The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announced a new option for teachers and principals to receive free online training that will equip them to provide effective virtual instruction. The training is available for up to 6,000 educators over the course of 2020-21 and is being funded by part the SCDE’s federal CARES Act allocation.
In the first week, more than 1,700 educators have signed up for the sessions, which outline what the South Carolina Teaching Standards 4.0 rubric looks and sounds like in a virtual setting. The full series covers topics ranging from planning, delivering instruction, and providing an engaging virtual classroom environment, with two separate tracks for principals and teachers to receive role-specific guidance. The sessions are optional, and educators can decide when to take each of the three 90-minute sessions based on their schedule, with after-school, evening, and weekend opportunities.
Training sessions are taught live and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, with sessions spread out over the fall and spring semesters. Educators can now register for fall 2020 sessions, and spring semester dates will be announced on December 1. Current South Carolina educators can learn more and register for the free training on NIET’s website, niet.org.