Instructional Paraprofessional Certification Program

(Teacher’s Aide)

208 hours/Instructor-supported

The Instructional Paraprofessional Certification Program will prepare you to assist classroom teachers in instruction of mathematics, reading and writing. The required courses include topics in teaching mathematics, reading and writing, an overview of the job of Instructional Paraprofessional and an introduction to child development. The elective courses allow students to explore areas related to instruction including classroom management skills, teaching and learning theories and instructional methods. The Instructional Paraprofessional Certification Program will help prepare you to pass the Educational Testing Services ParaPro Exam or other skills assessment exams and to pass any observation-based certification programs required by your state.

To receive their certificate, students will need to successfully complete the five required courses and three of the elective courses.  Students will be required to create a portfolio of their work which is included in the final lesson of each completed course.

Required:

Electives:

Required Courses (5):

Instructional Paraprofessional's Training

Description

Instructional Paraprofessionals play an important role in the classroom. This course gives an overview of the role the paraprofessional plays in the assisting the teacher and the students and how the teacher and paraprofessional can work together to create effective learning environments. The course will cover how to manage the classroom, characteristics of learners and how to support them and ways to improve instructional effectiveness.

Objectives

·         Students will identify the role of a paraprofessional in the US Educational System.

·         Students will identify the requirements for becoming a paraprofessional.

·         Students will identify the factors that affect the organization of the learning environment.

·         Students will identify factors that influence how students learn.

·         Students will identify the different forms of supervision.

·         Students will provide examples ways of identifying effective instruction.

·         Students will identify ways they can assist teachers with time management and classroom management.

·         Students will identify the professional and ethical requiremens for the paraprofessional job.

·         Students will review what they have learned and reflect on changes they have made to their practices.

·         Students will start their Paraprofessional Portfolio. 

Child Development

Description

A child's age and developmental progress affects how they see the world and how they learn new things. In this course we will explore various child development and educational theories and how they influence how children learn. This course also explores how learning is affected by family, peers and cultural factors. This course is for educators and paraprofessionals.

Objectives

• Students will explain the theories of human development that will be explored.
• Students will identify the features of biological development.
• Students will apply cognitive development theories to their teaching practice.
• Students will apply the social theories of development to their teaching practice.
• Students will identify the process of language development
• Students will identify ways intelligence is measured.
• Students will identify the reasons why motivation declines in students.
• Students will identify ways family and peer relationships can affect development.
• Students will identify the ways gender role differences affect academic performance.
• Students will identify features of psychological problems that appear at different stages of development.
• Students will review what they have learned and reflect on changes made to their teaching practice.

Teaching Math

Description

Review the skills you will need to pass the Instructional Paraprofessional's exam as you explore ways creative ways to present math skills to students. We will learn ways to help students become excited about math. We will explore ways to present math skills to student at all grade levels. This course is applicable to teachers as well as instructional paraprofessionals.

Objectives

• Students will explore ways of teaching mathematics.
• Students will design a unit of instruction for one of the content standard areas.
• Students will design a unit of instruction for one of the content standards.
• Students will create a unit of study for number concepts.
• Students will create a unit of study for place value or addition and subtraction.
• Students will create a unit of study for multiplication or division.
• Students will create a unit of study for extending multiplication or fractions.
• Students will create a unit of study for decimals or percents.
• Students will explore additional topics related to teaching mathematics.
• Students will review what they have learned and reflect on their teaching practice

Teaching Reading

Description

Review the skills you will need to pass the Instructional Paraprofessional's exam as you explore ways creative ways to present reading skills to students. We will learn ways to help students become excited about reading. We will explore ways to present reading skills to student at all grade levels and ways to improve the assessment of reading skills. This course is applicable to teachers as well as instructional paraprofessionals.

Objectives

• Students will set goals for their study of teaching reading.
• Students will create a plan for sharing their reading life with their students.
• Students will create a unit of study using the learning models described in this lesson.
• Students will create a plan for helping students select books to read.
• Students will create an assessment plan for their reading unit of study.
• Students will create a unit of study for teaching comprehension.
• Students will create a unit of study based on shared reading.
• Students will create a unit of study using guided reading.
• Students will research best practices in teaching reading.
• Students will review what they have learned and reflect on changes to their teaching practice.

Teaching Writing

Description

Review the skills you will need to pass the Instructional Paraprofessional's exam as you explore ways creative ways to present writing skills to students. We will learn ways to help students become excited about writing. We will explore ways to present writing skills to student at all grade levels and ways to improve the assessment of writing skills. This course is applicable to teachers as well as instructional paraprofessionals.

Objectives

• Students will set a goal for their teaching writing class.
• Students will create a plan for sharing their writing life with their students.
• Students will create a unit of study using the learning models described in this lesson.
• Students will create a unit of study based on shared writing.
• Students will create a unit of study which links reading and writing.
• Students will create a unit of study to teach a basic writing skill.
• Students will create a plan for daily writing.
• Students will create a plan for assessing student writing.
• Students will research best practices in teaching writing.
• Students will review what they have learned and reflect on changes to their teaching practice.

Electives: Choose 3

Classroom Management

Description

We know that what we teach and how we teach are important, but possibly even more important is how well we manage our classroom. From getting students to settle down and pay attention to handling behavior issues and disruptions, this course will explore many aspects of effective classroom management. We will explore how to arrange your classroom, getting ready for the first day of school, setting classroom routines, reinforcing good behavior and managing misbehavior in a positive way. This course is good for teachers as well as instructional paraprofessionals.

Objectives

• Students will organize their classroom and set rules and procedures.
• Students will set their classroom rules and procedures.
• Students will plan instructional activities for their classes.
• Students will identify way to maintain appropriate behavior and manage behavior problems.
• Students will create a strategy for group learning.
• Students will create a plan for dealing with groups of students with special learning needs.
• Students will review what they have learned and reflect on how it has changed their teaching practice.

Learning and Teaching Theories

Description

This course will explore various theories of how people learn and ways that those theories can be applied to teaching. Theories that will be covered include conditioning theories, social cognitive theories, constructivist theory and cognitive information processing theories. For each type of theory we will explore the related theories and how to apply them to our own teaching environments. This course is good for current educators and instructional paraprofessionals.

Objectives

• Students will identify reasons for studying learning theories.
• Students will design a unit of study using conditioning theories.
• Students will design a unit of study using social cognitive theory.
• Students will design a unit of study using cognitive information processing theory.
• Students will design a unit of study using cognitive learning processes.
• Students will design a unit of study using constructivist theory.
• Students will design a unit of study using one of the models of instruction learned in this lesson.
• Students will design a unit of study for a content area.
• Students will design a unit of study using motivation theories.
• Students will review what they have learned and reflect on the changes made to their teaching practice.

Differentiated Instruction in the Inclusive Classroom

Description

We know that not all students are the same or learn the same. What works for one student may completely confuse the next students. Explore strategies for using your classroom time in a way that allows you to reach more of your students on a regular basis. Learn to build effective learning environments, design instructional strategies that support differentiation and how you can create a differentiated classroom.

Objectives

• Students will identify the elements of differentiation.
• Students will design a learning environment that supports differentiation.
• Students will design a lesson of instruction that supports differentiation.
• Students will design an instructional strategy that supports differentiation.
• Students will create a plan for managing their differentiated classroom.
• Students will review what they have learned and reflect on the changes to their teaching practice.

Motivating Students

Description

Wouldn't it be great if your students look forward to your class each day and wanted to to complete the work you assign? Learn skills to help motivate your students to want to learn. Learn to capture students' attention and keep it. Identify ways stress and emotions affects how students learn. Explore what influences your students.

Objectives

• Students will set a goal for their students' attitudes toward learning.
• Students will identify approach and avoidance responses in their students.
• Students will identify sources of influence on their students' attitudes.
• Students will identify positive and adversive feelings associated with their teaching.
• Students will identify ways to make students self-efficient in learning.
• Students will create a plan for evaluating the results of their students' attitudes about their teaching.

Learning Styles in the Classroom

Description

Does it seem like some of your students get it with very little help from you while others never seem to even after a lot of one-on-one coaching? If so, it could that you are not speaking their learning language. Every person brings their own learning style to the classroom, even young children. By learning about your own learning style and the learning styles of others you will learn ways to reach all of your students and to help them to learn better.

Objectives

• Students will identify characteristics of the intelligences.
• Students will identify characteristics of various learning styles.
• Students will identify ways Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles can be integrated.
• Students will create lesson plans that incorporate multiple intelligences and learning styles.
• Students will create performance assessments using intelligences and learning styles.
• Students will design a lesson plan for teaching their students about Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles.

Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom

Description

Every student in your class is intelligent. The trick is to finding out just how he or she is intelligent and tapping that to help your student to learn more easily and to allow him or her to add a new a dimension to your course. Howard Gardners's Multiple Intelligence Theory defines students as intelligent in one of eight areas. By teaching to a student's intelligences and by allowing them to express themselves using their preferred intelligences the entire classroom can be enriched. Students will explore the Multiple Intelligences theories and learn to design lesson plans that appeal to various intelligences.

Objectives

• Students will identify characteristics of the intelligences.
• Students will identify the features of Word and Music intelligences.
• Students will identiy the features of logic and picture intelligences.
• Students will identify the features of the body and people intelligences.
• Students will identify the features of self and nature intelligences.
• Students will create a lesson plan using the intelligences.

Fundamentals of Instructional Design

Description

Students will explore ways in which courses can be designed. Students will be introduced to the ADDIE design model and other design models that may work in other environments. Students will write instructional objectives and design a unit of instruction and assessments that support the instructional objects. Students will plan an evaluation of their instructional materials.

Objectives

• Students will identify the purpose and parts of instructional design.
• Students will perform a needs analysis on the course they will be developing.
• Students will create a list of objectives for the course they will be designing.
• Students will design a lesson for the course they are developing.
• Students will plan the implementation of the course.
• Students will create an evaluation plan for their course.
• Students will explore other instructional design strategies and their uses.

ParaPro Assessment (0755)

Test Name                           ParaPro Assessment

Test Code                           0755

Time                                   2½ hours

Number of Questions           90

Format                                Multiple-choice questions; use of a calculator is not permitted

                                          Approximate                               Approximate

Content Categories              Number of                                  Percentage of

                                          Questions                                   Examination

Reading Skills and Knowledge                       18                     20%

Application of Reading Skills and

Knowledge to Classroom Instruction              12                     13%

Mathematics Skills and Knowledge                18                     20%

Application of Mathematics Skills

and Knowledge to Classroom

Instruction                                                    12                     13%

Writing Skills and Knowledge                        18                     20%

Application of Writing Skills and

Knowledge to Classroom Instruction              12                     13%

About This Test

The ParaPro Assessment for prospective and practicing paraprofessionals measures skills and knowledge in reading, mathematics, and writing, as well as the ability to apply those skills and knowledge to assist in classroom instruction.  The test consists of 90 multiple-choice questions across the three subject areas of reading, mathematics, and writing.   Approximately two-thirds of the questions in each subject area focus on basic skills and knowledge, and approximately one-third of the questions in each subject area focus on the application of those skills and knowledge in a classroom context.  This test may contain some questions that do not count toward your score.