Are you new to the world of online classes? Does even the thought of it leave you feeling anxious? Do you have a ton of questions about how online classes work and are different from face to face classes? If you answered yes, then this Online FAQs is for you!

Q: How do online courses work?
A: Online courses at Fitchburg State University are held completely online through Blackboard, our online learning management system. As a student you access and complete all your work in an online setting with a very user friendly interface.

This week, our AP United States Government and Politics Summer Institute instructor, Bob Baker, shares three concrete ways to improve your understanding and working knowledge of FRQ patterns and the AP scoring guidelines:

Are you a new or veteran music educator? Are you looking for a place to receive practical professional development that you can use right away in your classroom and as part of your music curriculum?  Are you looking for a place to share your ideas and hear other ideas you can implement in your music program? If you answered “YES” to any of these questions then this new course offered through Graduate and Continuing Education at Fitchburg State is designed for you!

Starting this summer, the graduate Counseling program is launching a new accelerated sequence for their Counseling Masters programs, concentrating in either Clinical Mental Health Counseling or School Counseling. This plan of study will allow students who start in the summer semester to complete the entire 60 credit program, including the year-long internship/practicum, in a little over two years. Students take 4 courses per term on average, which are primarily offered in the evenings, with some online and hybrid courses.

Now that the A.P. Biology exam is completed, this is a perfect time for your class to explore topics of interest. Many teachers approach this time to allow students to investigate issues by debates (Are GMO foods safe? Designer babies-should there be limits? Mandating vaccinations? Should animals be sacrificed in medical research?). Other teachers use the time to do dissections using fetal pigs or cats. Student interest in forensics has inspired teachers to prepare “mock crimes” and have students use scientific evidence to determine the perpetrator. If your school is close to the elementary school in your town, students could be paired with an elementary school class to work with younger students and prepare a “book” that they write together on a biology topic.  Some teachers have their A.P. Biology students work with the Introductory Biology students to act as “teachers” of topics being covered. Use this time to have students share their enthusiasm for biology.

"I almost wish I hadn't gone down that rabbit–hole – and yet – and yet – it's rather curious, you know, this sort of life!"

I often refer to research as "going down the rabbit hole." It's a never–ending process with paths off of paths, hallways leading to nowhere, rooms inside rooms. It can be frustrating, especially for graduate students on a deadline. I wouldn't presume to say, "Don't be frustrated!" That would be pointless. However, when you get frustrated, try to remember that the rabbit hole leads to Wonderland, which may at times bring confusion, but also brings revelation.

Hello Educators!  Want to get ahead on your MAT English Professional Licensure Program?  Or maybe you need Professional Development Credit to earn more money?  Or best of all, do you want to LEARN this summer and become a BETTER, SMARTER teacher?

We have the solution.

To the class of 2016 Associate of Science in Nursing graduates, we’d like to send congratulations to you on your graduation! We know you’ve dealt with long hours of studying, clinical practice, balancing work, family and everything else that goes along with becoming an RN to achieve this goal.  Now as you finally take a breath and have a few moments to yourself, have you thought about what you are going to do next?  This is the best time to consider continuing your education because you don’t want to lose all of your motivation, but where do you start? We know you’re busy applying for nursing positions so we’ll keep it brief, here are the first 3 steps you should complete when considering continuing your Nursing education.

1.  Research RN to BS in Nursing programs.  Ask yourself:

With technology constantly changing, schools are investing in technology to help improve and enhance student achievement. Educators need to ensure that students can demonstrate what they know, and not just "know." When implemented properly, these technologies can produce significant gains by boosting engagement with interactive learning especially with at-risk students.

That’s why here at Fitchburg State we offer courses just for teachers. We help you figure out how to best implement technology into your classroom and utilize it to help your students explore and create. By creating the right blend of teaching and technology we can provide the tools necessary for our students to succeed.

Some of our offerings this summer include:

For teachers seeking to integrate film content into English courses, and all those seeking a deeper knowledge of literary and film genres, this is a great course for you.