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Graduate Programs in
K-12 Digitally-Rich Teaching

Engage in the
Digital Age.
Make Education
Ever Better.
Do you want your students to benefit from learning opportunities in the new “digital age?” Do you want your school to take advantage of the latest instructional technologies?
Schools around the world are incorporating tablets and other devices into the classroom to transform teaching practices and deliver more engaging, interactive learning. Jump to the front of this technological innovation as a teacher or school leader by pursuing Warner’s Advanced Certificate in Digitally-Rich Teaching in K-12 Schools – one of only a few programs of its kind in the country.

You can pursue this advanced certificate as a stand-alone program or in conjunction with other Warner degree programs, to make you stand out as a K-12 educator.
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Program Quickview

The Advanced Certificate in Digitally-Rich Teaching focuses on incorporating digital devices and other instructional technologies to improve student learning in K-12 schools, and it is primarily intended for current and prospective teachers as well as school leaders responsible for technology integration.

If you are interested in other programs involving learning in the digital age and instructional technology, including learning to teach online, check our Related Programs.
Prerequisites:
  • For current K-12 educators or students concurrently enrolled in a teacher education program.
Key Program Features:
  • Combining Theory and Practice: Includes both coursework and practicum experiences focusing on how to capitalize on digital technologies in your school.
  • Experiences as Learners: Students engage as a learner in innovative digitally-rich learning activities – both online and in class – to personally experience their power and limitations, and to help overcome any reservations about technology as a teaching and learning tool.
  • Hybrid-Online Courses: This program’s core courses are offered hybrid-online (sometimes meeting in person and other times online), with fully online options available for electives.
  • Flexible: Program can be customized to be most relevant to your school setting and role, and to leverage courses taken in prior or concurrent programs.

Warner Programs in K-12 Digitally Rich Teaching


Advanced Certificate in Digitally-Rich Teaching in K-12 Schools (OT3): 12 credits or less; for current and prospective K-12 teachers and school leaders who want to learn how to leverage digital tools and resources to better support student engagement and learning; can be pursued as a stand-alone program OR concurrently with another Warner program.

NOTE: State certification is required for any teaching or administrative position in K-12 public schools across New York, as well as most other states.



Opportunities to Complement/Combine with Another Program

While an Advanced Certificate in Digitally-Rich Teaching is great on its own, it is also a helpful and marketable complement to an existing Warner program, especially the program choices below:

Master's in Teaching Not Leading to New York State Certification
Warner offers several master’s degrees that prepare for teaching in settings other than U.S. K-12 public schools (where state teaching certification is required), with options to pursue various areas of specialization. These programs can be completed in one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study, and include several electives. Learning to integrate digital technologies in the classroom will make you stand out for any teaching position you may be interested in! By choosing your electives strategically, you may only need three additional credit hours to earn an advanced certificate in digitally-rich teaching.

To learn more, visit Master's in Teaching (Without Certification).
Programs Preparing Prospective Teachers for New York State Certification
All Warner students enrolled in a teacher education program are encouraged to pursue this advanced certificate in digitally-rich teaching alongside their initial New York State teaching certification. This will help them to stand out when seeking their first teaching job.

Elementary and early childhood education students can add this advanced certificate for an additional 9 credits, and complete it part-time after graduation.

All secondary and TESOL students can complete this certificate program in just 15 months of full-time study (if starting in summer semester) by taking advantage of common required courses and electives when available. Adding this certificate will require only three to six additional credits depending on the area of specialization.

To learn more, visit Programs Preparing K-12 Teachers.
Programs Leading to New York State (NYS) Professional Certification for Individuals Holding Initial NYS Certification
This advanced certificate can also be pursued as part of one of our master’s degree programs approved by New York State as leading toward professional teaching certification. This will help you stand out as a teacher, whether you are seeking your initial employment or looking to increase success in your current position. These programs can be completed in just one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study. By choosing your electives strategically, you may only need three additional credit hours to earn an advanced certificate in digitally-rich teaching.

To learn more, visit Programs Leading to New York State Professional Certification.
Programs Preparing K-12 School Leaders
K-12 school leaders will greatly benefit from a more in-depth knowledge and understanding of digitally-rich teaching and learning. This will better prepare them to make informed decisions about resources and curriculum – especially in schools that are already engaging in or considering digital conversion.

If you are already pursuing a Warner program preparing for New York State certification as a school building leader (SBL) and/or school district leader (SDL), you should strongly consider adding this specialization to help propel you as an administrator.

If you are pursuing these certifications through a master’s degree, or need a few additional courses to meet your SDL requirement of 60 credits of graduate coursework, you can count courses taken to satisfy this advanced certificate toward those degree requirements.

To learn more, visit Programs Preparing K-12 School Leaders.
Master’s in Educational Leadership
Educational leaders in any school today will greatly benefit from a more in-depth knowledge and understanding of digitally-rich teaching and learning.

Warner offers a flexible master’s degree to prepare educational leaders who are not interested in New York State school certification* (only required for administrative positions in K-12 public schools). This master’s program requires only one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study. By choosing your electives strategically, you may only need three additional credit hours to earn an advanced certificate in digitally-rich teaching.

To learn more, visit Master’s in Educational Leadership.
Doctoral Programs
Educators interested in conducting research or pursuing leadership roles in the “digital conversion” initiatives taking place in many K-12 schools should consider pursuing this advanced certificate as part of a doctoral program in teaching, educational leadership, or educational policy, as a foundation for developing their dissertation study in this emerging area.

By choosing your electives strategically, you may only need three additional credit hours to earn an advanced certificate in digitally-rich teaching.

To learn more, visit:

Our Approach

Preparing K-12 Educators to Leverage Learning in the Digital Age

Warner’s distinctive approach to instructional technology and digitally-rich teaching will provide you with unique perspectives and experiences to ensure you deliver a more engaging, interactive learning experience for K-12 students.

At Warner, we see the use of technology in schools not as a goal in itself, but rather as a tool to be leveraged to improve student learning. To be effective, technology adoptions need to be accompanied by significant changes in curriculum, teaching practices, and expectations. We aim to prepare educators who understand the potential of digitally-rich learning and its implications, and are able to use instructional technology as a catalyst for school reform.
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Learn More About Warner’s Approach to Instructional Technology and Digitally-Rich Teaching
Online and digital learning are becoming increasingly common in our society. They’re also making their way into K-12 schools, where an increasing number of school districts are purchasing tablets or laptops for their students to engage with in the classroom, along with an expanding list of digital tools and resources. This kind of technology integration, along with the transformation of teaching and other practices it calls for, is often referred to as “digital conversion.”

It is not at all surprising then that individuals seeking teaching positions today are increasingly expected to use instructional technology and to integrate digitally-rich learning opportunities into their lesson plans. Similarly, school leaders need to develop a deeper understanding of the potential for and implications of digitally-rich learning, so they can make informed decisions about curriculum, assessment, and the strategic resources that will affect the use and effectiveness of implementing these instructional technologies in their schools.

Digital conversion in K-12 schools cannot be successful without significant transformations in learning expectations, curricula, assessment, and teaching practices. At the same time, we have also seen how using certain digital tools has helped teachers and administrators see what their students are truly capable of when presented with more engaging and accessible learning experiences. As a result, digital technologies can also be used to provide a catalyst for more student-centered, inquiry-oriented teaching practices.

To effectively include digitally-rich learning experiences in K-12 schools, it is first of all necessary to understand and apply many of the same principles and best practices required to design any good learning experience. It is also important to be aware of the unique strengths and limitations of digital learning, as well as the myriad of powerful digital technology tools being used in the online space, in order to design and implement the best possible learning experiences for students. Figuring out the instructional goals or learning activities best suited for online, versus face-to-face, learning is also an important skill for all teachers to develop.

While instructors have experienced traditional teaching as students themselves, not everyone has experienced digitally-rich learning in a formal educational setting. At Warner, we believe it is beneficial for educators to have this first-hand experience, so they can fully appreciate its potential for their own teaching, and we have created many opportunities to do so in the hybrid-online courses at the core of this program.

Consistent with this approach, our programs prepare graduates to:
  • Gain a nuanced appreciation of the potential and limitations of digitally-rich learning.
  • Develop foundational knowledge in the areas of motivation, learning, teaching, and instructional design, as needed to inform the design of high-quality, digitally-rich learning experiences for diverse learners.
  • Gain awareness of and proficiency in using a rich set of online tools, technologies, resources, and best practices for enhancing teaching in K-12 schools.
  • Achieve proficiency in designing and implementing high-quality, digitally-rich learning experiences for K-12 students.
  • Learn how to evaluate digitally-rich learning experiences to improve future practice.

The Warner Advantage

Preparing Graduates to Innovate, Advocate, and Elevate.

Warner can help you stand out as a K-12 teacher or school leader and prepare you to excel in your career.
  • Learn to best utilize instructional technology to become a more effective teacher or school leader, while expanding your career opportunities.
  • Learn from experts in digital teaching and learning and become an innovator and a thought leader in this emerging field.
  • Increase access to quality learning opportunities for underserved populations to contribute to more equitable educational opportunities.
  • Leverage the reputation of a leading research university to give your degree even more recognition.
  • Shorten the pathway toward your doctoral degree by earning transferable credits.
Our flexible programs have been designed to meet the needs of working professionals as well as full-time students.
  • Use your electives to specialize in your area of interest.
  • Take advantage of online learning options to significantly reduce trips to campus.
  • Start the program in any semester and go at your own pace.
  • Are you a University of Rochester employee? Make sure you make full use of your tuition benefits.

Career Opportunities

Advancing Education and Your Career to the Next Level.

Pursuing an Advanced Certificate in Digitally-Rich Teaching is certain to make you more competitive for earning a K-12 teaching opportunity or for elevating your teaching and administrative careers, especially in schools engaging in 1:1 initiatives or digital conversion. These positions will also require additional credentials if you want to teach or be an administrator in K-12 public schools in the United States.

Our graduates are well positioned to advance their career by taking on special roles related to instructional technology and teaching innovations within K-12 schools. These opportunities include: piloting new instructional technologies or approaches; serving as a technology mentor to other teachers; leading a professional development effort; serving on school- or district-wide innovation teams; and other opportunities to advance teaching and learning technologies.

Some of our graduates also choose to pursue job opportunities outside of K-12 schools, such as an instructional designer in an educational publishing company and other non-traditional roles.
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Faculty

An Accessible, Supportive Faculty of Researchers and Accomplished Practitioners.

Scholarships

Making Warner Affordable.

The Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester is pleased to offer a number of merit-based scholarships to eligible students who enroll in the Advanced Certificate in Digitally-Rich Teaching program.

Greater Rochester Area Educator (GRAE) Guaranteed 25% Scholarship
Employees of K-12 schools in the Rochester region are guaranteed to save $1,000 on any Warner School of Education three-credit course; this equates to about a 25% tuition savings.

Byron Williams Teaching Scholarships – Guaranteed 50% Tuition Savings
All new students starting their master’s programs in teacher education leading to New York State teaching certification are guaranteed a minimum 50 percent tuition scholarship (covering any additional specialization), provided they commit to teach in a U.S. school for a minimum of two years after graduation. This scholarship will cover any additional certification taken along with the master's degree.
 

Learn More About Scholarships
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Try Us Out

Get a Taste of What Warner Has to Offer.

Take A Course! You can experience the Warner advantage as a non-matriculated student for a highly discounted price. We recommend you consider EDE484A Digitally-Rich Teaching in K-12 Schools, the first course in this advanced certificate program. Even if you do not continue to pursue the full certificate program, this course will enable you to design and facilitate high-quality technology-enhanced learning experiences for your students.

Contact admissions to arrange for a visit or learn more about opportunities for non-matriculated students.
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Testimonials

Meliora means 'Ever Better.' To our graduates, it means making a world of difference.

  • Dawn Santiago-Marullo, Superintendent, Victor, NY

    "The most important thing I received there was the opportunity to be immersed in the study of education and leadership with very talented people, that think-tank mentality of being surrounded by the best of the best. The intellectual stimulation from both the staff and fellow classmates really did allow me to think about things differently."

    Dawn Santiago-Marullo, Superintendent, Victor, NY

  • Laura Van Laeken, Teacher, Midlakes, NY

    "The growth I’ve realized in myself is something I will be forever grateful for. I’ve learned to question, analyze, think and create in ways I never considered. I’ve changed as an educator and as a person."

    Laura Van Laeken, Teacher, Midlakes, NY

  • Beatriz M. Folch-Torres, MD, Rochester, NY

    “It was more than I expected. Not only what I learned in the program, which I’ve been able to put into practice every day since, but also the connections I was able to make and the relationships I was able to form."

    Beatriz M. Folch-Torres, MD, Rochester, NY

  • Shannon Walton, Sports Performance Counselor, Rochester, NY

    “I had a very unique situation. I wasn’t going down the typical path of a Warner student, and the school was just so flexible and supportive.”

    Shannon Walton, Sports Performance Counselor, Rochester, NY

  • Jody Goodman, Program Director, UMass Amherst

    “As educators, it’s our job to make sure we’re giving students the knowledge to be successful when they move on in their life….Warner was the best grad school experience I’ve ever had because it prepared me extremely well to jump into my career, and I will forever be grateful for that.”

    Jody Goodman, Program Director, UMass Amherst

  • Jeremy Friedman, Research Associate, Harlem Children's Zone, New York, NY

    “When it came time to interview for jobs, it was very easy for me to talk about anything in the field, and that set me apart,” he says. “You name it, and I had at least one experience in it—largely due to Warner.”

    Jeremy Friedman, Research Associate, Harlem Children's Zone, New York, NY

Contact Admissions

The admissions team looks forward to assisting you as you explore graduate education at the Warner School. Please feel free to use the form below to contact us with any questions. You can also email us at admissions@warner.rochester.edu or call (585) 275-3950.


Application Deadlines

January 15
March 15
June 15
October 15


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