We will discuss how to include the cultural knowledge of our ELLs and their communities to create a welcoming learning environment as described in NYSED's Culturally Responsive Sustaining Education Framework. Examples and resources will be shared. (1 CTLE hour)

Explore the increasingly popular thinking processes of computational thinking and design thinking which can benefit students and be incorporated into your work in the classroom. In our digital world, computational thinking has become a foundational element for computer science as the systematic approach aids in problem solving. Design thinking is a terrific approach for making as it starts with empathy and observation. These processes are both valuable in different ways and serve as a great comparison and contrast as they offer different perspectives. This workshop will introduce the ideas and explore their strengths and uses in education as well as sharing resources for both to aid in bringing them into the classroom. This webinar will be on April 22, 2021 from 5pm-6pm.

Upon completion this webinar will provide 1 CTLE hour. District approval is required for in-service credit.

Are you using Google's G-Suite for Education to its potential? This course will explore Google Apps including Drive, Docs, Slides, Forms, Keep, and Drawings as tools for creativity, collaboration, assessment, and communication. We will begin with the basics and then learn tips and tricks to transform your teaching into innovative, engaging lessons.

This course starts on May 3rd and ends on May 21st, 2021.

Please note: Instruction will be delivered online using Google Classroom and Zoom Videoconference sessions throughout the course, arranged by the instructor. The first Zoom session will be on May 3rd from 4:00-4:30pm.

This course will provide 15 CTLE Hours upon completion. District approval is needed for in-service credit.

Interactive lessons to use for remote learning

Together we will investigate what it means to have a Growth-Mindset. Several short video clips will be shared that can be utilized within the distance learning or in the classroom to reinforce the concepts of fixed and growth-mindsets. An assortment of read-alouds will be shared that will emphasize overcoming obstacles and perseverance. Follow up activities that can be implemented within the distance learning or in the classroom will be shared. This includes class lessons, activities and resources." (1 CTLE hour)

Learn how to tailor your lessons for students with executive functioning difficulties. (1 CTLE hour)

This webinar will provide participants with examples of ways they can support social emotional learning at the elementary level, all while distance learning.

Learn how to differentiate your instruction via remote learning for students with disabilities. (1 CTLE hour)

Participants will be introduced to the basics of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and some ways in which they can bring it to their elementary schools.

"In August of 1619, a ship appeared on this horizon, near Point Comfort, a coastal port in the English colony of Virginia. It carried more than 20 enslaved Africans, who were sold to the colonists. No aspect of the country that would be formed here has been untouched by the years of slavery that followed. On the 400th anniversary of this fateful moment, it is finally time to tell our story truthfully." We will use the 6 podcasts produced as part of this series to examine the pivotal role of race in America. In this course participants will listen to six 45-minute podcasts over a three-week period. Two podcasts a week and one response to each podcast will be submitted by the participants via google classroom.

This course starts on May 12th, 2021 and ends on June 4th, 2021.

Participants will meet via zoom from 7:30PM - 8:30PM on the following dates;
Tuesday, May 18th, 25th and June 1st.
Discussions regarding the podcasts and the responses provided by the participants will be examined and reviewed during the Google Meet meetings. (9 CTLE Hours)

All work will be available and submitted via google classroom.
6 hours asynchronous - podcasts and written responses
3 hours synchronous - online google meet meetings

We will explore the history of the major epidemics and pandemics in America, including Smallpox, 1775-1782, Yellow Fever 1793, three waves of Cholera, 1832-1866, the Influenza pandemic 1918-1919, Polio, the 1950s, all in the context of the current Covid-19 crisis. We will explore historical perspectives of these global health emergencies, including eerie similarities, and significant differences. We will also examine the role of medical science, politics, government, and policymaking at the state and national level and the role of common citizens in confronting these health emergencies.

The goal of the course is to provide historical context to the heroic actions, resilience, and strength, as well as mistakes made by those who struggled in the past so they can serve as an inspiration and offer insights into how we may overcome the challenges in the difficult times we now face.

In this course, participants will have 3 reading assignments and 3 videos to assess and formulate responses for an asynchronous 3 hours of the course. All responses to the asynchronous work will be submitted by the participants via google classroom prior to our remote Google Meets.

This course starts on Wednesday, May 12th and ends on Wednesday, May 26th, 2021.

Participants will meet via Google Meet from 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM on Wednesday, May 19th, Monday, May 24th, and Wednesday, May 26th. Discussions regarding the readings, videos, and the responses provided by the participants will be examined and reviewed during the Google Meet meetings.

All course info, materials, student comments, and the Google Meet URL will be available through Google Classroom. Participants must use a personal Google account to access this course.

Please note: Upon completion participants will receive 6 CTLE hours. District approval is required for in-service credit.

Google Slides too often is overlooked as Google's answer to PowerPoint. This is the weakest use of this robust tool and leaves students at the bottom rung of the SAMR scale. Teachers and students can be animating, publishing, curating collaboratively if the tool is presented to maximize the robust features of the tool. (1 CTLE hour)

In this webinar, you will learn about coding and computer science by way of making and design, using the revolutionary new micro:bit microcontroller board, and Microsoft's easy and powerful MakeCode block-based coding environment. You will learn how this tool can be used to implement a project-based curriculum with a maker philosophy at its core; the idea is that by making physical objects, students create a context for learning the coding and computer science concepts.

This webinar will be held on May 13, 2021 from 5pm-6pm.

Upon completion participants will receive 1 CTLE hour.

Google Slides too often is overlooked as Google's answer to PowerPoint. This is the weakest use of this robust tool and leaves students at the bottom rung of the SAMR scale. Teachers and students can be animating, publishing, curating collaboratively if the tool is presented to maximize the robust features of the tool. (1 CTLE hour)

Participants will explore various children's picture books that can be used to support the teaching of social emotional learning in the elementary classrooms. (1 CTLE hour)

Participants will explore various children's picture books that can be used to support the teaching of social emotional learning in the elementary classrooms.

Where do teachers go when they have specific needs they would like met connected to Technology? Where does the teacher go when they don't know what they don't know? This class should be conducted in stages, where a Tech tool that will enhance practice is offered. The class could run based on interest in that Tech tool. (1 CTLE hour)

This course is an examination of theories and practices related to school district leadership, administration, supervision, and evaluation. Topics included are organizational structure, engaging teachers, staff, and parents in the decision-making process, curriculum, leadership, supervision, staff development, monitoring and evaluating the school's or program's performance and involving staff in making changes, mechanisms for effecting change, establishing and maintaining ongoing cooperation and collaboration between the home and the school, personnel administration, business management, and school law. (3 graduate credits)

This course will take place online through Blackboard and face to face meetings will be arranged by the instructor.

This course is scheduled to start on Monday, June 14th and end by July 14th, 2021.

Educational Leadership Theory II (prerequisite: EDL 501) The focus of this course will be on organizational behavior. Topics include: the study of roles and relationships; working well with the school staff, students, parents, and community; bureaucracy; social systems; human motivation; using resources effectively; maintaining an orderly physical environment; decision making, leadership and organizational change; communications; and the effect of community and outside influences. (3 graduate credits)

This course will meet via Blackboard and the instructor will arrange any face to face meetings using Zoom.

This course is scheduled to start on Monday, June 14th and end by Wednesday, July 14th, 2021.

In this course participants will begin to utilize STEAM tools and apply them within their own educational environment. They will adapt existing lessons and activities to reflect STEAM tools, principles and ideologies, developing a strong understanding of STEAM pedagogy with instructional practice. Participants will explore web based STEAM tools for education and understand how to apply those tools to their classroom.

This course runs for five weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting on Tuesday, June 15th and runs through Thursday, July 15th 2021. Instruction will be provided through Blackboard and includes online flexible synchronous meetings arranged by the instructor.

This Stony Brook University course focuses on the leadership and administrative roles of elementary and secondary school building leaders. Topics include: tasks of a building administrator; building organizations and staff utilization; curriculum development; evaluating the school or program performance and involving the staff in making changes; leadership; engaging teachers, staff, and parents in the decision-making process; facilities management; employee relations, student affairs; public relations; maintaining collaboration between the home and the school and school law.

This course starts on Tuesday, June 15th and ends on Thursday, July 15th, 2021.

Instruction will be delivered through both asynchronous assignments in Blackboard and synchronous face to face meetings via Zoom scheduled by the instructor throughout the course.

This course focuses on aspects of English grammar particularly difficult for ELLs. The practical application of this study of English grammar includes diagnosing and addressing student errors, teaching English structures in a new way and teaching ELLs the grammar knowledge they need to be successful at the academic language of school. Materials and exercises for teaching various grammatical structures will be developed. Actual errors made by learners of English will and will develop practical techniques for remedying these errors. The content of this course will be delivered through asynchronous instruction via Blackboard and synchronous instruction via Zoom.

This course is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, June 15th, 2021 and end on Thursday, July 15th, 2021. During this five week summer session the class is scheduled to meet on Tuesday's and Thursday's.

This graduate course presents a study of the concepts, theories, methods, and findings dealing with how to remain abreast of research in education and acquire the extensive knowledge of learning theories, leadership theories, creative thinking, teaching, assessment, and the principles of effective schools. Materials will be drawn largely from the behavior sciences. These will be applied to the practice of educational administration at all levels and in all settings, taking into account cultural diversity and locale.

This course runs from on Monday, September 20th - Monday, December 6th, 2021

For additional information please contact Kristine at 631-730-5010 or kristine@mestract.org.