Course Description

This course will introduce participants to the research in Executive Functioning that is most applicable to the K-12 classroom environment. Participants will analyze how their students’ levels of mastery are impacted by varying levels of strength in Executive Functioning and apply strategies to improve their students’ academic success.

Course Outline

Week 1: Introduction to Executive Function and Building Metacognition

Week 2: Developmental Perspectives on Executive Function

Week 3: Background on the Brain

Week 4: Connections between Learning, Behavior, Emotions, and Self-Advocacy

Week 5: Evaluating Your Student's Executive Skills

Week 6: Supporting the Executive Skill of Time Management with External Tools

Week 7: Developing Time Awareness

Week 8: Developing Future Thinking-Getting Projects Done on Time

Week 9: Organization and Paper Management

Week 10: Sustaining Learning and the Reality of Change

Learner Outcomes

By the end of the course participants will be able to

• Discuss and synthesize the perspectives of brain development and Executive Functioning skills as they relate to successful classroom behaviors.
• Describe the struggle that occurs for some students due to the abstract nature of time and those that have executive functioning challenges
• Analyze the behaviors related to Executive Functioning skills that are necessary to support the maximum learning/ participation in class.
• Create an implementation plan to support student completion of a multiple step unit to meet deadlines and develop future thinking.