8 weeks (30 hours) of learning 5 tasks per week Asynchronous discussions Three synchronous meeting times

The majority of the course work can be done online at a time that suits you, within the timeframes of the course. There are three virtual live teaching sessions (usually weeks 1, 3 & 6) which we strongly encourage Learners to attend. The date and time of these are determined once the locations of the cohort are confirmed to cater for timezones. If the timing is unsuitable, the live sessions will be recorded for viewing at a time that works for you.

No problem! We will do our best to cater for time zone differences, however, if the timing is unsuitable, the live teaching sessions will be recorded for viewing at a time that works for you.

Three to four hours of independent learning per module. One Office Hour with the course facilitator/s in week 1. Two live and interactive sessions of one-hour duration, usually in weeks 3 & 6. Additional time may be required when canvassing the perspective of others or working with colleagues. The final learning assurance task will require a minimum of four hours work.

The course facilitators have an expectation that all responses will be uploaded to the Canvas Learning Management System by the due date, however, we acknowledge that sometimes life does not go as planned. If an extension is required, this will be negotiated between the Learner and the facilitator/s.

The dates for the upcoming course/s can be found here.

A maximum of 30 Learners, from around the world, will be in the course cohort.

SPAN founder and Laws of Transitions course lecturer, Drs. Douglas Ota maintains, “the key to a successful Transitions Program at any school is the development and maintenance of a successful team.” Through completing the course as a team, Learners will: be equipped with knowledge and tools to address the trials and triumphs of transition within and beyond their school community, use research-based methodology to develop or enhance their school’s positive transitions-care policies, programs and practices, and collaborate as a team within their school in the development and implementation of robust positive transitions-care plans and strategies. School group Learners respond to some learning assurance tasks individually then use the questions to guide their external group dialogue. When asked to play with their learnings, school group Learners work together to complete the tasks, providing one response for the group. For the final certificate component, school group Learners may choose to complete this component individually (each Learner taking a different Law of Transitions) or as a group (focusing on one Law of Transitions across the three systems - individuals, the school and between schools).

Whether a Learner enrolls as an individual or as part of a school group, they will have opportunities to collaborate with classmates from across the globe. Individual Learners respond to all learning assurance tasks individually and also reply to at least one classmate’s Discussion Forum response in each module. Some tasks require dialogue with colleagues, students and/or parents. Learners are encouraged to share insights and learnings with their school communities, however, SPAN has copyright over the course content and materials which may not be shared with third parties.

The Course Lecturer is Drs. Douglas Ota, founder of Safe Passage Across Networks (SPAN) and author of Safe Passage: How mobility affects people & what international schools should do about it. The course is facilitated by educators and positive transitions-care experts, Jane Barron, SPAN Director of Training and Consulting and Valérie Besanceney, SPAN Executive Director.

In alignment with Dewey, Vygotsky, Piaget and many other learning theorists, the Laws of Transitions Certificate Course prioritises the value of the individual experience in the learning process, as well as the power of collaboration in the acquisition of knowledge. Steeped in rigorous theoretical and practical pedagogical approaches, this learning series incorporates SPAN’s 10 Key Curriculum Components: 1. A Safe Place “People develop and learn best when they feel safe, supported and seen.” Doug Ota 2. Equitable & Just “Each of us is a whole, vibrant, perfectly-imperfect being with profound insight into ourselves and the world.” Six Seconds 3. Personalised “Always remember you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.” Margaret Mead 4. Interactive “All human interactions are an opportunity to learn or to teach.” M. Scott Peck 5. Engaging & Challenging “When you want to build a ship, do not begin by gathering wood, cutting boards and distributing work, but rather awaken within men the desire for the vast and endless sea.” Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 6. Practical “Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.” Anton Chekhov 7. Effective “If you talk to a man in the language he understands, it goes to his head. If you talk to a man in his language, that goes to his heart.” Nelson Mandela 8. Learner Agency “We grow in the direction of the questions we ask.” Prof. David Cooperrider 9. Systems “By investing in the energy of the system, the system will continue renewing the energy for those participants in the system.” Aleka Bilan 10. SPAN Values “Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same but you leave them over everything you do.” Elvis Presley

Research is a tool to build understanding and facilitate learning. It allows Learners to support truths, dispel misconceptions and develop robust pitches to school leadership, colleagues, parents and students about why positive transitions-care matters. It provides fuel for critical and creative thinking and informs action and good practice.

Using the Canvas Learning Management System, Learners will receive written feedback from the facilitator/s weekly. Feedback in this course allows Learners to engage with the course content, monitor their responses and keep motivated. It encourages self-reflection, enhances knowledge retention and provides opportunities for constructive discussion with other Learners and the course facilitator/s.

Yes. Upon successful completion of the course Learners will receive a SPAN Certificate of Completion.

It is recommended Learners read Safe Passage: How mobility affects people & what international schools should do about it by Doug Ota prior to beginning the course, however, it is not essential. The registration fee includes access to one Kindle version of this book, as Learners will be required to read sections of it during the course.

This course is perfect for you because it is built around the six laws of transitions, essential for any effective transitions-care program. Learners will step forward into growth through video lectures, personal reflections, group discussions, deeper dives, learning loops and opportunities to play with your learning in the lab and in the field. It is the foundation course to all other future SPAN courses, a launchpad for understanding and addressing positive transitions-care.

This course is perfect for you as it will add to your positive transitions-care toolkit. Learners will be provided with opportunities to evaluate their current transitions-care program while consolidating research facts to support their understanding and any conversations they have with leadership and their school community. The course allows for connection and collaboration with other transitions-care providers from across the world and to utilise their understanding and new learnings to create positive change in transitions-care in individuals, their school and between schools.

Learners have access to course content on the Canvas Learning Management System for six months after the conclusion of the learning series. Upon completion of the course, Learners are invited to join a cohort community to continue collaborating, networking and creating positive change in transitions-care within and between schools. The Laws of Transitions Certificate Course is the foundation course for all other SPAN courses. By completing this course Learners will be eligible to enroll in future SPAN courses. Completion of this Certificate Course and its application in the Learners’ schooling context, provides Learners with the opportunity to contribute to global positive practice transitions-care practices through showcase opportunities with the SPAN Training and Consulting Network and/or the SPAN Symposium. Be part of the SPAN family by becoming a SPAN member, partner and/or sponsor. Find out more here.

High-speed, reliable internet connection PC or Mac Speakers Microphone Headphones/set Webcam

Payment is by bank transfer in Euros or credit card.

Yes! SPAN members are eligible for a registration discount. We also offer the registration of the certificate course bundled together with one annual Membership fee.

Yes! Currently enrolled university students may apply for a registration discount of €50 per student. You will need to provide a valid Student ID or enrollment confirmation.

Cancellation by Learner We’re sure you are going to find the Laws of Transitions Certificate Course valuable and rewarding. If you need to withdraw from the course after submitting your registration, there is a 14-day (10 working days) withdrawal period during which the registration can be cancelled, or refunded in case payment has already been made. There will be a €20 admin fee per registration. The withdrawal period expires after the first day of the course or the moment any teaching materials have been sent. After the course start date, and the course is not what you need, you can withdraw within the first two weeks of the learning series and we’ll provide a 50% refund (minus €20 admin fee per registration). After a cohort commences, due to unforeseen circumstances by force majeure, you can request to change to a future cohort of the same program within 50% of course completion. A deferral request must be submitted along with a reason and explanation. Cohort changes may be made only once per enrolment and is subjected to availability of cohorts scheduled at our discretion. This will not be applicable for deferrals within the refund period and the limit of one deferral per enrolment remains. All withdrawal, refund, and deferral requests should be sent to: admin@spanschools.org. Cancellation by SPAN Whilst every effort is made to avoid changes to our online professional learning program, Safe Passage Across Networks (SPAN) reserves the right to withdraw or cancel any course. If for any reason we cancel a course, all course fees will be returned in full (for full details, please refer to our Terms & Conditions).

We will be running the Laws of Transitions Certificate course at a later date. If you’d like to join the waiting list, please email admin@spanschools.org and we’ll be in touch with future options.

We are here to help you! Send us your questions via email to: admin@spanschools.org