations of Environmental Education, Professional Responsibilities of the Environmental Educator, Planning and Implementation, and Assessment and Evaluation. Each theme includes competencies or statements of what individuals are expected to be able to demonstrate.

Competencies are included in a rubric with measureable or observable actions that would enable one to judge whether an individual has mastered a particular competency. Each week, you will be submitting at least one piece of evidence that demonstrates your understanding of the theme. Assignments can become portfolio pieces that can be submitted as part of your Certified Environmental Educator portfolio (Optional). You will need to submit additional evidence to achieve Master Certified Environmental Educator.

There will be two assignments each week. By Sunday of each week, participants will need to submit one piece of evidence addressing the competencies for that week’s theme. By the following Wednesday, participants will be expected to comment and give feedback on at least one other classmates submitted evidence. View the syllabus for more information on what what type of evidence can be submitted for the course. Registration is required. Please register by May 27, 2019.