The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Humane Education website at http://humaneeducation.org/online-courses/teaching-for-a-positive-future/

Overview

Teaching for a Positive Future is our six-week online course for educators who want to inspire their students to become leaders and changemakers—for creating a healthy, peaceful, and sustainable world.

From thoughtful and inspiring course exercises, to the dynamic conversations with fellow participants, to mentoring from you course instructor—you’ll find the support and motivation you need to teach valuable critical and creative thinking skills about our global challenges. You learn how to help students nurture connection and embrace responsibility so that they can become solutionaries for a better world.

During the course, you’ll examine important questions, such as:

• What is education for?
• Is my teaching as relevant as I want it to be to the world my students are inheriting?
• How can I help my students connect the dots between their learning in class and the larger world?
• How can I integrate humane education into my teaching and my own life?

Course Dates

July 8 – August 2, 2013 (special 4-week intensive)
October 7 – November 15, 2013

 

Cancellation Policy

We will refund your registration, minus a $25 administration fee, if you cancel more than 7 days before the course session begins. IHE is unable to grant refunds for cancellations after that date.

Transfer Policy

If you find you cannot participate in the session of the course for which you have registered, you have until the Friday of the first week of the course session to let us know and transfer to another scheduled session of the course or to one of IHE’s other online courses. After that time, we cannot offer you a transfer. The transfer must be made to a course that is scheduled within nine months of the current course session, and there is a limit of one transfer per course. There is an additional $20 course book fee if you transfer to a different online course.

For more information, email us at info@HumaneEducation.org.

Meet Your Instructor

Marsha Rakestraw

I come from a long line of educators, and even though I had no intention of becoming a teacher, I discovered that teaching is in my blood. Throughout my professional evolution, you can see the commonalities: helping people learn new knowledge and skills and connecting them with their needs and interests; inspiring others to positive action. And learning—always learning. Again and again I return to teaching and learning and the power they hold to empower and free others.

Marsha Rakestraw is the Director of Online Courses, Online Communications and Education Resources at the Institute for Humane Education (IHE). She has taught at the Pre-K through graduate levels and her experience includes teaching high school language arts, working as a school media specialist and more than a decade as a children’s/young adult librarian. She has taught several sessions of the IHE online course, A Better World, A Meaningful Life, and regularly leads humane education workshops.

Marsha has a BFA in Dance, a BA in English, and an MLS from Emporia State University. She received her certificate in Humane Education from IHE in 2005 and has been on the IHE staff since 2007.

She lives in a co-housing community Portland, Oregon, with her beloved husband, precocious puppy, and schizophrenic cat.