Explore how teachers and students with no prior knowledge can use the Maker Movement to become inventors and designers. Teachers will learn the basics of the Maker Movement and how to integrate hands-on creative lessons into their standards to reach the needs of all students. We will explore green screen projects, basic robotics, coding, design theory, 3D printing, building and making, STEAM projects, and much more!

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Open to teachers in their first, second, or third year of teaching, this program supports motivated beginning teachers by strengthening their knowledge base and classroom expertise. Through experiential learning, teachers will explore pedagogical concerns including differentiated instruction, classroom management, formative and summative assessment, the effect of poverty on achievement and behavior, class procedures and expectations. Come prepared to build professional competence and confidence, improve student achievement, and reinforce your commitment to this critically important profession.

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Designed for teachers of grades 4–12

Students are engaged when they are involved in their work, persist despite challenges and obstacles, and take visible delight in their accomplishments. Solving student engagement issues is complex. What works in one class may be a failure in the next, with every year presenting new challenges for engaging students in various lessons. This program will review and evaluate strategies for motivating disengaged students and will prepare you to implement them upon your return to the classroom.

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Whether or not your school or district has adopted a Google Chromebook environment, if your LEA infrastructure allows for the use of Google Tools and/or Apps, the “Googlesphere” can be an immense help. It can aid in engaging students, keeping in touch with parents, automating feedback and assessment, sharing documents, and more. Hone your skills with the Google Chrome Browser, with Google Apps, with Android Apps, and with Chrome OS so that you can engage your students using freely available tools on almost any platform.

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Writing instruction is not only important but also vital for today’s students. Finding the time to teach writing in the elementary classroom, however, can prove challenging. Teachers will explore the various purposes for writing, the writing process, and strategies to integrate writing in other content areas. Additionally, teachers will investigate creative strategies to motivate students to write.

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Designed for lateral entry beginning teachers

Open to lateral entry teachers in their first, second, or third year of teaching, this program supports motivated beginning teachers by strengthening their knowledge base and classroom expertise. Through experiential learning, teachers will explore pedagogical concerns including differentiated instruction, classroom management, formative and summative assessment, the effect of poverty on achievement and behavior, class procedures and expectations. Come prepared to build professional competence and confidence, improve student achievement, and reinforce your commitment to this critically important profession.

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A strong foundation for reading often requires access to a variety of high-interest materials. Come ready to load your literacy tool kit with information about grant opportunities for purchasing books, digital devices, and other materials for enhancing literacy instruction. You will learn about successful funding opportunities other teachers have used to secure literacy-related donations. In addition, you will have the opportunity to discover open-access materials and to prepare small grants to enhance your literacy instruction. Finally, participate in the sharing of strategies for the effective use of these resources with reluctant readers.

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A digital educator uses technology to enhance their students' learning practice. In this program, educators will become familiar with a wide spectrum of tools and practices to help change their classroom into a digital learning environment. A partial list of digital resources will include BreakoutEdu, Virtual Reality, Twitter, CoSpaces, Edpuzzle, Educreations, and Google Suites. Create a digital learning environment that is personalized for each student with project-based learning. Using these digital resources, you will learn how to create and plan for learning that is blended, interactive, and flexible for student-centered instruction. Leave with plans on how to implement student-centered instruction in your classroom or school.

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Designed for teachers of grade level K–3

Foundational skills are critical to early literacy education. Examine literacy initiatives and discover the best practices for developing a welcoming and enriching reading and writing environment for the early childhood classroom. Create engaging read-aloud experiences and support emergent reading and writing. Learn teaching strategies that link literacy and play, develop phonological and print awareness, and embed literacy instruction in the basic activities of early learning.

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Designed for teachers of grades K–8

MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) is the umbrella under which all educational practices fall. It has two main pillars: RtI (Responsiveness to Instruction/Intervention) and PBIS (Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports). These two areas incorporate all academic and behavioral learning. What have we learned from the experts over the past decades? What does the research tell us about optimal teaching behaviors that equate to maximum learning outcomes? How can we change our behavior to ensure positive and thriving student behaviors? This program is intended to offer the big picture—the major areas that will yield the biggest impact, some of the latest research, as well as practical implementation suggestions and resources. Plan to leave with ideas, resources, and a game plan for your classroom and possibly your school!

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