Learning should be fun. When students are engaged with the material and highly invested in their own growth, the potential for achievement increases considerably. Make your online classroom community a more joyful place to learn.

• How to hook your students with engaging lessons

• How to create more opportunities for meaningful interaction

• How to incentivize best effort

• How to utilize available technology to enhance the remote learning experience for teachers and students

Interested in learning about methods to reach your students on a deeper level? As humans we are naturally programmed to make connections in order to learn. Knowing and acknowledging the backgrounds of your students is a proven method to enhance student connection thus providing an optimal learning environment for your class. In this workshop you will learn about how culture affects students' behaviors and their approach to learning. Additionally we will discuss how you can modify your teaching environment and daily instruction in order to embrace diversity and address the unique needs of all of your students.

• Understand the purpose of culturally responsive teaching and its impact on students academic performance

• Reflect on your own experiences as an individual and teacher and implications for your students

• Implement strong culturally responsive practices in the classroom

• Build a culturally inclusive classroom and school community

Supporting academic language development for our English Language Learners is an essential and immediate skill that we must focus on when it comes to all content areas of instruction. Essentially, the strategies that will be learned within this K-8 workshop is for all learners since every student is acquiring and mastering the English language. Participants will learn how to use word-learning strategies, discussion and specific language supports to connect and support all English Language Learners within their learning.

Remote learning happens when remote lessons are interactive and engaging. Take a look at some strategies you can use to engage students and other adults when you hold live sessions.

• Using online tools to create engaging presentations

• Discussion on what is needed to make classes and online interaction more enjoyable

• How to apply engaging strategies when teaching a variety of content

Transitioning our schools into remote working and learning can be a daunting process. We need to adapt, not only to everyone not being in the same physical space, but also not being available at the same time. How do we use available tools to leverage the loss of synchrony in this new landscape? Moving into remote learning requires us to use tools that can adapt to this asynchronous landscape, let’s explore the power of this tools.

• Enhancing meetings by engaging all participants without falling into chaos.

• Creating different communication pathways using Google tools

• Ideas for letting go of our human need to micromanage our students, our team members

• Maximizing the power of Google Hangouts to create ongoing discussions and forums.

• Tips for including flexibility in assignments

• Strategies for strengthening a sense of purpose in our classes and with our teams.

Effective teachers make informed instructional decisions based on the work that students are producing. This workshop helps teachers prioritize which data to study, which students to target, and how to maximize growth.

• How to establish a consistent work study routine

• Why it is important to focus on transferable skills

• How to select specific target students for growth

• Establishing quantitative and qualitative goals for your students

Build a growth mindset learning culture to ensure discourse, feedback, and pedagogy encourage students to persevere, learn from their mistakes, and take ownership over their own learning. Shift students' attitude towards learning to underscore how deliberate practice, focus and dedication strengthen the brain and wire its capacity for intellectual growth

The most successful classroom conversations are where students are at the heart of the discussion. The most effective discourses take place when educators encourage student-led conversations, although this sometimes leads to disproportionate participation amongst students in your classroom--especially English Language Learners. How do we as educators step into the role of a facilitator while ensuring that all of our students have a voice during the discussion?

• Leverage students' desire to communicate and increase engagement

• Learn how to improve your role as a classroom discussion facilitator

• Increase student accountability across your classroom and address the unique needs of the all the learners in your classroom

• Review various methods to facilitate discourses in a remote learning setting

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) supports the whole child and has been shown to improve student behavior and academic performance. If you are looking to embed SEL within your physical/virtual classroom, then in this interactive webinar you will:

• Define SEL and identify and understand its essential components

• Understand the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma on student learning

• Reflect on instructional practices in a virtual setting and plan for ways to implement SEL in your classroom

• Explore ways to remain connected when distance is required

• Interact with each other using online tools that can be useful in your virtual classroom

Were you already implementing The Five Practices in your physical classroom, but would like to see how this experience can be facilitated within the virtual classroom? Are you new to The Five Practices, but want to ensure that your virtual classroom is engaging and filled with rich conversation around math? Either way, this is the webinar for you! In this interactive experience we will cover the basics of The Five Practices and you will experience a model lesson including warm-up routines and The Five Practices. You will also see examples of how to extend the lesson to continue student learning asynchronously.

• Identify the 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions (Smith & Stein, 2011)

• Make connections to the 8 Effective Mathematics Teaching Practices as defined by NCTM

• Learn how to engage learners in tasks that promote critical thinking and mathematical discourse in o a virtual math lesson.

• Experience math routines that can be implemented in your classroom.

• Actively engage with peers, work collaboratively, and utilize online tools for learning.

(Note: This is Part 1/2 in a mini series on implementing The Five Practices in your virtual classroom.; It is recommended that you take the introductory webinar, “From the Physical Classroom to the Virtual Classroom: The Importance of Math Talk and Making Connections”)

This session will not only support you in successfully bringing math routines and The Five Practices into your virtual classroom but will also utilize Pear Deck for an interactive webinar. Participants will experience a model lesson including warm-up routines and The Five Practices. You will also see examples of how this lesson could connect to aligned asynchronous learning experiences.

• Learn how to engage learners in tasks that promote critical thinking and mathematical discourse in a virtual math lesson.

• Experience math routines that can be implemented in your classroom.

• Actively engage with peers, work collaboratively, and utilize Pear Deck for facilitating discussion.

(Note: This is Part 2/2 in a mini series on implementing The Five Practices in your virtual classroom. It is strongly encouraged that you take Part 1 first. In addition, there is a recommended introductory webinar, “From the Physical Classroom to the Virtual Classroom: The Importance of Math Talk and Making Connections”)