PDLI9070 (45 HOURS/3 GRADUATE CREDITS) ON-LINE Course Instructor:  Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com Course Description  From the very moment that we enter the classroom, we create a definitive image of ourselves. First impressions are everything and encapsulate who we are and what students will glean from the course. Our body language, behavior, and diction are indicative of our teaching styles and our expectations of our learners. Educators are actors, putting on five shows a day, 900 shows a year, all which produce transformative learning from students.  Delving deeply into the students’ psyche and learning styles is tantamount for both educators and students today and provides everyone with the opportunity to enhance their learning and make personal connections between their own experiences and those of the curriculum. Successfully incorporating a wealth of social emotional resources as well as delving into the science of learning is crucial and invaluable. In the end, all aspects of learning will be covered. In this course, participants will learn everything there is to know about creating a successful environment that motivates students.  They will explore various resources such as articles, interviews, readings, differentiated learning sites, lesson plans, and links to literary sites.  They will research a variety of sources and decide which ones are engaging and fit into their curriculum.  In addition, teachers will gain student centered ideas, lessons that differentiate, challenging ways to motivate students, current research on pedagogy, various interdisciplinary websites and Socratic seminars and philosophical rounds that take literacy and learning to a new level!  Applicable all Educators and staff K-12.

PDLI9000 (45 HOURS/3 GRADUATE CREDITS) ON-LINE Instructor:  Randi Miller rmillerliips@gmail.com Graduate Level Credits Course Description: Each year, approximately 2–5% of children refuse to come to school. School refusal can be observed in kindergarten students who demonstrate relatively mild separation anxiety to more severe cases where a student misses’ weeks or months of school. As a result of the social and educational consequences associated with missing school, the issue needs to examine and addressed promptly. This course will look at the factors associated with and contributing to the occurrence of school refusal. Participants will examine the short- and long-term effects of absenteeism, the signs and symptoms commonly associated with school refusal and research solutions to the problem. This course is relevant to all who work in schools and with children ages 5-21 in both regular and special education settings. This course has been designed for school administrators,  regular and special education teachers (grades K-12 and ages 5 to 21),special area teachers (gym, art, music) school psychologists, school counselors, guidance counselors, social workers, speech and language therapists and pathologists and occupational and physical therapists.

PDLI9020 (45 HOURS/3 GRADUATE CREDITS) ON-LINE Instructor:  Randi Miller rmillerliips@gmail.com Course Description: 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 and acting out behavior, are disruptive in the classroom, fall behind academically or never master the skills they need to make adequate progress. This course has been developed to provide educators in and out of the classroom with content knowledge on principles of behavior, the functions of behavior and will provide the participants with a set of skills they can use to identify what a student is getting from his/her behavior and how to best manage and prevent ongoing incidents in/out of the classroom. Applicable all Educators and staff K-12.

PDLI 9130 

(45 HOURS/3 GRADUATE CREDITS)

Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com

Course Description:

Providing students with high quality discussions that promote learning and engagement is tantamount to teaching. High quality discussions include content-specific ideas that spark students to express different points of view, reflect on their own opinions, varying perspectives, and engage in democratic dialogues. Education that develops deep reasoning, critical thinking, and conceptual and practical tools for inculcating knowledge is tantamount for students today. Teaching in this modality empowers our learners and enables them to recognize that proactive engagement is the key to their success. 

In this course, participants will be instructed on the pedagogical principles that promote student learning and democratic engagement. They will learn the ways in which students themselves facilitate learning and streamline their own thinking. Teachers will be instructed on ways in which to act as mediators and not sages, including the ins and outs of effective questioning. Rich discussion tactics will be integrated as fishbowl techniques, Socratic Seminars, Jigsaws, formative assessments, graphic organizers, gallery walks – all of which engage the learner and provide for optimum efficacy.

Goals and Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants will be better prepared to:

PDLI 9140

Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com

(45 HOURS/3 GRADUATE CREDITS)

Course Description:

Education that incorporates a multiethnic perspective recognizes children’s own frames of reference, ones that utilize ideas formed through the traditions of the students’ families and communities. It is a way of teaching that addresses issues of equity and commitment to social action. Teaching in a multiculturalism fashion promotes academic excellence and social justice for all children. Helping children become critical thinkers and make connections in their learning is the essence of multicultural instruction, one that promotes democracy and recognizes that proactive engagement in students of all ages is the key to their success. 

In this course, participants will be instructed on the ways in which to infuse multiethnic strategies into students’ repertoires. Teachers will be able to create a successful classroom environment where culture is at the forefront, developing and maximizing responsibility, diversity, and cognitive growth in students throughout this course. They will explore various resources such as articles, interviews, readings, differentiated learning sites, lesson plans, and links to literary sites.  Additionally, they will research a variety of sources and decide which ones are engaging and fit into their curriculum.  Teachers will gain student centered ideas, lessons that differentiate, challenging ways to motivate students, current research on pedagogy, various interdisciplinary websites and Socratic seminars and philosophical rounds that take literacy and learning to a new level!

Goals and Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants will be better prepared to:

Course #PDLI9150 (45 HOURS/3 GRADUATE CREDITS) ON-LINE Instructor: Kim Kittredge   kkittredgeliips@gmail.com Course Description: This course is designed to provide educators with practical strategies and techniques to teach reading and writing to their students. As educators we know we are all teachers of reading and writing. In this course teachers will explore research-based principles, and engage writing and reading theory to help their students. Participants will learn how to implement these skills into your curriculum no matter what subject you teach. Educators will be empowered through a combination of theoretical frameworks, case studies, and hands-on reading and writing activities. This course aims to empower teachers to thrive both personally and professionally.

Course Description:  This course will explore how as educators the power of building effective relationships is the most valuable tool we can have.  It is our job as teachers and administrators to build positive and productive relationships with parents, students, other educators and guidance counselors. Participants will discuss how to create a positive environment, and how to build and continue to build positive relationships.  Educators will collaborate and work on a multitude of techniques for building relationships and keeping them as the year progresses.