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Course Titles and Descriptions
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The Following Courses are Available for
Enrollment
All courses are for 3 semester hours Cost is $575 per course.
Adventures In Attitudes
HUMAN RELATIONS FOR EDUCATORS
Reading List for
AIA (Not required for a "B" grade)
Building Rapport and Creating an
Effective Educational Climate
Attitudes impact learning and instruction. Negative perceptions of
teacher and student communications pose significant barriers to raising
student achievement This course is designed to provide you with
concepts and strategies of effective human relations and healthy
attitudes. In an energizing interactive group format, you will
explore attitudes and practices used by successful educators to reduce
negativity and build success strategies in themselves and students.
A FEW OF THE MANY THINGS YOU WILL LEARN * How our attitudes get
positive or negative results in the classroom * How to get (students,
colleagues, parents) to respond favorably to you * The three emotional
positions that control actions * How to use affirmations to reframe
attitudes * How to turn weaknesses into strengths * How to persuade and
motivate students * Three ways of handling any human relation problem *
How groups influence attitudes and actions * Six mental steps to
student and teacher motivation * How beliefs influence the energy and
drive of both educators and students * Understanding and avoiding
student and staff burnout
Bringing out the Best in Students:
Developing Performance Character (3 semester hours credit) EDT 6750
Reading List for BOB
Co-Authors: Nancy Utterback, Ph.D., CSP and Bonnie Hurley, MS
Catalog Copy:
Research on motivation and talent development shows there are certain character traits
students need to achieve excellence in school and in life. In this course, K-12 educators
will learn how to help students understand, value, and internalize such performance character
traits as perseverance, a strong work ethic, self-discipline, resiliency, and humility.
This course is a companion course to Educating for Character.
While the Educating for Character course gives an overview of the major components of an
effective character education program, its focus is primarily on moral character traits
(ethics). This course will focus on the performance character traits necessary for leading
a productive fulfilling life, bringing out their best (excellence). Although it is suggested
that participants take the Educating for Character class first, it is not a requirement.Participants
will be involved in a group presentation which could require some outside work. However, this research/work
can be used in the final application plan.
This course is a stand alone course.
A few of the many things participants will learn:
Concrete ideas they can use to help teach performance character ,
the 20 things good teachers do to motivate students to do their best,
how to create a culture of excellence,
how to effectively use the “4 Keys Approach” to develop character,
how to build ethical learning communities within the classroom,
how to use service learning to bring out the best in students, and
the exposure to valuable major character education resources such as books, newsletters and websites.
Using
Creative Strategies to Teach Content Standards
Reimagining Teaching Strategies Through
the Integration of Creativity and the Arts (CST)
Authors: Kathleen
Frazier EDS, Deborah Walker MA
Reading List for CST (Not required for a "B" grade)
This course is designed for
K-12 educators who wish to energize the curriculum through engaging
teaching strategies. Key elements of 21st Century Learning lay the
foundation for integration of the arts. These include Creativity,
Innovation, Problem Solving, and Information/Media Literacy. Research
studies have concluded that there is a strong positive relationship
between the creative arts and academic success. Educational theorists
such as Piaget, Erikson, Maslow, and Gardner support arts integration
as a moral imperative to challenge student thinking and enhance social
and intellectual development. Participants will discover their
innate, creative ability to develop lessons that integrate the arts and
are “hands on/minds on,” intrinsically motivating, and cognitively
stimulating for the 21st Century Learner.
Overall
Course Goals:
- Students will explore and learn theories and
research that support integration of arts
in the curriculum
- Students will be able to identify and support
students’ creative potential
- Students will construct classroom environments
that exhibit and encourage the arts
- Students will integrate
the arts into content-specific lessons using music, drama, creative
movement, and visual arts
- Students will incorporate literary arts into the curriculum
- Students will participate
in and learn how to facilitate creative and engaging instructional
strategies such as SCAMPER, simulations, creative problem
solving, lyric learning, synectics, and creative visualization
- Students will create
techniques and tools to assess, exhibit, and evaluate creativity
Course Objectives:
- provide rationale for
classrooms to include arts integration
- explore ways to
create meaningful creative arts lessons and projects based on content
standards
- provide
participants opportunities to explore individual creativity through
self discovery
- encourage
participants to develop self confidence and to take risks in order to
creatively meet the individual needs of their students
- provide
participants with the ability to ascertain and choose meaningful
Creative Thinking Tools to enhance learning
- recognize the
importance of providing students with engaging lessons and activities
- value arts integration and make this process a
natural daily connection to the curriculum
- identify advantages to teaching in, with, about, and through the
arts
- gain an awareness of
the relationship between arts education and student learning successes
in other disciplines
- Manipulate varying
media in each of the fine arts with proficiency.
- Develop and use
rubrics and artifacts for documenting learning in the arts
- Recognize a role of
all teachers is to be an artist.
LifePOWER
STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING EDUCATOR AND STUDENT STRESS
Reading List for LP
(Not required for a "B" grade)
Student and teacher stress can be barriers to achievement. Students
learn and perform best when they are relaxed and confident, not fearful
and anxious.Teachers teach best and are most effective when they are
not stressed. In her book, Enhancing Professional Practice: A
Framework for Teaching, Charlotte Danielson states: ãIt is
useful to think of teaching as similar to not one but several other
professions, combining the skills of business management, human
relations, and theater arts. But even more demanding than its
complexity is the level of stress that teaching generates. The
physical demands of the job are daunting, requiring enormous
stamina. Most teachers leave school exhausted at the end of the
day, knowing that their students will return the next day rested and
ready for more. ãWill I be ready?ä teachers ask
themselves. ãCan I be ready? What will we do all
day? How will I engage my students so that I can maintain control
and they will learn something significant?ä
A FEW OF THE MANY THINGS YOU WILL LEARN
In this interactive course, educators will learn strategies to reduce
the stressors that inhibit student learning and teacher performance.
This course provides you with tools to do just that. * Techniques for
dealing with student and staff resistance and diluting negativity * Why
people have negative feelings about themselves * Rules for
venting emotions in non-threatening ways * Skills for coping with
stressful situations * Basic attitudes that influence feelings of
self-worth and capability * The importance of laughter for living
and learning * Dynamics of the subconscious mind on student
performance * Strategies to gain control over emotions/behavior
Help students meet your subject area
standards. When you learn and use the dozens of strategies
presented in this course, you can boost your studentsâ mastery of
content. Learn to plan lessons that effectively teach content and
nurture greater literacy using: writing strategies that deepen
studentsâ understanding of content, strategies that help students
learn, retain, and recall important information, and comprehension and
vocabulary strategies which will engage your students. This graduate
course is designed to help educators learn how to help their students
acquire and comprehend content through the purposeful use of reading
and writing. It is based on the newest research and practices on
literacy instruction for the content areas. Practical
applications of research-proven strategies will be a major emphasis of
the course.
A Few of the Things You Will
Learn·
· Pre-reading, During-reading, and Post-reading strategies.
· How to use writing as a way to learn content.
· Effective techniques for helping students internalize
vocabulary and concepts.
· How to successfully model your thinking, reading, and
writing for your students.
· How to use cooperative learning strategies that engage
students in the reading and writing process for acquiring content
knowledge.
· Comprehension and ãfix-upä strategies for
reading difficult text.
· Strategies for guiding and scaffolding students through
content-related literacy tasks.
PEAK
PERFORMANCE IN COMMUNICATION
Author: Nancy Utterback, Ph.D., CSP
Reading List for PP
(Not required for a "B" grade)
Clear, concise and effective communication plays a vital role in
helping students to achieve in the classroom as well as in
life.Effective communication with others doesn't just happen. This
course is designed to provide you with information and skills that will
assist you in gaining rich communication experiences with students and
adults. When a teacher knows how to analyze behavioral style data, they
can assess different styles and plan for more effective instruction and
intervention. Since the most effective schools realize that to raise
student achievement, it is necessary for teachers to work
collaboratively, it is essential to know how to make both teacher and
student teams function at maximum effectiveness. Through a
variety of methodologies such as group discussions, mini lectures,
tapes, assessment profiles, and activities you will have an
opportunity to not only gain insights into your own communication
patterns, but you will be better able to understand and enhance
communication with students, parents and co-workers. In addition to
classroom applications, this course is extremely valuable for those
involved in a team-based approach.
<>A FEW OF THE MANY THINGS YOU WILL LEARN
* Learn how your own behavioral style impacts the climate, and
your communication with students, parents and co-workers
* Learn to adapt for maximum communication effectiveness with
students and team members
* Applying behavioral style knowledge to increase effectiveness
of parent conferences
* Techniques to deal with "difficult students, parents and
colleagues"
* Application of "Situational Leadership" to effective student
instruction and learning
* Understanding and adapting to different "listening" styles of
students
* Avoiding and overcoming listening barriers to maximize
student listening and learning
* Strategies for enhancing student listening
* Understanding , appreciating, and communicating with the
diversity of value structures within our schools and communities
* Moving groups to the production stage quickly
* Avoiding and overcoming unproductive teamwork
EDUCATING FOR CHARACTER
Reading List for EC
(Not required for a "B" grade) Author: Nancy
Utterback, Ph.D., CSP
The research
shows that students test scores and academic success increase when
schools are effectively
teaching
character development. This course is designed for K-12 educators who
wish to enhance the effectiveness of teaching character in their
classroom. Whether or not your district currently has a formalized
character education program or not, you will benefit from the ideas in
this course. The major components discussed in this course are based on
the Character Counts! core pillars of Trustworthiness, Respect,
Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship. Participants will
obtain many concrete ideas for immediate use with students to help
their character development and their bottom line learning.Participants
will be involved in a group presentation which could require some
outside work. However, this research can be used in the final
application plan.
A FEW OF THE MANY THINGS YOU WILL LEARN
* Components and best practices of an effective character education
program
* Helping students take responsibility for their own learning
* Overcoming potential obstacles from the community and staff
* How to teach the core virtues to enhance student achievement
* Resources and specific activities for character education
* Infusing character education into the existing curriculum and
the total school climate
* Models for ethical decision making, and resisting unhealthy
temptations
* Strategies for helping students develop healthy habits
* Effective teaching strategies for instilling character
IQ-EQ
CONNECTIONS: Helping Kids Care
Author: Polly Ayers
Course Description
This
course will explore the connection between cognitive and affective
learning. Benjamin Bloom, well known for his hierarchy of thinking
skills, also developed a hierarchy of affective skills. His work
suggests that in order to help students reach higher levels of
“thinking” (IQ), we must also help students reach higher levels of
“caring” (EQ). David Sousa’s research (How The Brain Learns)
further compels us to help students internalize and personalize the
information we want them to learn. His research suggests the
brain is a filter, not a sponge. While a student’s brain may
accept information into short-term memory (“Remember until the test”),
it unconsciously discards much of the information we teach. If
information isn’t fully understood, the brain will eventually discard
it as ‘untrue’. Equally if information isn’t useful, the brain
will eventually discard it as ‘unimportant’. To get into
long-term memory, information must make sense, and it must have
personal meaning.
Participants in this course will work together
to translate this research into fun, engaging daily practice. Our
goal will be long-term learning, not simply the short-term learning
that’s readily assessed in standardized tests. Using dozens of
classroom-tested strategies and a variety of learning activities,
participants will experience the role that novelty, interaction and
choice play in student learning. Participants will also explore
practical ways in which our systems for grading, classroom management
and discipline can help students learn life lessons while they also
learn curriculum lessons.
The course is designed to inspire and equip
educators to create “teachable moments” for students, so that school
content can serve as a springboard for both cognitive and emotional
growth. To the extent that we provide for both types of growth and
learning, students will be able to retain necessary information in
long-term memory. They’ll also develop the skills of lifelong
learners, and the attitudes of responsible citizens. IQ-EQ Connections
is premised on the belief that little things matter, and little moments
can be remembered for a lifetime.
A FEW OF THE THINGS PARTICIPANTS WILL
LEARN:
• How to create practical
applications for research on how the brain learns and retains
information
• How to recognize and
experience the link between cognitive and affective thinking
• How to use your systems for
grading, classroom management and discipline to teach life-lessons
• How to develop proactive
plans to address societal changes that affect our schools.
• The relationship between
school success and adult success
• Ways to differentiate
lessons to address the needs of both eager and reluctant learners.
• Over 15 classroom games
that can be adapted to a variety of age and ability levels
• Useful tips for dealing
with kids, colleagues, curriculum, and the community
Reading
List for Raising Student Achievement
Have you been wondering what you and your fellow staff
members can do to help the students in your class and in your school
increase their level of achievement? This course will help you to
discover the many keys to improving the performance of students both in
the classroom and on state mandated tests. This graduate course
is designed by Rebecca Zullo to help educators develop new and varied
strategies for meeting the challenges of standards-based assessment and
accountability. It is based on the newest research and practices
on standards-based instruction and assessment. Participants will
examine best practices in the areas of teaching/learning strategies,
lesson alignment with state model curriculum (backward design),
development of reading skills across the curriculum, test-taking skill
development, effectively including and informing parents, and
maximizing student participation, motivation, and ownership of the
content. Practical applications of research and classroom
proven strategies will be a major emphasis of the course.
A
FEW OF THE MANY THINGS YOU WILL LEARN
*
How to run a successful standards-based classroom
*
How to design instruction for achievement using backwards design
*
Effective strategies for closing the achievement gap
*
How to design and use assessment to improve student performance
*
How to teach reading across the curriculum
*
Test-taking and study skills for your students
*
How to motivate students to improve their classroom and test performance
*
How to develop tutoring programs that meet the needs of your students
*
Creative methods of parent communication and involvement
*
Techniques for instructional design which correlate with Ohio's
Academic Content Standards
*
How to foster student responsibility for learning
From Risk to
Resilience: Strength-Based Interventions for Students At
Risk (SBI)
Author: Christine Haymond, M.A.
Reading
List for Strength Based Intervention
Educators
need a practical and effective skill set in order to articulate, plan,
and
evaluate realistic learning goals and
behavior expectations for all students. This
graduate course was designed by Christine
Haymond to help educators develop
confidence and competence when dealing
with students (and families) who present
behavior and academic challenges.
Participants will become familiar with relevant
aspects of students’ environments and how
these personal challenges and stressors
affect learning and behavior. Five
distinct research based modules will explore
Emotional Intelligence, Resiliency,
Students from Addicted Families, Culture in the
Classroom, and Reclaiming Youth: The
Circle of Courage. Although research based,
course emphasis is on practical
applications and participants will be actively engaged
in their learning. Participants will have
an opportunity to callaborate and develop age
appropriate classroom interventions for
students who are often “school resistant.”
A
few of the many things you will learn:
* What is Emotional Intellilgence (EQ),
why it is important in the school environment
* How educators can foster and encourage
Emotional Intelligence in their students
* The Damage vs. Challenge model of
student behavior
* The Seven Resiliences, and how to
recognize and develop them in students
* How to “re-frame” negative labels and
behavior
* Recognizing, understanding, and
intervening with the common defenses used by
students from at risk environments
* Positive school based interventions for
students raised in generational poverty
* The hidden rules of school culture that
confuse children raised in poverty
* The impact of parental addiction on
children and the school environment
* The four quandrants that comprise a
positive “Reclaiming” environment
TIME & LIFE MASTERY
Reading List for
TLM (Not required for a "B" grade) mAuthor:
Kurt Utterback M.A.
TIME & LIFE MASTERY: TIME MANAGEMENT FOR EDUCATORS
ORGANIZING FOR TEACHER AND STUDENT
SUCCESS
The purpose of this course is to assist you in maximizing your
effectiveness and efficiency in managing time and to help students do
the same. A barrier to student achievement relates to structure and
time management. Since research shows that effective teachers are a key
to student success, effectiveness and efficiency strategies are
emphasized. Participants will gain insights into time mastery
skills and behaviors to increase time on task for themselves and their
students. You will also explore your behavioral style and its
implications in terms of time mastery and dealing with students,
colleagues and tasks. Furthermore, you will learn valuable time
mastery skills and organizational strategies to assist in implementing
and improving productivity in the classroom and teacher planning and
preparation time. Special emphasis will focus on doing those things
that are the most important to obtain designated results.
A FEW OF THE MANY THINGS YOU WILL
LEARN
*How attitudes impact both teacher and student use of time
*How to set, attain, and prioritize learning goals
*Application of universal principles
*Examining our time habits
* How to plan and schedule effectively
* Dealing positively with classroom interruptions
* Strategies for making meetings and class time more productive
* Reducing the paper avalanche
* Delegating tasks for more productivity
POSITIVE DISCIPLINE IN THE CLASSROOM
Reading List for
PD (Not required for a "B" grade) Author:
Christine Haymond M.A.
Discipline problems often interfere with
students not being successful academically. When discipline problems
are at a minimum, teachers are able to concentrate on getting the
material across to the student. Teachers who have students with
discipline problems know there has to be a better way. This course will
show participants how a classroom environment that encourages and
rewards positive behavior, mutual respect and a commitment to basic
values can have an immediate and long-term impact on young
people. Jane Nelsen, Alfred Adler, Rudolph Dreikurs and Donald
Dinkmeyer believe a misbehaving child is a
discouraged child. Participants will learn how to construct a
sound psychological foundation and develop a positive discipline
philosophy. Large and small group discussions, role-playing,
simulations and other interactive activities will help participants
build an understanding of how they can make the positive discipline
process work in their classroom.
A FEW OF THE MANY THINGS YOU WILL LEARN
* How to create an atmosphere of caring and success based on
kindness,firmness,dignity and mutual respect
* How your interactions influence behavior
* Four problem solving steps that help students take
responsibility for their behavior
* How to identify and redirect student misbehavior
* How to reach solutions that are win-win
* How to use a ãTeacher Helping Teacherä model
* The building blocks for effective class meetings
* How to use a variety of classroom management skills
EFFECTIVE
INSTRUCTION
Reading List for
EI (Not required for a "B" grade) Author:
Dr. Rose Mucci
In this course, participants will be
exposed to the elements of effective teaching. The
strategies presented in this course are based on an eclectic approach
using concepts from Harry Wong, Robert Marzano, Mark Forget, Spencer
Kagan, Madeline Hunter, William Glasser, William Purkey and other
leaders in the field of education. Dr.
Rosemarie Mucci designed this interactive course with an emphasis on
practical application in the classroom, with enough theory to provide
an understanding of the concepts involved and the motivation for using
them. After participating in these
task-focused interactions teachers, administrators and support staff
will leave with a better understanding of how to improve instruction,
motivation and student achievement. The concepts in this course are continuously updated in order
to meet the changing demands in the classroom.
A FEW OF THE MANY THINGS THAT YOU WILL LEARN:
¶Effective instructional techniques
¶How to prepare for the first day of school
¶How to develop procedures and routines in the classroom
¶How to utilize cooperative learning
¶How to establish an inviting classroom culture and
climate
¶How to achieve Lesson Mastery
¶How to communicate positive expectations
Engaging
the 21st Century Learner thru Technology
Overcoming Engagement Deficit Disorder
(EDD) Author: Gary Kandel M.Ed.
ENGAGING THE 21ST CENTURY LEARNER THRU
TECHNOLOGY
GENERAL SYLLABUS
Credit hours: 3 graduate semester hours through Walsh University
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This graduate course was designed by Gary Kandel, M.Ed. to help
educators develop new and varied strategies for meeting the needs of
the 21st century student. Participants will examine practical and
engaging forms of technology that enhance learning and student
engagement. Participants will also develop strategies to enhance
overall student engagement in the classroom while also identifying
their own strengths and adapting those to the current reality of the
21st century classroom its students. (This course does not require
participants to have a strong background in using technology.)
A FEW OF THE THINGS YOU WILL LEARN
*How the changes in culture and population have influenced students
*Why many students are bored in schools
*The needs of the 21st century student learner.
*The needs of the 21st century teacher
*Ways to develop student engagement in the classroom.
*Knowledge of the available technology that can increase student
engagement in the classroom. *New forms of technology hardware
available to enhance the learning environment.
*Various types of student engagement.
*Necessary skills to engage today’s student.
*Ways to effectively use the internet and various web applications to
engage students.
*Techniques to teach difficult skills using the Internet and
technology.
*The correlation between classroom design and student learning.
*Ways to improve communication with parents using technology.
*Techniques to save time in planning lessons.
.
Hands-On Math K-8:
Fostering Mathematical
Understanding Through Active Learning
Author: Rebecca L. Zullo,
M.Ed. Reading List
HOM Course Description: This course has been developed by Rebecca Zullo
for educators of grades K-8. In this
graduate-level course, participants will deepen their conceptual
understanding of many K-8 mathematics topics including: numbers and
operations, geometry, measurement, algebra, and data analysis and
probability. We will study these topics
with a goal of increased understanding for improved instructional
effectiveness. Mathematics lessons and
classroom activities that are in alignment with the ODE standards,
improving both teacher and student understanding and competency in
mathematics, and supporting the mathematics teaching/learning process
are the key elements of this course. Participants
will experience hands-on mathematics lessons, topic explorations, and
collegial discussions. As each standard is
investigated, participants will examine the concrete, representational,
and abstract levels which students must move through in order to
achieve meaningful comprehension. Other
practical aspects of effective math instruction to be addressed are:
informal and formal assessment; problem solving; effective use of math
manipulatives; classroom routines; homework; motivating students; math
vocabulary development; time management; note-taking; and effective
questioning. This course will help
educators develop new and varied strategies for improving the quality
of their mathematics instructional delivery and is based on the newest
research and practices on standards-based mathematics instruction. Practical application of research-proven
strategies will be a major emphasis of the course.
Brain Power
101-Simplifying Brain Research for Practical Use
Authors: Tanya Titus and Kerry Parker
Credit hours: 3 graduate semester hours through Walsh University
DESCRIPTION:
There has been an explosion of research and information on the brain.
In the past, the focus was physiology and psychology. Today, brain
research is linking the disciplines of psychology, biology, sociology,
psychiatry and pedagogy in a new science referred to as “educational
neuroscience.” This educational model is often called “brain-based
learning”. While it is exciting, the flood of information can be
overwhelming and confusing. This course is designed to offer educators,
administrators and guidance counselors the basics of this new
information. Participants will have the opportunity to explore current
brain research and develop practical techniques for putting it to work
in their current situation. Some of the specific areas of focus include
neuroanatomy, the brain’s basic needs, gender differences, the special
needs brain, memory, the life cycle of the brain, the brain’s learning
and thinking processes and impulse control. Brain-compatible strategies
to boost attention, motivation, learning and achievement relevant to
all ages and grade levels will be learned. Brain-friendly strategies
for dealing with diversity and individual learner needs will also be
learned and implemented. Participants will learn and practice using
brain-friendly models for selecting activities for pre-assessment,
teaching, practice, evaluation and enrichment in order to maximize
student achievement. Understanding how the brain works helps us as
educators to set appropriate learning goals and to determine the
learning sequence.
A FEW OF THE MANY THINGS PARTICIPANTS
WILL LEARN:
Learn what makes us different. How we learn differently.
Neuroanatomy-the pieces and parts of the brain and what happens when
learning does or does not take place.
A look at the whole-school approach to brain-friendly design.
Developmental stages of brain growth with learning and behavioral
expectations at each stage.
Specific brain-friendly teaching techniques through modeling and
group/class activities.
Current research on a variety of topics such as the correlation of the
brain with nutrition, physical movement, memory, aging, gender
differences, and the brain’s thinking and learning processes.
Participants will develop an understanding of how impulse control works
and how to help students gain control.
Brain compatible strategies to boost attention and motivation and to
deal with diversity as well as individual learner needs.
Participants will learn and practice using brain-friendly models for
selecting activities for pre-assessment, teaching, practice, evaluation
and enrichment in order to maximize student achievement.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Participants will collaborate on learning and teaching techniques and
strategies that correlate to how the brain naturally learns.
Participants will be introduced to the current brain research specific
to education.
Participants will use the current information to increase positive
student behavior.
Participants will engage in brain-based learning through the selection
of course activities and the style of presentation.
Participants will explore strategies for teaching higher-level thinking
skills.
Participants will identify successful current brain-based educational
practices and integrate them into current teaching practices.
Participants will discuss specific activities and strategies for
brain-friendly lesson planning and assessment, as well as for creating
a classroom atmosphere that promotes the necessary student engagement.
Participants will examine the “big picture” of brain research and
determine how to use it best in their current situations.
Participants will analyze and practice strategies for effectively
addressing students’ diverse learning needs.
The course content will encourage and support positive life-long
changes in both the personal and professional lives of participants.
Courage for The
Discouraged
Author: Chris Haymond & Sam Porter
The framework of this graduate level course will be the Circle of
Courage. This
research based model, developed by Reclaiming Youth International,
combines the best
practices of modern psychology with strength-based Native American
family and child
centered philosophies and traditions. The current trend in education,
mandated by
federal law, places emphasis on testing and the resulting data.
This trend has resulted in the inclusion of many challenging students
into the
regular education classroom and curriculum, with maximum expectations
and minimal
support/training for the classroom teacher. At the same time, the trend
in behavior
intervention models has shifted from a deficit based system to a
positive, strength-
based model. These parallel trends have escalated frustrations for
educators,
administrators, and service providers, as they seek to positively
assist and educate all
children.
Many students at risk of failing in our schools (and in our
communities) present
with behaviors resulting in multiple discipline referrals, failing
grades, and low test
scores. Participants in this course will explore a problem based and
solution focused
framework, and the insight and information that is essential to
effectively educate
students and empower teachers. Proactive (vs. reactive) strategies will
be emphasized
and will encourage and support educators to become and remain confident
and
competent in their chosen profession.
Overall course goals:
• To guide course participants to a better understanding of the
implications and
influence of biological, environmental, social and emotional stressors
that lead to
behaviors that are unacceptable in the school environment.
• To help educators understand the “need behind the behavior” and react
in positive and
confident ways to challenging students.
• To enhance the skill set of educators as they face various behavior
challenges in the classroom.
• To expand the understanding of cultural awareness and its
implications in today?s classrooms.
• To help educators understand pain-based behaviors and the private
logic of school
resistant, adult-wary children and youth.
• To promote classroom connections that increase the odds of student
participation and success.
• To provide educators with peer support and a positive problem solving
model
throughout the course.
• To address the reality of stressors that influence student actions
and teacher reactions.
The
Teacher’s Toolbox: Effective Instructional Strategies
Author: Dr. Rosemarie Mucci Reading
List
Course Description
This course is designed for classroom teachers who are looking for an
equitable relationship between working hard and working smart in the
classroom. This interactive process offers teachers the tools
needed to “get the job done”. Participants will leave with the
ability to utilize instructional strategies that increase student
achievement and with the ability to implement classroom management
strategies that improve student engagement and motivation while
maintaining high expectations. The concepts presented in this
class are based on the best practices of Dr. Robert Marzano, Dr. Harry
Wong, Stephen R. Covey, Dr. John Samara, Charlotte Danielson and other
leaders in the field of education as well as information from Align,
Assess, Achieve, and The Master Teacher Professional Development
Program.
A Few of the Many Things You Will Learn
You will learn how to:
• Establish and communicate learning goals
• Track student progress
• Celebrate student successes
• Create strategies for engaging students
• Establish and maintain classroom rules and
procedures
• Communicate high expectations for each student
Course Objectives
After taking this course, participants will be able to:
Write clear and concise learning goals
Develop a system for monitoring student progress
Design methods for celebrating student successes
Understand the importance of previewing and
critical input in lessons
Recognize the power of student self-reflection
Design lessons that extend students’ thinking and
problem solving skills
Create strategies for engaging students in the
learning process
Design an effective classroom management system
Establish an effective rapport with students
Communicate high expectations for each student
Succeeding
with Students of Poverty: Moving Beyond Assumptions and Toward
Achievement
Written by Carole J. Snider, M.Ed. Reading
List
Many schools and educators are challenged to meet the accountability
demands of state and federal measures with their students of
poverty. This graduate course is designed to provide the tools
that will equalize
opportunities for these students in order to maximize their academic
achievement. These children can learn, and are just as capable as their
peers, but life so far has not provided them with the necessary
advantages for
high academic achievement. This course will focus on what educators can
actually do to overcome these significant demographic challenges.
Succeeding with Students of Poverty
is based upon the latest research.
Here is some of what you will learn:
-The complexity of poverty and its effects upon children
-Identifying and addressing the six types of ADD - one of the most
common disorders among these children
-Incorporating movement into any subject or grade level to enhance
learning
-Creating learning environments specifically designed for school success
-Identifying and capitalizing on school success factors
-Learning how to make homework truly work
-Recognizing symptoms of and implementing coping strategies for
"Learned Helplessness"
-The lifelong positive impact of the persevering growth mindset
-Specific instructional strategies to increase the academic success of
any student
-How to build mutual respect and positive school involvement with
parents
COMMUNICATE INSTITUTE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
P.O. Box 35543 Canton, OH
44735-5543
Phone 330-526-8977
Copyright 1997-2011 Communicate Institute
Training and Development
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