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Hands-On Math
This workshop will help participants and students become successful on the state math assessments. Participants will be involved in creating and analyzing high-level math questions, learning how to reinforce math concepts, seeing how to assess if their students are up to par with the math concepts, and hands-on math activities. Participants will walk away with new and innovative ideas to help students learn math in a fun and exciting way.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Receive hands-on math ideas and strategies to use in the classroom.
- Learn how to effectively incorporate manipulatives.
- Practice aligning all units with content and unit standards.
- Learn how to strengthen basic math skills using daily math.
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Integrating Hands-on Math into Science
This innovative workshop will give participants strategies to help their students be successful on math and science state assessments. The workshop will enhance science integration in all subject areas. These hands-on activities are directly correlated to the science and math state standards and designed to enhance students’ critical thinking and problem solving skills. The workshops are going to be broken into the 4 areas of science; Physical and Chemical Science, Earth and Space Science, Life and Environmental Science, and Scientific Thinking. Participants will walk away with new and innovative ideas to help students learn math and science in a fun and exciting way.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Actively participate in integrated hands-on activities.
- Receive relevant and engaging activities to implement in the classroom.
- Learn how to integrate science into their everyday curriculum.
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Reflecting on Math
Do your students truly understand the concepts of math you are teaching? Provide your students with the opportunities to self-assess what they have learned through math journal writing. Journal writing can be a valuable technique to further develop and enhance your students’ mathematical thinking and communication skills in mathematics. It can also become a valuable tool to determine if further reviews of concepts are required.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Learn strategies to assist in the implementation of this valuable writing activity.
- Learn and practice writing effective math prompts that lead to higher-level critical thinking.
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Math and Science Integration
Math assessments have become a national focus in all grades K-12. Our ability to connect math to the real world in the classroom helps our students make the connection, so they understand the importance of math in real life. Science is an exciting way to connect math to real life. The excitement of science is enhanced by the power and language of math. Students in the classroom will enjoy the excitement of science and may never realize that they are simultaneously enhancing mathematical abilities
In this workshop, participants will:
- Learn the connections between the science standards and math standards.
- Conduct a variety of hands-on activities that integrate math and science skills and introduce the process of math and science integration.
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Hands-on Science
As educators, we need to continue our best practice approach to science instruction while preparing our students to perform well on science assessments. In order to do this as efficiently as possible, Educational Tools offers a training workshop, which will briefly cover the history of science assessments, item development, and measurement philosophy. A major portion of this presentation will include extensive hands-on activities and labs. These hands-on activities are directly correlated to science standards and designed to enhance students' critical thinking and problem solving skills. Participants will leave this workshop with a game plan for how to prepare their students for success on all science assessments.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Actively participate in hands-on activities that are correlated to the Science Standards.
- Receive relevant and engaging activities to implement in the classroom.
- Participate in an on-going professional development program for science that will allow for follow up, reflection and troubleshooting between sessions.
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Integrating Science Across the Curriculum
Educational Tools offers a training workshop, which will help participants fit science into their everyday curriculum. This workshop will include extensive hands-on activities and labs. These integrated hands-on activities are directly correlated to science standards and designed to enhance students' critical thinking and problem solving skills. Participants will leave this workshop with a game plan for how to implement science into their classroom everyday.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Explore integrated activities in the areas of reading, writing, math, technology, and social studies.
- Create a pathway for integrating science into the reading curriculum.
- Create an integrated lesson to implement in their classroom. This lesson will include hands-on activities correlated to the science standards.
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Integrating Science into Reading
Educational Tools offers a training workshop, which will help educators fit science into their everyday curriculum through reading. This workshop will include extensive hands-on activities and strategies for vocabulary, comprehension, decoding, and critical thinking.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Explore integrated activities in the areas of reading and writing.
- Create a pathway for integrating science into the reading curriculum.
- Create an integrated lesson to implement in their classroom. This lesson will include hands-on activities correlated to the science and reading benchmarks.
- Use technology to help integrate science into their reading curriculum.
Understanding the Essentials of Inquiry-based Science
Inquiry-based science is a powerful approach for teaching state science and technology standards, as well as goals and standards from other areas of the curriculum. Based on the book, Eight Essentials of Inquiry-based Science K-8 (Hammerman, 2005), the workshop provides a teacher-friendly view of inquiry-based science. Essentials are research-based strategies for increasing student achievement.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Develop a greater understanding of inquiry-based science.
- Become acquainted with eight essentials through hands-on activities and discussion.
- Become introduced to the 5 E’s Lesson Plan and other models for effective instruction.
- Use a variety of methods and strategies for differentiated instruction and assessment.
- Learn ways to integrate science with technology and the social/global community.
- Make applications to their own state standards and instructional goals.
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Integrating Science and Technology
Educators are faced with teaching many different preps in their curriculum area. This workshop will give participants new and innovative ideas on how to successfully teach all areas of science. Technology is a helpful tool for participants to make sure that students are being exposed to all of the topic areas. We will show participants what is available on and off-line for classroom and student use. We will share specific categorized information for resources on the Internet.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Be exposed to K-12 research, standards, lessons, continuing education opportunities, workshops, and interactive tools to enhance your instruction.
- We will include training on any software, hardware, or probes that your participants are currently using or have available.
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Blueprints for High Quality Science Instruction
High quality instruction requires more than content knowledge. It requires content-related strategies, a rich classroom environment that embraces diversity and differentiates instruction, and high quality materials and resources, which are all needed to maximize learning. This professional development workshop guides learners through a process for developing or modifying instructional materials that can be used to guide high quality instruction.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Learn standards-based content, processes, and strategies for effective teaching/learning.
- Learn how to create rich learning environments.
- Understand and use inquiry-based science with confidence.
- Design meaningful questions, promote discussion, create meaning, and apply learning.
- Design and use assessments to inform instruction.
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Transforming Science Facts into Meaningful Knowledge
Historically, as educators, we have marveled at the wonders of science and attempted to pass this perspective along to our students. The introduction of the National Science Standards has focused our approach into categories and standards, attempting to ensure a consistency between schools and districts. Now the science assessments will be taking the next step and formally assessing how well we teach each of the required standards to our students. There are methods, which include these standards and can engage the curiosity and wonderment of our students into embracing science as the exciting, enjoyable field it is.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Discuss how standards are integrated into a variety of real-life science scenarios, current events, and debates.
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Re-introducing Science to the Elementary Curriculum
In recent years, unfortunately, some schools have focused their attention to the state assessments and therefore much of their time is spent on reading, writing, and mathematics. Although these are very important areas, at times, the teaching of science concepts has been set aside to meet more immediate goals. However, now students are required to take another portion of the state assessments, which assesses science process skills. This workshop will provide methods to "re-introduce" science into the elementary classroom.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Address the brief history of science education reform in the elementary curriculum with associated examples and recommendations to encourage students to become curious, engaging, problem-solving scientists.
- Be involved in an inquiry-based approach correlated to specific science standards, which will be used to minimize the "inch thick and a mile wide" scenario.
- Observe and be involved in exciting science demonstrations to solicit attention - the first step to authentic information processing.
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Linking Classroom Instruction and Assessment to Standardized Testing
In a standards-based educational climate, participants want to be assured that the concepts and skills they are teaching address the standards upon which state assessments are based. Using a “working backwards” approach (Hammerman, 2005), participants will learn effective techniques to aligning instruction, assessment, and standardized testing.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Analyze summative test items to identify the concepts and skills being assessed.
- Link assessment items to content from their curriculum.
- Identify key concepts and skills for the content area.
- Discuss ways to address important concepts and skills through instruction.
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Critical Thinking
Are your participants aware of Bloom’s Taxonomy and Webb’s Cognitive Levels of Thinking? During this session, participants will be exposed to critical thinking theories and strategies on how to get their students to learn and communicate at the high levels of Cognitive thinking. Participants will learn about Blooms’ Taxonomy and Webb’s Levels of Depth of Knowledge and how these correlate to your questioning, lesson planning, and test writing.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Correlate lessons to state standards.
- Create and implement critical thinking strategies, while analyzing lessons and hands-on activities.
- Explore strategies at each level of Blooms’ and Webb’s to create critical thinkers and problem solvers.
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Integrating Reading Strategies Across the Curriculum
Back to the Basics with the Cleavers
Step out of the box into TV Land with the Cleavers. In our fast paced modern world, the importance of reading has taken a back seat to more flashy and entertaining media. The 50's "Leave it to Beaver" show is used in this workshop as a fun way to link the concept of reading to a simpler time where reading was a main focus of the curriculum. As educators cater to a more complex student and society, we have left behind some of the most basic reading strategies. The workshop’s goal is to leave participants with strategies that can be used across the curriculum to link the classroom of yesteryear to the technology filled classroom of today.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Be exposed to reading strategies to get their students focused on reading in all areas of the curriculum.
- See new and exciting ways to get the students excited about reading in all contexts.
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Writing Wizardry
Step outside the language arts mindset and make life a lot easier by using simple cross-curricular integration strategies. Get your students excited about writing daily by giving them topics that make them think “Outside the Box.” Participants will learn engaging ways to integrate science, math, and social studies into their daily and weekly writing prompts and lessons, as well as learn methods on how to help their students be successful on the state writing assessment. Participants will walk away from this workshop with a better understanding of how to align standards and effectively plan across the curriculum.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Participate in the correlation of standards
- Create writing prompts that are cross curricular
- Create teaching/learning rubrics that assess multiple standards
- Create lessons that meet the standards and engage the students
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Reading in the Content Area
Your textbooks and study guides are only as strong and effective as your weakest reader! Find out how you can renew your enthusiasm for helping your struggling readers. Learn the difference between teaching reading "skills" vs. "strategies." Discover new ways you can prepare your students to not only decode words, but to also comprehend them as well. As participants, it is critical that we make our students aware that reading skills are not just practiced in their language arts classes, but that they can be applied in ALL areas - academics and real life.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Utilize the textbook
- Learn inclusion strategies
- Explore comprehension strategies
- Address the lowest 25% of students in the areas of reading, writing, and math skills
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Give Me Five
Participants will acquire meaningful knowledge of language structure, function, and cognition of the five major components of the reading process. These components include phonemic awareness, phonics instruction, fluency instruction, vocabulary instruction, and comprehension instruction. The participant will also acquire specific understandings of reading as a process of student engagement in both fluent decoding of words and construction of meaning. Participants will develop an understanding of how to prescribe, differentiate instruction, and utilize appropriate strategies and materials based on scientifically based reading research. The prevention, identification, and remediation of reading difficulties will be addressed.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Learn effective instruction strategies for all five of the major components of reading readiness.
- Participate in differentiated instruction lessons.
- Learn valuable prevention and remediation techniques.
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Reading and Language Arts for the K-2 Teachers
During the course of this workshop, participants will be exposed to the components of an effective literacy program, emphasizing the Reader’s Workshop and the Writer’s workshop. Participants will explore cross-curricular activities, technology, and effective ways to foster the home-school connection. They will be involved in the modeling of fun activities, lessons, and teaching strategies.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Learn new and exciting activities to implement into the Reading Workshop that correlate to the five major components of reading readiness; Reading Fluency, Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Comprehension, Vocabulary development.
- Discuss effective models for Read-alouds, Shared reading, Guided reading, Independent reading, and Literacy centers.
- Explore the essential elements of the Writer’s Workshop; Mini-lessons, Modeling, Oral language, Independent writing, Sharing, Publishing.
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Outstanding On-demand Writing
Writing should not be a chore! This unique workshop offers engaging writing strategies and lessons that are specifically geared to strengthening and making on-demand writing fun, meaningful, and most of all exciting. Come learn proven techniques to helping your students focus, organize, and support their writing in ways that will deepen their writing, not hinder their creativity. This workshop will guide you through the most effective writing practices to ensure that each and every one of your students is prepared not only for the challenges of standardized writing assessments, but for all academic disciplines.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Gain a wealth of planning, focusing, organizing, and supporting strategies and lessons that are effective and proven practices.
- Learn effective craft lessons that will increase the content of the student work.
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Rubrics that Rule
Participants will learn how to develop, analyze, and interpret rubrics, based on the Language Arts writing standards. During this workshop, participants will discuss and create aligned teaching/learning rubrics. The focus will be on “going deeper” in order to promote more content heavy pieces of writing. Participants will discuss grade specific strategies and crafts that will correlate to all the genres of writing. The goal is for participants to leave with a greater understanding of the importance of setting clear standard-based aligned criterias and expectations for each writing project to ensure the best quality student work.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Analyze and discuss the writing standards.
- Align and discuss writing crafts and strategies based on the elements of each standard.
- Create and align teaching/learning rubrics for each genre.
- Practice and discuss how to effectively use a rubric to evaluate student work.
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Minimize and Manage: Perfecting Student Portfolios
An organized writer is a good writer! Working student portfolios are the heart of a successful writing classroom. Learn proven and effective ways to create and build writing “survival kits” for the emergent and proficient writer. During this workshop, participants will organize and create student portfolio systems that are state aligned and student friendly at the same time. We will discuss the importance of each section and how to build upon them year-by-year. Participants will leave this workshop better equiped to help their students help themselves become better writers and learners.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Participate in the creation of a student portfolio.
- Discuss and gain valuable insight into the importance of each section.
- Learn how to effectively integrate and utilize a student portfolio into the daily writing workshop.
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Author Studies
Participants will learn and discuss effective methods for setting up a successful author study. This session will be an exploration of one grade-level appropriate author, with focus on the students’ needs and building the reading/writing connection. Participants will learn how to get students to share, build on others’ ideas, and to basically get students to become analytical learners and conversationalists. Participants will leave this session with a better understanding of the essential elements of how to implement an author study.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Discuss, analyze, and correlate the elements of the reading and writing standards.
- Participate in a variety of high-level critical thinking author study activities that integrate and foster the reading/writing connection.
- Design meaningful questions to promote discussion and create meaning.
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Integrating Technology into Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies
Educators are faced with teaching many different preps in their curriculum area. This workshop will give participants new and innovative ideas on how to successfully teach all of these areas. Technology is a helpful tool for participants and students to make sure that they are being exposed to all of the topic areas. We will show participants what is available on and off-line for classroom and student use. We will share specific categorized information for resources on the Internet.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Be exposed to K-12 research, standards, lessons, continuing education opportunities, workshops, and interactive tools to enhance instruction.
- Be trained on any software, hardware, or probes that they are currently using or have available.
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Tech Tools Enhance Tools Teaching and Learning
“Where will I find the time?” is a question that all educators have when it comes to improving their technology skills. Participants are going to learn how to use many types of technology tools to help enhance their teaching and their students' learning.
In this workshop, participants will learn how to use:
- PDA's,
- Laptops
- Digital cameras
- Scanners
- Eyeball cameras, and more to make learning fun and engaging for all students.
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The One Computer Classroom
How can I successfully use one computer with 20-35 students and be successful? Well this is the workshop for you. Teachers will be involved in as well as given ideas, tools, and resources and much more on how to use their one computer. Teachers will learn simple activities that are available in all basic word processing, spreadsheet, and database programs. They will also experience how effective slide show programs are in teaching students concepts and presenting their information in a fun and exciting way.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Leave the session with ideas and activities and be energized and ready to use all of them in their classrooms.
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Internet 101
Many participants wish to use the Internet, but have not had the opportunity to systematically explore the possibilities. Presentations and hands-on opportunities can be offered which allow participants to take their current exceptional instruction and add power to their techniques using what the Internet has to offer.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Learn about basic information about the history of the Internet, development and how the Internet actually works.
- Learn the fundamental methods for transferring elements of the Internet into the classroom.
- Be given numerous sites to visit in all academic disciplines.
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How to Create Web Quest
Imagine a room full of eager students waiting to use the computers. You want them to use the Internet, but you don't want them just surfing. Your time is limited, and you have some specific objectives to cover for your curriculum. Do you give them a broad topic and set them free to explore or do you give them an engaging task, possibly assigning roles for each child, and some resources you have already identified as useful for your topic? Do you have them just gather facts or do you aim a little higher on Bloom's taxonomy and ask them to solve a problem, decide a point of view, or design a better product? If you would like to engage your students in a web-based, constructivist activity, which involves inquiry, investigation, and support of their thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, then you are ready to begin designing your own Web Quest!
In this workshop, participants will:
- Learn how to find ready made Web Quest.
- Learn how to research and set up a Web Quest
- Create a Web Quest to take back to their classrooms and use.
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Classroom Management
Whether you are new to teaching or would just like some new ideas, this is the workshop for you. We offer this workshop for elementary, middle, and high school participants. Every classroom is filled with many different personalities, including the teacher's. It is important that participants start the year off right with a system for managing their classroom that maximizes learning. Taking into account the school's code of conduct, participants will create a classroom design that follows their philosophy and style of teaching. From creating seating charts, class roster and using workstations, participants will design procedures that allow them to run their classroom in a successful manner.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Be involved in activities and role-playing situations that will and can occur in every classroom.
- Leave with new ideas and hands-on activities that they can implement in the classroom.
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Cooperative Learning
Cooperative learning activities begin with looking at the knowledge and the skills that students should develop as a result of the lesson. Well-designed team assignments give students a specific task, such as solving a problem, creating a model, or comparing and contrasting. As well, they also provide a set of instructions or guidelines that describe how students should work together. The lesson should close with a class-wide debriefing or closure activity in which students are randomly called upon to present the team’s work. This helps to both build in individual accountability for participation and to ensure that all students understood the material and are ready to work with it independently.
In this workshop participants will:
- Learn how to effectively get students to communicate at a higher level of learning.
- Participate in several cooperative learning activities and “games”.
- Practice and implement the use of effective questioning and facilitating techniques.
- Learn how to reinforce key educational messages.
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Differentiated Learning
The “One Size fits All” mentality of teaching rarely works with students who enter our classrooms with “differences related to learning readiness, cultural background, interests, gender, talents, and learning profile.” Differentiated instruction strives to reach the needs of all children. The importance of knowing your learners to provide them with meaningful and challenging learning opportunities is the heart of successful teaching.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Address and discuss multi-model learning and instruction strategies.
- Practice, participate in, and facilitate in differentiated learning activities.
- Learn how to modify and revise ready-made lessons to meet the needs of all learners
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Inquiry Based Teaching
Imagine a classroom where your students are engaged in asking questions and probing further into their background knowledge. Learning in this type of environment is how our students become critical thinkers. Critical thinkers are great scientists and when students are able to think this way, they are better prepared for a higher order-learning environment.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Be involved in real examples of Inquiry.
- Learn how to apply these to your existing curriculum.
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Curriculum Mapping 101- through COW
Overview: COW- No I am not referring to the animal; this is a new and innovative way to make your life easier. COW is an approach to aligning schools curriculum in all disciplines. COW stands for Curriculum on the Wall. Every year participants, administrators, and school districts are feeling stressed over the state assessments. Well Educational Tools has a way to relieve some of that stress and help you and your colleagues get on a pathway for success.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Rethink, and perhaps redesign, how you plan their classes.
- Learn the first step is to determine what they want their students to learn.
- Assess and evaluate their teaching strategies to determine if they truly support the kind of learning they are trying to achieve in their classroom.
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