NCE Wired | National College of Education

NCE Professional Development

When the going gets tough, the tough go to NCE for professional development courses. Now is not the time to stand still and hope for the best. It's time to get better credentials, be better prepared and get what you need to be the best educator you can be in these challenging times.

Now is the time to look to the professionals who really are the leaders in their fields. Educators who invented best practices. Teachers who aren't satisfied with the status quo and who still believe that they can do more for the children in their classrooms. A college of education that specializes in adult learners—and faculty who have been trained by some of the best teachers in Chicago and across the country.

Now is the time to invest in your career. In your profession. In education. In you. So invest wisely. The Center for Professional Development at the National College of Education. It's worth your time. Now. More than ever.

Registration Information

Important Registration Information
Spring 2012 term begins Monday, April 2

Students may register at any of the five NLU campus Advising Office locations using the NLU graduate registration form. If paying with a credit card, you may also FAX your registration to 312.261.3044. Forms are available at www.nl.edu/advising. Current NLU students may also register via the web (on-line). Go to www.nl.edu. Follow the instructions to log on and register for classes. If you receive financial aid/student loans please write "FINANCIAL AID" at the top of your registration form. Remember to register early. Workshops and classes with low enrollment, regardless of the start date, will be canceled during the week of March 26, 2012. For questions regarding the Center for Professional Development workshops, contact Sheri Israelsen, sisraelsen@nl.edu or Kerrie Butler, kbutler@nl.edu at 847.947.5247.

New and Current Students
  • Option 1: in person at the Registrar's Office on any of NLU's campuses using the NLU graduate registration form. (download now)
  • Option 2: if paying with a credit card, FAX your registration to 847.465.4746.
  • Option 3: register online.
  • Remember to register early.
  • Spring 2012 Term—workshops and classes with low enrollment, regardless of the start date, will be canceled during the week of March 26, 2012.
  • Questions? Contact Sheri Israelsen or Kerrie Butler at 847.947.5247.
Important Dates: Spring 2012 Term
  • Jan. 16 Martin Luther King Day Observed
  • Jan. 17 Mail-in and General Walk-in Registration begins
  • Mar. 19 Deadline for Mail-in Registration
  • Mar. 30 Deadline for Walk-in/Faxed Registration
  • May 28 Memorial Day Observed-University Closed
Tuition Rates

Spring 2012—Graduate $350 per semester hour for all workshops. MC, Visa, Discover, AE are accepted for tuition payment.

Course Credit and Book Information

The number that follows the title of the course of workshop is the number of semester hours (sh) you can earn for it. A maximum of 15sh of CPD and transfer credit (approved) may be applied toward master's degree requirements or toward the C.A.S. program. Workshops are not offered for the purpose of satisfying course requirements for initial and/or additional certification. Advisor approval is necessary in order to apply workshop credit to a degree.

NEW NLU Virtual Bookstore

Elgin, Lisle, Skokie, and Wheeling campus students
toll free: 877.284.6744 ext. 5255
shop online 24/7
forms of payment: Credit/Debit Cards: MC, Visa, Discover, AE
Orders are shipped from eCampus within 24 hours
(excluding weekends and holidays)

Where would you like to learn?

  • On Campus

    • Chicago

      122 South Michigan, Chicago, IL 60603
      Check back often for updates and additions

      • MHE501 | Topics in Mathematics for Teachers: Number Concepts and Operations in the Elementary Middle School Mathematics Curriculum (3 sh)

        This is a mathematics course for prospective and inservice teachers. It addresses the concepts of number and its operations as they occur in a comprehensive elementary and middle school mathematics curriculum using reasoning, problem solving, and technology to understand its historical development as well as its applications in the areas of geometry, measurement, and data and chance. Opportunities to see how number is essential to understanding other subject areas are included. This course can be used to eliminate a general education mathematics deficiency and/or used towards an endorsement in teaching middle school mathematics.

        Additional Details
        CRN: 11016
        Sat., 1/14—3/24, 9:00am—1:00pm
        Instructor: G. Litman

      • MHE450 | Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers (3 sh)

        This is a mathematics content course for prospective and inservice elementary school teachers. It addresses the concepts of a comprehensive elementary and middle school mathematics curriculum through reasoning and problem solving in the areas of patterns, number, geometry, measurement, data, and chance. This course can be used to eliminate a general education mathematics deficiency and/or used towards an endorsement in teaching middle school mathematics.

        Additional Details
        CRN: 30683
        Thurs., 4/5—6/14, 5:00pm—9:00pm
        Instructor: D. Raabe

    • Elgin

      620 Tollgate Road, Elgin, IL 60123

        No programs listed at this time.

    • Lisle

      850 Warrenville Road, Lisle, IL 60532
      Check back often for updates and additions

      • MHE501 | Topics in Mathematics for Teachers: Number Concepts and Operations in the Elementary Middle School Mathematics Curriculum (3sh)

        This is a mathematics course for prospective and inservice teachers. It addresses the concepts of number and its operations as they occur in a comprehensive elementary and middle school mathematics curriculum using reasoning, problem solving, and technology to understand its historical development as well as its applications in the areas of geometry, measurement, and data and chance. Opportunities to see how number is essential to understanding other subject areas are included. This course can be used to eliminate a general education mathematics deficiency and/or used towards an endorsement in teaching middle school mathematics.

        Additional Details
        CRN: 30684
        Mon., 4/2—6/11, 5:00pm—9:00pm
        Instructor: E. Bazik

    • Skokie

      5202 Old Orchard Road, Skokie, IL 60077

      • RLR595T | Special Topics in Reading: Materials for Struggling and At-Risk Readers (1 sh)

        The purpose of this course is to facilitate knowledgeable, purposeful selection and use of materials for reading instruction, and to view these materials through the eyes of at-risk and struggling readers, K-12. Participants will evaluate text based upon the intents and purposes of the author and publisher and the text’s actual features that support or challenge the struggling reader. The goals of skill development and motivation will be used to think about text features. Strategies for using materials effectively to meet the needs of struggling readers will be shared. Participants will evaluate the collections in their own classrooms and schools in terms of availability and access.

        Additional Details
        CRN: 11017
        Sat., 2/4 & 2/25, 8:30am—3:30pm
        Instructor: A. Bates

      • RLL595R | Special Topics in Reading: Awards in Literature for Children & Adolescents: 2012 (1 or 2 sh)

        The purpose of this course is to facilitate knowledgeable, purposeful selection and use of materials for reading instruction, and to view these materials through the eyes of at-risk and struggling readers, K-12. Participants will evaluate text based upon the intents and purposes of the author and publisher and the text's actual features that support or challenge the struggling reader. The goals of skill development and motivation will be used to think about text features. Strategies for using materials effectively to meet the needs of struggling readers will be shared. Participants will evaluate the collections in their own classrooms and schools in terms of availability and access.

        Additional Details
        CRN: 11026
        Sat., 2/4 & 3/10, 9:00am—3:00pm, plus online
        Instructor: J. Yokota

      • RLL585AP | WS/Literature/Instruction/Reading Across the Curriculum (1 sh)

        This interactive workshop will involve students with strategies and activities for both fiction and non-fiction texts. Within this framework, students will incorporate those instructional strategies that have the highest probability of enhancing student achievement for all students in all subject areas such as cooperative learning, affective learning, as well as other research tools. This workshop can be used as an elective to fulfill the requirements for the Masters in Arts of Teaching Degree. This workshop cannot be used to fulfill requirements for the Reading Specialists degree. If possible, please bring content material with you to the workshop. The focus group for this workshop is grades 3 through 12. Three books will be available for purchase: “What a Novel Idea for grades 6 to 12,” “Novel Ideas for Young People, grades 1-5” and “Reading and Writing to Learn” Recommended textbooks.

        Additional Details
        CRN: 31007
        Fri., 6/1 4:30pm—10:00pm
        Sat., 6/2 9:00am—5:30pm
        Instructor: K. Kuta

    • Wheeling

      1000 Capitol Drive, Wheeling, IL 60090

        No programs listed at this time.

  • Off Campus

    • Brookfield Zoo/Chicago Zoological Society

      3300 Golf Road, Brookfield, IL 60513
      Contact: Lanis Petrik 708.688.8372 or Lanis.Petrik@czs.org
      Check back often for updates and additions

      • SCE582BR WS/Science ED/Topic/Species or Taxon: Magnificent Mammals (1 sh)

        For grades Pre-K—5. Course participants will join staff and scientists from Brookfield Zoo as they explore a species (such as monkeys) or taxon (comprised of related species) of animals. Topics of study will include: status in the wild, effects of human interactions, captive care and breeding programs, husbandry issues, research (both in situ and in captivity) projects, and methods for teaching about the species or taxon in the classroom or focused field trip setting. Review the characteristics of mammals, explore the diversity of mammalian life and learn about remarkable similarities between mammal species. Observe a wide diversity of furry creatures at Brookfield Zoo, culminating in a visit to the (warm and tropical) dolphin show! Take-away study prints, comparative drawings of animal skeletal features, AV and more. Please bring a sack lunch each day of the workshop. Upon registration, maps & driving directions will be e-mailed to participants.

        Additional Details
        CRN: 11019
        Fri., 1/27, 4:30pm—10:00pm at Brookfield Zoo
        Sat., 1/28, 8:30am—4:30pm at Brookfield Zoo
        Instructor: L. Petrik

      • SCE582BQ | WS/Science Ed/Topic/Animal Adaptations: the Science of Creatures Gross & Disgusting (1sh)

        For grades K-12. This workshop explores the variety of adaptations that exist in the animal kingdom. Attention will be paid to physical features, as well as physiological and behavioral adaptations, that enable animals to exist in harsh environment, survive on a variety of foods, and to occupy many ecological niches. Students will observe zoo animals and interact with zoo staff as well as participate in classroom and focused field trip activities designed for use with diverse learners. What better way to get students involved in learning about animal biology than by grossing them out? Explore the variety of adaptations that exist in the animal kingdom using Animal Grossology, the Science of Creatures Gross and Disgusting, based on the book by Sylvia Branzei at the Nature Museum. At Brookfield Zoo, get the “scoop on poop,” and visit animals that drink blood and eat gross stuff! Learn hands-on classroom and exhibit-based activities, and take home your own copy of Animal Grossology and AV materials. Please bring a sack lunch each day of the workshop. Upon registration, maps & driving directions will be e-mailed to participants.

        Additional Details
        CRN: 11023
        Sat., 2/18, 8:30am—4:30pm at Peggy Notebaert Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Drive, Chicago, IL 60614, 773.755.5100
        Sat., 2/25, 8:30am—4:30pm at Brookfield Zoo
        Instructor: L. Petrik

      • SCE582BY | WS/Science ED/Topic/Botany for the Elementary Classroom (1sh)

        Get excited about plants! Learn ways to bring the fun of science inquiry to your students through hands-on investigations, writing, literature, and field trips. Take-home activities and resources will help you enrich your classroom. Fieldwork will focus on the use of dichotomous keys and other aids to identify Chicago area spring wildflowers. This course will cover the basic principles of botany with emphasis on the classification and identification of spring wildflowers and recognition of plant family characteristics. Please bring a sack lunch each day of the workshop. Upon registration, maps & driving directions will be e-mailed to participants.

        Additional Details
        CRN: 31059
        Sat., 4/21, 9:00 AM—4:30 PM at Spring Valley Nature Center, 1111 E. Schaumburg Rd., Schaumburg, IL
        Sun., 4/22, 11:00 AM—5:00 PM at Spring Valley Nature Center, 1111 E. Schaumburg Rd., Schaumburg, IL
        Instructor: L. Petrik

      • SCE582BR | WS/Science ED/Topic/Species or Taxon: Ocean Explorers (3 sh)

        For all grades. Course participants will join staff and scientists from Brookfield Zoo as they explore a species (such as giraffes) or taxon (comprised of related species) of animals. Topics of study will include: status in the wild, effects of human interactions, captive care and breeding programs, husbandry issues, research (both in situ and in captivity) projects, and methods for teaching about the species or taxon in the classroom or focused field trip setting. Our most popular summer class is back! We focus on ocean animals: bottlenose dolphins, penguins, seals, sea lions, and more. Carry out a behavioral observation and develop inquiry questions for use with your students. The fee includes curriculum materials and a book.

        Please bring a sack lunch each day of the workshop. Upon registration, maps & driving directions will be e-mailed to participants.

        Additional Details
        CRN: 31060
        Mon., thru Fri., 6/18—6/22, 8:30 AM—4:30 PM at Brookfield Zoo
        Instructor: L. Petrik

    • Chicago Botanic Garden

      1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022
      Do not register for the following class through National–Louis University. Register online at www.chicagobotanic.org

  • Online

    • TIE585AC | Integrating Web 2.0 Applications into the Classroom (1 sh)

      User generated content has driven the current wave of technology innovation delivered via the Internet. Many web-based applications, hereby known as Web 2.0 applications, have been developed in recent years, serving as a platform for social communication and collaboration. During the workshop, teachers will explore various on-line resources with a focus on implications for both professional and personal productivity. Participants will explore items such as wikis, podcasts, blogs, newsreaders, maps, start pages, and online services for sharing documents, pictures and slideware presentations and will develop insight into how these applications can be used in the classroom with students.

      Additional Details
      CRN: 11018
      Online: Mon. 1/23 thru 2/3
      Instructor: N. Zumpano

    • SPE525 | Child Word-Finding: Intervention for Students with Language and Learning Disabilities (2sh)

      This course is focused on programming models for children and adolescents challenged with Word-Finding. It provides an in-depth study of: 1) definition, characteristics, and word-finding profiles representative of this population; 2) psycholinguistic models of lexical access; 3) differential diagnosis of semantic versus phonemic word finding errors; 4) retrieval strategy instruction; 5) word finding accommodations in the classroom; and 6) self advocacy instruction. The relationship between oral retrieval, oral reading, and written language is also considered.
      Prerequisite: SPE 500 or equivalent
      Contact dgerman@nl.edu to complete on-line orientation as soon as you register.

      Additional Details
      CRN: 11035
      Online: Tues. 1/24 thru 2/28, final assignment due 3/6
      Instructor: D. German
      Questions: dgerman@nl.edu ext. 5991

    • CIC595B | Special Topics/Curriculum & Instruction/Death in Schools (1sh)

      Death enters the classroom, whether invited or not. As educators we have little knowledge of the ways in which children and adolescents understand death and how we can support them in their grieving. Students' academic lives can be greatly impacted by a significant death or trauma. Current events can exacerbate these issues. This workshop explores ways in which teachers can begin to deal with death and grief in a school context. The course consists of a two-week totally online experience. A final reflection paper is due one week after the end of the online session. Contact jmoore@nl.edu to complete on-line orientation as soon as you register.

      Additional Details
      CRN: 11024
      Online: Mon. 2/13 thru 2/26, final paper due 3/4
      Online Orientation required
      Instructor: J. Moore
      Questions: jmoore@nl.edu ext. 5192

    • CIC595B | Special Topics/Curriculum & Instruction/Death in Schools (1sh)

      Death enters the classroom, whether invited or not. As educators we have little knowledge of the ways in which children and adolescents understand death and how we can support them in their grieving. Students' academic lives can be greatly impacted by a significant death or trauma. Current events can exacerbate these issues. This workshop explores ways in which teachers can begin to deal with death and grief in a school context. The course consists of a two-week totally online experience. A final reflection paper is due one week after the end of the online session. Contact jmoore@nl.edu to complete on-line orientation as soon as you register.

      Additional Details
      CRN: 31004
      Online: Mon. 4/9 thru 4/22, final paper due 4/29
      Online Orientation required
      Instructor: J. Moore
      Questions: jmoore@nl.edu ext. 5192

    • CIN508 | Community Health: Nursing Practice, Theory and Contemporary Problems (3sh)

      This course consists of both classroom and practicum components. It offers nursing theory and experiences which are designed to assist the student in identifying the leading contemporary community health problems and evidence-based interventions. The focus of the practicum is on the role of the nurse in community settings and allows for nursing practice at all levels in the provision of holistic care. The student also observes in a variety of health agencies in order to acquire an understanding of the different functions and services offered in community agencies in the public, private and voluntary sectors. Prerequisites: none.

      Additional Details
      CRN: 31010
      Online: 4/2 thru 6/10
      Instructor: L. Gibbons
      Questions: linda.gibbons@nl.edu ext. 5373

    • CIW507 | Theories and Concepts of Health Education (3sh)

      This course focuses on recent developments in health education. The intent is first to examine health education as one of the core professions responsible for health promotion in a multitude of settings and second to look at health education as a movement toward multilevel intervention approaches targeting specific populations. The candidates will explore methods by which to expand the health knowledge of the individual/group assist learners in making self-directed health-related decisions. Emphasis will be placed on life-long learning as well as raising awareness for responsible social action as it relates to health. Prerequisites: none.

      Additional Details
      CRN: 31014
      Online: 4/2 thru 5/12
      Instructor: L. Gibbons
      Questions: linda.gibbons@nl.edu ext. 5373

    • TIE584Q | Google Applications in Education (1sh)

      During this hands-on workshop participants will learn and create projects and lessons using resources available free from Google. Students will learn strategies for incorporating iGoogle for content management, Google Earth, Google Maps, and Google Sky for inquiry-based projects, develop a customizable search engine for their classes, and create collaborative projects with Google Docs. Prerequisites: none.

      Additional Details
      CRN: 31000
      Online: 5/7 thru 5/18
      Instructor: L. Gray