Need for the Project
All educators need professional learning, but it can be difficult to find Ohio-aligned courses. For some, the expense of courses required to maintain licensure can be prohibitive.
Project Goal
To provide an interactive online learning platform and community open to all Ohio educators with Ohio-aligned courses available free of charge to educators.
Project Scope
Create an online platform that offers a wide range of interactive online courses that are designed to be engaging, easy to navigate, and filled with relevant, up-to-date content tailored to meet the evolving needs of educators and all education stakeholders. Ensure all learners on the platform have the flexibility to choose between self-paced and facilitated learning options, allowing them to tailor their professional development journey to their individual schedules and learning preferences.
Provide content accessibility and inclusivity on the platform, and provide valuable resources free of charge to learners throughout the state to ensure that every educator in Ohio has access to high-quality professional development opportunities.
Develop a platform that:
- fosters a sense of community and collaboration among learners,
- encourages interaction, resource sharing, and networking, enriching the learning experience and creating a supportive environment for professional growth,
- and allows educators to track their professional learning progress, earn badges upon successful course completion, and even obtain Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or graduate credits, further contributing to their professional advancement.
Desired Project Outcomes
For Educators:
- Enable all district educators to access professional learning regardless of the district's budget
- Promote networking of job-aligned peers with each course
- Ensure learning is Ohio-aligned
- Create a learning portfolio educators can use to track professional learning and certifications
- Provide on-demand learning that the educator can access based on his or her schedule
For ESCs:
- ESCs can search the directory and recommend courses to district educators
- ESCs can develop professional learning that the Ohio Learning Community may purchase for listing in its course catalog
- ESCs with fewer technology resources can get assistance from the PLCO on course design and uploading
- ESCs can recommend a free online course, then partner with districts to provide wraparound services
- ESCs can curate Ohio Learning Community offerings alongside their own offerings on an ESC-branded "tenanted" site that the ESC controls (great for ESCs who do not have professional learning sites of their own)