Welcome to the WEA Academy Online Learning Portal

Culturally Responsive Teaching will deepen your own cultural self-awareness and increase your understanding of the link between cultural self-awareness and cultural competence. Additionally, participants will learn and practice culturally responsive teaching practices and share strategies for promoting culturally responsive instruction. This is an independent study course allowing you to work through the modules at your own pace. Read more

Developed in partnership with WEA Member Benefits, Degrees Not Debt has been designed to help those with educational loans better understand them and to learn strategies to help manage or reduce their debt.  This is a self-paced course allowing you to work through the content at a time and in a place that is convenient for you. Read more

You likely studied Dewey in your undergraduate course work. In an America where democracy seems to be failing us, Dewey shows us that democracy is a practice we must continually learn together, and that public schools are where it begins. John Dewey spent his career answering these questions, and a century later they still sit at the center of our work in the education profession. This self-paced course takes you through two of his most influential books, Democracy and Education (1916) and The Public and Its Problems (1927). You will read key passages, reflect on them, and connect his ideas to your own classroom, building, or employing school district. You will see how Dewey understood education as a social process, why he held that democracy is more than a form of government, and how his concerns about public participation, expertise, and communication speak to today’s debates over public schools. Each module pairs short readings with reflection prompts and practical applications, so you can work at your own pace and leave with ideas you can use in your practice and in your advocacy for public education. This is a self-paced, independent study course. We encourage WEAC members to utilize their local public library system, independent book sellers, or Bookshop.org if you need the books.  Read more

Designed for aspiring educators or licensed teachers adding a reading certification, this course will assist you in preparing to take the Foundations of Reading Test (FoRT). The Foundations of Reading Test (FoRT) is a computer-based combination multiple-choice (100 questions) and short-answer (2 questions) test that assesses a teaching candidate's reading instruction knowledge and skills. Candidates applying for Wisconsin licensure on or after September 1, 2014 must achieve a score of 240 or better to obtain a teaching license. This course walks you through all four content domains covered on the exam: foundations of reading development (phonological awareness, phonics, word analysis, and fluency), development of reading comprehension (vocabulary, literary text, and informational text), reading assessment and instruction, and integration of knowledge for the written response section. Each lesson aligns to an official FoRT objective and includes curated readings, practice questions, and links to trusted resources like Reading Rockets, DIBELS, and the University of Wisconsin study guide. An academic vocabulary review and flashcard set are also included to help reinforce key terminology. You can enroll in this self-paced course at any time, complete lessons in any order, and revisit them as often as needed while you prepare for test day. Read more

Explore the rewards of substitute teaching – increasingly higher daily pay rates, a flexible schedule, and the knowledge that you’re contributing to society and making a difference in the lives of children. Specifically, this course is designed to broaden the participant’s knowledge base on the issues relevant to substitute teaching with a focus on practical strategies and building relationships with students. You will have the opportunity to visit classrooms, interview administrators and staff, learn elements of educational best practice, and reflect on first-hand experience in the classroom. You can enroll in this course at any time. This is self-paced and instructor-guided to be completed within 90 days of registration. Register for this course is you have limited experience working with children. If you have extensive experience with children register for Level II @ The WEA Academy Online Learning Portal | Foundations of Effective Substitute Teaching - Level II Read more

Explore the rewards of substitute teaching – increasingly higher daily pay rates, a flexible schedule, and the knowledge that you’re contributing to society and making a difference in the lives of children. Specifically, this course is designed to broaden the participant’s knowledge base on the issues relevant to substitute teaching with a focus on practical strategies and building relationships with students. You will have the opportunity to visit classrooms, interview administrators and staff, learn elements of educational best practice, and reflect on first-hand experience in the classroom. You can enroll in this course at any time. This is self-paced and instructor-guided to be completed within 90 days of registration. Register for this course is you have extensive experience working with children. If not register for Foundations Level I @ The WEA Academy Online Learning Portal | Foundations of Effective Substitute Teaching - Level I Read more