Summer 2023 - TCC Series 9.0

June 20th + 21st + 22nd

Reimagine Your Playground

Tuesday, June 20th, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. | Intended Audience: PK-8th Grade Teachers

Let’s play! Learn guidelines, strategies, and inspiration ideas to transform your playground into a fun, developmentally-appropriate, inclusive playscape (that can also double as a learning lab) to promote students' physical, social, and mental health.

Presenter: Kathleen Wack

Kathleen Wack, recognized as a National Healthy School Hero from the Action for Healthy Kids Foundation, has taught health and physical education in the College of Education and Human Performance at West Liberty University since 2011. She has also worked as a K-12 district administrator, teacher, and coach.

Igniting Student Creativity Across Content Areas

Tuesday, June 20th, 2023 | 10:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. | Intended Audience: All Educators

This session will focus on ways to encourage and support students’ creativity across content areas. Examples of a wide variety of activities and techniques for all learners will be shared. Participants are invited to bring their examples and ideas to share with us.

Presenter: Lou Karas

Lou Karas is the Director of the Center for Arts and Education in the College of Education and Human Performance at West Liberty University. She has extensive experience in the administration, design, evaluation and implementation of arts and education programs for children, adults and families in community and school settings.

Canva: Pro-tips for Educators from a Seasoned Designer

Wednesday, June 21st, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. | Intended Audience: All Educators

Democratizing design! This session will be both an introduction and offer insights into leveraging the convenience and creative tools regularly being updated in Canva. Together we will review some of the easy, intuitive ways to customize templates to deeper features that had previously only been available in professional design applications.

Presenter: Heather Mallak

Heather Mallak uses design thinking and applied skills to enhance experiences – from pixels to placemaking to physical spaces. She has been a strategic partner to numerous notable institutions and initiatives locally and nationally. Innovation, communication, collaboration, and engagement are at the core of her professional ethos in her practice PUBLIC STUD/O.

Open Studio: Getting Creative with Canva

Wednesday, June 21st, 2023 | 10:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. | Intended Audience: All Educators

Ideas shared and questions answered. This will be an open working session for first-timers to those more familiar with the platform. Attendees are encouraged to join for the previous session as well but are not required to.

Presenter: Heather Mallak

Heather Mallak uses design thinking and applied skills to enhance experiences – from pixels to placemaking to physical spaces. She has been a strategic partner to numerous notable institutions and initiatives locally and nationally. Innovation, communication, collaboration, and engagement are at the core of her professional ethos in her practice PUBLIC STUD/O.

Creative Ways to Make and Use Maps in the Classroom

Thursday, June 22nd, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. | Intended Audience: All Educators

From traditional paper maps to virtual mapping tools, this session will focus on creative ways to not only use but also make maps in the classroom. Examples of a wide variety of activities and projects, for all grade levels, will be shared. Participants are also invited to bring their examples and ideas to share with us.

Presenter: Lou Karas

Lou Karas is the Director of the Center for Arts and Education in the College of Education and Human Performance at West Liberty University. She has extensive experience in the administration, design, evaluation and implementation of arts and education programs for children, adults and families in community and school settings.

Making the Classics Exciting Again: How to Engage the Next Generation

Thursday, June 22nd, 2023 | 10:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. | Intended Audience: 9th - 12th Grade Teachers

In this session, the presenter and audience will have a brainstorming session discussing how to engage students in literature. Some subtopics include use of technology, appealing to the Gen Z/Gen Alpha desires, and what literary topics matter to our students.

Presenter: Paige Wallace

Paige Wallace is a graduate student at West Liberty University, pursuing a master’s degree as a Reading Specialist. She is a 2020 graduate of West Liberty with a B.A. in English Literature and a 2022 graduate of Missouri State University with an M.A. in English Literature. Ms. Wallace currently works full time at Wheeling University.

June 27th + 28th + 29th

ESE Foundations and Instructional Strategies

Tuesday, June 27th, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. | Intended Audience: K-6th Grade Teachers

On average, more than 60 percent of all students with disabilities spend more than 80 percent if their time in a general education classroom. During this session, general education teachers will refresh their knowledge on what the special education laws are, how to effectively pull information from special education documents, and what differentiation would look like when there are special education students in the general education classroom. Participants will also leave the session with an IEP snapshot document where they can house important information from a student's IEP.

Presenter: Brigid Davidson

Brigid Davidson is an Elementary Professional Learning Specialist and Apple Learning Coach with the School District of Manatee County in Florida. She is a graduate of West Liberty University. She is an alumna of West Liberty University.

High School to Higher Education: How to Support Your Students Through the Process

Tuesday, June 27th, 2023 | 10:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. | Intended Audience: 10th - 12th Grade Teachers

After the COVID pandemic, the traditional college experience has drastically changed for most students— especially the freshman experience. This session aims to provide resources, information, and skills to guide their students forward into their higher educational sphere.

Presenter: Paige Wallace

Paige Wallace is a graduate student at West Liberty University, pursuing a master’s degree as a Reading Specialist. She is a 2020 graduate of West Liberty with a B.A. in English Literature and a 2022 graduate of Missouri State University with an M.A. in English Literature. Ms. Wallace currently works full time at Wheeling University.

Digital Design for Creative Expression

Wednesday, June 28th, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. | Intended Audience: All Educators

This session will focus on how students can use free digital design programs to create custom project materials such as posters, social media posts, flyers, and more. Learn more about how these free tools can elevate your students’ projects and how to use them in your classroom (or for yourself too!).

Presenter: Sarah Durzo

Sarah Durzo is the Coordinator for Innovation and Design for Intermediate Unit 1, a regional educational agency serving Fayette, Greene and Washington counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Makerspace Overload

Wednesday, June 28th, 2023 | 10:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. | Intended Audience: All Educators

Learn how makerspaces can evolve from simple to complex. This session will discuss ways to grow your makerspace to incorporate more than materials and adding in tech tools or digital fabrication equipment.

Presenter: Sarah Durzo

Sarah Durzo is the Coordinator for Innovation and Design for Intermediate Unit 1, a regional educational agency serving Fayette, Greene and Washington counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Beyond Books Before Bedtime: Ideas for Increasing Family Literacy Engagement

Thursday, June 29th, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. | Intended Audience: K- 5th Grade Teachers

As educators, we recognize the crucial role of parents and guardians in a child’s academic success. Yet it can be difficult to engage families in meaningful activities that support their child’s literacy development. This workshop will touch on the research surrounding family literacy and offer solutions for overcoming barriers to family engagement by sharing innovative ideas from across the region.

Presenter: Canyon Lohnas

Canyon Lohnas is the Program Specialist for the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative (WVPEC), a non-partisan organization committed to advancing public schools in West Virginia through outreach and innovation, housed in the Office of the Provost at West Virginia University. He is also a student in the Educational Theory and Practice Ph.D. program in the School of Education in the College of Applied Human Sciences at WVU. His research focuses on education policy and improving literacy in rural areas. Prior to his time at WVU, Canyon was a kindergarten and first grade teacher in Allegany County, Maryland.

Restorative Justice Circles and Bibliotherapy: An Opportunity for Integration

Thursday, June 29th, 2023 | 10:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. | Intended Audience: All Educators

After a brief review of the literature surrounding restorative justice practices and bibliotherapy, this session will demonstrate how integrating these practices can support students’ social and emotional growth.

Presenter: Canyon Lohnas

Canyon Lohnas is the Program Specialist for the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative (WVPEC), a non-partisan organization committed to advancing public schools in West Virginia through outreach and innovation, housed in the Office of the Provost at West Virginia University. He is also a student in the Educational Theory and Practice Ph.D. program in the School of Education in the College of Applied Human Sciences at WVU. His research focuses on education policy and improving literacy in rural areas. Prior to his time at WVU, Canyon was a kindergarten and first grade teacher in Allegany County, Maryland.

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July 11th + 12th + 13th

Using Math Choice Boards

Tuesday, July 11th, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. | Intended Audience: K- 5th Grade Teachers

Research has shown educators for many years that students are intrinsically motivated if they are given choice in their learning opportunities. During this session, participants will learn what a choice board is, how to use choice boards effectively during a math block, and how to effectively grade completed choice boards.

Presenter: Brigid Davidson

Brigid Davidson is an Elementary Professional Learning Specialist and Apple Learning Coach with the School District of Manatee County in Florida. She is a graduate of West Liberty University. She is an alumna of West Liberty University.

Using Data to Explore and Tell Our Stories

Tuesday, July 11th, 2023 | 10:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. | Intended Audience: All Educators

There are many ways students can collect and analyze day-to-day and personal data and create visual representations of the data points. Their data “postcards”, “self portraits” and other visualizations can then be used to tell their “stories” and analyze individual and group statistics. These activities can be adapted for use across the curriculum and be done by students PreK through 12th grade as well as with adults.

Presenter: Lou Karas

Lou Karas is the Director of the Center for Arts and Education in the College of Education and Human Performance at West Liberty University. She has extensive experience in the administration, design, evaluation and implementation of arts and education programs for children, adults and families in community and school settings.

Open Ended Math Questions

Wednesday, July 12th, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. | Intended Audience: K- 5th Grade Teachers

Allowing students to think creatively and critically is an imperative part of an effective and meaningful math block. Open ended questioning in math gives students the opportunity to do just that. Open ended questioning in math also develops student higher order thinking, growth mindset, and challenges students to think about how they think. During this session, participants will learn what open ended questioning is and what it looks like in the K-5 math classroom. They will also leave this session equipped with open-ended sentence stems that can be applied to mathematical standard strands.

Presenter: Brigid Davidson

Brigid Davidson is an Elementary Professional Learning Specialist and Apple Learning Coach with the School District of Manatee County in Florida. She is a graduate of West Liberty University. She is an alumna of West Liberty University.

More Than One Story Matters: Diverse Representation in Children’s Literature

Wednesday, July 12th, 2023| 10:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. | Intended Audience: All Educators

This session will explore the presenter's research of educators' perceptions and representation of diversity in children's literature. In this interactive session, discussion will include the importance of sharing "more than one story", as well as opportunities for self-reflection of participants' classroom libraries and represented identities.

Presenter: Angela Curfman

Dr. Angela Curfman is Assistant Professor of Education in the College of Education and Human Performance at West Liberty University. She received her Doctorate of Education in Education, Curriculum, and Instruction, with a focus on literacy, from West Virginia University. She has over twenty years experience in elementary education and higher education.

Tips and Tricks: A Toolkit of Trauma-Informed Resources

Thursday, July 13th, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. | Intended Audience: All Educators

The session will begin with an overview of what trauma is. Information and insights about the signs of trauma and interventions you can use in the classroom will be shared.

Presenter: Hillary Sayre

Hilary Sayre is a special education teacher at Madison Elementary School with Ohio County Schools. She is a graduate of West Liberty University and has a Master’s in Educational Psychology from WVU. She is currently working on a doctorate in Special Education: Curriculum and Instruction through Liberty University.

Co-Teaching: Building Relationships in the Classroom

Thursday, July 13th, 2023 | 10:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. | Intended Audience: All Educators

This session will address the positive impact of two teachers working together to coplan and coteach in the classroom. Tips for planning and getting to know each other, understanding personality and generational differences amongst educators and how to start difficult conversations will be shared.

Presenter: Sarah Schimmel

Dr. Sarah Schimmel is Professor of Special Education and Chair of the Education Department in the College of Education and Human Performance at West Liberty University.

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July 18th - 20th, 9:00 - 9:50 a.m.

Designing Grading Rubrics

Tuesday, July 18th, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. | Intended Audience: All Educators

There are many benefits to a well designed grading rubric. In this presentation, participants will learn about the purpose, components, and process of designing high quality grading rubrics.

Presenter: Hilary Bougher-Muckian

Dr. Hilary Bougher-Muckian is Assistant Professor of Preschool Special Needs Education in the College of Education and Human Performance at West Liberty University.

Systems Thinking Through Game Design

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. | Intended Audience: All Educators

Games are systems and most can be broken down into five main parts. Once these parts are identified, understood and communicated to a player - you can literally make a game out of anything. We will discuss the five parts, make modifications and share inspiration on sourcing school supplies and everyday objects to to make games with and/or for students in the classroom.

Presenter: Heather Mallak

Heather Mallak uses design thinking and applied skills to enhance experiences – from pixels to placemaking to physical spaces. She has been a strategic partner to numerous notable institutions and initiatives locally and nationally. Innovation, communication, collaboration, and engagement are at the core of her professional ethos in her practice PUBLIC STUD/O.

Combating the Negative Connotations of Math with Interactive Spreadsheets

Thursday, July 20th, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. | Intended Audience: 5th - 9th Grade

This session will help you learn the foundations of how to make “Interactive Spreadsheets” that you can use in your math classes to help diminish the negative connotation of all things math. The students receive immediate “right or wrong” style feedback that gives them the instant gratification that we have learned to love in this modern world. If a “wrong” answer has been detected, the goal for the students is to try to solve the problem independently to help support 21st Century Learning through self-directedness.

Presenter: Kolby Mitchell

Kolby Mitchell is a Teacher Candidate at West Liberty University who will be starting his Residency year next month. He is majoring in Middle Childhood Education, with a math and science emphasis.

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July 25th, 10:30 - 11:20 a.m.

Where Does Artificial Intelligence Fit in the Classroom?

Tuesday, July 25th, 2023 | 10:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. | Intended Audience: All Educators

How is the quickly changing world of artificial intelligence (AI) impacting education? Join us as we discuss the impact of AI on student-centered learning and teaching in the classroom.

Presenter: Merilee Maders

Merilee Madera is the Director of Distance Education at West Liberty University. In her role, she works with faculty on the development of online courses and programs as well as the integration of various educational technologies into both online and classroom-based teaching including artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT.

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