Teachers Earn Continuing Education Credit by Taking Online Technology Course
New course offering from Fresno Pacific University trains educators on eInstruction’s CPS clickers while allowing teachers to earn Continuing Education graduate level units
Denton, Tex. and Fresno, Calif. (Aug. 14, 2008)—eInstruction, a premier global provider of interactive learning solutions, has teamed up with Fresno Pacific University to offer the first ever online course that will train educators on eInstruction's CPS (Classroom Performance System) "clickers" while offering Continuing Education (C.E.) graduate level units.
eInstruction's popular CPS is a handheld student response system that allows teachers to instantaneously assess student comprehension in a classroom environment.
This is the first time that an online course has been offered to educators that both trains an educator in a new technology while offering C.E. graduate level units. Matt Gehrett, Executive Director of Continuing Education at Fresno Pacific University and former K-12 teacher, conceived the idea after remembering his experiences as a teacher trying to stay ahead of the advances in technology and earn his C.E. credits at the same time. As a solution, Gehrett collaborated with eInstruction to develop an online course combining convenience, online technology and the ability to earn graduate level units.
"From experience, I know that teachers often find it difficult to introduce new technology into their classrooms because of the time it takes to become efficient with it," says Matt Gehrett. "This course is an innovative way to promote technology in the classroom and help educators attain valuable Continuing Education graduate level units for salary advancement."
The course, Active Learning: Clickers in the Classroom, is designed to help teachers develop the skills needed to use student response systems effectively in the classroom and is set up to accommodate all teachers, a key point in Gehrett’s original idea. Course participants will learn how to leverage eInstruction's CPS technology to promote active contribution by all students in the classroom and to garner immediate feedback in order to assess student comprehension. Participants will also learn how to incorporate the use of the technology into curriculum and content standards.
The course is available to all teachers, grades K-20, and allows educators up to one year to complete the course, at their own leisure. The online class can be accessed at any time and costs $397. When a teacher completes the course with a grade of 80% or higher, the teacher is awarded three Continuing Education graduate level units from Fresno Pacific University.
"We are happy to provide teachers with this opportunity to improve their classrooms," said John Burgess, Education Consultant with eInstruction. "By adding the CPS clickers into their lessons, teachers will be able to assess the entire class in real-time and improve the quality of learning through classroom technology."
For more information about the CPS Instruction Course, please visit the Fresno Pacific University website at http://www.fresno.edu/cpd. For further information on eInstruction and CPS, please visit http://www.einstruction.com.
About eInstruction™
eInstruction pioneered the first student response system for the education market during the 1980s. Its
Classroom Performance System (CPS) provides instructors and students with real-time feedback on comprehension
during instruction. Today CPS remains the leading student response system in education, being used by over 1.5
million students in more than 60,000 K-12 classrooms and over 400,000 students in more than 400 colleges and
universities. In 2006, eInstruction acquired FSCreations and integrated its ExamView® and Learning Series content
into CPS; so instructors can seamlessly use publisher and proprietary question banks in lesson plans, quizzes and
tests with eInstruction technology. The result is an integrated system for instruction and assessment with real-time
feedback. In 2008, eInstruction joined forces with Interwrite Learning®, another premier global provider of interactive
learning solutions to the primary, secondary and higher education markets. For media inquiries, please contact Christy
Oberley at Dittoe PR at 1-317-202-2280 ext 16. To learn more about eInstruction’s Interactive Classroom solutions,
please visit http://www.einstruction.com.
About Fresno Pacific University
Fresno Pacific University offers undergraduate and graduate programs that stress solid academic preparation and
a strong ethical foundation. Each year about 2,400 traditional and adult students attend classes on the 42-acre
main campus in southeast Fresno or centers in North Fresno, Visalia and Bakersfield. The university also reaches
12,000 students across the nation and around the world through continuing education programs. The Central Valley's
only comprehensive, master’s-granting, Christian university, FPU is accredited by the Western Association of Schools
and Colleges and ranked among the best in the Western universities—master's category by U.S. News & World Report.
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