Training Services
Step Up Academy of Learning provides training for individuals wishing to excel in the education/tutoring field that is reflective of the immaculate and impactful learning and services provided on site. Companies as well as individuals can enroll in training sessions for specific positions, enabling them to master the role and truly understand how to make a positive impact in the growth and development of their students.
It is a well known fact that professionals within the field of education are engaged in constant learning. Step Up Academy of Learning encourages this growth mindset among our trainees to ensure that they are growing, as well as fostering a growth mindset among their institutions and students.
Below are the various roles Step Up Academy of Learning specializes in and provides training for. Select the role you are interested in to see what it entails and further understand the training services we provide.
Teacher/Tutor Training
Step Up Academy of Learning prides itself on its strong Teacher/Tutor training program, consisting of various modules that guide prospective candidates to self-reflect, understand the importance of intent over impact, as well as the growth mindset and how to best lead purposefully when they are in the role of Teacher/Tutor.
The Teacher/Tutor role is unique, and is one of the main reasons many organizations seek out Step Up Academy of Learning for our training services. When educators are in the position of Teacher/Tutor, they take on a hybrid role of educating as well as supporting. As the teacher, they will focus on teaching students important concepts and strategies to grow. They will find ways to challenge and push students forward in their growth. Additionally, as a tutor, they will find ways to guide and support each student so that they succeed in their current day school.
The tutor role is one that many families seek out, and many organizations offer services for, however it is this merging of the teacher/tutor position that allows for significant growth and progress.
Below are some of the topics covered:
The Growth Mindset by Carol Dweck
The Ontario Curriculum
Effective Mathematics Pedagogy
Effective Mathematics Pedagogy
Effective Literacy Pedagogy
The For, Of and As in Assessment
Developing Positive Relationships
Impact over Intent – Conscious Educating
Anti-Discriminatory Education
The first step to setting up training sessions is to consult with our trainers to inform us of your needs, timeframe and culture. After a detailed consultation, our trainers will compile the necessary information into modules to be presented to your staff.
Timeline
The timelines for the Teacher/Tutor training may take one school year, which is 10 months, or one calendar year, consisting of 12 months. Each part of the year brings with it numerous points of learning, reflection and growth, to ensure students receive the best possible instruction. We find that when teachers receive a year of intense support, the organization has set them up to succeed. With strong educators, it is the students and organization who reap the rewards.
Training from Step Up Academy for the Teacher/Tutor Role will look like:
Meetings for staff to learn specific concepts.
Formative Assessments to ensure staff understand the content being presented.
Cooperative activities to develop a learning community.
On the job support, observation, feedback and learning.
Ongoing practice teaching placement to apply concepts covered in meetings.
The trainers at Step Up Academy believe the best way to learn to be an effective Teacher/Tutor is through hands on learning. Therefore, a majority of the training and learning takes place via a practice teaching placement at Step Up Academy of Learning. While the practicum takes place, the trainer(s) will support the Teacher/Tutor with their learning in the following ways:
Observation of classes.
Notes on teacher practice.
Reflection sessions to support teacher growth.
Observation of modeled teaching.
Pre-scheduled meetings to build pedagogy.
Education Coordinator Training
As your organization grows, there comes a need to ensure the quality of student learning is maintained. This is where our Education Coordinator comes in. This role is specifically designed to support the administration as well as teachers in an institution that is ever growing and developing. The Education Coordinator is unique in the fact that this individual needs to be able to lead as well as perform on various levels. Some responsibilities include:
Some responsibilities include:
Monitoring teachers to assist them in developing their skills.
Developing professional development material for teacher growth.
Training new teachers.
Tracking student growth to ensure the quality of learning is maintained.
The establishment of a mentee/mentor relationship.
Developing programming to respond to the needs of the organization.
Evaluation of student assessment data to support the growth of the organization.
When training individuals for the position of Education Coordinator, it is important to understand the individual’s needs as well as the organization’s needs. This is the best way to ensure that Step Up Academy is able to structure training modules that will effectively support the learning, growth and development of the center. In order to do this, there will be a detailed initial consultation process and ongoing reflections to assess the progress of the training taking place.
Additionally, the role of an Education Coordinator is meant to be a leadership position. With this, quite a bit of the training centers around developing the individual in the role. It is important for the trainee to embody confidence and a sense of purpose as they take on this role due to its ability to make a great impact on the overall organization. There will be numerous opportunities for self reflection, as well as modules specifically dedicated to leadership development. Employers should expect to invest in this kind of growth for their employee as it will ensure the eventual growth of their organization.
Timeline
The timelines for the Education Coordinator training will span the course of 1 year as specific parts of the year require very specific skills. Our trainers work side by side with the trainees to ensure that they work with them throughout the entire year so they know how to successfully support their organization as pivotal points. Some important points in the year range from the beginning of the school year and how to jump start teacher training and educational supports, to reporting periods which bring with it ample assessment of data, to how to implement purposeful and informed action plan. The summer break is also of great importance as the learning never stops and this is when the Education Coordinator in many cases takes on a more active role, preparing students for the upcoming school year, as well as reflecting on next steps before September.
Training from Step Up Academy for the Education Coordinator will look like:
Presentations for staff to learn specific concepts.
Role playing to understand how to embody the position.
Formative Assessments to ensure staff understand the content being presented.
Cooperative activities to develop a learning community.
On the job support, observation, feedback and learning.
The trainers at Step Up Academy believe the best way to learn to be an effective Education Coordinator is through hands on learning. Therefore, a majority of the training and learning takes place via on the job support.
Creating Effective Online Education Environments through Gamification of Learning
Today’s learners are immersed in technology at various levels from the television they encounter to social media and online learning platforms. With this, it only makes sense to ensure our learning environments adapt and grow to match the needs of our learners. This entails integrating technology into various points of the learning process and ensuring that there is authentic learning taking place. Gamification of learning has proven to engage students and has the potential to educate as well. Although there are many educators who prefer to stick to the conventional lesson with information being taught, practiced and then assessed, it is imperative that we look to alternate models of teaching if we want to work alongside the development of our students as they grow.
Additionally, there is a lot of research that highlights the effectiveness when gamifying a learning environment listed below:
Almost 80% of learners say that they would be more productive if their university/institution or work was more game-like.
Over 60% of learners would be motivated by leader boards and increased competition between students.
350 companies have launched gamification projects since 2010.
There are 183 million active gamers in the U.S.
There was a $5.5 billion gamification market in 2018.
97% of kids play computer and video games.
More K-5 teachers report using games than middle school teachers.
70% of teachers saw an increase in student engagement using educational video games.
This information is difficult to ignore when developing effective learning environments, especially if teachers are aiming to capitalize on student engagement and make education fun. This is a deviation from the norm and there remains push back from traditional educators, however the results speak for themselves and warrant the integration of this new teaching method.
However, it is important to ensure that technology is not simply being thrown into the classroom, but rather presented in a way that is set up for student learning. In many cases, educators use technology and the novelty of it welcomes surprise and engagement, however this is short-lived and when looked at for the impact on learning, it becomes evident that there is none. For example, many educators may use Kahoot to engage the students in quizzes, however overuse of it or having questions that are not engaging enough would be an unfortunate waste of a great resource.
When integrating technology and creating an effective online learning environment, some of the aspects to look out for are:
Almost 80% of learners say that they would be more productive if their university/institution or work was more game-like.
Understanding how to connect specific media to lessons and activities so that it supports learning.
How to present the technology to the students so that they are taught how to use it as well as the benefits it poses to learning.
Accessing a range of different technologies to serve various purposes in learning.
using technology as a tool for collaboration to build on people skills rather than encouraging isolation.
To build on, the following are various aspects of Gamification that will be of focus throughout the program to ensure student growth and development:
Progressing to different levels.
Points and badges.
Progress bars.
Activity feeds.
Real time feedback on performance.
Friendly competition (leaderboards).
To clarify, this training course does not focus on the creation of a gaming platform which requires coding and other software development skills. Prior to this step, is the development of relevant content and planning. This is the foundation of gamifying a learning environment/ learning goals and trainees will work alongside the trainer to develop a sample platform.
TIMELINE
The timeline of this course is dependent on the trainees and the time needed to develop a sample online learning environment as a team to implement the concepts being discussed in the training. The kind of game content developed is dependent on the organization/company and a product of meetings conducted with the overall team.
Training from Step Up Academy of Learning for Gamification of Learning will look like:
whole group meetings to discuss the layout of the questions and how to effectively develop a gamified environment.
1-1 support for trainees as they apply concepts discussed in the meetings.
Individual work period to develop content and grasp how to structure learning in an online environment.
Observation of students playing the game to gage the trainee’s success.
Review and reflection on what has been developed and its impact on learning.
The trainers at Step Up Academy believe the best way to learn how to Gamify Learning is through application of concepts. Therefore, throughout the training, rather than completing readings and learning in a class, students will be actively creating content for and developing a gamified learning environment on their own or as a team. The application of these skills will ensure that by the end of the program, they have been able to demonstrate their learning and are ready to work alongside their employer on the Gamification of Learning.
Effective Business Communication
All businesses, whether they are new, established or still growing, are always hiring. They are always looking to add to their team, build talent and ensure the foundation of their business, which are the people, are strong and thriving. The Effective Business Communication course led by Step Up Academy of Learning addresses the crucial skills of interaction – online, in person and via the phone. Our levels of communication keep expanding as time and technology develops. This is a good thing because it allows us to expand our networks and make connections more effectively and at higher levels than ever before! However, first impressions are important, how we work things is important and overall how we communicate is of the utmost importance.
The Effective Business Communication training course at Step Up Academy is highly sought out by many companies to train incoming staff or when they see a need for communication-based growth in their staff. Our courses are custom developed to meet the needs of individual companies as we merge different modules and foci together to fit the unique needs of your company. For example, if you are in the field of law, your communication needs will vary based on whether you are in education or manufacturing. Additionally, the means of communication change based on your field and this is why we take it upon ourselves to modify our courses after the initial check-in to ensure you are getting exactly what you need.
Some of the many topics that are covered in our Business Communication Training Course are:
Understanding intent and impact when it comes to communicating – how messages are presented and how they are received.
Effective written communication including but not limited to:
Sending effective emails to effectively communicate your intent.
Writing clear and concise letters to ensure effective presentation of messaging.
Constructing purposeful memos to present clear information and directives.
Writing strong reports to allow for effecting presentation of information.
Creating and developing effective presentations that are engaging and effective.
Effective oral communication including but not limited to:
Making presentations from small to large audiences in an engaging manner for lasting impact.
Having difficult conversations with a focus on intent and impact.
Communicating in high-energy environments – how to effectively present your message.
Conducting productive in person and online meetings – how to envision, plan and prepare with intent.
How to utilize traditional and emerging media and technology to enhance communication.
Building critical thinking skills:
Reflect on gaps in personal communication and work toward building an action plan.
Researching credible sources to ensure quality service.
Reflecting on social situations and how to best communicate.
To clarify, these are all options for the course and can potentially be material that is taught. Modules are finalized after an initial consultation which focuses on the needs of the company and intent of training.
TIMELINE
The timeline of this course is dependent on the trainees and the time afforded to training by the employer. Additionally, not all modules are chosen by all employers and so that too will factor into the timeline. Finally, the time of training is flexible as some trainees are only available in the evenings and weekends, whereas others are open weekdays during the day.
Training from Step Up Academy for the Effective Business Communication Course will look like:
Whole group lessons and activiTraining from Step Up Academy for the Effective Business.
Communication Course will look like:ties online or in person.
Formative Assessments to ensure staff understand the content being presented.
Cooperative activities to develop a learning community.
On the job support, observation, feedback and learning.
The trainers at Step Up Academy believe the best way to build effective Business Communication skills is through hands-on learning. Therefore, rather than sitting in class for extended periods of time, students will be completing projects, reviewing case studies and applying what they learn and already know. These are adult learning classes, and so with it comes a certain level of trust and independent learning to allow for our students to work full time, manage a home and family, as well as learn. We are here to facilitate impactful learning opportunities so that our trainees can enter their places of work and reap the true benefits of their training with Step Up Academy of Learning.
How to Register for Training Services
To enquire about and set up an initial consultation for training support, call Step Up Academy of Learning at