ADVANCING WITH BLENDED LEARNING                                                                     

Instructor: Kim Turri  

45 CTLE Hrs; 3 inservice credits                                                                   K-12         

Dates: January 31, 2023 - March 28, 2023.                                               Fee: $150 

Time: Asynchronous

Required Materials: The Complete Guide to Blended Learning: Activating Agency, Differentiation, Community, and Inquiry for Students  

by Catlin Tucker.   

The course Advancing with Blended Learning was designed to help teachers architect learning experiences that meet the needs of our diverse learners. In these last few years, teachers have had to design and facilitate learning for various teaching and learning landscapes. Skillfully shifting between online and in-person learning has become expected of teachers. In this course, participants will learn how to harness technology to enhance student learning in both realms. This course will equip educators with strategies and tools to support student and educator success in blended environments and beyond. This course provides teachers with a deep dive into planning and facilitating learning for various teaching and learning landscapes. Each module includes resources, templates, and action items designed to encourage teachers to take what they are learning and create resources and lessons they can use with students immediately.

Participants will:

• Gain insight into why blended instruction provides pathways for effective, student-centered teaching

• Learn to navigate flexible learning landscapes

• Understand different collaborative and community-oriented strategies for successful blended teaching

• Utilize thoughtful reflection questions to examine classroom practices

• Discover strong theoretical frameworks and models for online and offline instruction

This course will be conducted in an asynchronous online setting utilizing Google Classroom as the delivery platform. Participants meet virtually via online communities to discuss and share lessons and strategies. Personal Google accounts will be required to access the course.

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Encore USING VIDEOS TO PROMOTE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES IN YOUR CLASSROOM 

Instructor: Debbie Salitsky, LCSW

15 CLTE Hours, 1 In-service Credit                   Grades K-12

Dates: February 6, 13, 27, 2023                                            Fee: $50

Time:  7:00-8:30 PM     4.5-Hour Mandatory Synchronous Participation plus

10.5-Hour Asynchronous Participation to be completed by March 15, 2023               

COVID has taken a toll on the mental health of our students. Social Emotional Learning is now an integral part of education and social development. Educators may not have valuable time to research and review meaningful videos providing teachable moments for our students. This course is designed to provide all participants access to at least 180 videos to use in their learning environment.

Participants will: 

• Examine curriculum through a culturally responsive teaching lens incorporating ELLs and SWD.

• Understand how infusing SEL videos into daily curriculum is instrumental in improving the social emotional health of our students.

• Find age appropriate videos for your grade level that create teachable moments.

• Spark your own creativity to bring both fun and empathy into your classroom.

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Encore CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS: AN ONLINE BOOK STUDY  

Instructor: Jennifer Cavallaro

45 CTLE Hrs; 3 Inservice Credits.                                                                K-12

Dates: February 6 - March 20, 2023                                                          Fee: $150

Time: Asynchronous

Required Materials: Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners by Sydney Cail Snyder &  Diane Staehr Fenner 

What are you doing to promote multilingual learners’ equity?" There is no time like the present for you to reflect on your role in culturally responsive teaching and use new tools to build an even stronger school community that is inclusive of MLs.  “Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners” is NOT just for English as a New Language Teachers. It is a guide for ALL teachers who have students from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds in their classrooms. No matter your role or where you are in your professional and personal journey, you can confront injustice by taking action steps to develop a climate in which all students’ backgrounds, experiences, and cultures are honored, and educators, families, and communities work collaboratively to help MLs thrive. We owe it to our students. 

In this book study, we will…

• Connect concepts and engage learners

• Demonstrate language acquisition knowledge

• Acquire knowledge of students to enhance learning

• Remain current in content knowledge/pedagogy

• Use a variety of approaches to meet student needs

• Design learning to connect prior knowledge

• Use curricular resources to achieve student goals

***********************************************************************************************************Encore NAVIGATING YOUR NEW POSITION- MID-YEAR TO END

Instructor: Selina Durio  

30 CTLE hours: 2 inservice credits                                 K-12 Teachers in their 1st -6th yrs.

Dates: February 1 - March 15, 2023

Mandatory Synchronous Dates: 2/1, 2/16, 3/1, 3/15   Time: 6:30 - 8:00 pm

NO FEE FOR OWL CONSORTIUM TEACHERS. 

YOU MUST USE A PERSONAL NON SCHOOL DISTRICT GOOGLE ACCOUNT

This course will be conducted in both synchronous and asynchronous formats.  

This course is designed to provide a safe space for educators to examine and evaluate their own performance.  We will use the “Ten Rules for the Ride of Your Life” from The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon to point participants towards a direction within their teaching practice. The Energy Bus “introduces us to the power of positive energy to help individuals, teams(classroom) to overcome negativity and bring out the best in themselves and others (students)”  We will utilize discussion, case studies, written responses, and a mentorship approach to typical (and atypical) situations in which instructors find themselves.  An array of strategies will be provided to help educators embed coping skills and other positive behaviors into their everyday practice.  Private one-to-one mentorship and discussion will be made available upon request.

It is recommended, but not required, that you purchase the book: The Energy Bus, by Jon Gordon

Participants will explore the following topics. 

• Everyday school setting questions

• Current Educational Climate and Issues

• Interpersonal issues with colleagues

• How perspective/perception influences our behavior

• Additional topics will be added based on participant needs

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WELL PLAYED: MATH GAMES AND STRATEGIES THAT INCORPORATE PLAYFUL LEARNING

Instructor: Beth Read

45 CTLE Hours - 3 inservice credits                                                                         Grades: K-8

Dates and Times: February 6th - April 3rd, 2023

1 Required Google Meet:  2/6/23 @ 7:00- 8:00 p.m.                                               Fee: $150

Math has changed from 'answer-getting' to 'problem-solving'. Using games, puzzles, picture books and hands-on activities to achieve the Next Generation Standards is the way to motivate and engage students.  

In this course, participants will learn various ways of engaging students while teaching them elementary and middle school math concepts. The course consists of modules that introduce games and activities designed specifically for students in grades K-8 that align with the NYS Next Generation Math Standards. 

A substantial part of this class is about putting theory into practice, so get ready to play! Your students will enjoy learning math in this manner, and these activities are designed to help them better retain information about basic math operations and problem solving.

Each week participants will be required to log on at least 3 times, participate in a discussion, and complete an assignment. The instructor will be available throughout the course through email or video chat-meet(google). Discussion questions will be posted each week. Each Module is about 2 weeks long with 6-8 hours of work depending on the assignments.

*YOU must use a personal Google email outside of your district's email

Each Module will consist of:

📰 or 💻Discover - Video, Ted Talk, or Article with a reflection

✅ - Assignment

💡Teach - A guided piece of tasks to enhance each domain.  Participants will choose their path and immerse themselves in that domain.

🎲Practice - Participants will put into practice in their classrooms one or more of the guided activities/tasks.

✍️Evaluation - Self and Student

💬Discussion - Professional discussion with other participants in a risk free environment.

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NGSS THE BASICS-WHAT SCIENCE TEACHERS NEED TO KNOW TO GET STARTED IN GR. 6-12

Instructor: Christine Sanfratello 

15 CTLE Hrs.; 1 Inservice Credit.                                                    Science Teachers Gr. 6-12

Dates & Times: February 6 - March 22, 2023.                                 Fee: $50                                         CANCELED

Out with the old and in with the new! The new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are replacing the Common Core Science Standards.  The goal of NGSS is to reinvigorate science education to promote greater science learning and understanding while better preparing students for careers beyond high school in the 21st century. Full implementation of these standards is quickly approaching and it is time to get ready for the change. 

This course is meant to be the “Getting Started Toolkit” of the NGSS transition. Participants will begin by examining the NGSS standards to determine the essential differences between where we are and where we need to be. Next, participants will take an in-depth look at each of the 3 Dimensions of science learning to better understand the new expectations and standards of the science classroom. Throughout this journey, participants will begin to re-envision their science practices and redesign their science lessons to better prepare for the rigorous demands of NGSS.

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CREATING EXPERT LEARNERS: RESEARCH SKILLS REVIVED  CANCELED

Instructor: Jennifer Kelly

15 CTLE Hrs.; 1 Inservice Credit.                                                                 Teachers Gr. 6-12

 Dates: Feb 15, Mar 1, 8, 15, 22                                                                 Fee: $50

Time: Asynchronous (Course will be posted in segments on a weekly basis.)

Conducting research is such a vital skill for young people to learn.  Whether college bound or not, it is an important critical thinking skill, and it is far more productive when students are actively engaged. This course will demonstrate how effective Inquiry-based learning can be.  

Participants will:

• learn the functionality of the modern research databases

• embrace and offer the option of student choice

• use research to aid students in developing important critical thinking skills

• design projects to foster Inquiry-based learning as an effective modality for student learning. 

• explore and design creative options for projects that allow students to showcase what they have learned

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NEW DATES ABCs OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT: INCORPORATING ACTIVITIES BEFORE CONTENT

Instructor: Christine Sanfratello 

15 CTLE Hrs.; 1 Inservice Credit.                                                              Gr. K-12

Dates:  March 6, 2023 - March 31, 2023                                               Fee: $50

This course is designed for teachers looking to revitalize lessons and engage students like never before. Activity Before Content (ABC) strategies encourage learning through play, discovery, and exploration at all levels. Students develop their understanding of essential concepts through self-exploration, collaboration, and discussion. The emphasis of is placed on student-centered learning rather than teacher-directed learning. ABC’s are easy-to-implement strategies that empower student to take ownership of their learning. This workshop will introduce you to the fascinating "world” of ABCs, the simple approaches to begin incorporating ABCs into your lessons, and the deeper connections your students will make while actively participating in these activities. Participants will: Design Activity Before Content strategies to promote student exploration of content-specific concepts. Implement ABC strategies that encourage active engagement and learning. Evaluate ABC strategies specific to their content area and classroom needs. 

Participants will:

• Design Activity Before Content strategies into lessons to promote student exploration of content-specific concepts.

• Implement ABC strategies that encourage active engagement and learning in the classroom. 

• Evaluate ABC strategies to be used within the content-specific classroom. 

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MAKING STUDENTS BETTER WRITERS, THINKERS, AND SPEAKERS: HOW A WRITER'S NOTEBOOK CAN HELP!

Instructor: Dr. Karen Buechner

15 CTLE Hrs.; 1 Inservice Credit.                                                         Grades  PreK-12

Dates: February 16, 2023  -  April 16, 2023.                                    Fee: $50

Time: Fully Asynchronous 

Using a writer’s notebook is a valuable tool when it is part of a teachers’ comprehensive writing program. A primary purpose of the writer’s notebook is to facilitate the writing process and encourage thinking. It is a place for writers to explore ideas, reflect on their writing process, and experiment with style.  A writer’s notebook allows students of all ages to understand their writing identity; as a result, students think more critically, speak with increased confidence, and write better.

 As writing instruction is fundamentally a social activity, emphasis will be placed on strategies that engage students in conversations about language and writing. 

Participants will leave this workshop with ideas on how to design a comprehensive writing program that includes a writer’s notebook and promotes student dialogue. Teaching writing provides ample opportunities to support all students in their development as writers, speakers, and thinkers, and special attention will be given to creating a culturally sustaining environment that empowers all learners.

Participants will learn to: 

• Employ the protocols of implementing a writer’s notebook in the classroom.

• Develop an instructional writing program incorporating the writer’s notebook and student dialogue.

• Design activities that provide students with access to language skills essential for conversations about writing.

• Design instruction that promotes student dialogue during all phases of the writing process.

• Develop methods to assess the writer’s notebook.