In conjunction with Bridgewater State University, IDEAS offers graduate-level online courses for educators. These include both 15-hour and 30-hour courses, through which participants can earn 1 or 2 graduate credits, respectively, as well as PDPs (certificates of completion). Courses are offered in the Fall, Winter/Spring, and Summer. Visit the Current Offerings page for information about courses now open for enrollment.
IDEAS 1: Anti-Racist School Practices to Support the Success of All Students
This 30-hour course is designed to introduce educators to the complex issues raised by race and racism and their impact on student learning and achievement. The course will encourage educators to recognize the link between self-awareness and professional development as a component of providing equity to all students.
Participants will explore the current personal, interpersonal, social, and structural meanings of race, ethnicity and culture, the cycle of oppression as well as the roles of power, oppression, and identity. Furthermore, participants will discuss how these issues affect classrooms and school systems, their impact on the academic achievement gap and how to develop and implement practical ideas to help narrow the gap. In addition, this course will also help increase the skills of cultural proficiency.
The course will meet for 30 hours and offers 2 graduate credits from Bridgewater State University as well as PDPs (Certificates of Completion).
IDEAS 2: Enacting Systemic Change in Educational Institutions
This 30-hour course is designed to build upon the foundational theories and complex issues studied in IDEAS 1: Anti-Racist School Practices to Support the Success of All Students. Participants will study systemic change models and develop, enact, and evaluate a project to effect change in their educational setting, whether that setting is working with a small group of students, a classroom, a grade level, a school, or an entire district. Successful completion of IDEAS 1 is a prerequisite for the course.
The course will meet for 30 hours and offers 2 graduate credits from Bridgewater State University as well as PDPs (Certificates of Completion).
Building Bridges: Facilitating Difficult Conversations with Students
This course is designed for educators who wish to integrate issues of identity and equity into a subject area through student-centered activities that are designed to promote social justice conversations. Participants will also develop an understanding of “intersectionality,” how multiple forms of oppression (i.e.: LGBTQ, gender/sexism, race) overlap and intersect. Participants will practice skills that encourage students to recognize differences, see inherent values, appropriately handle conflict and misunderstandings, and engage in conversations of equity in order to be prepared to navigate through a world that is increasingly diverse. This course will provide educators with resources to develop lessons and apply research-based strategies to encourage students to work together to build caring and equitable classroom/school communities while growing in their personal identity, confidence, and courage. Activities and discussions from this course can also be integrated into specific “Race/Culture/Identity” courses, and/or be part of programs, such as, Advisory, Open Circle, Developmental Designs, Responsive Classroom, etc.
The course will meet for 15 hours and offers 1 graduate credit from Bridgewater State University as well as PDPs (Certificates of Completion).
Co-Teaching Strategies for Creating Inclusive and Culturally Responsive Classrooms
This course explores co-teaching models to support diverse learners, including students in special education, those with trauma histories, English language learners, and students from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. Grounded in Zaretta Hammond’s neurological research and Anne M. Beninghof’s co-teaching strategies, the course emphasizes enhancing attention, retention, and assessment, while integrating humor, movement, and novelty to create inclusive environments. Participants will also examine the work of scholars such as Cornelius Minor, Patricia Devine, Joe Feldman, and Tara Yosso to address implicit bias, apply culturally relevant practices, and develop actionable plans for effective co-teaching. This course satisfies special education endorsement requirements.
The course will meet for 15 hours and offers 1 graduate credit from Bridgewater State University as well as PDPs (Certificates of Completion).
Difficult Conversations: Talking about Race and Racism with Students, Colleagues and Parents/Guardians
This course is designed to help educators develop a better understanding of ways to address and respond to issues of race and racism on a personal and professional level. Participants will consider the experiences of students and families from ethnically or racially diverse backgrounds in predominantly white schools, and will examine both the barriers to/challenges of talking about race/racism/ethnicity and strategies for engaging in productive discussions.
The course will meet for 15 hours and offers 1 graduate credit from Bridgewater State University as well as PDPs (Certificates of Completion).
IDEAS Course for School Administrators: Supporting Culturally Proficient Classrooms/Schools
This 15-hour course is designed to help administrators understand the inner-workings of cultural proficiency, including examining the impact of racial microaggressions and stereotypes on learning, student engagement, and school culture. School leaders will learn strategies on how to apply these elements to supporting culturally proficient classrooms and school environments, as well as applying the course learning to schools at the institutional level. The course content will draw on the work of Randall B. Lindsey, Nuri-Robins, Raymond D., James Banks, and Zaretta Hammond.
The course will meet for 15 hours and offers 1 graduate credit from Bridgewater State University as well as PDPs (Certificates of Completion).
Strategies for Examining and Addressing the Academic Achievement Gap
This course considers the importance of understanding the interconnection of race, culture, and experiences of students on increasing academic engagement and achievement. Research on the influence of race, ethnicity, and racism on academic achievement and developing culturally proficient skills will be examined through activities and readings. Furthermore, strategies that have been identified as successful will be studied and adapted to fit the needs of students in our schools in an effort to ensure that students are provided with excellence and equity in their educational experience.
The course will meet for 15 hours and offers 1 graduate credit from Bridgewater State University as well as PDPs.
Transforming Curriculum through a Social Justice Lens
This course is designed for educators to explore multicultural curriculum transformation. Participants will examine strategies for integrating multicultural perspectives, adapting culturally responsive pedagogy, and addressing systemic racism and bias. Drawing on the work of scholars such as James Banks (multicultural curriculum), Geneva Gay and Zaretta Hammond (culturally responsive pedagogy and neurological research), and Gloria Ladson-Billings (culturally relevant pedagogy), participants will learn to create inclusive curricula. The course also incorporates the work of Michael Eric Dyson and Paul Gorski (race, privilege, and equity literacy), Karen McLean Donaldson (cultural relevance), Peggy McIntosh (white privilege), and Dina Gilio-Whitaker (Indigenous knowledge), helping educators address bias and foster justice-oriented learning. By the end of the course, participants will adapt or develop lesson and unit plans that reflect these principles.
The course will meet for 15 hours and offers 1 graduate credit from Bridgewater State University as well as PDPs (Certificates of Completion).
Understanding the “Culture” in Culturally Responsive Teaching
This course encourages participants to examine and address cultural identity, relative privileges, and issues of diversity through experiential activities. Participants will explore the importance of affirming culture, appreciating history, and understanding the experiences of people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Drawing on the work of Gary Howard (cultural proficiency and inclusive schools), Zaretta Hammond and Geneva Gay (culturally responsive teaching), and Lindsay, Robins, and Terrell (Cultural Proficiency Continuum), participants will learn strategies to enhance their cultural awareness and teaching practices. Additionally, the work of Deral Wing Sue (microaggressions and cultural competence) will help participants reflect on how communication and learning styles impact brain development and social-emotional growth. By the end of the course, educators will develop culturally proficient strategies to meet the diverse needs of all students.
The course will meet for 15 hours and offers 1 graduate credit from Bridgewater State University as well as PDPs (Certificates of Completion).
Understanding Self-Efficacy: Helping Student Do Their Best Work
This course provides participants with an opportunity to explore concepts of self-efficacy, effective praise, and attribution theory. Research by Carol Dweck, Claude Steele, and others is highlighted through experiential activities. Participants will examine how a student’s perception of him/herself as a learner influences their academic engagement and performance. Participants will learn how to use a “strengths approach,” create a growth mindset environment, emphasize mistakes as part of the learning process, and give constructive feedback to promote student success in the school setting.
The course will meet for 15 hours and offers 1 graduate credit from Bridgewater State University as well as PDPs (Certificates of Completion).
Back to IDEAS Home Page.