Academic Writing - Monday Cohort

This course sold out in 24 hours this summer! Don't miss your chance to join us for this six-session course designed to teach the fundamentals of academic writing. Students will meet on Mondays at  3:30 pm Eastern with Lisa Mihalich Quinn, a Maryland state-certified teacher with degrees in English and experience teaching writing to students of varied ages and abilities. By the end of the six week course, students will work toward developing a five-paragraph essay that presents a thesis / claim and supports it with evidence. 

This class is best suited for individuals who have open-ended communication skills.

This class has a limit of 10 students. Work will be assigned outside of classes.

Session topics will include:

• Evaluating qualities of good academic essays 

• Writing a strong thesis / claim

• Using an outline format to structure a five-paragraph essay

• Note-taking and evidence/quote gathering for students who spell/point/type

• Developing a strong introduction and conclusion

• Revising and editing for a polished finished product

Dates:

September 7

September 14

September 21

September 28

October 5

October 12

Fees:

$400

Time:

3:30 - 4:30 pm Eastern

Academic Writing - Friday Cohort

This course sold out in 24 hours this summer! Don't miss your chance to join us for this six-session course designed to teach the fundamentals of academic writing. Students will meet on Fridays at 11:30 am Eastern with Lisa Mihalich Quinn, a Maryland state-certified teacher with degrees in English and experience teaching writing to students of varied ages and abilities. By the end of the six week course, students will work toward developing a five-paragraph essay that presents a thesis / claim and supports it with evidence. 

This class is best suited for individuals who have open-ended communication skills.

This class has a limit of 10 students. Work will be assigned outside of classes.

Session topics will include:

• Evaluating qualities of good academic essays 

• Writing a strong thesis / claim

• Using an outline format to structure a five-paragraph essay

• Note-taking and evidence/quote gathering for students who spell/point/type

• Developing a strong introduction and conclusion

• Revising and editing for a polished finished product

Dates:

September 4

September 18

September 25

October 2

October 9

October 16

Fees:

$400

Time:

11:30am - 12:30pm Eastern

Narrative Writing

Develop your sense of storytelling over six weeks with state-certified English teacher Emma Sheffer by looking into short stories and familiar media. This class will meet Mondays at 3:30pm Eastern to work through the mechanics of plot development, as well as guide students through their own compositions. This class will require students to be comfortable with open-ended responses and will require work outside of class.

• Plot Structure: Walk Through Your Day

• One Friday Morning: Analysis

• Brainstorm: What’s Your Story? Who Are Your Characters?

• Plot Structure of Original Composition; Begin Writing Process

• Continue Writing Process: Peer Feedback and Revision

• Finalize Original Composition and Share

Dates:

September 7

September 14

September 21

September 28

October 5

October 12

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Fees:

$400

Time:

3:30 - 4:30 pm Eastern

Another Study in Multicultural Short Stories

This popular summer course is back with all new texts! This six session course meets on Wednesdays at 5pm Eastern to explore six short texts, which students will read prior to class. Students will also receive guiding questions to prepare for the weekly online class discussion with Corie Stewart, a Maryland state-certified English teacher.  Class discussions may include supplemental poems or videos that provide further context for the assigned text within the framework of the week's theme.

Each week will center on a different theme including: 

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• Families: Comfort & Conflict

• Finding My Way

• Defining Moments

• Between Two Worlds

• Person to Person

• Outside Influences

Dates:

September 9

September 16

September 23

September 30

October 7

October 14

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Fees:

$200

Time:

5:00 - 6:00 pm Eastern

Intro to Earth Science

Spend six week exploring everything that makes this crazy planet what it is! Wednesdays at 3:30 pm state-certified teacher Corie Stewart will cover all sorts of topics about the earth starting below the earth’s surface and traveling out into the atmosphere. Classes will incorporate video and exploratory websites to help learners visualize the topics discussed in class. This class will be appropriate for typers of all levels (from spelling through open-ended).

Topics covered in the class include: 

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• Plate Tectonics

• Minerals, Rocks, and Earth's Structure

• Weathering and Erosion

• Climate

• Weather

• Earth's Atmosphere and Water Cycle

Dates:

September 9

September 16

September 23

September 30

October 7

October 14

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Fees:

$200

Time:

3:30-4:30 pm Eastern

Geometry Fundamentals

Join Maryland state-certified teacher and curriculum developer Kate Thomas on Tuesdays at 3:30pm Eastern to explore the fundamental concepts of Geometry. This intro-level class will provide students with an over of six key topics in Geometry.

Topics include:

• Definitions and Classifications

• Geometric Construction using a variety of methods / tools / tech

• How Much Paint? Formulas for Perimeter and Area of 2-dimensional shapes

• How Many Bricks? Formulas for Volume of 3-dimensional Shapes

• Battleship for Experts: Working with the Coordinate Plane

• What's Your Sine? Introduction to Trigonometry and the Pythagorean Theorem

Dates:

September 8

September 15

September 22

September 29

October 6

October 13

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Fees:

$300

Time:

3:30-4:30 pm Eastern

The Cold War: Part 1

Join state-certified teacher Lisa Mihalich Quinn on Mondays at 12:30 pm Eastern for an in-depth look at the Cold War. This session is the first in a two-part course that will examine the Cold War from its origins to its unexpected end. We will cover the political and military history of the conflict and also consider its wide-ranging social and cultural impacts. 

Topics in Part 1 include:

• Overview

• Post-WWII Division of Germany

• The Death of Stalin & Rise of Khrushchev

• The Korean War

• Espionage & the KGB

• The Space Race

Dates:

September 7

September 14

September 21

September 28

October 5

October 12

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Fees:

$200

Time:

12:30 - 1:30 pm Eastern

Civil Rights Movement Through the Ages

Civil Rights Movement Through the Ages

We are living in revolutionary times.  Join educator Charly Thomas on Thursdays at 3:30pm Eastern in a comprehensive overview of the Civil Rights movement, from the 19th Century suffrage efforts, through the 20th Century Civil Rights movement, to the 21st Century and Black Lives Matter. Together we will discover what progress has been made, and what work is still to be done.

Dates:

September 10

September 17

September 24

October 1

October 8

October 15

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Fees:

$200

Time:

12:30 - 1:30 pm Eastern

Biography In Depth

Join Maryland state-certified teacher Miranda Specht on Thursdays at 5pm Eastern for a six-session course that explores notable public figures. Join Miranda for games, fun facts, and video clips that put the figures in context and keep learning fun! Each session will include recommendations for further learning outside of class.

Classes will feature:

• Nadiya Hussain

• Thomas Edison

• Alicia Keys

• Steve Jobs

• Reese Witherspoon

• Marie Curie

Dates:

September 10

September 17

September 24

October 1

October 8

October 15

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Fees:

$125

Time:

5:00 - 6:00 pm Eastern

Exploring Art with the Mind & Body

Join teachers Ingrid Ventura-Ellis and Charly Thomas on Tuesdays at 5pm Eastern for this six-session fall course where students will learn about different painting styles and engage in motor tasks to practice different skills: painting, collaging, finger painting, etc. The class features projects inspired by famous artists, diverse cultures, different environments, and the participant’s own imagination. This class will allow students to recognize where their body is in space and in relation to objects such as brushes, paper, and paint. It will also increase students' self-confidence, knowledge, their ability to complete a task, and of course, motor planning.  This class will be appropriate for typers of all communicative abilities (from spelling through open-ended) and will require easy-access materials.

Dates:

September 8

September 15

September 22

September 29

October 6

October 13

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Fees:

$125

Time:

5:00 - 6:00 pm Eastern

Virtual Institute

Want to connect with spellers and typers from around the globe and learn something new? We're continuing our wildly popular weekly zoom classes every Monday through Thursday throughout the fall. Each week will explore a different theme. Sign up for all or choose the ones that interest you most!

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We are grateful to the Autism and Communication Center for helping us make these classes affordable! Each week is only $50 - that's $12.50 per class!

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Registration will open and session themes will be announced in mid-August

Dates:

Monday - Thursday

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September 7 - 

December 4

Fees:

$50 / week

Time:

2:00 - 3:00 PM Eastern