Getting Started with AI (for Educators)
July 1 - July 30
Getting Started with AI (for Educators)
July 1 - July 30
This is an introductory course for educators looking to learn more about AI and how to leverage it in an educational setting.
The course will cover:
-An introduction to AI: What it is, its benefits, and a discussion of concerns surrounding its usage
-Crafting prompts to optimize AI outputs
- A look at free AI tools and how they can reduce workload and streamline teachingThis course has 5 modules. During each, you will learn by reading short articles, watching videos, or completing a short activity. At the end of each module you will take a quiz to assess your understanding. At the conclusion of the course, you will submit a performance task where you will have the opportunity to apply what you have learned.
The modules can be completed at whatever pace you feel comfortable with as long as all module quizzes are submitted by 7/28 and the performance task is turned in by 7/30.Registrants will be notified by email on the start date of the course with course access information. If you don't receive course info by the end of the day on the course start date, please check your SPAM folder. Please note that only those who register before or on the course start date will receive welcome information.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker and Creative Innovator.
Engagement by Design is a dynamic professional learning experience grounded in insights from School of Engagement by Jonathan Alshmeier that helps teachers move beyond compliance to create classrooms where students are active, invested, and excited to learn. Through collaborative book study, reflection, and hands-on application, participants will redesign lessons, build stronger relationships, and develop practical strategies that increase student ownership and participation. Using tools like Canva, Padlet, and MagicSchool AI, teachers will leave with ready-to-use engagement strategies and a personalized plan to transform student learning in their classrooms.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Creative Innovator, Effective Communicator and Critical Thinker.
This professional development course explores how educators can move past the culture of perfectionism to cultivate a "productive failure" mindset in their classrooms. Participants will learn how to explicitly teach students how to take healthy academic risks, analyze their own errors, and use setbacks as predictable launchpads for growth.
Text: Risk. Fail. Rise. A Teacher's Guide to Learning from Mistakes by M. Colleen Cruz
Skill 1: Designing branched, interactive formative assessment pathways within digital data platforms (e.g., Desmos, Quizizz, Google Forms, etc.) to capture immediate student misconceptions without grade penalties.
Skill 2: Utilizing cloud-based collaborative suites (Google Workspace, etc.) to build structured, independent digital templates and organized portfolio workflows for participant submissions.
Skill 3: Creating accessible, multimodal feedback loops by embedding private asynchronous audio commentary (e.g., via Mote or secure audio utilities, etc.) into student text artifacts to lower the affective filter during error correction.
This course covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Critical Thinker, Creative Innovator and Reflective and Future-Focused.
This 6-week, 15-hour professional learning course is designed to equip K-12 educators with the knowledge, research-based strategies, and technology-rich tools necessary to build and sustain transformative family partnerships. Beyond exploring relational foundations and cultural responsiveness, participants will master a specific suite of educational technology designed to dismantle communication barriers. Teachers will learn to evaluate and implement multilingual, mobile-friendly outreach platforms (TalkingPoints, Canva, Smore, Padlet, Miro), design centralized digital family hubs (Google Sites) to streamline resource access, and leverage interactive learning portfolios and asynchronous video tools (Seesaw, Flip, Google Slides) to foster two-way academic collaboration. Through self-reflection and hands-on tech application, participants will produce a customized, year-long family engagement action plan that integrates these digital routines to improve student well-being and academic outcomes across diverse school communities.
This course covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Academically Prepared, Effective Communicator, Reflective and Future-Focused.
What does it truly mean for students to be fluent in mathematics? In this engaging online book study, participants will explore how to move beyond speed, memorization, and isolated practice toward a richer, more meaningful vision of mathematical fluency.Grounded in "Figuring Out Fluency in Mathematics Teaching and Learning" by Jennifer M. Bay-Williams and John J. SanGiovanni, this professional learning experience challenges common misconceptions about fluency and provides practical, research-based strategies for developing flexible, efficient, and accurate mathematical thinking in all learners.Participants will examine classroom practices, instructional tasks, and assessment approaches through the lens of fluency as strategic competence and understanding. Through reflection, discussion, and application, educators will learn how to design instruction that supports sense-making, encourages multiple strategies, and builds confidence-without sacrificing rigor or efficiency in our K-8 Mathematics classrooms.Participants will develop the ability to use digital assessment and collaboration platforms (e.g., Seesaw, Google Classroom, Desmos) to collect evidence of student learning, provide feedback, and support mathematical discussions, learn to create and adapt learning activities that incorporate interactive digital tools to promote conceptual understanding and student engagement, especially in preparing students for the NYS Mathematics exams in grades 3-5, and 6-8.Participants will need a copy of the book, Figuring Out Fluency in Mathematics Teaching and Learning; Moving Beyond Basic Facts and Memorization, to complete the book study.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Creative Innovator and Reflective and Future-Focused.
This course explores Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant, focusing on how individuals can develop skills, habits, and environments that support long-term growth and achievement. Participants will examine research-based strategies for learning, motivation, and resilience, challenging the belief that success is driven solely by innate talent. Through guided discussion, reflection, and practical application, learners will identify ways to unlock their own potential and support growth in others. The course emphasizes transferable strategies that can be applied in academic, professional, and personal contexts.1. Digital Self-Assessment and Progress Tracking: Participants will learn to use digital tools (such as online assessments, reflection platforms, or productivity apps) to track growth, measure progress, and adjust learning strategies over time.2. Effective Use of Learning and Feedback Technologies: Participants will develop skills in using digital platforms-such as collaborative documents, learning management systems, or feedback tools-to seek, give, and apply constructive feedback for continuous improvement.3. Strategic Use of Technology for Skill Development: Participants will gain the ability to identify and leverage digital resources (e.g., online courses, data dashboards, AI tools, or habit-tracking apps) to build skills deliberately, sustain motivation, and enhance performance. Participants will need a copy of the book Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Great Things by Adam Grant.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker and Reflective and Future-Focused.
7 Mighty Moves: Research-Backed, Classroom-Tested Strategies to Ensure K-3 Reading Success is an interactive online course designed to help educators build strong, confident readers from kindergarten through third grade. Grounded in the science of reading and refined through real classroom practice, this course translates complex research into seven powerful, easy-to-implement instructional moves that accelerate early literacy development.Participants will explore how to systematically develop foundational reading skills-including phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing-while also fostering motivation and engagement in young learners. Each "Mighty Move” is presented through clear explanations, classroom examples, practical tools, and reflective activities that support immediate application in diverse instructional settings.Ideal for classroom teachers, reading specialists, instructional coaches, and school leaders, this course empowers educators to make intentional, high-impact decisions that improve outcomes for all learners, especially those at risk for reading difficulties. By the end of the course, participants will have a cohesive framework, actionable strategies, and confidence to ensure every K-3 student builds the skills necessary for lifelong reading success.Participants will create Padlet & Canva presentations and use interactive whiteboards and presentations to Model phonics patterns, shared reading, and comprehension strategies.Participants will need a copy of this book to complete the book study.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Academically Prepared, Critical Thinker and Reflective and Future-Focused.
This one-week online course, participants will learn about Genially, an interactive content creation tool that brings learning to life. Participants will learn how to make presentations come alive, interactive images, gamified activities like escape rooms, and multimedia materials to engage students more effectively with any topic or grade level.
If you want a simple and user-friendly way to create unique images, videos, websites, booklets, multimedia presentations, and much more, Canva is the course for you! This course will help you learn how to take advantage of Canva's many unique features to use in your classroom to better engage students! Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate for 10 hours of participation.
Do you want your classroom to be meaningful, relevant and fun? This book study is for you! You will learn how to reconnect with students, parents, and your profession. You will read about real-life examples and research-based how to's that can be implemented immediately. Imagine your days filled with creativity, community, relationship building and growth. Come join us for this book study on adding play to your days!
This course involves:
1) Creating Reflective and Independent Learning Spaces with Padlet
2) Designing Student-Centered Content Using Canva for Education
3) Utilizing Google Slides and Padlet to Support Student
Self-Efficacy
Participants must have access to the book The Playful Classroom- The Power of Play for All Ages by Jed Dearybury and Julie P. Jones.
This course covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker and Creative Innovator.
"Authentic engagement makes academic learning a source of meaning, vitality, and community in students' lives.”-Lauren Porosoff
As educators, we want our students engaged and productive citizens in our classrooms during every lesson, unit, and experience. Teach for Authentic Engagement by Lauren Porosoff is an ASCD textbook that focuses on actionable strategies for designing learning for student ownership, growth, and engagement in their community as a whole. Using research based instructional experiences connected to students' diverse needs, strengths, values, and identities, you will leave this class with instructional designs that put your students in the driver seat of their own learning and the builders of their own community.
Develop your understanding of "educating the whole child” by critiquing resources from specifically chosen digital sources such as Notebook and YouTube.
Design diverse resources to promote a classroom culture of empowerment by creating rituals, prompts, and choice learning tasks through the use of Google Slides and Padlet.
Improve your classroom community by designing collaborative, relationship building protocols using Google Slides and Canva.
This course covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Academically Prepared, Effective Communicator, Reflective and Future-Focused, Creative Innovator, Critical Thinker and Global Citizen.
Every classroom is filled with different learners, but creating differentiated materials for everyone can feel like a full-time job. This course explores how educators can use MagicSchool AI to make differentiation more manageable, creative, and effective without starting from scratch every time. Through hands-on, choice-based activities, participants will experiment with AI tools that support content, process, and product differentiation. Along the way, educators will build classroom-ready resources, reflect on instructional practices, and design a differentiated lesson or mini-unit tailored to the diverse learners in their classrooms.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Creative Innovator, Reflective and Future-Focused and Academically Prepared.
"Either you run the day or the day runs you.” -Mel Robbins
Learn from Mel Robbins, one of the most sought after motivational speakers. Her "ready to use” strategies help us as educators to harness our power of courage, shift our mindset, and improve our health, productivity, and relationships at home and work. In the ever changing world of education, we are inundated with more responsibilities and demands than ever before. This book will teach you how to use a simple, ready to use strategy to lead a more productive and positive work and home life.
Enhance teacher balance through specifically chosen use of instructional videos and podcasts.
Provide diverse resources to collaborate and promote a classroom culture that is managed effectively through Google Slides and Padlet.
Improve your strategy toolkit to increase productivity by creating displayable action steps for you and your students through Canva.
This course covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Academically Prepared, Effective Communicator, Reflective and Future-Focused, Creative Innovator, Critical Thinker and Global Citizen.
In this 15-hour asynchronous course, participants will explore the latest book from The Science of Reading in Practice series, Small Groups, Big Results: Evidence-Based Routines to Get Every Child Reading. Julia Lindsey's book, Small Groups, Big Results, offers teachers a practical, science-backed approach to small-group reading instruction. After reading it, teachers will learn how to identify student needs, implement targeted routines, and build confident readers!Participants will utilize various digital tools, including Canva, Padlet, and AI, to collaborate, share insights, and refine their pedagogical practices for their own learning and teaching.Registrants should secure a copy of the book before the course begins.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attribute of Academically Prepared.
In this 5-week book study of Math-ish by Jo Boaler, participants will explore how to create inclusive, engaging math classrooms that value curiosity, creativity, and flexible thinking. Educators will examine research-based strategies to reduce math anxiety, encourage risk-taking, and help students see themselves as capable mathematicians. This course includes chapter discussions, YouTube videos, and collaborative tools such as Padlet, Google Slides, Word Garden, and Lucid. Participants should have access to the book Math-ish by Jo Boaler .
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Critical Thinker and Effective Communicator.
Have you ever considered that there may be bias in AI? How will you help students navigate and evaluate the sources they use for research? About the book: "Dr. Joy Buolamwini is a combination of memoir and investigative research that exposes how artificial intelligence reproduces and amplifies social bias. The book highlights the concept of the "coded gaze"-the exclusion, discrimination, and prejudices embedded in AI systems by their creators." Participants will use at least two AI platforms for comparison, and utilize Canva and Google Slides. This is a self-paced course.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Global Citizen and Reflective and Future-Focused.
This 15-hour online course introduces educators to Google Forms for classroom and personal use. A Google Workspace tool, Google Forms allows users to create easy-to-use web forms that are automatically linked to a Google Sheet. The course focus is on standards-based exercises that can be easily integrated and adapted for use across the curriculum. Topics covered may include form creation and formatting, using templates, creating surveys, quizzes, exit tickets, sharing and collaborating, incorporating AI and using add-ons. Participants who complete all the assignments will receive a 15-hour completion certificate. Registrants will be notified by email with course access information. Prerequisites: Must have a Google Drive/Gmail account. Prior knowledge of Google Drive is strongly recommended.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Critical Thinker and Effective Communicator and Creative Innovator.
Teachers will learn how to use the Writing Revolution strategies to enhance student writing experiences. They will develop new strategies and skills useful for all core subjects with their students focusing on writing with structure, clarity and coherence, boosting reading comprehension while improving organizational and study skills. Participants will be creating worksheets for students to use and adding them to Google Slides as well as using Padlet to provide responses to questions.Participants will need to have access to The Writing Revolution book.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Effective Communicator.
You cannot sit next to every student every day, but you can design systems that support every learner. This course explores practical Tier 1 strategies that increase access, engagement, and independence for diverse learners in the general education classroom. Participants will build inclusive routines, scaffold instruction, and reduce reliance on constant 1 to 1 support while integrating tools such as Wayground, Screencastify, and Kami to extend instruction and monitor progress. Designed for general and special educators, this course provides scalable, technology enhanced practices to meet the needs of all students.Tech needs: One of our goals is to give you hands-on experience using Kami, Wayground, and Screencastify both as a learner and a creator. It will help if your school has accounts with these platforms, but if not, we can help with work-arounds for the best experience possible.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Academically Prepared, Effective Communicator and Critical Thinker.
This book study uses Rick Rubin's The Creative Act as a springboard for practical, standards-aligned lesson design. Participants will explore creativity not as decoration or "extra,” but as an instructional design process: noticing what students need, translating difficult concepts, building stronger entry points, using constraints productively, and creating classroom experiences students remember.Throughout the course, teachers will connect selected chapters from The Creative Act to real classroom planning, curriculum design, student engagement, assessment, and technology integration. Participants will use digital tools such as Google Docs, Google Forms, Google Slides, Canva, AI-supported planning tools, and shared digital resource banks to redesign a flat or routine lesson into a more creative, rigorous, and student-centered learning experience.By the end of the course, participants will create a Creative Lesson Design Portfolio that includes a redesigned lesson, a student-facing digital resource, an assessment or reflection tool, and a short rationale explaining how creativity, technology, and standards-based instruction work together.
Participants will:
*Use digital planning tools such as Google Docs, Google Slides, and Canva
*Use AI tools thoughtfully to brainstorm lesson ideas, generate analogies, revise directions, differentiate tasks, and strengthen classroom materials
Create digital feedback, reflection, or assessment tools using Google Forms, shared documents, digital portfolios, or learning management system-ready templates.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Academically Prepared, Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker, Creative Innovator and Reflective and Future-Focused.
Most teachers have tried AI by typing in a quick request and hoping for something usable. This course helps teachers move beyond one-off prompts and build a personalized AI teaching system that understands their classroom, students, content, standards, voice, and constraints. Participants will learn how to create reusable prompts, custom instructions, project spaces, and task-specific AI tools for lesson planning, slide creation, assessment design, differentiation, and student support.This is a hands-on, curriculum-based technology integration course focused on making AI practical, ethical, repeatable, and teacher-controlled. Participants will leave with a personalized AI toolkit they can use immediately in their own teaching context.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Academically Prepared, Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker, Creative Innovator and Reflective and Future-Focused.
This course is a book study of "How to Love Teaching Again" by Jamie Sears, designed to help teachers reflect, recharge, and rediscover joy in their profession. Participants will engage with the text through a guided reflection journal, share insights and strategies on Padlet, and use AI to spark fresh ideas for simplifying and strengthening classroom practices. Together, these tools will support meaningful reflection and practical application, while fostering a community of encouragement and growth. Participants will use Google Slides (reflection journal), Chat GPT, and Padlet. Participants must have a copy of the book How to Love Teaching Again by Jamie Sears.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Critical Thinker and Creative Innovator.
The NYS Computer Science and Digital Fluency standards are here, and they aren't just for "tech teachers.” Think computer science doesn't fit in your classroom? Think again! Whether you're teaching first graders or physics, this course will help you meet New York State's new standards without fear, frustration, or needing to speak fluent binary. In this practical and encouraging book study, you'll learn fun, flexible ways to weave computer science into any K-12 classroom using skills you already teach-like problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration. Whether you're tech-savvy or tech-scared, this course offers approachable strategies (and zero judgment) to help you confidently tackle the new standards-no coding experience, robot sidekick, or tech jargon required.The purpose of this book study is to create a culture of learning and sharing as we delve into the recently published educational text Let's ALL Teach Computer Science! by Kiki Prottsman. This online collaborative environment will enable you to interact with other educators, discover additional resources, and inspire you to think differently.Participants should have access to the book Let's ALL Teach Computer Science! by Kiki Prottsman.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Academically Prepared, Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker, Creative Innovator, Global Citizen and Reflective and Future-Focused.
Are you dealing with complexities of balancing daily life and teaching? Are you under stress or just need a few tools to help you navigate some obstacles to go from surviving to thriving? This book study is for you!In this book, Amberly Lago ”shares her gift for finding light in life's darkest moments. This book is a guiding light for those navigating life's challenges by weaving in personal stories and profound insight to create a holistic perspective on finding more joy in the world- regardless of what you're going through.” This book will help you address the lack of fulfillment that so many experience in their everyday work and play.
Participants will:
1) Create Reflective and Independent Learning Spaces with Padlet
2) Design Student-Centered Content Using Canva for Education
3) Utilize Google Slides and Padlet to Support Student Self-Efficacy
It is recommended that participants have access to the book, Joy Through The Journey : Shift your Mindset, Embrace the Present Moment, and Cultivate Resilience through Life's Ups and Downs: by Amberly Lago.
In this course participants will learn to harness the power of Google Slides to craft visually stimulating presentations tailored to the unique needs of their morning gatherings. They will examine articles and reference the book 99 Activities and Greetings to gain insights into best practices for structuring and facilitating impactful morning meetings and cultivate an environment conducive to social-emotional learning. Learn how to use Google Slides to create morning meeting presentations, how to embed videos into Google Slides and how to use templates from other sources to create Google Slides.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attribute of Effective Communicator and Reflective and Future-Focused.
In A Fresh New Look at Phonics, Wiley Blevins explains why teaching phonics can get tricky, and then delivers a plan geared for success. You will learn to focus on the seven critical ingredients of phonics teaching that produce the greatest student learning gains- readiness skills, scope and sequence, blending, dictation, word awareness, high-frequency words, and reading connected texts. Wiley will also detail the 10 common reasons instructions fail and show teachers how to correct these missteps regarding lesson pacing, transitions, decodable texts, writing activities, assessments, and more.
Participants will work with Padlet Sandbox, Google Slides, Flippity, Canva and MagicSchool AI.
Participants need the book A Fresh Look at Phonics by Wiley Blevins.
This course is designed for elementary teachers assisting classroom teachers to include stories that honor the identities of all students within the classroom. create diverse collections and support children's social and emotional learning within the context of stories. Teachers will analyze the way they see themselves and their students before reflecting on the way students see themselves. It is recommended that you have the book Read Alouds with Heart Grades 3-5. Participants will use Google Docs for onboarding and Padlet for collaborative dialogue. The culminating project will be developed within a shared Google Docs repository, where participants will author a comprehensive analysis evaluating a picture book for heartwork.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Global Citizen.
This is an introductory course for educators looking to learn more about MagicSchool AI and how to use it in an educational setting. This course is geared for those who have a MagicSchool Plus or Enterprise account, but it is not required that you have a paid MagicSchool account to take this course. The course will cover:
A description of how modern AI systems and an overview of MagicSchool, best practices for using MagicSchool and how to access it.
Tips on finding the right tools to use and a look at some top MagicSchool platform features.
Best practices for prompting AI, modifying and using generated outputs.
Creating, configuring, and customizing MagicSchool tools for your personal usage.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker: Creative Innovator, and Reflective and Future-Focused.
Summer Reset: Mindset Shifts for a Sustainable School Year is a 15-hour asynchronous book study of Angela Watson's Awakened: Change Your Mindset to Transform Your Teaching (Second Edition, 2022). Participants will reflect on common stressors and past experiences to develop mindset shifts and build a practical toolkit. We'll leverage technology like Canva, Google Keep, and AI email templates to prepare ready-to-use materials to support mental health and sustainable, high-quality teaching during the coming school year.
Participants will need access to a copy of Angela Watson's Awakened: Change Your Mindset to Transform Your Teaching (Second Edition, 2022).
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Effective Communicator and Reflective and Future-Focused.
Are you stressed out and exhausted? Do you find it hard to have patience, positive energy, and enthusiasm for your students? Now add in providing them with the best instruction- does this feel like too much? In this book study we will help you find a balance for these things. We will help teachers like you to: "Recharge your battery, Recover your swagger and Refresh your spirit” Mike Anderson says; "A well-balanced teacher is one who finds ways to take care of their own needs and builds powerful habits that sustain both energy and excellence. By taking steps to regain your balance and reignite your passion for teaching, you can enjoy a richer life both inside the classroom and out.” Come find that balance again with us.
Participants will use Canva, Padlet and Google Slides to complete course requirements.
Participants must have access to Rekindle Your Professional Fire: Powerful Habits for Becoming a More Well-Balanced Teacher by Mike Anderson.
Photopea is a free web-based photo editor that functions like Adobe Photoshop. It includes a comprehensive suite of tools and supports layers and masks, retouching tools and the ability to work with different image formats. The course will also highlight the following Artificial Intelligence tools: Magic Replace Tool, Extend Background, Content Aware, Spot Heling Brush Tool and Patch Tool.Participants who complete all the assignments and projects will receive a certificate of completion for 15 hours of participation.Prerequisites: Partipants should also have access to a digital camera, smartphone or digitak images for final project completion.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Creative Innovator, Critical Thinker and Effective Communicator.
Ready to bring AI into your teaching? This course, based on "50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom," offers a hands-on approach to exploring AI-powered strategies. Each week, you'll dive into a discussion about an innovative technique, test AI prompts in a chatbot, and reflect on how these tools can enhance learning experiences. By the end, you'll have a toolkit of AI strategies to personalize instruction, streamline tasks, and engage students in new and exciting ways. Participants will need "50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom" by Donnie Piercey by the course start date.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Creative Innovator, Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker, Reflective and Future-Focused and Academically Prepared.
This Young Adult Literature and Technology course provides educators with the opportunity to explore contemporary young adult literature while developing meaningful technology integration strategies for their classrooms. Participants will read and review young adult books published within the last five years, discuss current trends and themes in literature, and reflect on their personal reading experiences. Through online discussions, teachers will review and respond to classmates' posts, fostering a collaborative learning community. Participants will also examine selected passages from professional journals and scholarly articles to deepen their understanding of adolescent literacy and literature instruction. Using a variety of digital tools, teachers will create and share innovative book projects that can be adapted for student use. Because new titles, technologies, and instructional practices are continually emerging, educators may take this course multiple times for credit while exploring different books, resources, and technology applications.
Participants will learn:
*Digital research and evaluation skills
*Technology-enhanced instruction design
*Digital Communication and collaboration
This course covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Academically Prepared, Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker and Global Citizen.
Discover how to reclaim your time and reduce administrative friction through the power of strategic AI implementation. This session focuses on high-impact prompt engineering designed specifically for leader workflows, from drafting complex communications to summarizing dense reports. Join us for a collaborative brainstorming session and a special guest visit from Mike Doughty to explore how to lighten your daily load and lead your school into a more efficient future.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Creative Innovator, Critical Thinker, Effective Communicator and Academically Prepared.
Ready to meet your new AI besties? We're spending the afternoon building custom "Gems" that act like your personal assistants and turning "NotebookLM" into a genius research partner that knows your curriculum inside and out. This will be a hands-on working session designed to kick-start you into the 26-27 school year. Bring your team or come alone, bring your messy Google Drive, and let's build some digital magic that does the heavy lifting for you!
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Creative Innovator, Critical Thinker, Reflective and Future Focused and Academically Prepared.
Discover how generative AI can become your ultimate office ally by streamlining the paperwork and communication tasks that fill your day. This session built for secretaries and admin assistants, focuses on practical ways to automate repetitive tasks, organize complex schedules, and manage school documents with ease. You will leave with a toolkit of simple strategies, ideas and tools to save time and reduce the daily "busy work" of the main office.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Creative Innovator and Critical Thinker.
Dust off those old documents and open the windows to a breezier Google Drive! This session is all about "decluttering the junk" and keeping the "summer treasures" that help you teach your best. We'll scrub your folders, polish your naming conventions, and toss out the digital "dust bunnies" together. Let's turn your messy Drive into a sparkling summer getaway where everything is exactly where it belongs!
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Critical Thinker, Reflective and Future Focused and Academically Prepared.
Nothing is more motivating to a student than a locked box! Students work together to solve problems and figure out combinations to break open a box. They won't have to ask you if their answer is correct ....if they're right, the lock opens. Encourage curiosity and productive struggle. Join us to try your hand at a themed breakout, then learn how to make your own using household items and your own grade level content! We will share tips, templates, and ideas. Come to one session or multiple sessions depending on your interest and grade level.
School of Magic Breakout: Hogwarts themed breakout featuring map reading and book ciphers, ideal for grades 3-8.
This course covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker, and Creative Innovator.
Help students move beyond simply "doing strategies” to truly understanding what they read. This engaging summer PD course explores how comprehension develops through rich texts, background knowledge, discussion, vocabulary, and meaningful instruction grounded in cognitive science. Educators will discover practical, classroom-ready ways to support students with complex texts using purposeful scaffolds, think-alouds, and knowledge-building activities. Through reflection, collaboration, podcasts, videos, Padlet, Canva, and other interactive tools, participants will leave with fresh ideas for building stronger, more thoughtful readers.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attribute of Effective Communicator and Academically Prepared.
Discover how to transform the start of every school day into a powerful opportunity for connection, belonging, and engagement. In this interactive course based on The Morning Meeting Book, educators will explore the four components of Morning Meeting-Greeting, Sharing, Group Activity, and Morning Message-through reflection, collaboration, and hands-on application. Participants will leave with ready-to-use strategies, technology-enhanced resources using tools like Padlet, Canva, and MagicSchool AI, and a complete Morning Meeting plan designed to build a more connected classroom community.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Creative Innovator, Effective Communicator and Reflective and Future-Focused.
This 15-hour asynchronous professional learning course invites English Language Arts educators to critically examine the role of the literary canon and reflect on how personal experience, tradition, and institutional expectations shape instructional practice. Through structured, self-paced learning activities, participants will analyze the texts they teach and consider whose voices are centered, marginalized, or absent in canonical instruction. Participants will use collaborative digital tools (e.g., Google Docs, Google Slides, Canva) to engage in shared close reading, pose critical questions, and respond to colleagues' annotations in order to simulate discussion-based analysis in an asynchronous environment and share multimedia instructional reflections on how personal experience, tradition, and institutional expectations shape instructional practice using Padlet and Google Tools.It is required that participants have the book, Workshopping the Canon by Mary E. Styslinger.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker, and Global Citizen.
This 15-hour online course introduces educators to Google Sheets. The focus is on standards-based exercises that can be easily integrated and adapted for educator use across the curriculum. Topics covered may include: making the transition from Excel, using spreadsheets in the classroom and school environment, gradebooks, conditional formatting and filters, graphing data, working with live Web-based data, and using add-ons. Participants who complete all the assignments will receive a 15 hour completion certificate. Registrants will be notified by email with course access information.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker, and Creative Innovator.
Dive into Gmail and trade your inbox waves for smooth sailing! We'll help you clear the clutter so you can soak up more time for what matters, using labels and filters to keep your digital life breezy. Join us to cool down your communication chaos and make your workday feel like a walk on the beach.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Critical Thinker, Reflective and Future Focused and Academically Prepared.
Is your Google Workspace looking like a tangled mess of fishing line after a windy day on the lake? Don't let your productivity drift out to sea! Join us for "Cleanup in Aisle 3," where we'll teach you how to use Gemini as your ultimate sonar. We'll show you how to bait your prompts to catch exactly what you're looking for, untangle messy spreadsheets, and keep your workflow from getting snagged on tedious tasks. It's time to stop fishing for answers and start reeling in results!
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Creative Innovator, Critical Thinker, Reflective and Future Focused and Academically Prepared.
Join us for a dynamic, hands-on session where we reframe Ozobots from a simple coding tool into a powerful engine for complimenting all curriculum areas. Through the lens of tangible, screen-free, and interactive robotics, you will discover how to use Ozobots and walk away with templates and materials that can be used across all content areas to promote sequential thinking, problem solving, and logical reasoning.WHY TAKE THIS COURSE - YOu will leave inspired with not just with ideas, but with ready-to-use, practical strategies to hook student engagement from day one. Discover how to turn anxiety about the future into actionable, high-impact classroom success. No prior coding experience required!No Ozobots? No worries. They can be borrowed by NERIC MS Districts from our Lending Library, so you can plan for next year knowing the tech is supported.
Agenda:
Line Drawing and Coding
Vocabulary, Reading, Math Searches
Makerspace Content
Parades, Fun, Creativity and Other Ideas
Blockly Coding with Classroom Connections
Resources
This course covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Critical Thinker and Creative Innovator.
Is your digital life a "junk drawer" of mystery files and 400 open browser tabs? It's time for a 90-minute Google Glow-Up! We're going to scrub your Gmail, tame your Drive, and turn your Chrome browser into a lean, mean, productivity machine. Come ready to declutter and leave feeling like a digital zen master!
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Creative Innovator, Critical Thinker, Reflective and Future Focused and Academically Prepared.
This course introduces teachers of all subjects and grade levels to Suno AI, an internet application that allows people to use AI for song creation. Participants will learn to use Suno AI to create instructional songs aligned with curricular goals, apply songwriting strategies to enhance content retention and engagement, and produce and share an original AI-generated instructional song. Suno AI is an excellent tool to engage auditory learners and a fun and easy way for all students to access course content.
We've all known students who disrupt class, break the rules, and try our patience. Deep down, we know they're the ones who actually need extra love and support instead of time-outs or trips to the principal's office. In Hugging Porcupines, veteran educator Mike Anderson offers practical strategies for supporting these porcupines so they can be as successful as possible, both in school and beyond. Anderson walks readers month-by-month through the school year, sharing strategies for setting up routines at the start of school, getting back on track after holiday breaks, and finishing strong. Hugging Porcupines will deepen K-12 teachers' understanding of why porcupines struggle academically and behaviorally in school and equip them to provide more appropriate support. Participants will learn strategies for working with students and use Canva to create a list of go to strategies, use Google to make a plan for starting the school year strong, and incorporate Google Slides and Forms.
Participants need access to the book, Hugging Porcupines, by Mike Anderson
This course covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attribute of Reflective and Future-Focused.
In this thoughtful call to action, author and educator Starr Sackstein examines the intersection between assessment and social and emotional learning (SEL). The five SEL competencies, self awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making are addressed in this book study. Teachers will learn how to develop these abilities in their students, and how it can help students improve their learning and assessment experiences. Sackstein also raises important considerations for educators, urging them to examine implicit biases to improve their relationships with students, deepen their understanding of the impact of grades and assessments on students' self-image and their ability to reach their full potential as learners, and develop personalized assessment systems that ensure an accurate, fair, and equitable portrayal of what students know and can do. This book study will be an invaluable guide to ensure better outcomes, and better emotional health for all students.Participants will learn strategies for working with students, focusing on SEL and use Canva to create a list of go to strategies.
Participants will use Google to make a plan for starting the school year, creating assessments to support learning.
Participants will conduct data collection with Google Forms.
Participants need access to the book, Assessing with Respect, by Starr Sackstein
This course covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attribute of Effective Communicator, Creative Innovator, Global Citizen and Reflective and Future-Focused.
Create a classroom where students feel connected, supported, and ready to learn! Based on the book Positive Classroom Communities: Activities to Support Student's Emotional and Social Growth by Stacy Simonyi and Tania Campanelli, this engaging 15-hour online course helps K-12 educators strengthen classroom community through meaningful social and emotional learning (SEL) practices. Grounded in the trusted CASEL framework, participants will explore practical, easy-to-implement activities that foster self-awareness, emotional regulation, positive relationships, and responsible decision-making. Through reflection and classroom-ready strategies, teachers will learn how to create compassionate classroom environments where every student feels valued, included, and empowered to thrive. Join fellow educators in discovering simple, powerful ways to build a classroom where kindness, belonging, and learning grow together!
Participants will:
*learn how to use tools like Seesaw, Google Slides, or Padlet to document student learning journeys. This includes capturing photos, videos, and voice recordings to support reflective conversations and formative assessment.
*develop the ability to design interactive digital learning menus or choice boards using platforms like Google Docs, Canva, Classroomscreen or Flippity, allowing students to pursue personalized reflection questions through multimodal digital resources.
gain skills in curating digital content and organizing them in platforms like Google Docs, Canva, ClassroomScreen or Flippity.
Participants need access to the book, Positive Classroom Communities: Activities to Support Student's Emotional and Social Growth by Stacy Simonyi and Tania Campanelli
This course covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attribute of Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker, Global Citizen and Reflective and Future-Focused.
This is an introductory course for educators looking to learn more about Wayground and how to use it in an educational setting. This course is geared for those who have a Wayground School account, but it is not required that you have a paid Wayground account to take this course.
In this course you will learn how to use Wayground (formerly Quizizz) to build engaging assignments and gamify learning. This course is geared for those with a School and District Wayground account and consists of 5 self-paced learning modules:
Module 1: Overview of Wayground (Interface and Features)
Module 2: Assessment
Module 3: Other Wayground Resources: Presentation, Video, Passage, Flashcards
Module 4: Managing, Assigning, and Launching Activities
Module 5: Top Wayground Features
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Critical Thinker, Creative Innovator and Reflective and Future-Focused.
This self-paced professional development course takes a closer look at the NYSED Numeracy Briefs, created by Dr. Deborah Loewenberg Ball and TeachingWorks. Backed by research and connected to the NYS Next Generation Math Standards and the Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework, the briefs break down big ideas in math, common myths, high-impact content and strategies, effective teaching practices, and ways to lead math learning in schools. Participants will explore important ideas using tools such as Google Classroom, YouTube videos, Google Slides, Padlet, and more while learning ways to make math instruction more effective and inclusive.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Academically Prepared and Creative Innovator.
In this 15-hour course, participants will explore the impact of childhood trauma on learning and practical strategies that can be used to create trauma-sensitive classrooms where all students can thrive. Using Fostering Resilient Learners as a guide, participants will examine how trauma affects student behavior, motivation, and academic success while learning to build strong relationships, foster safe and supportive learning environments, and adopt strengths-based approaches to student needs.Through reflection and application activities, educators will also explore practices that empower both teachers and students, and help students to flourish.
Registrants should secure a copy of the book before the start date.
Pursue professional interests by creating and actively participating in local and global learning networks.
Identify public and private digital spaces.
Collaborate with Colleagues
A Google Classroom link will be sent on or before July 29.
Ready to upgrade your Canva skills? Learn how to use Canva's game-changing coding app to build interactive games, tools, and widgets for your students using pure natural language. We will go over a massive list of cross-curricular ideas for grades K-12, explore how to capture student data effortlessly, and show you how "Vibe Coding" can make lesson design faster, easier, and a whole lot more fun. Maximize your learning through a blend of real-time collaboration (webinar) and hands-on independent practice.
Stay ahead of the curve by exploring the latest features and interface changes across the Google Workspace for Education suite. This session provides a clear, concise overview of recent updates in Docs, Slides, Drive, and AI-integrated tools. Participants will leave with a practical roadmap for implementing these new features to save time and enhance student engagement.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Critical Thinker, Reflective and Future Focused and Academically Prepared.
Supercharge your teaching with the power of creativity and a spark of STEAM Power. In this course, you'll explore hands-on projects that fuse art with science, technology, engineering, and math to ignite student engagement. From construction challenges and collaborative design projects to video production, digital media, gamified animation, robotics, virtual and augmented reality, and other emerging technologies, you'll discover practical, fun ideas for any grade level or STEAM experience. Along the way, you'll tap into the power of global collaboration, social-emotional learning, and real-world connections to take your lessons beyond the textbook. Flip the switch, get inspired, and watch your classroom light up with the power of STEAM. The purpose of this book study is to create a culture of learning and sharing as we delve into the recently published educational text STEAM Power: Infusing Art Into Your STEM Curriculum (2nd edition) by Tim Needles. This online collaborative environment will enable you to interact with other educators, discover additional resources, and inspire you to think differently. Participants should have access to the book STEAM Power: Infusing Art Into Your STEM Curriculum (2nd edition).
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Academically Prepared, Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker, Creative Innovator, Global Citizen and Reflective and Future-Focused.
Building strong vocabulary instruction is essential for supporting reading comprehension, writing development, and oral language growth across grade levels. Using strategies and resources from The Megabook of Vocabulary, this course will provide educators with engaging, practical, and easy-to-implement approaches for strengthening students' receptive and expressive language skills. Participants will reflect on current practices, explore classroom-ready activities, and collaborate with colleagues to expand their instructional toolbox for vocabulary development across content areas and grade levels. Participants will engage with videos, Google Slides, Canva, and Padlet to collaborate virtually, share reflections, and explore instructional resources and strategies.Participants should have access to The Megabook of Vocabulary by Timothy V. Rasinski, Melissa Cheeseman Smith, and Savanah Campbell.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attribute of Academically Prepared.
This course will walk you through building a class website with Google Sites. During this course, you will learn how to:
Create a site with Google Sites
Change the appearance of a site
Add and format text, links, images, video, and resources from Google Drive
Add pages and subpages
Set access and permissions for a site
Utilize advanced features that add to the functionality of your site
Publish a siteAs you learn about these various elements of site creation, you will build a website for your class.
As you learn about these various elements of site creation, you will build a website for your class. At the end of the course, you will submit the class website you created as evidence of your learning. All modules can be completed at whatever pace you feel comfortable with as long as your project is submitted by the course end date.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Effective Communicator and Creative Innovator.
Yardsticks: Child and Adolescent Development Ages 4-14 by Chip Wood is a foundational educational resource that tracks the developmental milestones of children to help educators and parents better understand their strengths and struggles. Published by the Center for Responsive Schools, the guide uses an age-by-age breakdown to connect social-emotional, physical, and cognitive growth with practical classroom practices. In this class you will read the sections relevant to the age level of students you work with, reflect on your understandings of where they have been and where they are going, and create materials to share with parents at the start of the school year about what they can expect. Participants will use spreadsheets, WordCloud, video recording apps, and slide decks.Participants should have access to the book Yardsticks by Chip Wood.
This session addresses the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Reflective and Future-Focused.
Ready to let AI do the heavy lifting? Join us for an action-packed hour where we turn Gemini into your personal "Workday Wizard" right inside Google Workspace! You'll learn how to conjure up email replies, summon data summaries in Sheets, and magic-up slide decks in seconds. It's time to stop the copy-paste struggle and start working smarter with your new favorite sidekick!
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Creative Innovator, Critical Thinker, Reflective and Future Focused and Academically Prepared.
Discover the power of Pear Deck to transform passive classrooms into vibrant, inclusive learning communities. This course provides concrete strategies to hook non-participatory students, giving them a comfortable way to engage while creating equity between all types of learners and personalities within your classroom. Learn how to make active participation the norm for every student, every day.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Effective Communicator, Culturally Responsive, and Reflective and Future Focused and Academically Prepared.
Ready to take the training wheels off your digital research? We're diving into the deep end of NotebookLM to see how it handles your toughest, messiest, and most complex data piles. Join us as we master the art of "teaching" the AI to find the needle in the haystack and turn your chaos into a masterpiece of organization!
Participants should be familiar with NotebookLM; this is for imtermediate and advanced users.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Creative Innovator, Critical Thinker, Reflective and Future Focused and Academically Prepared.
Descend past the surface level. If you're already comfortable with the basics, it's time to suit up for a high-pressure exploration of Gemini's most powerful depths. We're bypassing the shallow reefs of simple chat to navigate the complex underwater architecture of Deep Research and Custom Gems.
In this intensive session, you'll learn to act as a mission commander, orchestrating a fleet of specialized AI agents that handle your most taxing workloads-from data-heavy synthesis to cinematic video production. Stop wading in the shallows; it's time to plunge into the deep-context window and emerge with professional-grade treasures.
This session is designed for imtermediate and advanced Gemini users.
This session covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduation attributes of Creative Innovator, Critical Thinker, Reflective and Future Focused and Academically Prepared.
Join us for a dynamic, hands-on session where we reframe Ozobots from a simple coding tool into a powerful engine for complimenting all curriculum areas. Through the lens of tangible, screen-free, and interactive robotics, you will discover how to use Ozobots and walk away with templates and materials that can be used across all content areas to promote sequential thinking, problem solving, and logical reasoning.WHY TAKE THIS COURSE - YOu will leave inspired with not just with ideas, but with ready-to-use, practical strategies to hook student engagement from day one. Discover how to turn anxiety about the future into actionable, high-impact classroom success. No prior coding experience required!No Ozobots? No worries. They can be borrowed by NERIC MS Districts from our Lending Library, so you can plan for next year knowing the tech is supported.
Agenda:
Line Drawing and Coding
Vocabulary, Reading, Math Searches
Makerspace Content
Parades, Fun, Creativity and Other Ideas
Blockly Coding with Classroom Connections
Resources
This course covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Critical Thinker and Creative Innovator.
Nothing is more motivating to a student than a locked box! Students work together to solve problems and figure out combinations to break open a box. They won't have to ask you if their answer is correct ....if they're right, the lock opens. Encourage curiosity and productive struggle. Join us to try your hand at a themed breakout, then learn how to make your own using household items and your own grade level content! We will share tips, templates, and ideas. Come to one session or multiple sessions depending on your interest and grade level.
Volume Frenzy! Two levels to try, one for 5th grade volume, and one for advanced volume of 3-D figures. Ideal for grades 5-10.)
This course covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker, and Creative Innovator.
Nothing is more motivating to a student than a locked box! Students work together to solve problems and figure out combinations to break open a box. They won't have to ask you if their answer is correct ....if they're right, the lock opens. Encourage curiosity and productive struggle. Join us to try your hand at a themed breakout, then learn how to make your own using household items and your own grade level content! We will share tips, templates, and ideas. Come to one session or multiple sessions depending on your interest and grade level.
Sea Turtle Escape: science and reading comprehension. Ideal for grades 2-8.
This course covers the NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes of Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker, and Creative Innovator.
Ready to upgrade your Canva skills? Learn how to use Canva's game-changing coding app to build interactive games, tools, and widgets for your students using pure natural language. We will go over a massive list of cross-curricular ideas for grades K-12, explore how to capture student data effortlessly, and show you how "Vibe Coding" can make lesson design faster, easier, and a whole lot more fun. Maximize your learning through a blend of real-time collaboration (webinar) and hands-on independent practice.