What do good classroom managers do? Harry and Rosemary Wong will share the reasons for routines and how to establish them. What does a school-wide behavior management system look like and how will it enhance your classroom management? How do you develop your own comprehensive behavior management plan? How can use of cooperative learning enhance your ability to manage and academically reach your students? Learning how to develop a management plan and develop routines for students will allow you to be proactive in both your classroom management and in improving student achievement.

Goals and Products

This online course will enable participants to understand

• Create a strategy to use during the first days of school to address students’ needs.
• Develop a syllabus & classroom expectations for participant’s curriculum
• Plan team and class-building activities
• Develop an intervention plan to deal with negative behaviors in the classroom.
• Develop a system to encourage positive social interaction and self regulation for each student.
• Develop a proactive approach by teaching behavior procedures throughout the year.
• As a final product, participants will create a multimedia presentation to share procedures and information with students and/or parents at the beginning of school

Format and Requirements

Prerequisites

This is an introductory course for administrators however other participants are welcome as well.

Overview

One of the most important tasks for children in the first five years of life is the development of language. Children enter early care settings with vast differences in vocabulary and oral language development, and early educators can meet this challenge by providing language-rich learning environments. This workshop will provide early childhood educators with an understanding of young children's oral language development and appropriate approaches for promoting language and emergent literacy in their classrooms. This workshop will focus on effective methods for developing children’s vocabulary knowledge through book reading and discussions, and advancing children’s language through extended conversations. Additionally, participants will learn to create opportunities for rich discourse and build children’s background knowledge. Workshops assignments will invite participants to apply relevant content and plan meaningful, language-rich curricular activities.

Goals and Products

This course will enable participants to:

• Understand oral language development of young children, ages 3 through age 5
• Develop an understanding of the connection between language and literacy development
• Learn strategies for facilitating conversations that support language development such as eliciting personal narratives
• Learn about ways to support vocabulary development through book reading
• Learn how to facilitate interactive activities that support children’s phonological awareness
• Plan for integrated and meaningful curriculum that supports children’s language and literacy development

As a final project for this workshop, participants will create a curriculum unit for classroom use that incorporates a topic covered in each session of this workshop.

Format and Requirements

This course is divided into six one-week sessions which each include readings, an activity and an online discussion among course participants. The time for completing each session is estimated to be two to four hours.

The outline for the course is as follows:

Prerequisites

This is an introductory course for teachers, technology specialists, curriculum specialists, professional development specialists, or other school personnel. Participants are expected to have regular access to computers and proficiency with e-mail and current web browsers.

Content and Technology Standards

This workshop meets the standards for Content, Instructional Design, and Technology as defined in the National Standards of Quality for Online Courses, published by the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL).

This workshop provides teachers with an opportunity to meet the Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership standard as defined in the National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Teachers, published by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

Alignment with the Standards for English Language Arts from the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) and International Reading Association (IRA):

3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).

4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

9. Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles.

11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Overview

Book reading in the early childhood classroom is not only one of the most important practices for building later reading success, but it is probably one of the more enjoyable experiences for both teachers and children. In this workshop early childhood educators will explore quality children’s literature and best book reading practices. Participants will learn ways to share various genres of books in the classroom. They will learn the importance of multiple re-readings and strategies to foster children’s vocabulary knowledge, print concepts, phonological awareness, and reading comprehension during large and small group readings. Workshop assignments will invite participants to research quality children’s literature and develop book reading planners with specific goals for children’s learning.

Goals and Products

This course will enable participants to:

• Understand how book reading impacts children’s language and literacy development
• Learn effective strategies for utilizing different book genres in the classroom
• Understand how multiple readings of the same book can enhance children’s cognitive and literacy skills
• Learn how to implement interactive book reading sessions that deepen children’s comprehension
• Learn ways to support vocabulary development through book reading
• Learn ways to integrate books and book reading into classroom curriculum activities

As a final project for this workshop, participants will create a curriculum unit for classroom use that incorporates a topic covered in each session of this workshop.

Format and Requirements

This course is divided into six one-week sessions which each include readings, an activity and an online discussion among course participants. The time for completing each session is estimated to be two to four hours.

The outline for the course is as follows:

Prerequisites

This is an introductory course for teachers, technology specialists, curriculum specialists, professional development specialists, or other school personnel. Participants are expected to have regular access to computers and proficiency with e-mail and current web browsers.

Content and Technology Standards

Alignment with the Standards for English Language Arts from the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) and International Reading Association (IRA)

1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.

3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).

Overview

It is important for teachers to utilize free tools on the internet to enhance the way they teach to meet the needs of 21st century learners. This course focuses on the implementation of Google Tools to support learning and teaching in the classroom. Many of the Google Tools will be useful in the implementation of 21st Century Skills such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking and problem solving. Teachers who have access to technology with their students will benefit from learning about how Google Tools can enhance teaching and learning in the classroom.

During the six weeks of this course, you will learn about a selection of Google Tools as you blog, edit photos, create websites, and use Google Earth. You will concentrate on the use of a different tool during each week of the course. Each tool will be investigated for what it does and how it works. You will share ideas for classroom use and how these tools might be embedded into lessons. You will also examine how the tools will support learning and enhance teaching practices. The culminating project for the course will be to design a lesson that incorporates the use of two of these tools.

Goals and Products

This online course will enable participants to:

• Use Google Docs to enhance student communication and collaboration
• Create a blog to use with students using Blogger and discover blogs that can be utilized for professional growth
• Learn how to use Picasa to edit photos and Sketch-up to create models, then determine how they each might support a lesson
• Create a website using Google Sites
• Use Google Earth to extend learning beyond the classroom walls by taking virtual field trips to destinations worldwide and discovering classroom applications
• Plan a lesson or unit that incorporates at least two Google Tools

Format and Requirements

Prerequisites

This is an introductory course for teachers, technology specialists, curriculum specialists, professional development specialists or other school personnel. Participants are expected to have regular access to computers, and proficiency with e-mail and current web browsers.

By examining the desired results first (goals), then determining acceptable evidence (informal and formal assessment), and finally planning appropriate learning experiences and instruction to meet those goals,teachers can effectively plan and deliver instruction. In this online course teachers will use the Backward Design process to plan an instructional unit, and then share it on the SuccessLink website.

SuccessLink’s Great Teaching Ideas Program offers teachers the opportunity to share their developed units with other educators. The SuccessLink database contains units written by Missouri teachers for Missouri teachers.

Goals and Products

This online course will enable participants to

• Reflect on perspectives about backward design
• Consider a rationale for using backward design
• Use deconstructed GLEs/standards
• Identify and create essential questions
• Create a unit using backward design

Format and requirements

Prerequisites

This is an introductory course for teachers, curriculum specialists, professional development specialists or other school personnel. Participants are expected to have regular access to computers. In addition, participants should be proficient with using e-mail, browsing the Internet and navigating to computer files.

Content and Technology Standards

This course, will help participants meet the ISTE Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for All Teachers, especially Standards II, III and IV.

For more information about Technology Integration visit: http://www.iste.org

Overview

All students have the capacity to be good writers and writers learn to write by writing. These are basic tenets of this course during which participants will learn instructional strategies to teach students in the upper elementary grades how to write narrative and informational text. Participants will explore how to teach their students about the traits of good writing through mini-lessons and writing conferences and how to use established criteria to evaluate writing. They will recognize that writing is a process and consider how to organize instruction to guide students through the stages. Participants will go through the instructional cycle from writing prompt to revision as they create their final projects.

Goals and Products

This online course will enable participants to

• Teach students about the traits of good writing
• Use consistent criteria to evaluate student’s writing and provide feedback
• Learn teaching strategies to help students write narrative and informational text
• Understand stages of the writing process and organize instruction to guide students through the stages
• Confer with students and guide the revision of their writing
• Write prompts relevant to their students for narrative or informational writing

As a final project, participants will plan a mini-lesson for pre-writing and a student conference around revision. They will use Six +1 Traits® of good writing for instruction and criteria for evaluation.

Format and Requirements

This course is divided into six one-week sessions which each include readings, an activity and an online discussion among course participants. The time for completing each session is estimated to be two to four hours. The outline for the course is as follows:

Session One: What Is Good Writing?
Session Two: Telling a Story with Narrative Writing
Session Three: Informing or Explaining with Informational Writing
Session Four: Writing is a Process
Session Five: Evaluating Writing
Session Six: Conferring with Students about Writing and Revision

Prerequisites

This is an introductory course for teachers, technology specialists, curriculum specialists, professional development specialists or other school personnel. Participants are expected to have regular access to computers and proficiency with e-mail and current web browsers.

Content and Technology Standards

This course, Teaching Writing in the Elementary Classroom , will help participants to support their students in meeting the following NCTE standards:

• Standard 5: Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• Standard 6: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.
• Standard 7: Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
• Standard 12: Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

This course will also help participants meet the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Standards for the English Language Arts, especially Standards IV, V, VI, VII, VIII and XII.

In addition, this course will help participants meet the following ISTE Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for All Teachers:

Standard V. PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE.
Teachers use technology to enhance their productivity and professional practice.

Reproduced with permission from Education Development Center, Inc.,
Copyright (c), 2000-2006, all rights reserved (http://www.edtechleaders.org)

Overview

In this course, participants will explore new technologies that can be used in elementary math instruction in kindergarten through sixth grade. Participants will review NCTM and state standards and examine the ways in which tools like virtual manipulatives, calculators, spreadsheet programs, online data sources, and applets can support these goals. In particular, the course will address ways in which technology can support elementary algebra, geometry, number and operation, and data analysis standards. Participants will leave the course with a lesson plan that integrates new technologies into instruction in their own classrooms.

Goals and Products

This course will enable participants to:

• Understand which technologies are appropriate for teaching math in the elementary classroom
• Learn how to use a variety of online tools to enhance math instruction
• Identify the NCTM standards that are met through online activities
• Locate valuable math resources on the Internet

Format and Requirements

This course is divided into six one-week sessions which each include readings, an activity and an online discussion among course participants. The time for completing each session is estimated to be two to four hours.

The outline for the course is as follows:

In the first session, participants will examine several resources available on the web to support math instruction in the elementary classroom. In Session Two, participants will learn how to use virtual manipulatives to teach mathematical concepts appropriate for elementary students. In Session Three, participants will explore ways in which they can use technology to find and analyze real world data. They will also begin to plan their technology-enhanced lesson. Session Four highlights the ways in which calculators can enhance math instruction and Session Five teaches participants how they can use spreadsheets to help students analyze mathematical data. Finally, in Session Six, participants will apply their knowledge of math technologies and finalize their lesson plans that incorporates one or more of the tools in the course.

Prerequisites

This is an introductory course for teachers, technology specialists, curriculum specialists, professional development specialists, or other school personnel. Participants are expected to have regular access to computers and proficiency with e-mail and current web browsers.

Content and Technology Standards

This course, Using Technology in the Elementary Math Classroom, will help participants meet the following ISTE Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for All Teachers, especially Standards I, II and III.

In addition, this will help the teachers to enable their students to meet the following NCTM standards:
Grades K-2
Number and Operations Standard: Reasoning and Proof Standards
http://standards.nctm.org/document/chapter4/reas.htm http://standards.nctm.org/document/chapter4/numb.htm
Data Analysis and Probability Standard
Communication Standard

Grades 3-5
Number and Operations Standards
Data Analysis and Probability Standard
Reasoning and Proof Standard
Communication Standard