Frequently Asked Questions

Enrollment, Payment & Refund Questions:

How much do the courses cost? When and how do I pay?

The courses vary in price from $145 to $525. See our Master Course Listing page for a listing of courses and their prices.

Payment is made online at the PBS TeacherLine Web site via debit or credit card at the time of enrollment.

Payment may also be made a school or district purchase order. If applicable, we encourage you to talk with your school principal or district office to see if they will pay for your course; many schools/districts have various pots of money dedicated for professional development and you may be able to receive full or partial course funding or reimbursement.

Course cost does not include the cost of graduate credit if applicable. (Graduate credit registration is handled after the course begins and the fees are paid separately to the institution offering the credit.)

How do I drop or withdraw from a course? What are your refund policies?

Please see our drop/withdrawal steps and our refund policies.

Important Course Dates:

Review our tips for new course learners.

How do I enroll?

1. From our Course Offerings page, click the title of the course you want. This will take you to the course information page on the national PBS TeacherLine site.

2. Click the orange "Enroll" button.
   

3. If you already have an account with PBS TeacherLine, enter your Email and Password in the boxes shown to log in.
   
   If you have not yet created an account with PBS TeacherLine, click the "Create an Account" link on the page and complete the form.
   

4. After you have logged in or created your account, you will see the course enrollment form.
   
   Enter "TLSE" in the green promo-code box and click the "Go" link to apply the code; this will ensure that we have your records for awarding SC, NC, or GA credit.
   
   [If you have a code given to you by your school/district, enter that code instead. If you have a promo code from another source, please contact us prior to enrolling for an equivalent TLSE code to use: 800-277-0829 or teacherline@scetv.org.]

5. Verify the course and price information and agree to the terms of service and click the "Checkout" button.
   

6. Enter your debit/credit card information and press the "Continue" button.
   

7. Review the information and if necessary make any corrections. Once you complete your enrollment, you will receive an email confirmation. To ensure you receive this confirmation and other course-related emails, please add "teacherline@scetv.org" and "tltechsupport@pbs.org" to your email address book of contacts.
   

Credit Questions:

What types of credit can I earn for a course? How much credit does a particular course earn?

TeacherLine courses offer several types of credit specific to SC, NC and GA educators and also graduate credit. Please see the credit types noted on our Credit page.

Will my State Department of Education give re-certification credit for TeacherLine courses or recognize the graduate credits for pay upgrades?

TeacherLine courses have been pre-approved and accepted for re-certification credit by the SC and GA state departments of education and also by more than 100 NC districts. Graduate credits have been accepted for many re-certification uses and for pay upgrades.

You are encouraged to verify with your school district or department of education the value of credit a particular course will earn per your particular certification and educational needs prior to enrolling in a course.

For more information, please see our Credit page.

Will I receive a letter grade for a PBS TeacherLine course?

Yes, you will receive a letter grade regardless of whether or not you elect to earn graduate credit. Our courses are graded on the following scale:

• 100-90 = Pass/graduate credit A
• 89-80 = Pass/graduate credit B
• 79-70 = Pass/graduate credit C
• Anything below receives no grade/credit from TeacherLine.

Generally course elements are weighted equally (discussion board participation, assignments, online journal, and final project). Please ask your facilitator for a specific breakdown for the grading in a course.

Note: Deadlines for weekly course material are real and assignments are graded according to rubrics with point scales. Points will be deducted for work that is not turned in on time according to the weekly schedule. Please inform your facilitator beforehand if you will be away from your computer and s/he will advise you if the work can be made up or completed beforehand as an exception.

Is graduate credit available for the course I want? How much does it cost?

Graduate credit is available for all TeacherLine courses except RDLA044, RDLA051, RDLA056, and RDLA061. Check the course detail page to verify the number of graduate credits earned by for any particular course.

See the graduate credit section of our Credit page for more information including cost which varies per course and institutional provider.

Graduate credit fees are paid directly to the granting institution upon registration for the credit; these fees are separate from course enrollment fees and are NOT paid at the same time. Registration for graduate credit is available AFTER the course begins through the last day of the course; the information on how to register is provided by your course facilitator, usually around the second week of the course.

What kind of credit documentation will I get after successfully completing a course?

It depends on the type of certification you choose. A few weeks into the course, we will ask you what type of credit you are seeking for your course.

• If you notify us that you want SC Renewal credits, NC CEU credits, or GA PLU credits, we will mail the appropriate official certificate to you about 2 weeks after the course ends.
  

• If you are pursuing graduate credit, you will need to choose one of our partnering institutions and register and pay for the credits before the course ends; your documentation will then be a transcript sent from the granting institution.

Notes:

• Depending on your course, you may be able to download a generic certificate directly from your course login page, however this generic certificate is not valid in SC or GA and in some cases in NC. TeacherLine Southeast will ask you for your credit choice and send you the necessary official certificate instead.

• If you are certified in more than one of our region's states (SC, NC or GA), we can provide you with a certificate for each state.

• You cannot get both graduate credit and a state re-certification document for a course. If you are pursuing graduate credit for a course, you will apply that credit towards your state re-certification credit.

Course Questions:

Where can I get a quick overview of TeacherLine courses?

Please visit our About Courses page; it provides an overview of the courses and a listing of the course features.

What courses will be offered and when?

See our Course Offerings page for courses currently scheduled and open for enrollment. Planned course offerings for the year are noted on our Master Course Listing page. Please sign-up for our email service and we'll keep you posted on new course offerings and TeacherLine updates as they happen.

What's the difference between a national PBS TeacherLine course and one being offered by TeacherLine Southeast?

When a course is offered by TeacherLine Southeast, participants are usually restricted to SC, NC and GA educators only and local facilitators lead the courses. In courses offered directly by PBS TeacherLine, course participants, and facilitators, may be from anywhere across the country (or world!). The course syllabus is the same though, whether you participate in a national course or local/regional one.

You can tell whether a course if offered nationally by PBS TeacherLine or locally by TeacherLine Southeast by clicking on the name of the course and looking for the "Offered by" information in the green box on the upper right side of the screen.

Do I need to attend any meetings or buy any textbooks or videos?

Courses are taught entirely online via the PBS TeacherLine website. There’s no need to buy anything or attend in-person meetings. All reading material, videos, audio-clips, and inter-active resources are provided online, and all discussions take place online too.

Can we print the readings or do we have to read everything “online”?

You will be able to print your reading assignments for off-line reading.

Is there a teacher or is this independent study?

Our highly qualified and specially trained facilitators will actively lead you through the course, setting due dates for coursework and assisting you with course content and assignments.

Are my assignments graded?

Yes, your course facilitator will grade your assignments, give you constructive and timely feedback on them, and post your grades.

How much work is involved in taking TeacherLine courses? Do I need to log-on at any specific times?

Most TeacherLine courses run for six weeks and assignments are due weekly. There are no required log-on times however you need to log-on at least three (3) times a week to complete assignments and participate in the discussion boards. You should plan on spending at least 3-10 hours a week on your course work (depending on whether you take a 15hr, 30hr or 45hr course). Failure to complete assignments and/or participate in weekly discussion board topics will result in a failing grade.

Please note that TeacherLine courses are graduate level courses. Course content and assignments are outlined in each course's syllabus, provided with each course listing, and we encourage you to review the syllabus for any course in which you are interested.

Can I take more than one course at a time?

You can sign up for as many courses as you would like, but we do not recommend taking more than 2 at a time if you have not previously taken a TeacherLine course.

How do I know if my computer will be compatible with the courses?

To check your computer to see if it has all the necessary software and settings for TeacherLine courses, go to the PBS TeacherLine "Help" page and click on the “Check Your Computer” link on the left side of the screen. This will check your computer for all the necessary components and give you a status report along with links for free downloads of any needed applications.

TeacherLine supports many versions of both Windows and Macintosh operating systems and also a variety of browsers (programs that serve as your entry to the World Wide Web).

Who can I contact for course assistance?

TeacherLine courses offer several sources for assistance:

What are your course policies?

Please visit our Policies page and also the PBS TeacherLine Support page that has links for policies on several matters.

Can I see what a course environment looks like before enrolling in a course? ?

Yes, you may access the PBS TeacherLine “Free Orientation Course” at any time to get familiar with the TeacherLine course environment. You do not need to be enrolled in an actual course to take the free orientation course, however you do need to create a PBS TeacherLine account with your name and a password via the PBS TeacherLine registration page.

Note: The "Free Orientation Course" is not really a course; it's really more of just an open course environment you can explore to get familiar with the format of real TeacherLine courses. The 'course' also contains many helpful tips about learning online and getting the most out of your experience. If you are new to learning online, we highly recommend that you spend some time exploring this course.

I am not a “techie” and can barely send an email, can I still complete a TeacherLine course?

Yes! Our learners have a wide range of skills. If you need extra help, just let your facilitator know and he/she will be happy to give you extra assistance. Also, be sure to explore the 'Free Orientation Course' noted above prior to your course start date.

When/how will I be able to access my course? How do I start my course?

You will have access to your course two days before the official start date. This will give you time to log in, explore the learning environment, take the pre-course survey, and introduce yourself in the discussion area. We encourage you to take this opportunity and get familiar with the course setup.

To enter your course, go to the PBS TeacherLine website and log in with your Email and Password. This will prompt your course title to display; click the title to enter your course environment. You can also access your course by selecting the “My Courses” tab from the top menu bar and clicking your course title link from there.

You may begin your course work on the first day of the course; simply log in to the PBS site as noted above and begin your first assignment. Your facilitator will send you a welcome e-mail on or before the first day of the course, however you do not need this e-mail to access and begin your course. Be sure to begin your course within the first three days.

What are educators and past learners saying about the courses?

We get a lot of great feedback about our courses! Learners particularly like our discussion boards (even if they were nervous about participating in the beginning!), the real-world applications of assignments, and of course, the convenience of the courses. Read all about it on our Testimonials page!

How do you determine which courses to offer?

Our standards and research-based courses cover a variety of subject areas including language arts, math, science, STEM, general instructional strategies, social studies, and technology. Through collaborations with ISTE, NCTM, a National Advisory Board, and PBS member stations, PBS TeacherLine determines course topics and pedagogy. If you are seeking a specific content area not currently addressed, we encourage you to consider our instructional strategies and technology courses as they have many applications and may perhaps offer some value to you.

Can I attend class in my pajamas?

Yes!

Tips for new TeacherLine course learners:

Here are some tips to help you have a positive learning experience in your TeacherLine course.

• Enroll in just one or two courses at a time, especially if working full-time;
• Review your course syllabus at least one week before your course begins to ensure it is the right course for you;
• Complete the TECH101 Practice Learning Online with PBS TeacherLine free demo at least one week prior to beginning your first course;
• Use the "Check Your Computer" tool on the PBS TeacherLine Web site to be sure your computer has the right software and settings for working on a course;
• Add "teacherline@scetv.org" and "tltechsupport@pbs.org" to your email address book of contacts to ensure that important course notices are delivered to you;
• Know the course participation policies ahead of time;
• Try to check your e-mail at least every two days while you are taking a course and keep your TeacherLine profile updated;
• Log in to your course at least three times a week (beginning, middle, and end of the week);
• Post thoughtful comments to your discussion board. Always ask yourself, "How can I move this discussion and everyone's understanding forward with my response?";
• Be respectful of others, and be open to receiving constructive criticism of your work from peers and your course facilitator;
• Support your peers and course facilitator. If you know the answer to a question, please provide it;
• Know who to go to for help (see the table in the left column) and ask for help right away if needed. Notify your facilitator if you will be absent from your course for more than three days;
• Have fun and enjoy meeting and working with new colleagues!