Next Generation Standards

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

Course Description: Participants in the course will learn how to implement all facets of effective verbal and nonverbal communication techniques to help your students create an environment of trust and responsibility. Educators will learn how to encourage, redirect, engage, and challenge students in successful discussions that will enhance student learning. Educators will be able to apply these strategies to all grade levels and content areas. Participants will gain a clear understanding of where to begin with discussions in your classroom, and see where it will lead you. This course is designed to enable educators K-12 to understand the relationship that discussion plays in our Next Generation Standards and effectively help your students meet them. Great for all educators K-12!

Achieving the optimum level of student productivity is at the core of one’s teaching. Providing students with assessments, choices in their curriculum, and differentiation is the key to their success. Adding rigor to students’ curriculum is essential in the common core era. In this course, participants will learn how to develop target -centered homework, prepare students for the mandates of the standards, advance students’ vocabularies, produce lessons and implement strategies for our learners. The rigor will be increased dramatically! A must for K-12 educators!!!! ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only

CCSS ELA-Literacy. RL5.1 – Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. CCSS ELA- Literacy. RL 2.6 – Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud Course Description: Creating a balanced literacy program in one’s classroom is tantamount to student success. In this course, participants will be introduced to a medley of literary forms and techniques that will ensure student success. Topics include: author study, literature circles, poetry analysis, RAFT writing, non-fiction and fiction sources, newspaper and magazines, vocabulary study, arguments, etc… Assignments include: raising the proficiency bar, determining and clarifying meaning in texts, distinguishing between text types. In the end your classroom will be infused with literate individuals!!!! Participants will be introduced to a medley of literary techniques. They will be able to comprehend, organize, and orchestrate a balanced literacy program within the confines of their classroom. They will also be able to walk away with a wide array of material for their literate classrooms. a. Participants will be able to implement a balanced literacy program in their classrooms b. Participants will be able to glean the knowledge of experts in their field and develop writing assignments for their students c. Participants will be able to acquire a medley of non-fiction and fiction assignments (common core driven) for their classrooms. ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only

formerly Common Core – Guiding Students to Become Self Directed Learners Note: Course has now been updated to reflect the new standards. As your classroom changes, so does your role as a teacher. We need to achieve a greater focus and coherence in the curriculum. With the knowledge of this course, you may find yourself acting more as a coach and facilitator as your students become more active in their own learning. In this course, you will explore how to foster and encourage self-directedness in your students and create a learning environment that encourages collaboration and creativity. Learn how you can help your students manage, monitor, and modify their own learning, and inspire them to develop the self-discipline and thinking skills they need to thrive in the outside of the classroom. Suitable all eductors K – 12. ON-LINE (3 Credits / 45 hours) in-service credit only  

April is National Poetry month, but this genre is beneficial to study and teach all year long! According to Fountas and Pinnell, “When you immerse your students in rich, lively poetry, you introduce them to intense, concise, skillfully crafted language.” Poetry instruction helps to build fluency skills as well as creates an opportunity for students to think critically, make inferences, and draw conclusions. With regards to high stakes testing, poetry is a genre found on NYS ELA exams each year across the grade levels. Poetry is also incorporated within the Next Generation Standards and therefore it is necessary for educators to teach this genre. The first part of this course will explore the genre of poetry and the benefits for using poetry within the classroom. Participants will research the vast array of poetry forms available to use with his/her students. The course will provide resources to assist educators with poem selection and expose participants to a variety of poetry websites. The second part of this course will focus around poetry with regards to the Next Generation Standards. Participants will research the expectations of the Next Generation Standards appropriate to his/her grade level. In addition, participants will view and evaluate multimedia resources as well as actual poetry lessons appropriate to his/her grade level. Also, participants will explore poetry exemplars from the NYS Department of Education. As a culminating activity, participants will create dynamic poetry lessons aligned with the Next Generation Standards for immediate use in his/her classroom. Appropriate for all educators K-12! ONLINE  (3 Credits / 45 hours ) in-service only

Participating in philosophical discussions and Socratic type of learning is essential for 21st century learners. Enhancing one’s students to be motivated and think critically of the world around them is tantamount to the Common Core standards of learning in all subject matters. The study of the philosophy behind picture books and their authors captivates students and infuses morality and integrity into their worlds. In this course, teachers will be exposed to a plethora of children’s books from all disciplines. They will learn to critically analyze, judge, delineate, and closely comprehend the genre in order to devise pertinent lessons for their students. Teachers will walk away with a plethora of interdisciplinary lessons that collectively forge bonds between their learners. A must for K-12 educators. Participants will be able to: • Select from a wide range of children’s books in order to delve into philosophical ideas and current ELA research • Draw inferences from renowned picture book authors in order to instruct their students on pertinent philosophical issues • Enhance their classrooms via current research on literature in the classroom via ELA techniques/Social Studies techniques, and Science/Math strategies • Participants will be able to implement philosophical trends in their classrooms via picture books • Participants will be able to create lessons that integrate all aspects of literacy via children’s books • Participants will design a medley of critical thinking lessons that target their audiences via Common Core instruction Participants will complete activities, lessons, and design assessments that they will bring back to their students. They will be able to understand the inner workings of picture books and how they transcend classrooms and motivate students. They will complete a cooperative group assignment, weaving all aspects of the course together fully. ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only