Carolina Online Teacher Program (COLT)
Now you can earn a LEARN NC Certificate in online instruction through the Carolina Online Teacher program (COLT). In five core courses and two electives, totaling a minimum of 17 CEUs, you’ll master the component skills of online teaching: effective collaboration and facilitation, creating learning communities, navigating the virtual classroom, and developing student-centered instruction.
Learn more
- LEARN NC white paper: Training teachers to teach online The importance of certification for online instructors.
Related pages
- LEARN NC professional development - Frequently asked questions: Find the answers to frequently asked questions about LEARN NC professional development courses.
- Practicum in Online Teaching -- Frequently asked questions: This document answers the most-asked questions about the Practicum in Online Teaching, the capstone course to LEARN NC's Carolina OnLine Teacher Program.
- Introduction to online learning: "Introduction to Online Learning" is designed to introduce web-based learning to people who are new to the online learning environment.
Related topics
- Learn more about Carolina Online Teacher, Moodle, new teacher support, online learning, professional development, and white paper.
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You’re ready!
So you’d like to teach online. You recognize that new advances in online interactivity are opportunities to engage and inspire today’s students. You realize the changing face of education means more courses will be online, and that teachers prepared for the online classroom will have a career advantage over those who don’t.
The Carolina Online Teacher Program
Now you can earn a LEARN NC Certificate in online instruction through the Carolina Online Teacher program (COLT). In five core courses and two electives, totaling a minimum of 17 CEUs, you’ll master the component skills of online teaching: effective collaboration and facilitation, creating learning communities, navigating the virtual classroom, and developing student-centered instruction.
Take the courses in this program of study at your convenience and build the knowledge to create a dynamic learning community, one where learners separated by a few feet or many miles can collaborate and share ideas. With the possibilities for using web-based content and multimedia, online courses can be exciting and inspiring for teachers and students alike.
Certificate requirements
Phase 1
During the first phase students should take each of the following three courses:
- COLT_101 Moodle Training — 3 weeks
- Want to teach one of LEARN NC ’s online courses yourself? Master teaching in Moodle, LEARN NC ’s course management system, to customize one of our courses for your own classroom.
- COLT_102 Teaching Online Courses — 5 weeks
- Adapt to the challenges of teaching online. Gain first-hand experience as an online learner within a dynamic learning community. This course addresses the complex relationship between content, pedagogy, and delivery in the virtual classroom.
- COLT_103 Facilitating Online Collaboration — 4 weeks
- Develop strategies and skills to facilitate online communication, moderate online discussion, and promote accomplishment of instructional goals. Communication is the lifeblood of online courses. Learn how to make the most of it.
Phase 2
In Phase 2, students take any two of the following electives:
- COLT_201 Accessibility, Usability, and Visual Design — 4 weeks
- Learn how the placement of information on web pages, the size and intensity of graphics, and even the color of your text are powerful tools for communicating meaning. Make your course materials accessible to all learners, and apply usability principles to make materials easier to learn and more satisfying for students.
- COLT_202 Assessment and Evaluation in Your Online Course — 4 weeks
- Plan and create engaging online activities and assessments. This course provides a collection of resources and exercises that define the assessment process. You’ll gain the tools to create activities that ensure students meet your learning objectives.
- COLT_203 Differentiating Instruction in Online Courses — 6 weeks
- Create a differentiated learning environment in your own online courses. You will learn to modify content, learning experiences, and assessment to address the unique needs, skills, and learning styles of individual students.
- COLT_204 Teaching English Language Learners in Your Online Course — 3 weeks
- Understand the needs of English Language Learners and students with low academic literacy skills. You’ll learn strategies for reaching all students, as well as how to structure discussions for clarity.
- COLT_205 Teaching World Languages Online — 5 weeks
- Explore how language teachers can take advantage of the online environment and new technology to provide an authentic context for language learning.
- COLT_206 Collaboration and Teaching in a Virtual World — 5 weeks
- Immerse yourself in a three-dimensional learning landscape. You’ll explore the online world known as Second Life, learning its communication systems, avatar creation, and how it can enhance student collaboration.
Phase 3
Finally, students must take each of the following two courses:
- COLT_301 Developing Your Online Course — 5 weeks
- Build your own online course from scratch, or revise one of ours. Developing Your Online Course teaches you the design and development strategies you need to develop your course online.
- COLT_302 Practicum in Online Teaching — duration varies
- Teach your online course with a pilot group of students or teachers. An experienced online-learning mentor will guide you through typical problem areas. The Practicum in Online Teaching may be done in conjunction with your school or county, and even as part of your normal teaching load.
