Approximately 10 percent of the school population (or 9-13 million children) struggle with and demonstrate behaviors associated with mental health problems, ASD, developmental and learning disabilities. Additionally, on the rise, are students who struggle day to day from the effects of trauma or bullying. In the classroom, children with behavioral challenges often fail in school, waste time in detention or suspension, fall behind academically or never master the skills they need to make adequate progress. All the while, educators and all school-based professionals are under pressure to show progress for every student every year. This course is relevant to all who work in schools with children ages 5-21 in both regular and special education settings. This course has been designed for all school administrators, regular and special education teachers (grades K-12 and ages 5 to 21),special area teachers (gym, art, music, technology) school psychologists, school counselors, guidance counselors, social workers, speech and language therapists or speech pathologists and occupational or physical therapists. Course of objectives: 1. Participants will learn the basics of behavior 2. Participants will gain an understanding of the functions of behavior and how to use this methodology to understand behavior 3. Participants will synthesize their learning in order to help them manage the misbehavior of even the most challenging of students 4. Participants will apply behavior principles in order to create systems to motivate and get more out of their students ON-LINE (3 Credits / 45 hours) in-service credit only

Bullying whether in person on cyber bullying can have drastic ramifications. This act is a way for school staff to report any acts of “bullying” against students and see a change occur within the school. This course will explore what is DASA and how it applies in your school as well as the intricacies within. ON-LINE (3credits/45hours) In-service credit only

With the adoption of the CCLS one major instructional shift has been to incorporate more nonfiction into the classroom. As educators, one of our major goals is to prepare students to be college and career ready. Approximately ninety-five percent of daily work-related information is in expository form. Based upon this information, it is necessary for educators to teach students ways to navigate and comprehend this form of text. This course will help teachers improve nonfiction instruction and expository reading comprehension with their students. Topics covered in this class include: expository text structure, features and patterns strategies for vocabulary instruction metacognition strategies like activation of prior knowledge (new to known), self-monitoring skills, questioning the text, determining importance, and synthesizing As a result of this course participants will gather helpful unit plans of study for incorporating nonfiction for immediate classroom use. A must for all educators K-12!! ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only

“Fluency is the ability, to read smoothly, easily, and readily with freedom from word recognition problems. Fluency provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension. It is not a stage of development at which readers can read all words quickly and easily. Fluency changes, depending on what readers are reading, their familiarity with the words, and the amount of their practice with reading text.” —National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) Fluent reading is a sign of a proficient reader and is a major goal of literacy instruction. When readers are fluent, they are free from word recognition challenges and are able to fully focus on meaning and comprehension. This course will explain fluency and the components of fluent reading in depth. Educators will learn key fluency terms including: phrasing, intonation, automaticity, and expression. Participants will learn how fluency develops and various methods/tools to assess/measure fluency. In addition, educators will research successful instructional strategies to implement within his/her own classroom. Teacher will gather many fluency lesson plans for immediate use with students. A must for all educators!! ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only

“America must provide students with a strong education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to prepare them to succeed in the global economy.” -U.S. Department of Education This course will examine the philosophy of STEM education as well as current research about the STEM initiative. The various methods of STEM implementation will be discussed. Participants will learn the components of successful STEM instruction and have the opportunity to research/evaluate useful STEM resources. Local resources and field trip opportunities will be explored in order to bring the STEM experience to life in the classroom. As a result of this course, participants will gather a variety of materials for effective STEM instruction that will be ready for immediate classroom use. A must for all educators K-12! ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only

The focus of this course will be to provide educators with an overview of the Next Generation Learning Standards recently adopted by New York State. Participants will have the opportunity to research and study the philosophy behind the new standards and the timeline for implementation. During this course, educators will research the ELA, Math, and Science standards appropriate to his/her grade level. In addition, educators will examine the differences between the Next Generation Learning Standards and the current Common Core Learning Standards. As a culminating activity, students will create dynamic lessons aligned to the Next Generation Learning standards utilizing the information learned in this course. ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only

“Rather than focusing solely on students’ academic achievement, the whole child approach to education focuses on students’ well-being beyond the classroom. It’s centered on the idea that preparing students for the future goes beyond preparation in academia.” –Edith Esperaza This course will examine the philosophy of whole child education, considering the health, safety, & social-emotional wellness of a student while they are supported & challenged within schools. Educators will learn the main components of whole child education and research effective practices in real-world examples from schools across the nation. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to research successful administrators as well as explore whole child action plans in order to turn-key information within his/her school/district. ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only

Teaching in the 21st Century now requires educators to embrace technology. Smartphones, ipads, and tablets are expanding the learning experience like never before for teachers and students. In this course, participants will research hundreds of educational apps appropriate to his/her grade level and content area. Participants will become familiar with apps for both students and teachers which can be used inside and outside of the classroom. Student centered apps will help to make learning more engaging and interactive while developing a deeper understanding of content. Teacher centered apps will help teachers develop innovative lessons, monitor progress, implement the common core standards, stay organized, grade, and much more! In addition, research will be conducted on apps specifically designed for ELL and special education students. As a result of this class, participants will gather resources and information necessary to effectively utilize apps as a beneficial learning tool. ONLINE COURSE (3credits/45hours) In-service credit only

  Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com (3 Credits/ 45 Hours) Course Description: The skills of presentations serve a multitude of purposes within the confines of our classrooms. The art and science of teaching requires a stress-free environment, one in which individuals are calm and comfortable within themselves and can articulate with ease. This course will enable participants to create this environment of presenting with their students. All content areas will be covered in terms of embracing the mindset of learning and the discipline. Strategies include movement trumping sitting, images trumping words, writing trumping reading, remembering the relevance of things. All techniques will be instructed upon and an atmosphere of phenomenal, active approaches will be tackled. **A must for all K-12 Educators!!!

Course Description: No matter what you do in life the ability to be a good reader and writer is paramount. This course will focus on how as educators we can create a reading and writing program that will work for all students. This program can lead all students on the road to success as literate individuals who can write for any purpose. Participants will begin with techniques to get your students involved in the writing process. Teachers will learn how to keep your students engaged and involved with a plethora or writing and reading activities. Educators will be introduced to a variety of literary techniques that will ensure your student’s reading and writing abilities. These writing techniques will leave you surrounded with a classroom full of excited and successful readers and writers. Teachers will share experiences on how to develop reading as well as writing assignments for their students that are lasting and meaningful, and how to help them succeed in a Common Core driven world. This course is a must for all teachers of all disciplines K-12.

(Online, In-Service, 3 credits)

Instructor: Kimberly Wind

kimberlyswind@gmail.com

Course Description   

      This course explores Canva for Education. Canva makes it easy to create in the classroom. Teachers and students can use Canva to design presentations, videos, posters, newsletters, worksheets, lesson plans, book reports, infographics, and so much more. Canva is crammed full of features including integration with Google Classroom. You can even import your existing presentations and PDFs. Come join us as we explore MANY ways to engage your students.

   Participants completing this course will: 

• Learn how to use the features of Canva to create their own presentations, worksheets, and other classroom materials

• Learn how to use Canva to create their own teacher made materials for the classroom 

• Learn how to engage students in an interactive way while meeting the needs of all learners

  Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com 3 Credits (45 Hours) In-Service Credit Only Course Description: On a daily basis, teachers must deal with issues surrounding poverty and pedagogy. Many of our students confront a wide array of issues and arrive at school unprepared for the day ahead. A wealth of misconceptions arises as well, some of which tend to stifle our learners and disallow for success. In this course, teachers will learn how to recognize the root of these misconceptions, produce experiential and critical thinking activities for their learners, as well as develop lessons on equity and justice, all of which promote changes in attitude and empathy for all learners. A must for all K-12 educators in all disciplines!!!!

  Course Description: Transforming our schools requires a compelling vision and thought-provoking curriculum. This course will examine the transformative role that teachers play in designing their perfect classroom, one teeming with practical strategies, creativity, and rich assignments and assessments. Participants will utilize a wealth of resources- including articles, on-line components, and fiction in order to engage their learners and examine past and present best practices. Innovative lessons and assessments will be covered as well as creating everyday student leaders. All disciplines will be covered as well as a blending of resources. A must for all K-12 educators!!!!!! (3 credits/45 hours) – In-Service Credit

This course explores the creation of a classroom community that meets the needs of all students, including learners with disabilities and learners with diverse backgrounds. Suitable all educators K-12. A primary objective of this course is to help teachers understand how the Building a Classroom Community approach boosts children’s social and academic skills while reducing behavior problems. Particpants completing this course will: • Receive materials, readings and research relevant to building a classroom community • Learn how to develop strategies that will enable all students to participate in group activities and explore team building activities • Morning Meeting Approach • Investigate the Responsive Classroom approach to discipline • Gather practical tips to try in your classroom right away ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only

3 credits/45 hours In service only Janna Florio jflorioliips@gmail.com Today, teachers are faced with the challenge of teaching students with diverse backgrounds, experiences, intelligence types, learning styles, and needs. Educators struggle to “reach” all students in their classrooms, particularly when cultural and language barriers exist. In recent years, a large part of our student population includes English Language Learners (ELLs), many coming from Spanish-speaking countries. Though Bilingual Education is becoming more and more prominent, teachers lacking proficiency in a student’s dominant language can feel lost in their own classrooms: struggling to communicate with and effectively teach their students. This course is designed to assist teachers of ELLs to better support their students across curricula and throughout all grade-levels. Although the course is designed mainly for teachers of Spanish-speaking students, the majority of the strategies and ideas discussed can benefit all ELLs regardless of their native language or cultural background.

The squeaky wheel gets the oil, right? The student who struggles, who asks a thousand questions in a week, who attends extra help, who needs your extra attention, usually gets it. It’s in our nature, as educators, to do whatever we can to help those students who need it most. And sometimes we take for granted the strong student, assuming he/she is moving along swimmingly and needs little, if any, attention or motivation. One of the many challenges a teacher faces is trying to reach every student and ensure each receives equal focus. Teachers enrolled in this course will explore various methods for not only reaching the gifted, intrinsically motivated student, but pushing that student to be even better. Application: All subjects/grade levels ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) In-Service Credit only

  Course Description:  This course will focus on how with the number of students with learning disabilities on the rise, how a solution had to be found.   As educators, we are confronted with the challenges of educating all students, even the ones with numerous learning delays and/or disabilities. Educators will discuss different ways in which they are required to find lessons in which to meet the needs of all learners. This course will explore co-teaching strategies that will enhance student learning. We will also investigate various learning strategies that meet the needs of students with various learning needs.  This course is a must for all educators levels K-12.

Feeling nervous about the new standards? Worried that you will not be able to tackle the Common Core rigors? Fear no more! In this course, you will be able to decipher the common core code and utilize writing techniques to implement the common core standards. You will be exposed to a plethora of writing and reading techniques that will recharge your students while being completely standards orientated. Multiple writing genres will be introduced as well as essential tools to help your students tackle the tests. Assignments and assessments will be provided that mirror the common core. This course is a MUST for all educators K-12! ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only

Course Description: This course will focus on the FUNdamentals of communication in the classroom. How we communicate with our students impacts all aspects of our lives and theirs. Educators will learn how to create a fun classroom environment where students can develop and strengthen their communication skills. Teachers will share verbal and nonverbal communication tips as well as share feedback. This course is a must for all educators K-12.

Course Description: Conferencing with your students is a way to empower them to improve their skills by setting goals and then achieving them.  Conferencing is also a great way to really get to individually know each one of your students.  Educators will work on how plan conferencing times with your students in the classroom.  Teachers will explore strategies for effective discussion skills, how to work towards educational goals set by each student, and how to plan your students’ success.  Conferencing guidelines, techniques and questions will be shared.  This course is a must for all educators grades K-12.

(3 credits/45 hours) In service credit only Instructor: Joanie Deignan    jdeignanliips@gmail.com Summary: Cooperative games in physical education can benefit the comradery of physical education classes. To be able to teach your class how to work together like a team prior to other units can help them reach full potential as a group and make the most out of your physical education class. Cooperative play helps kids hone their social skills as they figure out how to negotiate group dynamics. It helps them learn how to collaborate and compromise with others, recognize and respond to others’ feelings, share, show affection, resolve conflicts, and follow and cooperate with gymnasium and game rules.

*New Course

June 27th-July 3rd Course Description: Journaling has always been a way to express your thoughts and get your ideas out.  It has also been a way to milestone important events, record everyday happenings, or just let our your innermost feelings.  As educators, we have the opportunity to use journaling to our benefit on a daily basis.  In this course, educators will discuss the importance of journaling and the benefits of journaling in all subject areas.  We will discuss how to begin a daily journaling routine for both students and teachers.  This routine can work for all students and educators and can be used as an emotional tool.  Journaling can be used to treat anxiety, depression, and help affect us in many positive ways.  Educators will discuss a variety of strategies from the fact “that there’s no right way to journal”, to “how to keep on journaling.”  Teachers will discuss the benefits of handwritten journaling vs. digital journaling.   Strategies such free writing, timed writing and the 1-minute journal strategy will be explored. Participants will receive a series of journal prompts, ideas and samples to be used for any subject areas and to model in their classrooms.  This course is a must for all educators of all subjects and grade levels K-12.   Instructor:  Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com 3 credits – In service Course (45 Hours)

(3 credits/45 hours) In service only Instructor:  Claudia Marra Cmarraliips@gmail.com Course Description: Are you a teacher looking to make book clubs more exciting and interactive for your students? This course is designed to equip educators with innovative tools and strategies to infuse fun into book club activities. By incorporating board games, accountable talk questions, Book of Quotes, Pictionary, Scattergories, facetime, speed dating, and dramatic tableaux, you’ll create an environment where students can explore literature with enthusiasm and creativity. Course Objectives: Integrate board games, creative activities, and discussions to enhance student engagement in book clubs. Foster critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork skills through interactive activities. Develop accountable talk questions to deepen literary analysis and comprehension. Utilize a curated “Book of Quotes” to inspire thoughtful discussions. Explore the use of dramatic tableaux as a means of bringing literature to life.

  Instructor – Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com 3 credits (45 hours) – In-service course Course Description: The compounding ramifications of stress in students’ lives can be overwhelming and insurmountable. Instructing students on the ways in which to manage and cope with difficulties is crucial to their well-being. This course will enlighten participants on the ways in which students can handle stress in their daily lives, including coping mechanisms, proactive thinking, positive relationship building, and the exploration of lifetime practices. A must for all K-12 educators!!!!!

Every classroom is full of students who learn differently and thrive on different forms of assessment. Some struggle with exams while excel at projects that allow for creativity. Teachers will learn that differentiated learning is not as difficult to implement as was once thought. They will explore the multitude of ways; proactive, qualitative, student driven and group instruction driven, that this can be implemented into all classes. Effective use of assessment is the foundation of the differentiated classroom. Teachers will learn how to gain information from their students and gear their assessments in ways to promote the retention of materials for students and their learning goals. ON-LINE (3credits/45hours) In-service credit only

Storytelling in the digital era, writing is not just about composing traditional essays by typing into a word-processing program. Today writers compose by using a variety of platforms to produce different forms. We compose slide shows, videos, audio documentaries, brochures, Tweets, blogs, and much more. If we want to be effective composers in our, global world, we have to learn how to compose using these different platforms, and we have to understand what such forms allow, disallow, and require. We need both technical skill and critical understanding. This course will introduce you to DIGITAL STORYTELLING. Digital storytelling is a creative way to integrate writing, technology, and content curriculum. Digital storytelling is an excellent way to engage students because it allows them to use their growing technology skills to tell a story. You will learn how to design digital storytelling projects for all content areas (k-12) allowing you to incorporate writing throughout the curriculum. Assessments of digital stories will also be reviewed. ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service only

  Course Description: Reflecting and analyzing our practices as educators is critical. Creating learners that possess both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is transformative. This course focuses on a plethora of ways that students and teachers alike can cultivate and systematically address their learners. A myriad of ideas and lessons will be shared that challenge and guide students towards success. Lessons include literary studies, critical thinking exercises, poetry snippets, dramatic dialogues, Sample mini-lessons, activities, and strategies will be provided. A must for all K-12 instructors!!!!!! (3 credits/45 hours) In-service credit only

  Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com In-Service Course – 3 Credits – 45 Hours Course Description: Creating a classroom in which collaboration and cooperation is at the forefront is no easy feat. This course will explore all differentiated strategies and enable participants to investigate and fine tune their students’ groupwork. Rigorous assignments will be addressed including critical thinking activities, best practices in one’s discipline, and positive affirmations. *A Must for K-12 Educators*

Teachers typically spend anywhere from 35 – 50 percent of their instructional time asking questions. But are these questions effective in raising student achievement? In this course, participants will learn how to improve their questioning techniques utilizing current educational research informative practices. Types of questions will be discussed, wait time, engagement of students, essential questions, etc. Participants will be able to walk away with a multitude of inquiry based learning that will enhance their classroom environment. A must for all K-12 teachers. ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only

  Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com (3 Credits/45 Hours) Course Description: Becoming a highly engaging teacher, teeming with innovative ideas and enthralling techniques is what this course is aimed to elaborate. In today’s world of highly engaging technology, kids tend to prioritize the wrong things. This course will instruct educators on the ways in which the adolescent brain functions and the strategies that are required to pave the path for the green light energy. Participants will learn ideas as tapping into students’ emotions, building blocks for effective instruction, making content relevant for students, creating new memory pathways. **A must for K-12 educators!!!

New Course

(3 credits/45 hours) On line only

Instructor:  Claudia Marra cmarraliips@gmail.com

Course Description:

This course is a dynamic and interactive professional development course designed to empower educators from various school subjects with innovative and engaging teaching techniques. This course combines creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, emphasizing the use of vision boards, one-pagers, interactive digital and tactile board games, class-cuterie boards, Scattergories, and the Game of Quotes to enhance classroom experiences and active engagement.  Suitable all educators and staff K-12.

Enhancing one’s students to be motivated and think critically about the world around them is tantamount to the Common Core standards of learning in all subject areas. The study of the philosophy behind learning captivates students and infuses morality and integrity into their worlds. In this course, teachers will be exposed to a plethora of ideas that enable them to critically analyze, judge, delineate, and closely comprehend content area ideas and genre in order to create pertinent lessons for their students. Teachers will walk away with a multitude of interdisciplinary lessons for their classrooms. Materials include: picture books, non-fiction articles, creative techniques that enhance any classroom and empower everyone. • A must for K-12 educators!!!! ONLINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only

Course Description: This course is designed to assist educators in getting their students to become engaged and motivated. We will discuss how to get your classroom interested and involved in the learning process. Students who may have become bored or tired of the same day by day learning styles can become engaged again with the right strategies. A variety of practical and simple strategies will be shared. A multitude of materials will be discussed and distributed on how to motivate and engage your students again. Educators will learn to implement creative techniques to get your students to motivate themselves both physically and mentally and get involved once again. Educational articles and research in this area will also be studied. This is a must for all teachers of all disciplines K-12.

Course Description – Engaging students in all levels of reading instruction is crucial for all subject matters. Literacy instruction is tantamount as students utilize remote instruction on a daily basis. This course will provide students with authentic tools for selecting books, responding to them, critiquing them, utilizing book clubs, and centers for discussion. A Must for K-12 Educators!!!

(3 credits/45 hours) – In-Service Credit

Learning is a lot like bike riding. Once you have the knack, you never really forget the skill. Nor do you forget the thrill of learning a new ability or understanding a complex idea. You are a lifelong learner and you love it. Why have so many students never discovered this thrill? Why are they coasting when they could be racing along in the educational Tour de France with their peers? What can teachers do to engage the disengaged student? This course will help teachers keep students highly engaged throughout an entire lesson and encourage students to contribute their ideas and insights as a way of enhancing their own and other students’ learning. Learning Outcomes At the completion of this course students will be able to: 1. Expect students to help define topics and determine how they can be studied 2. Link content to students’ prior knowledge and experience. 3. Ensure that students are mentally engaged in all activities and assignments 4. Allow students to initiate and adapt learning activities and projects. 5. Form instructional groups that work to achieve learning goals. 6. Choose suitable instructional materials for lessons and encourage students to select resources that will help them learn 7. Teach highly coherent, well-planned, and well-paced lessons that include time for student reflection ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) In-service credit only

Technological lessons are at the forefront of teaching. Research indicates that students learn more effectively via Internet lessons and hands-on learning opportunities. In this course, teachers will travel through time and enhance their repertoires via engaging web quests. They will connect with their students on all levels via web instruction. Interdisciplinary web quests will be demonstrated in all subject areas. Research into enhancing their own classroom instruction will be addressed as well. A Must for K-12 educators!!!! ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only