Albion PD+
Graduate credit courses designed to elevate professional growth and support educators in advancing their careers.*
Course Catalog
AI Empowered Classroom Management (PD+)
This course prepares K–12 educators and administrators to use restorative, relationship-centered practices to build belonging, strengthen classroom and school culture, and respond constructively to conflict. Grounded in research on social-emotional learning, restorative practices, and belonging, participants develop practical strategies and resources for community building, restorative conversations, conflict response, and relationship repair. The course also explores how artificial intelligence can support planning and implementation while creating more space for meaningful human connection.
Addressing Literacy Gaps in Adolescent Literacy (PD+)
As reading and writing demands become more complex, gaps in adolescents’ foundational literacy skills can limit their ability to engage successfully with grade-level learning. This course prepares educators to address these gaps through systematic, cumulative, and explicit instruction embedded in reading and writing lessons. Participants will learn practical approaches for supporting students with varying skill levels and addressing foundational needs that affect comprehension, syntax, vocabulary, grammar, and writing. Participants will also learn to use quick diagnostic screeners to identify individual literacy needs and use that information to tailor instruction. The course provides ready-to-use strategies, lesson plans, modification ideas, and accommodations that educators can apply to make instruction more accessible and support meaningful progress in reading and writing. By integrating explicit instruction with targeted assessment, educators will be better prepared to address literacy gaps and strengthen students’ academic skills and confidence.
Critical Literacy Strategies for Learners Who Are Easily Bored (PD+)
Critical Literacy Strategies for Learners Who Are Easily Bored is designed for K–12 teachers and administrators seeking to increase student engagement, strengthen literacy instruction, and improve academic outcomes through critical literacy practices. The course examines the foundational principles of critical literacy and its role in fostering critical thinking, student voice, and meaningful learning experiences for learners who may struggle with motivation, attention, or traditional instructional methods. Through the analysis of scholarly resources, instructional models, and student engagement data, participants will explore how critical literacy supports equitable, student-centered instruction across diverse educational settings. Emphasizing applied learning and classroom implementation, participants will design, adapt, and evaluate instructional strategies such as Literature Circles, Socratic Seminars, and Inquiry-Based Projects to meet the needs of diverse learners and instructional contexts. Educators will revise lesson plans, develop inquiry-driven literacy activities, create reflective self-assessment tools, and use data-informed evaluation frameworks to assess the effectiveness of instructional practices and make continuous improvements. By the end of the course, participants will be prepared to implement engaging, research-based critical literacy strategies that promote metacognition, collaboration, student engagement, and academic success in K–12 classrooms.
Dyslexia: Reading & Writing Learning Disabilities (PD+)
This course provides an in-depth examination of reading and writing disabilities, with a focused emphasis on dyslexia, to prepare educators to implement evidence-based practices in K–12 settings. Participants develop a comprehensive understanding of dyslexia, including its characteristics, underlying factors, and impact on literacy development, while also examining Idaho-specific laws, standards, and recommended practices. The course progresses from foundational concepts of skilled reading and writing to more advanced study of learning disabilities, equipping educators with the knowledge needed to support identification, assessment, and instruction for diverse learners. Grounded in applied practice, the course engages participants in assessments, activities, and structured learning experiences that measure knowledge acquisition and instructional readiness. Assignments are designed to produce practical, implementation-ready tools, strategies, and resources that can be directly used in educational settings. Through substantive participation and guided feedback from an instructor and expert practitioner, participants refine their ability to apply course concepts to real-world contexts. This course meets the professional development and recertification requirements for the State of Idaho as outlined in Idaho Code § 33-1811(4) and supports improved teaching effectiveness and student outcomes.
Fostering a Growth Mindset in Teachers and Learners (PD+)
Fostering a Growth Mindset in Teachers and Learners examines the foundations of growth mindset and its application to professional reflection, instructional practice, classroom culture, assessment, motivation, and educator sustainability. Participants explore the differences between fixed and growth mindset beliefs, reflect on teaching practices that support professional collaboration and shared learning, and examine how lesson planning, constructive feedback, classroom design, and teacher language can foster persistence, resilience, and positive responses to challenges in K–12 learning environments. Throughout the course, participants apply growth mindset principles through activities, assessments, and assignments that produce practical resources for their own classrooms or educational settings. Participants select instructional and feedback strategies, design assessment practices that support learner agency and reflection, examine the role of relationships, goal setting, and motivation, and develop strategies for engaging students, families, colleagues, and other stakeholders. The course also emphasizes educator self-care and sustainability, guiding participants in creating resources and plans that help teachers, school leaders, and learners maintain a positive growth mindset over time.
Foundational Reading Skills Part I (PD+)
This course introduces educators to the foundational skills that support early reading development and help students become more confident, accurate readers. Participants will explore four essential areas of beginning reading instruction: print awareness, phonemic awareness, phonics, and sight words. Together, these skills help students understand how print works, hear and manipulate the sounds in spoken language, connect sounds to letters, and recognize high-frequency words with greater automaticity. Throughout the course, educators will examine how each skill develops and why it matters for early literacy success. Emphasis is placed on practical, evidence-based instruction that supports students as they build the word recognition skills needed for fluent reading. Participants will consider how to teach these skills clearly and intentionally, how to recognize common areas of student difficulty, and how to select instructional strategies that strengthen students’ early reading foundations. Grounded in applied practice, the course engages participants in assessments, activities, and structured learning experiences designed to measure knowledge acquisition and deepen instructional expertise. Assignments require learners to develop practical tools, strategies, and instructional resources that can be directly implemented in classroom and educational settings. Through substantive participation and guided feedback from an instructor and expert practitioner, participants refine their ability to design, deliver, and evaluate effective literacy instruction, ultimately strengthening teaching effectiveness and improving student outcomes.
Mentoring a New Teacher (PD+)
This graduate-level course prepares K–12 educators and school leaders to mentor and coach new and developing teachers through structured, reflective, and context-responsive support aligned to key mentoring competencies. Participants analyze adult learning principles and their application to mentoring new teachers, evaluate research-based classroom management strategies, and examine the developmental needs of novice educators. The course emphasizes principles of effective mentoring and instructional coaching, strategies for building trust and professional relationships, and approaches for promoting reflection, goal setting, and continuous improvement. Participants also explore common challenges related to classroom environment, instructional practice, professional confidence, and teacher retention, with attention to how mentors and school leaders can provide support that is both practical and responsive to individual needs. Through applied assessments, activities, and assignments, participants engage in authentic tasks that mirror real-world mentoring responsibilities. These include creating a one-week instructional plan using evidence-based strategies, designing a technology coaching session with a classroom integration plan, and developing organizational tools such as checklists or calendar templates to support new teachers. Participants also develop mentoring support plans based on sample IEP or Section 504 documentation, role-play professional workplace scenarios and reflect on behaviors using a rubric, and conduct mock post-observation conferences using structured feedback protocols. Additional coursework may include mentoring plans, observation and feedback tools, reflective coaching protocols, and action plans. Participants receive guidance and feedback throughout the learning process as they refine these artifacts and strengthen their ability to provide targeted, evidence-based support that improves teaching practice, promotes positive learning environments, and contributes to educator growth and student success.
Student Engagement and Motivation (PD+)
This course provides an in-depth examination of student engagement, motivation, and psychological well-being in educational settings. Grounded in established motivational theories and contemporary research, students will analyze the factors that influence learners’ engagement, persistence, achievement, and personal development. Particular emphasis is placed on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as a framework for understanding human motivation and behavior, including the roles of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in supporting effective learning. Students will explore autonomous and controlled behavior, major psychological theories of motivation, and the relationship between motivation, engagement, and student success. Through the application of theory to authentic educational contexts, students will evaluate instructional practices and design learning environments that promote motivation, self-directed learning, healthy behaviors, and positive self-esteem. Students will explore and engage with course resources to develop practical strategies for fostering student engagement and psychological well-being across diverse learning environments. The course also introduces professional resources and tools that support the implementation of Self-Determination Theory and other motivational frameworks, preparing educators to create student-centered learning experiences that enhance both educational outcomes and lifelong learner development.
Trauma Informed Classroom (PD+)
This graduate-level course prepares K–12 educators and administrators to design and implement trauma-informed, responsive, and inclusive learning environments grounded in current research on child development and neuroscience. Participants examine the impact of trauma on brain functioning, cognition, behavior, and academic performance, and apply core principles of trauma-sensitive schools to evaluate and strengthen classroom and school-based practices that promote student well-being, safety, and equity. Emphasizing the relationship between connection and learning, the course engages learners in the intentional design of psychologically safe environments through relational practices, structured routines, norms, and the integration of student voice. Through rigorous, university-level engagement, learners demonstrate knowledge acquisition through assessments, applied activities, and substantive participation, supported by ongoing instructor feedback from an expert practitioner. Participants analyze the effects of trauma on attention, memory, and executive functioning and develop instructional strategies that reduce cognitive load while increasing engagement through scaffolding, structure, and autonomy. The course also emphasizes real-time, trauma-responsive approaches to behavior, including co-regulation, de-escalation, and restorative practices. Assignments are designed to produce practical tools, strategies, and classroom-ready artifacts, culminating in the evaluation and refinement of participants’ own classroom systems to support sustainable, trauma-informed practice.