Learning Sciences - How Do We Really Learn?

Brian Seymour, Assistant Superintendent

Ever wonder how we really learn? How the information goes into our brains and stays there until we need it. What can I as a teacher do to help students actually learn material? It is all about Learning Sciences. 

Audience: Open to all

WCS Commitment Plan Focus Area: Academics 

Location: Library

• Slide Deck

• Course of Mind

• Learning Science Strategy Handouts

• Learning Science Strategy Individual Slide Decks

• Learning Science Articles

Inquiry at the Heart of Problem-Based Learning

PAST Foundation

In this session, participants will utilize StartSOLE as a foundation for building inquiry through self-organized learning environments.  Participants will have access to tools that make the process of inquiry easy to implement in the classroom.

Audience: Open to all

WCS Commitment Plan Focus Area: Academics 

Location: Room 307

Slide Deck

Teaching & Supporting Coping Skills in the Classroom

Amy Walker, BCBA, ESC Behavior Coach

During this session, participants will learn about how to support coping and emotional regulation skills in the classroom. Participants will be taught how to teach these skills and how to provide prompts to encourage students to use the learned skills when they need them most!  

Audience: Open to all

WCS Commitment Plan Focus Area: Behavior

Location: Auditorium

What Goes in Part 1 in an ETR?

Tina Buhlman and Letitia Bean, WCS Special Education Coordinators

Learn what information is expected from general education teachers and from intervention specialists in an Evaluation Team Report. 

Audience: Open to all 

WCS Commitment Plan Focus Area: Academics

Location: Room 216

This session will be repeated during session #2

Handwriting and Fine Motor Skills

Carol H Armann and Kathleen S Wright

In this innovative session, presenters will review current brain research and discuss the connection between handwritten letter formation and overall literacy development. Emphasis will be placed on how taking a structured literacy approach to teaching handwriting aligns with the science of reading and is essential for students with dyslexia. Participants will be provided with a variety of hands-on classroom strategies to support fine motor and handwriting skill development which facilitates orthographic mapping. 

Audience: Required for Dyslexia Cohort, but open to all.

WCS Commitment Plan Focus Area: Academics

Location: Room 322

This session will be repeated during session #4

Conceptual Place Value Tools

Jamie Snodgrass, WCS Mathematics Instructional Coach

Learn to use routines, tools, and structure to support conceptual understanding of place value on a daily basis in WCS mathematics classrooms. The session was created with K-5 in mind, but all are welcome. 

Audience: K-5 Teachers, but open to all

WCS Commitment Plan Focus Area: Academics

Location: Room 227

Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Method

Jess Fannin & Marvella Allen, Franklin County Suicide Prevention Coalition

Question, Persuade, and Refer is an evidence-based suicide prevention training that teaches how to identify and respond to someone showing the warning signs of suicide. 

Audience: Open to all

WCS Commitment Plan Focus Area: Behavior

Location: Room 110

LETRS (Cohort - will cover all sessions)

Lindsey Rossbach

Lexia LETRS provides a professional learning course of study based on the science of reading for elementary educators. The course teaches the how, what, and why of literacy acquisition to improve instructional practice and achieve long-term systemic change in literacy instruction. 

Audience: pre-determined cohort

WCS Commitment Plan Focus Area: Academics

Location: Room 312

Games Galore

Natasha Gallagher, Joel Ritter, Emma Berlin, WCS Teachers

Discuss many different online-based games that can be utilized in all content areas to engage students in learning. 

Audience: Open to all

WCS Commitment Plan Focus Area: Academics

Location: Room 226

Games Galore Slide Deck

Unfair Game - Blank Template

Primary Education Thinking Skills for teachers of Kindergarten through Third Grade students.

Marge Mulcahy - ESC Gifted Consultant

This presentation will include shared resources through Pieces of Learning which help teachers to develop and foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills within all of their learners. The focus will be on talent development in order to support primary grades students along with resources for children and their families.

Audience: Intended for staff working with KG through 3rd grade students

WCS Commitment Plan Focus Area: Academics

Location: Room 115

Can UFLI?

Ashley Nolan, Carole Bricker, Alicia Ridenour, WCS Teachers

An overview of UFLI, practical tips, and an opportunity for a question and answer session.

Audience: Teachers in grades K-6 using UFLI.

WCS Commitment Plan Focus Area: Academics

Location: Room 229

Dyslexia Cohort

Stephanie White, WCS Literacy Specialist

This session will discuss the Science of Reading and Phonemic Awareness Instruction

Audience: Required for those in the Dyslexia Cohort and only open to those in the Dyslexia Cohort

WCS Commitment Plan Focus Area: Academics

Location: Room 121

The Future of Technology in WCS Feedback Session

Middle School and High School Staff Only!

Justin Kuck, WCS Director of Technology

What does the future of technology look like WCS? Come and talk with WCS Director of Technology and give feedback and input on what that future might look like. 

WCS Commitment Plan Focus Area: Academics

Location: Room 302

Note: This session is only for middle school and high school staff, a similar session for elementary staff will be held during session #4