Unique Features of the Certification Program

Our Vision....

From the beginning, the Brain Institute has planned to offer graduate level courses tied to the neuroscience research on learning and teaching. This new program for the Michigan Professional Certificate includes 20 hours of graduate credit, earned over two years.

The Program's curriculum is guided by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. (NBPT) Each NBPTS standard utilized in this program “describes an important facet of accomplished teaching; they often occur concurrently because of the seamless quality of accomplished practice.” All of the courses include the following:

ACCOMPLISHED TEACHERS use….

Knowledge of Students – Recognize that students are shaped by a variety of educational, social, and cultural backgrounds and experiences that influence learning. Accomplished teachers draw on knowledge of how students learn and develop in order to understand students and to guide curricular and instructional decisions.

Learning Environments – Establish a caring, stimulating, and safe community for learning in which democratic values are fostered and students assume responsibility for learning, show willingness to take intellectual risks, develop self-confidence, and learn to work not only independently, but also collaboratively.

Social Development – Cultivate a sense of efficacy and independence in the students as they develop students’ character, sense of civic and social responsibility, respect for diverse individuals and groups, and ability to work constructively and collaboratively with others.

Knowledge of Teaching Practice -- Rely on their extensive pedagogical knowledge to make curricular decisions, select instructional strategies, develop instructional plans, and formulate assessment plans.

Knowledge of Subject Matter – Draw on a deep and broad knowledge of the principles and content in their major areas to shape their teaching and set curriculr goals. They have a repertoire of strategies and techniques that engage student interest in and student understanding of their content areas.

Meaningful Learning – Require students to confront, explore, and understand important and challenging concepts, topics, and issues and to improve skills in purposeful ways, which build competence and confidence.

Multiple Paths to Knowledge – Use a variety of teaching strategies to help develop students’ proficiency, increase their knowledge, strengthen their understanding, and foster their critical and creative thinking.

Instructional Resources – Select, adapt, create, and use appropriate and engaging resources and materials, including technology, to help meet the instructional needs of all their students and foster critical and creative thinking among them. In addition, they draw on human resources from the school and community to enhance students’ understanding of the larger world.

Ethics, Equity, and Diversity – Model and teach behaviors appropriate in a diverse society by creating a safe, secure learning environment for all children; by showing appreciation of and respect for the individual differences and unique needs of each member of the learning community; and by empowering children to treat others with, and to expect from others, equity, fairness, and dignity.

Assessment – Integrate assessment into their instruction to promote the learning of all students. They design, select, and employ a range of formal and informal assessment tools to match their educational purposes. They help students develop self-assessment skills, encouraging them to reflect on their own performance and progress.

Reflective Practice – Reflect on their practice, on students’ performance, and on developments in their field to steadily extend their knowledge, improve their teaching, and refine their philosophy of education.