Updated: Live video times are Tues, Wed, and Thurs. 9-11 AM and 1-3 PM.

This workshop provides an introduction to the Framework for Teaching, the Framework Clusters, and beliefs about teaching and learning that are implicit in both. Participants will have the opportunity to draw connections between the Framework and their own work, and we will focus on putting the Framework to work as the centerpiece of a learning culture. This workshop is for all educators interested in learning more about the Framework and its potential to support great teaching.

Then the workshop provides a deeper exploration of the domains, components, and elements of the Framework for Teacher geared towards supervisors and evaluators responsible for conducting high-stakes evaluations using the Framework rubrics. You will learn about the collaborative observation process and build your observation skills, including understanding bias, collecting low-inference evidence, interpreting evidence against the levels of performance, and leading feedback conversations to support teacher growth.

Instructor: Melissa Lebowitz

This course was designed to provide educators with the tools to create an environment for children that not only supports social and emotional growth but also developmentally appropriate practice as a whole. The schools of Reggio Emilia consider the environment the “Third Teacher”. A well created and intentional environment supports the growth of children while allowing for independence and creative problem solving. When thinking through the essential components of a well created environment we will explore the 6 life skills according to Jenna Bilmes in her book Beyond Behavior Management.

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Instructor: Maggie Hubbard, Ed.D.

Course Description: "Inclusion is not a strategy to help people fit into the systems and structures which exist in our societies; it is about transforming those systems and structures to make it better for everyone." Diane Richler, Past President, Inclusion International Research has shown that, in many cases, the optimal learning environment for students with disabilities is the regular education classroom. Therefore, educators need to be skilled in the instruction of both typical learners and students with special learning needs. This course will help participants develop a vision of what an inclusive school and classroom looks like and the practical skills, attitudes, and understandings necessary to successfully include students with special learning needs in regular education classrooms and the life of the school.

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Live Synchronous course June 15, 16, 17, and 18 8:15 AM - 3:30 PM

Participants engaging in Responsive Classroom virtual workshops and courses will receive world-class professional development. Through attending this experiential and informative online professional development, participants will learn how to create a balance between academic and social-emotional learning through key teaching practices. Our team is prepared to provide an exceptional learning experience via the Zoom platform where participants will build relationships authentically, engage with colleagues in meaningful ways, and learn strategies for creating safe, joyful, and engaging school communities.

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Live synchronous course: June 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, and 25th from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. (with a half-hour break for lunch)

This workshop is for all educators interested in learning more about methods and techniques for teaching children how to be a better decoders, spellers, and writers of the English language. The focus of this course is not on Reading Comprehension, but rather on Phonological Awareness, Systematic Synthetic Phonics for Decoding and Encoding, and Oral Reading Fluency; however, it is well understood that one of the greatest deterrents to proficient reading comprehension (which is multi-factorial) is a student’s inability to easily, quickly, and accurately decode print.

Materials for this course will be mailed directly to participants at their homes, before the course begins. It is required that participants attend all 60 hours of the course. If any time is missed during the course, the participant will be asked to discontinue the course at that point in time and attend make-up sessions, beginning with the session that is missed, the next time the course is offered (which is multiple times a year). This course is very cumulative, information-packed, and interactive, so it is not possible to miss a session or part of a session and understand the content presented in the next session. In order to receive credits and certifications, teachers need to be present for the complete 60 hours of the course.

It will be important that all participants will have access to the internet, as well as a computer that has the ability to attend a webinar through a site like Google Meet, Zoom, Webex, or a similar platform. Specific details will be emailed before the course so that participants will be able to have time to familiarize themselves with the selected platform.

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Instructor: Shannon Norris

Course Description: Feel like you need more tools for your educator “toolbox”? Don’t ever seem to have time to learn about all the great tools out there? Want to create a more engaging classroom environment for your students? In this course, we will explore a variety of digital tools that can be used to engage your students through both instruction and assessment. You will leave this course having created lessons and assessments for personal use in your own classroom using a variety of new educational technology tools.

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Instructor: Amy Pietrowski

Course Description: This course is designed for those who are comfortable using technology in their classroom on a daily basis and are looking to "kick it up" a notch. Participants should have an interest in student creation as a means for learning. In this course we will discuss expectations, learning outcomes, assessment, and of course, make exemplars to take back to the classroom.

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Instructor: Ellie Tehan, M.Ed.

Course Description: According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, jobs in STEM careers are expected to increase by approximately 1 million jobs from 2012 to 2022. This staggering increase shows that our students will need to be prepared in these subjects in order to be successful in our current society.

This course will address the importance of STEM education in elementary and middle school, as well as practical ways to create effective lessons that address your standards and engage students simultaneously.

This course will be entirely online and you will not be required to attend a live session at a particular time, so you will be able to complete the assignments at the time of day that works best for you. Optional office hours will be hosted, so if you have any questions or would like to discuss an assignment, I am available!

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Instructor: Nancy Reed

Course Description: Diversity is the norm, not the exception, in schools today. When curricula are designed only to meet the needs of a few, those with different abilities, learning styles, backgrounds, and preferences may fall behind. 21st century teaching and learning focuses efforts on ensuring that all individuals have fair and equal opportunities to learn. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a research-based framework that addresses learner diversity at the beginning of the design or planning effort.

This course will expose participants in learning about brain networks, the history and the principles of UDL, strategies for how we approach who we teach, what we teach and how we teach. We will experiment with technology tools and redesign a lesson using these tools to demonstrate multiple ways to access resources and content so learners are given the opportunity engage in learning.

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Instructor: Julia Rogers

Course Description: (This course can be used for initial and re-certification credit.)

This course is designed to support teachers in becoming proficient users of classroom-based assessments and assessment data. Instruction focuses on the purpose of assessment, types of assessment tools, and the administration and use of valid, reliable formal and informal assessments of reading. Participants will show that they can use assessment data to guide instructional decisions.

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Instructor: Janessa Stancato

Course Description: (This course can be used for initial and re-certification credit.)

This course is designed to provide classroom teachers the research-based best practices, techniques and strategies in reading instruction. Learners will explore how observation, interpretation, and evaluation result in effective, efficient instructional planning for each of the stages of literacy development. Learners will focus on strategies for managing and allocating instruction time while developing the five components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension) as they relate to the implementation of a comprehensive reading program.

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Instructor: Erin Brown

Course Description: (This course can be used for initial and re-certification credit.)

This course teaches strategies to support reading comprehension in the content areas. The course will assist participants in learning how to integrate the processes of reading, writing and literature into their content areas. Participants will learn strategies to support readers at varying literacy levels in order to give students the opportunity to understand, explore and share knowledge.

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Instructor:  Christina Buckner, MA

Course Description: The use of scientific inquiry in the classroom serves as a model of how science is done in the real world. In this course, we will explore inquiry, looking at topics such as why inquiry is important for student understanding as well as several different types of inquiry that can be used within a lesson. You will leave this course with lessons that you can use in your own classroom and the tools to create lessons on your own, enabling you to create a more engaging classroom environment for your students.

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Instructor: Brian Buckner, M.Ed.

Description: Differentiation is the structuring of lessons to suit the needs of multiple learning styles in a classroom. In this course we will explore differentiation of products (assessments) as a means to increase student motivation and task completion. We will explore what differentiation of product is and why it is successful. You will leave this course with lessons that you can use in your own classrooms and the tools necessary to create more.

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Instructor: Jenn Hornyak

Course Description: How do you use technology in your classroom? Do you use a variety of tools to have students complete assignments? Are students engaged and showing a deeper understanding of content? Do you lack the access of technology? Perhaps you are ready to make a change but don’t know where to start. Whatever your path looks like, technology can easily & successfully be integrated into any classroom.

Adapt a growth mindset environment where students take control over their own learning. Change classroom dynamics and enabling student-centered, project-based learning. Encourage students to use a variety of tools to express their creativity as they design projects and communicate what they have learned.

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Instructor: Mary-Tyler Upshaw, M.Ed.

Course Description: How do you use technology in your classroom when your students aren’t yet reading? Do you lack access to technology? Perhaps you are readay to make a change, but don’t know where to start. Whatever your path looks like, technology can easily & successfully be integrated into these classrooms. Students are inundated with technology from birth, but lack the reading comprehension to navigate the internet. You will learn how to encourage students to use a variety of tools to express their creativity as they design projects and communicate what they have learned. Adapting lessons plans to incorporate technology with thought and purpose.

Instructors: Archdiocese of Washington, Lead Technology Coaches: Kitty Shadman & Mary Del Bianco

Course Description: Through an online environment, teachers will experience first hand how tech tools and teaching strategies can be used to create an engaging learning experience. This course will model Blended Learning principles that empower students in classroom and distance learning environments. Whether you are using tablets, Chromebooks, laptops, or iPads make the most out of your 1:1 platform. Attendees will work at their own tech skill level and through the lens of their own subject specialty. Start the Fall off with confidence.

We will explore how we as educators can:

• Integrate principles of Blended Learning

• Empower student learning with through multiple means of engagement, representation and action/expression

• Assess how students are being impacted by this new learning environment

• Find a balance between meeting the needs of our students and our own personal needs

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Instructor: Catherine Tobin

Current trends have shown a steady move toward cloud computing. Google Apps for Education is a suite of free, secure tools that can be used for collaboration and communication. With Google Apps for Education everything is automatically saved in the cloud. This allows users to access and edit email, documents, calendars and sites almost anywhere and anytime. Over 40 million students, faculty and staff in schools around the world are using Google Apps for Education. This course will allow teachers to effectively use Google Classroom and G Suite applications in effective ways.

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Instructor: Timothy Brown, M.S.Ed.

Course Description: One of the benefits of using technology in the classroom is the ability to differentiate instruction for the diverse learner. Meeting the needs of every student in every lesson aids in student achievement. Just as every student grows and develops at different rates, they learn in different ways and at different speeds. Technology makes it possible to pace lessons appropriately for each student’s learning level and can be used to promote learning in the multiple intelligences. This course will focus on strategies for teaching reading and math strategies in the classroom.

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Instructor: Eric Watts, Ph.D.,

Seminars in Education is a unique course that affords educators the opportunity to engage in a guided self-study on an approved topic associated with curriculum development. Participants will choose a topic that is of interest to them and also applicable to their work in schools. Once a topic and research questions are approved, participants will read and reflect on current research related to their topic. Research will be disseminated in the form of short research paper and knowledge attained will be applied in the form of a final project that involves the creation or revision of an existing curriculum based on findings. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, content area and/or grade level specific themes or cross cutting topics (e.g., backwards design, cross curricular planning, culturally relevant pedagogy, etc.). While daily meetings will occur, the majority of participants’ time will be spent engaged in research and the application of findings.

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