Tacoma School District Registration Page

In-Service Funds Payment: This option is only available to OP, PT, Para and Exempt staff and only if funds are available in an individual's In-Service Funds account.

Other classified, Cert/Teacher and Substitute must pay with a credit card. Reimbursement may be available through departments or TEA for some staff using this option.

Suggested Completion Time: Two Hours

Break old, time consuming writing habits and learn new skills with Writing Tools That Count! From pre-writing strategies to writing techniques, this interactive self-study course gives participants the tools to get organized, get started, and get writing quickly and effectively.

Participants receive a personalized feedback letter from one of our writing coaches, outlining writing strengths and challenges based on the writing sample submitted by the participant.

Learn how to:

• Use Three Essential Pre-Writing Questions to clarify your topic, reader, and purpose.
• Organize your writing in record time with Idea Mapping.
• Use the Power Numbers System to jumpstart your writing.
• Create effective Introductions and Conclusions to connect your content and engage your reader.

You will learn how to create enticing and well-constructed documents. By sharing techniques used by professionals, this course shows you how to take your writing skills to a higher level. The result? Powerful letters, manuals, newsletters, proposals, and emails that target your audience and get the message across loud and clear. From basic rules that guarantee simplicity to tips on proofing work for error-free documents, this course teaches career-enhancing skills that last a lifetime.

At the completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Achieve a positive and professional tone that has that important personal touch
• Eliminate unnecessary words that muddy a message
• Add fluency and cadence to keep their readers' interest
• Energize your writing with active, precise word choices
• Use a simple checklist to efficiently revise any document
• Add professional polish and impact to all written communications

Your Shortest Route to Fast, Effective Writing!

Suggested Completion Time: 60 Minutes

Are you wasting time just getting organized to start a writing project? Idea Mapping gives structure to your ideas while helping you unlock your creative genius. This short, yet very powerful course will help you overcome writer's block and recapture lost time by using Idea Mapping - the shortest distance between an idea and a finished product.

At the completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Unlock your creative genius and jumpstart the writing process
• Dramatically reduce drafting or project planning time
• Quickly and easily organize your thoughts
• Keep writing on target and completed in less time
• Understand how this valuable tool tames even the most tedious writing chore

Suggested Completion Time: 60-90 Minutes

What are your punctuation mistakes telling your readers? Your very credibility is reflected in every message that goes out, not to mention the statement your writing makes about your company. Take care with your written communications. Review proper punctuation and capitalization to ensure accurate comprehension for your readers. Boost your confidence and your readers' confidence in you with the Punctuation That Counts! online course.

Punctuation mistakes cost time, money, and productivity. Prevent rogue punctuation marks from making their way into your writing. Put your best foot forward with techniques that produce error-free emails, reports, and memos, actually anything you have to write! Immediately improve your writing skills in this interactive course.

At the completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Use new approaches to de-mystify an old topic
• Improve writing clarity through accurate punctuation
• Use punctuation to influence tone
• Apply quick proofreading tips to catch common punctuation errors
• Edit documents confidently
• Use punctuation to influence tone
• Apply quick proofreading tips to catch common punctuation errors

Suggested Completion Time: Two Hours

Email has become the single most important communication tool in business today. Unfortunately, poorly written emails can damage relationships, ruin sales opportunities, and prevent career advancement. Participants will learn how to optimize email flow, write emails that get read and acted on, and evaluate tone and how to use it based on the reader.

• Do you know how to frame your words when writing to higher-ups?
• Do you know current email best practices?
• Do you know how to develop tone through correct word choice?
• Are you overwhelmed with the amount of e-mails you send and receive?
• Do you spend too much writing emails?

In this interactive course, you will learn how to optimize your email flow, write emails that get read and acted on, evaluate tone and how to use it based on the reader, and organize an email from start to finish.

Suggested Completion Time: 60-90 Minutes

Present yourself in the best light possible by ensuring your documents are grammatically correct. Your goal is to deliver quality products and services--make certain all your written communications have the same polish. Learn techniques to fine-tune any document and review the most important principles behind business writing.

In this online course, you will learn to:

• Recognize and prevent the ten most common grammatical errors

• Apply tips to remember long-forgotten grammar rules

• Increase clarity through proper word usage

• Upgrade the quality of your business writing

• Reduce grammar frustration and anxiety