Online Courses
Starting Tuesday 22nd September 2026
TSSA will be offering three online courses in September and October 2026, designed to strengthen student agency, spark curiosity, and support the development of an inquiry mindset.
The courses include:
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Harnessing the Power of Inquiry with Traci Willis;
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Teaching for Understanding with Thinking Maps presented by Sonja Vandeleur;
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From Prompt to Provocation: Using AI to Design Inquiry-Based Learning with Sarah Rogans.
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Traci Willis
Sonja Vandeleur
Sarah Rogans
Course 1
Harnessing the Power of Inquiry
Traci Willis
22nd Sept, 6th, 13th & 20th Oct
16:00 - 17:30
These four sessions build on the four workshops offered in February 2026, while also providing a practical starting point for educators who are new to using inquiry as a pedagogical approach.
Traci, Director of Thought Leaders, is an experienced professional development facilitator with deep expertise in inquiry-based learning.
Session 1
Cultivating Curiosity
Session 2
Empowering Student Agency
Session 3
Deepening Understanding: Beyond Knowing (1)
Session 4
Deepening Understanding: (Beyond Knowing (2)
Course 2
Teaching for Understanding with Thinking Maps
Dr Sonja Vandeleur
7th, 14th & 21st Oct
16:00 - 17:30
This practical three-session course will explore all eight Thinking Maps and the eight cognitive processes they represent, equipping you with a powerful framework for developing thinking across the curriculum. Through classroom examples and hands-on activities, you will learn how to use each map purposefully to support students in describing, comparing, classifying, sequencing, identifying cause and effect, exploring part-whole relationships, reasoning by analogy, and defining concepts in context. Suitable for educators across all grades and subject disciplines, the course will demonstrate how Thinking Maps can be integrated into everyday teaching to deepen understanding, strengthen communication, support inquiry-based learning, and develop students as increasingly independent, self-directed thinkers.
You will be given a booklet with visuals and information about each Map.
Course 3
From Prompt to Provocation: Using AI to Design Inquiry-Based Learning
Dr Sarah Rogans
8th & 29th October
16:00 - 17:30
These highly practical online sessions will explore how AI can become a powerful planning partner in designing rich, inquiry-based learning experiences. In the first session, you will learn how to craft effective prompts that generate meaningful provocations, essential questions, learning sequences, and formative assessment ideas that promote curiosity, critical thinking, and student agency. Throughout, the emphasis remains firmly on sound pedagogy, with AI used to enhance the expertise and professional judgement of the teacher.
Between sessions, you will have the opportunity to apply these strategies and prompt frameworks to your own planning. A dedicated WhatsApp group will provide an interactive space to ask questions, share examples, exchange ideas, and receive ongoing support from both the facilitator and fellow participants. The second session is designed as a collaborative workshop where participants will reflect on their experiences, refine their prompts, troubleshoot challenges, and explore examples from across different grades and subject areas. You will leave with greater confidence, practical resources, and a growing repertoire of AI-supported planning strategies that help students move beyond finding answers to asking better questions.
