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20 Free Continuing Education Courses for Teachers

Written by College Cliffs Team At CollegeCliffs.com, our team, comprising seasoned educators and counselors, is committed to supporting students on their journey through graduate studies. Our advisors, holding advanced degrees in diverse fields, provide tailored guidance, current program details, and pragmatic tips on navigating application procedures.

Reviewed by Linda Weems I got started researching colleges and universities about 10 years ago while exploring a second career. While my second career ended up being exactly what I’m doing now, and I didn’t end up going to college, I try to put myself in your shoes every step of the way as I build out College Cliffs as a user-friendly resource for prospective students.

Updated: May 3, 2024, Reading time: 9 minutes

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College Cliffs is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Free Continuing Education Courses for Teachers

Critical Issues in Urban Education

The University of Chicago

University of Chicago (via Coursera)

Professional development courses like these are perfect introductory courses to Urban Education Issues. This professional development class focuses on the critical issues surrounding the education reform space in the US, specifically on issues that have summoned polarized views and controversy.

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Powerful Tools for Teaching and Learning: Digital Storytelling

University of Houston - Logo

University of Houston (via Coursera)

This 5-week, 14-hour free online course introduces teachers to digital storytelling and how you can use digital stories to enhance your student’s learning experiences.

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Caring for Others (Specialization)

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Colorado Boulder (via Coursera)

This four-month professional development course studies how society cares for the at-risk members and the caregivers in the field. Does it aim to find answers to questions like how much misery is in the world these days? Will digital media play a role in sensitizing/desensitizing the grief of others? What are the types of paid care work? How do caregivers manage their emotions?

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Compassionate Leadership Through Service Learning – Jane Goodall & Roots & Shoots

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Colorado Boulder (via Coursera)

This is an easy-to-understand ten-hour CE course for teachers that equips you with the relevant teacher resources so you can unveil the differences between community service and service-learning. You will apply the Roots and Shoots model in helping the youth have their voices heard in addressing the needs in their community. 

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Teacher SEL: Programs, Possibilities & Contexts

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Colorado Boulder, via Coursera

SEL, or social and emotional learning, is a type of student program that continues to rise in many schools. This professional development CE course, handled by Dan Liston and Randy Testa, examines the clear and solid teacher SEL programs and other alternatives to enhance teaching skills.

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Copyright for Educators and Librarians

Duke University

Duke University (via Coursera)

This very informative five-week, fourteen-hour professional development CE course presented by some of the most knowledgeable instructors in the industry will give you a greater appreciation for the pros and cons of copyright.

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Blended Language Learning: Designs and Practice for Teachers

University of Colorado Boulder

The University of Colorado Boulder, via Coursera

This free professional development online course is designed for language teachers who want to learn to build and teach a blended language course. Upon completing the course, you will earn 1.5 Graduate Teacher Education credits (GRTE) that are used for professional teacher enhancement and re-licensure and school district salary advancement

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TESOL Professional Certificate

Arizona State University

Arizona State University (via Coursera)

Through this TESOL professional certificate, you will learn how to write lesson plans, record yourself while teaching, or make a professional teaching portfolio that will surely impress your employer. In the final Capstone course, you get to have the chance to submit your teaching portfolio for an expert review.

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Teach English Now! Teaching Language Online

Arizona State University

Arizona State University (via Coursera)

For those interested in teaching ESL, this online professional development course will teach you everything you need to learn about online teaching. The course featuring teaching methods is fun because of its interesting “International Travel” theme that entertainingly delivers the contents and lectures.

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Teaching Tips for Tricky English Grammar

University of California, Irvine

University of California, Irvine (via Coursera)

This easy-to-learn professional development course is part of the Teach English: Intermediate Grammar specialization. Ideal, especially for ESL teachers or those interested in learning how to teach the English language, the course focuses on the problems many students face when learning intermediate grammar.

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Free CE Courses for Teachers - fact

Virtual Teacher Specialization

University of California, Irvine

University of California, Irvine (via Coursera)

At two hours per week, this 7-month professional development specialization course teaches you the best practices for online teaching, virtual community building, student engagement, effective ways of using synchronous and asynchronous technologies, social media, data analysis techniques, and so much more. 

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Resilient Teaching Through Times of Crisis & Change

University-of-Michigan

The University of Michigan (via Coursera)

This free online course is a perfect introduction to the practices and principles of resilient teaching and is designed with higher education lecturers, faculty, and graduate student instructors in mind across various instructional environments. 

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Foundations of Virtual Instruction

University of California, Irvine

University of California, Irvine (via Coursera)

This professional development CE course for teachers helps professionals learn the pitfalls of online learning and overcome them by focusing on the basics that truly impact student learning in a class environment.

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Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom

University of California, Irvine

University of California, Irvine (via Coursera)

This is an outstanding course designed to help you use methods of virtual instruction, especially in critical areas of K-12 education.

You learn and study the pitfalls that most new teachers come across and how you can overcome these issues by focusing on the essentials that have the best impact on student learning in a blended environment. 

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Journey Conversations: Weaving Knowledge & Action

Yale_University_logo

Yale University (via Coursera)

This free CE course for teachers discusses evolutionary sciences and humanities like religion, philosophy, art, and history. It is a professional development class that is part of the Journey of the Universe: A Story of Our Time specialization, a 20-series interview with environmentalists and scientists.

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Performance Assessment in the Virtual Classroom

University of California, Irvine

The University of California, Irvine (via Coursera)

This free CE course for teachers is designed to help teachers effectively assess each student’s virtual performance, including feedback models, compliance issues, data analysis, and online grade book functions.

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Improving Classroom Management with Class Dojo

Coursera Project Network

Coursera Project Network

This short but helpful professional development CE course will help you set up your Class Dojo, a school communication platform that teachers, students, and families use every day to build close-knit communities.

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e-Learning Ecologies (Innovative Approaches to Teaching & Learning for the Digital Age)

University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign - Logo

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (via Coursera)

This thought-provoking professional development, online continuing education course explores the seven different affordances of e-learning ecologies that open up real potentials for New Learning- transformative, 21st-century learning.

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Multimodal Literacies – Communication & Learning in the Era of Digital Media

University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign - Logo

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (via Coursera)

Based on the book Literacies by Mary Kalantzis, this professional development CE course for teachers explores future directions for a career. It is also ideal for individuals seeking a profession in education and workplace leaders who believe their mission is “educative.”

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Assessment for Learning

University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign - Logo

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (via Coursera)

This free online professional development CE course outlines the present debates and analysis of the weaknesses and strengths of learning assessment methods and technologies, including in the areas of computer diagnostic and adaptive testing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Teacher and students - free online CE courses

As a teacher, why is it important to continue your education?

Teachers must be abreast of the best and most recent instructional practices to meet the needs of students!

Professional development goals are achieved by enrolling in MOOCs with live webinars, free webinars, and self-paced learning tools.

Instruction today has become complex and multifaceted. It is the teacher’s responsibility to improve a student’s outcome using the best instructional methods to lessen achievement gaps–which an online continuing education course addresses.

What are the requirements for continuing education for teachers?

The requirements for a formal or online professional development or continuing education course vary depending on your state and specialization.

Check first with your school and state teaching board for the specific guidelines for getting Continuing Education Units or CEUs through online courses and reaching those professional development goals.

Most schools and states require teachers to earn a minimum number of CEUs or CECs (continuing education credits) every five years before one can renew a teaching license.

Summary Points

Online professional development courses for continuing education are indeed very important to teachers in so many ways! Enroll in free online courses today and enjoy these benefits:

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