Beyond Worksheets: The Interactive Companion

ABOUT THIS COURSE

Beyond Worksheets: The Interactive Companion

Take your learning beyond the pages of Beyond Worksheets: Creative Ways to Teach & Engage Students with this interactive book study and companion course. Whether you're reading the book independently, as part of a professional learning community, or using it alongside face-to-face training, this course is designed to help you reflect, discuss, and apply its strategies in real-world teaching.

Course Outline

About the Expert

Reviews

Enrollment Options

FAQ

Total Time: 6 hours

Each component aligns with a chapter in Beyond Worksheets. Learners use Note Catchers to gather ideas, and each component includes a real-world application activity.

Giving Up the Good Old Days
What Is a Worksheet?
New World, New Rules
Systems, Teachers, Expectations, and the Worksheet
Student-Centered or Teacher-Focused
I’m Scared They Don’t Care
Behavior, Motivation, and the Worksheet
Student Choice Continuum and Why Choice Matters
Stop Stealing the Learning
Fair Team Grading Strategies that Work for Humans
Is Artificial Intelligence a Worksheet Killer?
Becoming a Worksheet Killer

Amy Mayer, a nationally renowned speaker and professional development guru, began her educational journey as an English and Foreign Language teacher. As the CEO of friEdTech, a leading education technology professional development company collaborating with giants like Google and Adobe, Amy has elevated the organization to operate in 40 states and numerous countries.

Passionate about fostering student and teacher engagement and promoting equity in education, Amy identifies and nurtures educators into proficient leaders, making friEdTech a favorite among educators. As a former teacher, her debut book, “Beyond Worksheets,” empowers K-12 educators with time-saving strategies, including Generative AI, for engaging and relevant learning. Beyond education, Amy enjoys designing, sewing, antique shopping, and is an audiobook addict.

The “Beyond Worksheets” method engages students while inspiring teachers to use their time and resources to lead students in gaining knowledge because they want to find out rather than because they need to fill in the blanks with a “right” answer. The author took a risk and invested in the students rather than following what she calls the “TTWWADI” (that’s the way we’ve always done it) method. The success is evident. Students have amazed teachers by showing enthusiasm that is impossible to gain from doing worksheets and memorizing facts. Instead of relying on traditional methods that prioritize rote memorization and regurgitation of information, teachers can empower students to think critically and problem solve on their own. Students today need to be able to think independently, adapt to new situations, and work effectively in teams. By embracing these innovative teaching methods, teachers can better prepare their students for success in the ever-changing world.

Our system is broken, burnt out teachers are asked to provide a constant supply of data points, which then makes them feel backed into the “worksheet corner.” Amy Mayer does a fantastic job of showing how teachers can work within the current system to make work more manageable for them and more enjoyable (as well as more effective) for their students. Her passion for students and the teachers who guide them, along with her expertise in classroom management, shine in this book. I would recommend anyone who is currently a teacher, or who is pursing a career in teaching, to pick this up! It will challenge your expectations, push your to think outside current classroom norms, and overall help you grow as an educator. Thank you Amy for your thoughtful work!!

I pre-ordered Beyond Worksheets with great anticipation of Amy Mayer’s first book. It did not disappoint. Amy’s wisdom of creative ways to engage students comes across clearly. Methods and down to earth applications are illustrated with examples and antidotes of her experiences as a master teacher and instructional leader. The entire focus is on student learning rather than teacher focused schooling. Be a worksheet killer!

Credit is offered for certain courses and is based on the time it takes to complete the course activities. You must complete the course in its entirety to earn credit. The amount of possible credits to be earned from a course is located on the course card. Check with your school district to determine if our courses will count for credit in your district.

Like all friEdTech learning experiences, our goal is to provide engaging and practical learning for all. We strive to make sure every activity is purposeful, intentional, and easily applicable; the time you spend learning won't just be for an audience of one! Each course includes clear learning goals, interactive components, and checkpoints for understanding. After the course, you'll have the opportunity to evaluate your experience and share any additional feedback. We love hearing from you!

BROWSER- We suggest viewing your course with the latest version of Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. Our courses have several interactive elements which are best experienced in Chrome and Edge.

VIDEOS- Course videos are in friEdOnline or YouTube. And you can always watch them within the course!

DEVICE- The courses will work on all devices, but your best experience will be on a larger screen. If you're choosing between a phone or a monitor - go with the monitor!

Go to friedonline.com and click the “Enroll Now” button. A pop up page will appear and with two joining options.

Join through a site with which you already have an account (Facebook, LinkedIn, Google). This is also referred to as a "single sign-on," or SSO.
Join by creating an account. Enter the required information and create a password. Then, click “Enroll in friEdOnline” and you're in!

If you created an account by adding your information and creating a password (option #2), you can use the “Forgot your password?” function on the Login/Sign up page to reset your password.

If you used the SSO option (Google button and Google sign-in) to create your friEdOnline account, your login information is not stored in friEdOnline and you will NOT be able to use the “Forgot your password?” function. You will need to try logging in with the Google button.

If you have tried both options, you can email us at friedonline@fried.tech.

Log into friEdOnline using the email address initially used when setting up the account.
Note: if you're changing your email due to the email account being inactive, you can still use the email to log in. However, you'll need to provide an updated email address in order to receive important course links and completion certificates.

1. Go to the friEdOnline User Profile page.

2. Click the "edit" button under your name (located in the top center).

3. Change the email address to the desired one and click SAVE.

4. Update any other profile information by using the menu on the left.

Don't forget to SAVE any edits!

1. Create an account using your school email address.
2. Make sure you're on the correct course page and use the link in the provided directions. The provided link will automatically apply the promo code.
3. Make sure your total owed is $0.

4. If you're enrolling in a district-purchased course, you will NOT need to enter any personal payment information. If Paypal opens for any reason, STOP and return to friEdOnline.

Uh oh! Refer to the directions in the original course email. Make sure to use the course link sent by your district in order to correctly access the course. If you're still having trouble, contact the district employee that originally sent enrollment instructions. You can also email us at friedonline@fried.tech.

You'll have course access for a set period of time from the minute you sign up. In general, our courses are available 12 months from enrollment. However, there are times a district will purchase a course for a shorter period of time (ex: two months instead of 12). When enrolling in your course, pay attention to the time span included in the enrollment email receipt. You'll find the start and end day of course availability.

Restart your computer. (Simple, we know. But this little step can be an overlooked quick-fix!)
Clear the cache and cookies in your Chrome browser.
Turn off your extensions or pop-up blockers.
If you're using your school-managed G Suite account, contact your district technology staff to ensure no content/ad/pop-up blockers have been installed by your district.
Make sure Chrome is updated. If you're using another browser, check for updates.
Try another browser.
Check your internet connection and strengthen it if possible.
Try a different device (remember, we suggest monitors over smartphones!).

We strive to make your learning experience flexible and self-paced. Our goal is for users to confidently and independently work through all course material. With that said, you're not alone! Submit a help ticket and we'll get back to you. You also have course classmates for assistance, so we suggest making a social post/discussion post of questions within your course.

If you get stuck, you can email us at friedonline@fried.tech. We'll do our best to respond within 24 hours, Monday through Friday 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. CST.

You can easily find your certificates by going to your friEdOnline Profile. Here, you'll find a list of achievements, in-progress courses, and completed courses. Click the "download PDF" icon next to the corresponding course achievement to download the course certificate.

Great question! Our friEdOnline courses are:

on-demand (completed at your own pace...we love PD in PJs!)
interactive (you’ll be completing engaging tasks as you move through the course)
comprehensive (a full range of topic info and approaches are provided)
asynchronous (not live) learning experiences that you complete when and where you want. You will receive 1-12 hours credit for completing the courses.

Our Facilitated Online Learning Experiences (FOLĒ) combine digital, synchronous webinars, guided assignments via a FriEdOnline FOLE or Google Classroom and includes templates/assignments for extended learning. During a FOLĒ, you will attend live sessions with real, live PD providers who will walk you through the learning materials, more like traditional “live” PD (except not boring and horrible).

Once you…

complete each lesson in this course (look at the navigation menu and check to make sure each one has a checkmark by it), pass the course final assessment with at least 80%, and claim your course completion certificate, you will receive an email from friedonline@fried.tech that contains your individual voucher code.

This email will be sent within an hour of completion of this course.

If you don't receive the email please check your junk mail. If you have double checked each step, and still don’t get your code, please email us at friedonline@fried.tech.

Follow the steps in this document. Remember, if you are in our L1 or L2 Academies you will be emailed a free voucher code upon downloading your course completion certificate.

Note - You should always start from Google's Teacher Center site, even if you already have a Kryterion account.

Who is friEdOnline?

FriEdOnline is part of friEdTech, an education technology company, that provides on-demand courses with an interesting, practical, applicable learning experience.

We believe everyone should enjoy engaging, interactive professional development any time, any place, and at any pace!