Literacy: Reading & Writing
 | ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) In-Service Credit only Instructor: Jessica Armbruster jarmbrusterliips@gmail.com Course Descriptions: Math Facts are essential, and require reinforcement to stay in the long-term memory bank. Deliberate incorporation of fluency into our daily classroom routines ensures student growth and success. This course will examine why students need to build their math fact fluency as well as different strategies for incorporating math facts into your day through stations, games, community builders, and more! Teachers will explore the “how” behind fact memorization, as well as the “where” to incorporate this essential practice. This course welcomes educators of grades K-6! | |
 | In-Service Credit only
Course Description:
A vital component of the secondary Humanities classroom, the Research Paper is often met with fear, anxiety, procrastination, and trepidation. Students quickly and easily become overwhelmed by its requirements and teachers often find it difficult to convey its importance and articulate its elements. Middle and high school teachers enrolled in this course will examine the Research Paper and explore proven strategies aimed at effectively teaching students how to properly craft a paper of this magnitude. Applicable to middle and high school teachers. | |
 | Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia - gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Course - 3 Credits - 45 Hours
Course Description: Comprehending the ways in which students succeed is tantamount to all educators. Knowing the means to drive student mastery is critical. This course is designed to empower educators to reimagine and redesign their classrooms through impactful pedagogy. They will analyze proven strategies of learning and explore a wealth of resources that enable students to put together ideas in new ways and take risks while learning. Participants will learn the ways in which to effectively achieve the core in all subject matters, providing the utmost instruction to all learners.
*A must for K-12 educators* | |
 | Course #L1035 A potentially challenging segment of the NYS Global History Regents Exam, the Enduring Essay requires students to adeptly describe historically significant challenges. Teachers in this course will explore proven tactics for introducing this concept in the classroom and guiding students to mastery-level essay writing. ON-LINE (3 Credits / 45 hours) in-service credit only | |
 | 3 credits/45 hours In service only Bryan Horrman bhorrmannliips@gmail.com Course Description: Have you ever asked yourself, “Which is more important, to have students learn the outcomes of previous reasoning or to have students learn the skills to conduct their own research?” Much of teaching that we do today is outcome based, which has manifested itself in multiple choice exams. While testing is important, there needs to be a balance by teaching students the process by which they arrive at answers. This class will explore the use of active learning inside of your classroom where students can be directly involved in their own education. Goal of the Course: The goal of this course to collaborate with other teachers and create a plethora of resources that can be used inside of the classroom. This course will help create a positive environment and encourage students to retain information in an active way. Learning Outcomes: • Opportunities to process course material through thinking, writing, talking, and problem solving give students multiple avenues for learning.
• Applying new knowledge helps students encode information, concepts, and skills in their memories by connecting it with prior information, organizing knowledge, and strengthening neural pathways
• Receiving frequent and immediate feedback helps students correct misconceptions and develop a deeper understanding of course material
• Working on activities helps create personal connections with the material, which increases students’ motivation to learn
• Regular interaction with the instructor and peers around shared activities and goals helps create a sense of community in the classroom
• Instructors may gain more insight into student thinking by observing and talking with students as they work
• Knowing how students understand the material helps instructors target their teaching in future lessons | |
 | Course #L1038
All teachers are teachers of English learners. An obstacle teachers commonly face is how to effectively communicate with families of ELLs. This course will provide strategies for communication, tips to strengthen relationships, and ways to increase involvement from families of English Language Learners.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service only | |
| Course #L1040
All teachers are teachers of English learners. It is essential for educators to understand second language acquisition and how they can support ELLs in the classroom. This course will provide a brief overview of second language acquisition including language stages, theories, factors affecting acquisition, lesson models, and language objectives.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service only | |
 | (3 Credits / 45 hours) in-service credit only ON-LINE
Instructor: Randi B. Miller Rmillerliips@gmail.com Course Description:
Learning, thinking, listening, processing information, communicating and relationships with others are best when one is in a calm and regulated state.
Regulation in others, starts with our own skills of self-regulation. Then through the process of co-regulation, calm is shared and modeled which in turn develops and fosters the ability for students to self-regulate.
This course will provide participants a framework to understand calm and regulation through the brain/body/behavior connection. Participants will develop a working understanding of the terms: regulation, dysregulation, and co-regulation. The course will also provide resources and materials to help participants implement strategies and teaching procedures to create calm. This course is appropriate for all educators K-12, ELA, Social Studies, Math, Science, ESL, Special Education, Art and Music, Physical Education, School Psychologists, Guidance Counselors ,Social Workers Speech/Language teachers and therapists, OT & PT’s. | |
 | ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only Instructor: Rose Marino Foster (rosemarino5@gmail.com) Course Description: The term “Science of Reading” refers to large a body of research spanning over five decades. This research draws from multidisciplinary fields including: cognitive psychology linguistics, neuroscience, education in order to understand how individuals learn to read. This course will provide an overview of the Science of Reading and its implications for effective literacy instruction. Through engaging assignments and informative resources, participates will explore key concepts such as: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, fluency, assessment practices and comprehension strategies. Participants will also research effective practices for orthographic mapping of words as well as improving student fluency, vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension. As a result of this class, participants will have the knowledge and tools to implement effective evidence-based reading instruction. | |
| The proper assessment of English Language Learners (ELL) merits attention at all levels of the education system. English Language Learners (ELL)—students who are still developing proficiency in English— represent a large and rapidly growing subpopulation of students in K-12 classrooms. This course will provide participants with effective assessment techniques for K-12 students across a variety of educational settings.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only | |
 | 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.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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 | Literacy is at the forefront of education today. All teachers are expected to be Òteachers of reading,Ó no matter what their subject area may be. Teachers need a repertoire of lessons and ideas to motivate learners and elevate student abilities. This course provides a plethora of lessons, graphic organizers, best practice techniques, strategic thinking skills, collaborative, small group activities, and models that enhance student learning. Via the activities, participants will delve deeper into the literacy process and apply the models to their respective discipline. The subject areas of reading, writing, science, math, social studies, and health will be covered. Specific strategies and projects will be covered as well as a multitude of best practice techniques. In the end, you will walk away with a literary bag of tricks! Suitable all educators K-12!
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only | |
 | The Common Core requires educators to infuse a plethora of higher order skills , as well as deductive reasoning techniques into the classroom. Effective questioning, critical thinking skills, and increased vocabulary development are all factors in student success. This course will enable educators to comprehend the cognitive domains of Bloom’s taxonomy and subsequently move further and develop mastery level thematic strategies that guide students on their journey to success. Cross curricular teaching, interdisciplinary applications, analytic, philosophical, and productive reasoning techniques will be addressed. Teachers will gain a multitude of strategies to extend student thinking. Poetic forms, non-fiction sources, as well as mastery level power words will be utilized. Participants will be able to gain and comprehend a wealth of definitions that pertain to Bloom’s taxonomy and beyond as well as develop problem solving strategies, all of which contribute to student mastery. Applicable for K-12 teachers
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only | |
| It’s difficult – if not sometimes impossible – to motivate students to open their minds to literature. If the students found a way to relate to characters on a realistic level, they would be more willing to read and engage in class discussions. They could feel more ownership of the literature. Middle and high school English teachers enrolled in this course will explore creative ways to bring some of the most famous literary characters into the 21st century classroom.
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.
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| 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.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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| The comprehension of literature and development of reading skills is at the foundation of the education process. This course will address ways that educators can help English Language Learners (ELL) improve on understanding text. It will examine the relationship between oral English proficiency and literacy, while providing participants with oral reading strategies to use with the ELL students. The information provided in this course will support instruction in all K-12 classrooms.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only | |
| Imagine a classroom that is teaming with engaged learners – students making connections, pulling out textual evidence, fully interested in the “meat” of the lesson. In this classroom, the standards are met insidiously, not overtly; thus making learning more engagin and complete. In this course, you will be provided with the tools that students need to comprehend the entire gamut of informational, persuasive, procedural, and narrative documents that make up our disciplines. Your students will become much better readers and thinkers in your subject field using engaging activities. You will be provided with fantastic short articles, explicit step-by-step lessons that will be aimed at enriching your students learning. Reading, annotating, decoding, collaborating, and utilizing the jigsaw technique will be covered. Perfect for all disciplines and grade levels!
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only | |
 | *New Course Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com Summer 2025 Dates – July 7th-11th Course Credits: – 3 credits/45 Hours Course Description: Culturally responsive classroom education is at the forefront of teaching in the 21st Century. Students need to learn how to take educational risks and assume the responsibilities of independent work and collaboration. They need to be able to identify inequities and advocate for diversity within the classroom environment. In this course, participants will be able to learn how to create a classroom environment that represents and values all cultural backgrounds within the confines of their classroom. They will learn how to inculcate various perspectives throughout their respective disciplines and address ways in which empathy, conversations, backgrounds, and perspectives play a part in learning. The class will address the ways that students take ownership in their learning and view mistakes as ways to be constructive. *A Must for K-12 Educators* | |
 | 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 out 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) | |
 | *New Course Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com 3 Credits In Service Course (45 Hours) Dates: Summer 2025 – August 11th-15th Course Description: Using creative writing in all subjects will provide our students with the capacity to better read, research, reflect and more. Educators will discuss interdisciplinary writing rules, the 7 different types of writing, creative writing assignments and how to better reflect as we write. Educators will work on strategies for structuring creative writing no matter what the subject. Activities will also be shared for how to strengthen the writing of all students in all areas. A plethora of creative writing prompts will be shared for all subjects and areas of teaching. By the end of this course students will learn how to open their minds, be imaginative and work towards the goal of clarity, completeness and creativity. This course is a must for all educators grades K-12. | |
 | Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Course – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Course Description: Classroom dialogue provides a unique opportunity for students to verbalize their understanding, bring their thoughts to the surface and examine mindsets. By engaging in dialogue, students can identify knowledge gaps, challenge assumptions, and solidify their comprehension, all with the assistance of their peers. Participants in this course will learn how to engage their students in effective dialogue through an open exchange of perspectives, all of which deepen students' understanding of topics and encourage reflection. Reflective journals, democratic dialogue, and Socratic seminars will all be included in the course!
*A must for K-12 educators!* | |
| Developing course trajectories for students is tantamount to their learning. Reinforcing phonemic awareness, phonics in language, reading environments for success, text comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, writing and reading integration – all develop skills for students to fully advance their learning. In this course, teachers will fully engage in comprehensive strategies that advance the learner in their classroom. Techniques as analysis, connections, author’s viewpoint, primary and secondary sources will be investigated, thoroughly creating advanced learning for all.
• A must for K-12 educators!!!!!!!
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only | |
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Course Description:
This course will focus on how excellent readers often begin to struggle when they enter upper grades. This course will work with educators to strategically teach your students to read successfully no matter what subject you teach. We will work on key reading skills and develop active instructional strategies for students in all disciplines. Educators will work on strategic reading techniques to get your students to read well in all areas of study and understand the importance of text structure, as students move from narrative text to more expository text. Educators will work on creating text-dependent questions, guided reading strategies and help students with close reading skills. With reading being such an important skill across all curriculums, students should learn how to achieve and succeed with great strategies. This course is a must for all educators levels K-12.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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 | To group or not to group, that is the question. According to Carol Ann Tomilson, a leading authority on differentiating instruction, students need new and innovative means in order to comprehend and process information and make sense of what they learn. In academically responsible classrooms, all students should be appropriately challenged and become more successful at accessing, processing, and expressing information.
In this course, participants will learn everything there is to know about differentiating their classrooms. They will learn the secrets to recognizing and building on the individual talents of each student, while preparing all students for the rigors of new standards and assessments. In addition, teachers will gain student centered ideas, lessons that differentiate, challenging ways to motivate students, current research on differentiation, constructivist practices, ideas for putting the research into action, examples and strategies that assist in differentiation, assessment ideas for differentiation, ideas for tiered lessons, web sites for differentiated instruction, and so much more!
Perfect for teachers of all subject areas! – K-12
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) 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 | |
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Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Course – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Course Description: Oftentimes as educators, we find ourselves searching for innovative modalities of learning for our students, ones that fully suit our learners’ needs, ones that promote comprehensive improvements and drive our students toward success. This course speaks to educators who desire these interventions, using practical approaches and ways to engage all types of individuals in our sphere. Evidence based methods that promote phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension in all subjects will be discussed as well as a myriad of tools that command student achievement, all of which have immediate classroom implementation.
*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 | |
| With the adoption of the new Common Core Standards, a greater emphasis is being placed on nonfiction and vocabulary instruction. This course will explore the philosophy behind vocabulary instruction as well effective practices. Participants will research dozens of strategies for building vocabulary aligned to meet various learning styles. In addition, this course will explore vocabulary resources including multimedia, interactive websites, educational vocabulary learning games and much more! Participants will have the opportunity to research and evaluate effective vocabulary lessons as well as create dynamic lessons for immediate classroom use. A must for all educators K-12!
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only |