Vocabulary Instruction & AI

Spend some time this summer with Mary Beth and John planning for the upcoming school year! Together, we will discover how intentional vocabulary instruction can transform your students into more confident, successful readers. We will explore: The Research: Listen to and discuss insightful podcast excerpts to deepen our understanding of current research on vocabulary and morphology. The Resource: Dive into The Megabook of Vocabulary by Timothy V. Rasinski, Melissa Cheesman Smith, and Savannah Campbell. You will receive a complimentary copy of this practical guide, with dedicated time to build ready-to-use strategies (like Word Ladders and Readers' Theater) into your content-area units. The Tech: In concert with our vocabulary focus, John will introduce you to the latest AI tools within Schalmont’s native Gemini ecosystem. Learn how to leverage Gemini as your personal teaching assistant—one with a "Master’s Degree" in vocabulary instruction—to build a digital binder of resources you can return to all year long. When it comes to modern purpose, pedagogy, and planning, understanding AI is essential. Join us to bridge cutting-edge research with time-saving technology! Note: Every participant will be provided a physical copy of The Megabook of Vocabulary (a fantastic K-8 resource focusing on deep processing, morphology, and fluency).

The AI Bootcamp

Ready to take the mystery out of Artificial Intelligence and turn it into your ultimate classroom assistant? Join John and Ryan for an immersive, hands-on, three-day summer AI Bootcamp designed specifically for K-12 educators. This isn't a passive lecture—it is an active sandbox designed to give you the time and space to build, experiment, and plan for the upcoming school year. Each day features a 50/50 balance of instruction and tinkering. You will spend the first half of each session mastering powerful AI tools, and the second half collaborating with peers to create actual, ready-to-use classroom materials. Workshop Focus:

The Wayground/Brisk Track (with Ryan): Dive deep into our district-approved apps. Learn how to seamlessly integrate Wayground and Brisk into daily routines, maximize student engagement, and automate your existing workflows.

The Gemini Ecosystem Track (with John): Explore the cutting edge of Google’s AI. Master NotebookLM for deep curriculum research, and learn to build custom Gems—personalized AI assistants tailored to your exact grading, brainstorming, or teaching needs. Enjoy experimenting with Lyria, Veo, and NanoBanana, Gemini’s exclusive music, video and image generators, respectively.

Assorted AI “Bag of Tricks”: (both John & Ryan): And you can always expect a few extras sprinkled in … often tools, skills, or platforms Ryan & John think you should “bookmark” to revisit down the road. (Some of John & Ryan’s “faves”: Google Classroom, Snork’l, Google Vids, Chalkie, Bulk Writing Assessment, Content Related Graphic Novels & more…)

Whether you are an AI novice or a seasoned pro, you will leave this workshop with practical skills, customized digital assistants, and the ability to generate resources, create new workflows and lead your students into the future.

***Important Note: Some AI tools you may be used to using on a personal level (ChatGPT, Claude, etc…), may not be available in this workshop as they do not protect student and teacher tools to the level our native tools do.

The Math Pact - Book Study  

Join Mix and Match for a 4 week book study of The Math Pact this summer.  Read about how to teach math in a way that is consistent and meaningful for stuent, while avoidng the many shortcuts that don't stick. This will be followed with an in-person 5th meeting with Armine Gonzalez where you will discuss next steps at Schalmont.  You will sign up through the STI (we will purchase the book) AND through  Mix and Match.  

The Disengaged Teen by Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop - Book Study

Purpose:
To understand why teens disengage from school and learning—and how adults can rebuild motivation, agency, and purpose.

Outcomes:

• Identify signs and types of disengagement 

• Understand motivational modes 

• Reflect on adult behaviors that contribute to disengagement 

• Develop practical strategies for re-engaging teens

• Create a personal or group action plan

Session 1 - Focus: What does disengagement look like - and why is it happening? 

Reading - Inroduction and early chapters 

Key Concepts:

• The teen engagement crisis  

• The difference between compliance and engagement 

• Four motivational modes (overview) 

• School vs. real-world learning gap

Session 2 - Focus: Understanding how teems related differetly to learning 

Reading - Chapters explaing the four motivational modes.

Key Concepts: The four modes.

Session 3 - Focus: The Role of Adults and Systems 

Reading - Chpaters addressing achievement culture, pressure and adult behavior.

Key Concepts:

• Overemphasis on performance 

• External vs. internal motivation 

• Autonomy, belonging, and purpose  

• Adult anxiety transferring to teens

Session 4 - Focus: Re-Engagement and Action Planning 

Reading - Final chapters with solutions and examples

Key Concepts:

• Cultivating intrinsic motivation 

• Supporting exploration 

• Reframing failure 

• Expanding definitions of success

Instructional Illusions - Book Study 

Please join me for a practical and collaborative book study that will change the way your students learn! Instructional Illusions is a compact, accessible and highly practical book written by a powerhouse team of experts on the science of learning; Paul A. Kirshner, Carl Hendrick and Dr, Jim Heal. 

So much of what happens in the process of learning and instruction is obscured from view. Much like the effects of a convincing illusion, what we think we see when we observe instruction is often far from the reality. 

We will explore the ten instructional illusions through the lens of educational psychology, cognitive science, and instructional design. Together, we will consider how such illusions operate, unmask their true nature in light of the evidence, and learn powerful alternatives for authentic teaching and learning. Join me this winter to see beyond the illusion, understand and apply the true nature of instruction.