March 2022 Sessions

Session Title: Advanced Google Tips & Tricks

Presenter: Du Bui, Kellie DeLosSantos and CJ Walker

Session Description: Participants will learn helpful tips and tricks to increase productivity with Google Workspace for Education tools including Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Chrome, Slides, and more! 

Audience: Everyone

Link to Recorded Session: Advanced Google Tips & Tricks

Session Title: Adverse Childhood Experiences and Education

Presenter: Zoe Lyons and Bob Powell

Session Description: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood. ACEs can include violence, abuse, and growing up in a family with mental health or substance use problems. Toxic stress from ACEs can change brain development and affect how the body responds to stress. ACEs are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance misuse in adulthood. However, ACEs can be prevented.  As educators you play a key role in the prevention of ACEs and building the resiliency in our children.  How you respond can make all the difference for a child.

Audience: Everyone

Link to Recorded Session: Adverse Childhood Experiences and Education

Session Title: Anxiety in Youth: To Accommodate or Challenge?

Presenter: Katelyn Reed and Elizabeth Spotts

Session Description:Participants will learn about common anxiety presentations in the school setting, and more specifically, how to support students with anxiety concerns. Special emphasis will be placed on the role of accommodation in anxiety development and management and how to avoid behaviors that may inadvertently reinforce anxiety. Participants will learn about the evidence-based exposure method and how to apply such principles in the school setting. 

Audience: Everyone

Link to Recorded Session: Anxiety in Youth: To Accommodate or Challenge?

Session Title: Assessing the Next Generation Science Standards

Presenter: William Montgomery

Session Description: For the first few years of NGSS implementation, general science support has been mainly focused on the scientific practices and the pedagogical shifts needed for their instruction. This session will focus primarily on how we can assess students demonstrating those skills needed for the scientific and engineering practices. We will look at question prompts and scenario templates that can be used for formative assessments, 3-dimensional performance tasks, and summative scenarios. Participants will be given task prompts for all of the scientific and engineering practices to be used for these purposes. This session would serve upper elementary and secondary teachers extremely well. For K-2 teachers, insights can be made in these assessment practices, although mild to moderate modifications would be needed for your students.

Audience: Late Elementary, Middle School, High School, Administrators/School Leadership, Teacher/Educator, Support Staff/Paraprofessional, Interventionist/Specialist

Link to Recorded Session: Assessing the Next Generation Science Standards

Session Title: Building Relationships with Students

Presenter: Dan Luciani

Session Description: In this session, we will discuss strategies for building relationships with students. We will also use the equity lens to reflect on our current teaching practices, and use this to build empathy for students and their learning environment.

Audience:  Everyone

Link to Recorded Session: Building Relationships with Students

Presentation Slides: Building Relationships with Students

Session Title: Elementary Math Academy Reunion Grades K-6

Presenter: Heather Holshoe

Session Description: This session is for any teacher in grades K-6 who HAVE attended the Math Academy Series at JCISD in the past years. This session will recap and review some of the concepts as well as offer new material and resources. This one hour session will move quickly and leave you with the desire for more Math Academy sessions in the near future. 

Audience: Early Elementary, Late Elementary, Teacher/Educator, Support Staff/Paraprofessional, Interventionist/Specialist, Grades K-6 Math

Link to Recorded Session: Elementary Math Academy Reunion Grades K-6

Session Title: Enhancement Teachers Forum

Presenter: Eric Swihart

Session Description: This session is all about you!  In this session, participants will have the opportunity to collaborate and converse with other teachers in your content areas (PE, World Language, Art, Music, etc.) who are interested in instruction and issiues in their content areas.  Participants will be able to generate and choose topics that impact their classroom instruction.  We will share strategies and best practices that we use in our own instruction and that have proven successful with students.  This session will rely on the expertise that is "in the room."  

Audience: Everyone

Link to Recorded Session: Enhancement Teachers Forum

Session Title: E-Cigarettes 101 - Awareness, Risks, and Response

Presenter: Carolyn Chaudhary

Session Description: Carolyn is the subject matter expert for Electronic Cigarettes for the state of Michigan.  Participants will learn about E.N.D.S  (electronic nicotine delivery systems), their inherent risks, prevention efforts, policy work, e-cig company strategies, and community partnerships.                        

Audience: Everyone

Link to Recorded Session: E-Cigarettes 101 - Awareness, Risks, and Response

Session Title: Financial Empowerment

Presenter: Jessica Younkin

Session Description:During the session we are going to prepare spending plan and go over a credit report.  Participants can take away different tools on how to budget and understand the basics of credit.  

Audience: Middle School, High School, Administrators/School Leadership, Community Partner/Member, Teacher/Educator

Link to Recorded Session: Financial Empowerment

Session Title: Foundations of Fractions

Presenter: Heather Holshoe

Session Description: This session will explore the meaning of a fraction, how fractions can be represented, and  the importance of a unit fraction. Unit fractions will also be used to help understand the conceptual understanding of equivalence and comparison of fractions.

Audience: Late Elementary, Middle School, Teacher/Educator, Support Staff/Paraprofessional, Interventionist/Specialist

Link to Recorded Session: Foundations of Fractions

Session Title:  Foundations of Impactful Teaching

Presenter: Colleen Childrey and Jean Allison

Session Description: The focus of this session will be on the adult component of the environment as it pertains to impactful teaching.  Participants will discuss skills within their current practice  that provide them with the sense that their teaching has been impactful. Specific focus will be paid to impactful practice through communication, reflection and development of a shared vision among early childhood teams. 

Audience: Preschool

Link to Recorded Session:  Foundations of Impactful Teaching

Session Title: Harnessing the power of physical activity to enhance student learning

Presenter: Rebecca Hasson

Session Description: We recognize that classroom teachers will need to master three important skills in order to successfully implement classroom activity breaks to improve student learning: classroom management, curricular integration, and student motivation. We also recognize that teachers will need support and services in order to overcome the daily challenges of mastering these skills. In response to these challenges, the InPACT program offers a series of guiding principles and strategies that provide classroom teachers with the necessary training, skills, and support to tailor and deliver 20 minutes of physical activity in their classroom every day. These strategies are based on research conducted in the Childhood Disparities Research Laboratory and in elementary schools across the state of Michigan. Our presentation will provide: (1) a brief overview of the program training modules, (2) activities that give teachers real-world examples of how to overcome challenges to implementation and, (3) resources to enhance movement and learning in their classroom. Our overarching objective is to motivate lasting changes in Michigan classrooms so that all students have an opportunity to succeed physically, socially, emotionally, and academically.

Audience: Elementary

Link to Recorded Session: Harnessing the power of physical activity to enhance student learning

Session Title: Hour of Power

Presenter: Eric Swihart

Session Description: This session is for everyone that supports the PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, or EMOTIONAL health of students...basically, everyone that works with our youth!  

Part one of the session will be an orientation to the free Wellness Gear Loan & Library.  The JCISD has inventoried supplies and books that can support Physical Education, Health Ed, SEL, and other Whole Child-related topics.  Learn how to borrow these materials for free!

Part two will be unconference-style conversations for you to chat with peers about anything important to you.  There will be two breakout rooms for this conversation...(1) Physical Activity/PE/Health Education and (2) Social/Emotional Health...choose your own adventure!

Audience: All grade levels, Teacher/Educator, Interventionist/Specialist, Physical Education and Health Education, Counseling, Social Work

Link to Recorded Session: Hour of Power

Session Title: Information Literacy Tools, Tips, & Tricks for the Classroom

Presenter: Jack Baker and Robbie Bolton

Session Description: We live in the Information Age. But not all information is credible. As educators, we may feel we’re drowning in the drip, drip, drip of news. But there is hope! This session will offer an overview of information literacy and provide some tools, tips, and tricks to help you gain confidence and provide students with the tools of learning they need to navigate the information floodwaters. Included is a sample unit plan that can be adjusted for grade level. 

Audience: Late Elementary, Middle School, High School, Administrators/School Leadership, Community Partner/Member, Teacher/Educator, Support Staff/Paraprofessional

Link to Recorded Session: Information Literacy Tools, Tips, & Tricks for the Classroom

Session Title: Intentional Teaching in an Early Childhood Classroom

Presenter: Catherine Brubaker

Session Description: Early Childhood teachers will use intentional teaching practices to support continued growth in all aspects of children's development.  

Audience: Preschool, GSRP Program Directors, GSRP Teacher, Support Staff/Paraprofessional

Link to Recorded Session: Intentional Teaching in an Early Childhood Classroom

Session Title: Key Elements of High-Quality Preschool Learning Environments PART I

Presenter: Wendy Bell and Karyn Head

Session Description: These sessions identify and explore the characteristics of five key elements that are fundamental to achieving high-quality experiences and strong outcomes for preschool children. In Part 1, the learning environment and daily routine will be discussed. Participants will engage with other early childhood professionals throughout the sessions. They will have ideas and tools to utilize in their own classroom environments.

Audience: Preschool, Early Elementary, GSRP Program Directors, Community Partner/Member, GSRP Teacher

Link to Recorded Session: Key Elements of High-Quality Preschool Learning Environments PART I

Session Title: Key Elements of High-Quality Preschool Learning Environments PART II

Presenter: Wendy Bell and Karyn Head

Session Description: These sessions identify and explore five key elements that are fundamental to achieving high quality experiences and strong outcomes for preschool children. In Part II we will explore adult-child relationships, teaching practices, and family engagement. Participants will engage with other Early Childhood Professionals throughout the sessions. They will have ideas and tools for immediate use in their own classroom environment. 

Audience: Preschool, Early Elementary, GSRP Program Directors, Community Partner/Member, GSRP Teacher

Link to Recorded Session: Key Elements of High-Quality Preschool Learning Environments

Session Title: Leveraging Voice for Positive Change

Presenter: Kelsea Jabkiewicz and Janelle Buchler

Session Description: Join Kelsea and Janelle from the JCISD Whole Child Team to learn more about leveraging the voice of your key stakeholders in order to make sustainable, positive change in your schools or organizations. This session will provide you with simple, quick strategies and protocols to ensure that those you work with or for feel engaged. There will also be time to collaborate and share success stories from others in the Jackson community.

Audience: Everyone

Link to Recorded Session: Leveraging Voice for Positive Change

Session Title: Mandated Reporter Training

Presenter: Jennifer Sczykutowicz

Session Description: Mandated Reporter Training will be an opportunity to learn about the Michigan Child Protection Law as well as the policy and procedures on how to report suspected Child Abuse and Neglect in the State of Michigan.

Audience: Everyone

Link to Recorded Session:  No Session Recording

Session Title: Managing Challenging Behaviors a Whole Class Approach

Presenter: Jessica Bucklin and Tonya Kendra

Session Description: We will frame the hour with a brief review of flight, fight, freeze and becoming emotionally hijacked, and flipping the lid with in the classroom. We will then dig deeper into Regulation Strategies that work well for all students in the classroom. Last we will  work through simple strategies that support all students. 

Audience: Everyone

Link to Recorded Session: Managing Challenging Behaviors a Whole Class Approach

Session Title: Michigan eLibrary Resources for Early Elementary (K-2)

Presenter: Ann Kaskinen

Session Description: Would you like to know how to access FREE eBooks that all your students can access simultaneously from the school building or from home? How about linking to content that supports the entire K-2 social studies curriculum? In this session we will walk through four databases available through the Michigan eLibrary, learning how to share these eResources with students and colleagues.  The eBook K-8 Collection, PebbleGo, World Book Early Learning, and Britannica Fundamentals will all be featured in this session.

Audience: Early Elementary

Link to Recorded Session: Michigan eLibrary Resources for Early Elementary 

Session Title: Michigan eLibrary Resources for Secondary ELA/Social Studies

Presenter: Ann Kaskinen

Session Description: Would you like to know how to utilize FREE eBooks or magazines that all your students can access simultaneously from the school building or from home?  Are you interested in ACT or AP test prep materials?  Perhaps you’d like to know how to find cited images, video clips or primary source documents.  In this session we will walk through four or five databases available through the Michigan eLibrary, learning how to share these eResources with students and colleagues.  Britannica School, eBook High School Collection,  LearningExpress Library, MAS Complete, and Science Reference Center. 

Audience:Middle School, High School, Teacher/Educator

Link to Recorded Session: Michigan eLibrary Resources for Secondary ELA/Social Studies

Session Title: Michigan eLibrary Resources for Secondary Math/Science

Presenter: Ann Kaskinen

Session Description: Would you like to know how to utilize FREE eBooks or magazines that all your students can access simultaneously from the school building or from home?  Are you interested in ACT or AP test prep materials?  Perhaps you’d like to know how to find cited images, video clips or primary source documents.  In this session we will walk through four or five databases available through the Michigan eLibrary, learning how to share these eResources with students and colleagues.  Britannica School, eBook High School Collection,  LearningExpress Library, MAS Complete, and Science Reference Center. 

Audience:Middle School, High School, Teacher/Educator

Link to Recorded Session: Michigan eLibrary Resources for Secondary Math/Science

Session Title: Michigan eLibrary Resources for Upper Elementary (3-5)

Presenter: Ann Kaskinen

Session Description: Would you like to know how to access publications such as Dynamath, Jack & Jill, Scholastic News, or Zoobooks for FREE?  How about FREE eBooks that all your students can access simultaneously from the school building or from home? In this session we will walk through 4 databases available through the Michigan eLibrary, learning how to share these eResources with students and colleagues.  Britannica School, eBook K-8 Collection, Primary Search, and World Book Kids will all be featured in this session.

Audience: Upper Elementary

Link to Recorded Session: Michigan eLibrary Resources for Upper Elementary

Session Title: Moving from COVID-19 Response Toward School Recovery and Renewal: Multi-Tiered, Trauma- Informed Approaches for How We Heal and Renew

Presenter: Darryn Green and Jen LeLand

Session Description: Many school systems are both actively responding to the on-going impact of COVID-19 and beginning to implement strategies for how we will collectively recover, renew, and reimagine our future school communities. This tipping point moment for our schools, educators, and students requires us now, more than ever, to adopt trauma-informed and racially equitable frameworks that can guide and mobilize our abilities to recover and heal together.

To navigate a crisis successfully, including COVID-19, school leadership and staff needs the skills to contain the crisis, minimize subsequent trauma, and restore equity and equanimity in the school environment. These skills are not inherent to educators and leaders; they are learned through ongoing training and workforce development. Investment in these supports prepares school leaders to respond and recover from school crises and builds leadership that spans both crisis and non-crisis contexts (Morrison, 2017). Crisis leaders need to understand the physical and psychological disruptions that are a common consequence of trauma and how to model practices that support not only crisis response but recovery and renewal. 

Workshop Description: 

This workshop presents foundational concepts that frame trauma-informed approaches toward promoting recovery and renewal after a school crisis. Understanding the stress arousal continuum and strategies at the individual, interpersonal, and institutional level to mitigate and transform stress is the cornerstone to enhancing our ability to recover and renew from crisis and from the effects of COVID-19. Concrete examples and practices that schools can adopt and implement will be integrated throughout presentation. 

Audience: Everyone

Link to Recorded Session: Moving from COVID-19 Response Toward School Recovery and Renewal: Multi-Tiered, Trauma- Informed Approaches for How We Heal and Renew

Session Title: New Teacher Math Academy

Presenter: Heather Holshoe

Session Description: This session is for any teacher in grades K-12 who teach math and have NOT attended any of the Math Academy Series at JCISD in the past years. This session will highlight many concepts that are covered in-depth during a full math academy. Participants will leave the session with material and resources they can use in their classroom right away. This one hour session will move quickly and leave you with the desire for more Math Academy sessions in the near future.

Audience: Early Elementary, Late Elementary, Middle School, High School, Teacher/Educator, Support Staff/Paraprofessional, Interventionist/Specialist, Math for grades K-12

Link to Recorded Session: New Teacher Math Academy

Session Title: NGSS Refresher

Presenter: William Montgomery

Session Description:This introductory presentation will review the basic underpinnings of the Next Generation Science Standards. Whether you are new to the science classroom, an administrator that supervises science instructors, or an existing science teacher in need of a refresher, this session will provide a breakdown of the NGSS and provide a vision for how these translate in the classroom. Topics of discussion include, but not limited to: phenomena, 3-dimensional learning, scientific & engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and the nature of science.

Audience: All grade levels, Early Elementary, Late Elementary, Middle School, High School, Administrators/School Leadership, Teacher/Educator, Support Staff/Paraprofessional, Interventionist/Specialist

Link to Recorded Session: An NGSS Refresher

Session Title: Place-Based Education with the SEMIS Coalition 

Presenter: Lisa Voelker

Session Description: This will be an introduction to Place-Based Education (PBE) and the SEMIS Coalition, a network of teachers, community partners, and other place-based educators working in southeast Michigan. You can expect a short warm-up activity, an overview of the components and anchors of PBE, and some time for questions about how this form of teacher and learning connects to you and your students, as well as general questions about our Coalition.  

Audience: All grade levels, Administrators/School Leadership, Community Partner/Member, Teacher/Educator, Support Staff/Paraprofessional, Interventionist/Specialist

Link to Recorded Session: Place-Based Education with the SEMIS Coalition 

Session Title: Pre-K Literacy Essentials - Phonological Awareness and the Read Aloud

Presenter: Kelly Sheppard

Session Description: Participants will be introduced to the Michigan Pre-K Literacy Essentials with an emphasis on Essentials 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 (Phonological Awareness and Read Alouds).  Participants will receive information and strategies to build phonological awareness and literacy skills in children at a Pre-K and early Kindergarten literacy level.

Audience: Preschool, Early Elementary, Administrators/School Leadership, GSRP Program Directors, Community Partner/Member, GSRP Teacher, Support Staff/Paraprofessional, Interventionist/Specialist

Link to Recorded Session: Pre-K Literacy Essentials - Phonological Awareness and the Read Aloud

Session Title: Preventing Discipline Problems in the Classroom

Presenter: Allison Wirick

Session Description: We will discuss strategies on how to prevent discipline problems in the classroom. We will work on a prevention strategy. Talk about how to support successful transitions throughout the day. Discuss how and what it looks like nurture responsible behavior in the classroom.

Audience: Preschool, Early Elementary

Link to Recorded Session: Preventing Discipline Problems in the Classroom

Session Title: Purposeful Literacy in Science

Presenter: William Montgomery

Session Description: A common perceived challenge with science education is the ability for students to manage the heavy load of new vocabulary. In addition, a common observed challenge for PSAT and SAT students is the ability to interpret and write an argument. Participants in this session will have the chance to engage with a few brief activities to discuss the intentions behind reading and writing within the content. A good portion of this session will be devoted to small group exploration of a curated list of other strategies centered around reading and writing in the science classroom. Although the activities in this session can be thought of as strategies to improve PSAT and SAT writing, participants should be able to walk away with new ideas on how to incorporate more literacy into their general daily instruction. 

Audience: Middle School, High School, Administrators/School Leadership, Teacher/Educator

Link to Recorded Session: Purposeful Literacy in Science

Session Title: School Law for Teachers

Presenter: Jennifer Starlin

Session Description: This session will provide an overview of relevant legal requirements that every new teacher should understand. From student privacy to legal reporting requirements, new teachers often question whether they are complying with all legal requirements. This session will provide an overview of the "need-to-know" laws for new teachers.

Audience: Everyone

Link to Recorded Session: School Law for Teachers

Session Title: Secondary Literacy Teacher Forum

Presenter: Dan Luciani

Session Description: In this session, participants will have the opportunity to collaborate with other teachers who are interested in literacy in their content areas.  Participants will be able to generate and choose topics that impact their classroom instruction.  We will share strategies and best practices that we use in our own instruction and that have proven successful with students.  This session will rely on the expertise that is "in the room."

Audience: Middle School, High School, Teacher/Educator

Link to Recorded Session: Secondary Literacy Teacher Forum

Presentation Slides: Secondary Literacy Teacher Forum

Session Title: Secondary Math Academy Reunion Grades 7-12

Presenter: Heather Holshoe

Session Description: This session is for any math teacher in grades 7-12 who HAVE attended the Math Academy Series at JCISD in the past years. This session will recap and review some of the concepts as well as offer new material and resources. This one hour session will move quickly and leave you with the desire for more Math Academy sessions in the near future.

Audience: Middle School, High School, Teacher/Educator, Support Staff/Paraprofessional, Interventionist/Specialist, Grades 7-12 Math

Link to Recorded Session: Secondary Math Academy Reunion Grades 7-12

Session Title: Social Emotional Learning with SEL Journeys

Presenter: Abby Rose and Margot Toppin

Session Description: Participants will review foundational knowledge about Social Emotional Learning and learn about the benefits of SEL Journeys and gain an understanding of both the embedded and explicit SEL aspects. In addition, we will explore the SEL Journeys program platform, with an explanation of the architecture of the content and a tutorial on using the various features. Participants will have the opportunity to receive a license to the SEL Journeys Platform at no cost as a result of attending this training. 

Audience: Everyone

Link to Recorded Session: Social Emotional Learning with SEL Journeys